By Bryn Babbar

I said goodbye to my dad as I exited the car and walked into the Royal York subway station. It was the night of the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight. I was 15 and excited because this was a sporting event like no other. The fight would be one of a kind, and no one knew what would happen. I was going to my friend’s house to watch it. However, since he lives on the city’s east side and I live on the west side of Toronto, it would take a while to get there. I stepped onto the subway and found a wall to lean on for the long ride to Rosedale Station. I got my phone out to put on some music for the ride. Then a notification popped up saying low battery.  I realized my phone’s battery was at 18%, and I knew it would die very quickly once it got below 20%. I was confused about why it was so low, but then I remembered that I had had a long bus ride earlier that day and was using it a lot. However, I was already a few stops away from my house, so I decided just to hope it didn’t die and charge it at my friend’s house. I decided to stay off it the whole ride and not to play any music.

            During the ride, I was very bored but concerned about my phone’s battery. I was worried because I did not know how to get to his house without Google Maps after arriving at Rosedale station. I left the subway to transfer lines and knew I was getting close. I checked the way to his house and saw it was a 20-minute walk. So, I assumed I would be fine.  As I exited Rosedale station and looked around, the streets seemed empty and dark.

            I started walking back and felt a cool breeze in the air. As I left the main street, I checked to see where to go. I had my brightness turned all the way down, not to waste any of the 9% battery I had left. As I followed the route, I noticed how dark the road and side streets were getting from the trees covering the lights. I wondered what would happen if my phone died because no one was around. I checked my phone again to see which way to go and then quickly turned it off. I was down to 6% battery and about 12 minutes away. I kept walking down the street and saw a side street connected. I got out my phone to check which way to go, and it was black. I immediately knew that it was dead, and I was lost.

            I knew I was close and would eventually have to get on a side street, so I turned onto it confident in my decision. I tried to see if there was anyone to ask for directions, but the roads were empty. I eventually got to a park I had visited a few times, but the area looked unrecognizable at night. Then I saw a security car close to the park, so I ran to it. One was on the phone, and the other sat in the car with the window open. I asked him where to go and gave him the address. He gave some rough directions. I left quickly because I did not want to forget what he said. I went straight and made a right, but did not know where to go next. I saw a street resembling my friend’s, so I went that way, but somehow ended up back at the park. I was getting frustrated and angry. I did not know what to do. I had never been lost like this before. I also knew my parents were getting worried.

            I walked around more and found a couple walking their dog, so I asked them for directions. They led me the way to his street. Once there, I felt relieved but realized I was at house number 324 on the street, and he was at house one on it. So I started the long walk. After walking straight for a while, I looked at one of the houses and said the name of another street. I was confused about how the street had just ended. I walked around for a while, completely lost. It felt like I had been lost for about 2 hours at that point, and I did not know what to do. I had never been in a position like this. I was alone in an empty street at night, completely lost, with no one to call. Then I saw a man walking with a few bags. I stopped to ask him if he knew the way, and he told me he was just renting, so he did not know, but he was a nice guy and got out his phone for directions. It turned out that the street was separated by two others. Now that I knew the way, I decided not to just run off with directions again but try to memorize the way. I said thank you and started walking the right way.

            I followed his directions and finally realized I could see my friend’s house. I ran there and was so relieved and happy. However, now I would have to explain this to my parents, who were probably worried about me since I said I would tell them when I arrived. As I entered the house, the first thing I did was get a charger. Some friends assumed my phone died, so I hoped my parents would think the same. After it was slightly charged, I saw a few missed calls from my friends and parents. I called my parents and had to explain what happened. They were relieved but not very happy—especially my mom.

            I thought about how much I rely on my phone and technology. Because my phone died, I got lost, my parents got worried, and I did not know what to do. In the end, someone using their phone helped me solve my problem. However, charging my phone and being more prepared was a good lesson. I knew it was never going to happen again. I also learned that approaching people is okay and that it can be very helpful when you need directions. I was very grateful for how kind and helpful the people I asked for help were. Finally, I realized that I could overcome challenges well while not getting too worried about things because, throughout this journey, I stayed very calm and kept persevering even though it felt like I would never find my way. I ended up having a fun night. When it was time to leave, I decided to Uber home.