What is your diastolic reading for today?

Had a big scare early this morning. I could almost feel my blood rushing through the top of my head. I was sure that if measured, my diastolic reading had reached new heights! Perhaps higher than the record set by EJ Obiena in his pole vaulting career. Ganun kalala. 

Here’s what happened.

I usually pay my bills on weekends when I also balance my accounts. When I saw that my home internet account issued a new bill I decided to pay it at once using my GCASH account. While GCASH immediately issued a receipt after I processed the payment, I didn’t receive a confirmation text message on my phone. I waited for a few seconds. Nada. A few minutes passed and still no text message. I thought that was weird and stared at my phone blankly and then it hit me. I had NO SIGNAL bars. AT ALL. 

I panicked. 

I am pretty sure you’ve read horror stories about bank accounts being hacked by first hijacking the phone numbers tied to the online accounts. Remember that post of one family last December who lost money when they lost access to their Globe numbers? The hackers were able to steal money from their victims by gaining control of the postpaid numbers. The owners only realized their accounts were emptied when they found out that they didn’t have network signals.

I quickly signed in to one of my online accounts where my emergency funds are and heaved a sigh of relief. My login credentials were accepted and no funny transactions. But what if the would be hackers were trying to change the number registered to my bank account by contacting the bank and presenting fraudulent documents pretending they were me? Baka ma-Marcos ako!

My bank has a branch inside a mall and it is open on Saturdays. I just woke up 30 minutes before all this happened and I have yet to brush my teeth or comb my hair. To say that I look like the giant sand gobbler or Argus Filch in the morning is an understatement. Nevermind, I said to myself. I have to go the bank and deal with this.

While grabbing my keys I thought of checking my phone again. Still no signal. I thought of other reasons why this would happen and several TS steps came to my mind. First, I removed the SIM and put it back in. No luck. My heart was still racing. I checked my emails and there was no mail from the bank. Good sign. I decided to remove the SIM again and put it in the SIM slot in the SD card tray, inhaled and closed my eyes for two seconds. I slowly looked at the upper right side of my phone screen and there it is! SIGNAL. FOUR BARS. 

I let out a deep sigh.