Rita walked under the
scorching heat, her first stop had been at the ministry where she formerly
worked. Everyone had been glad to see her and when she asked if her slot was
still available they had replied.
“Ha! You can’t resign
from government work like that and come back....you know these things take
time. If it was private...” One of her former colleagues had said.
“You for take leave
instead of resign. Pesin nor dey resign from government work ooo...” Another
had said.
Rita had left the
office after staying there a while and decided to give the private sector a
shot by dropping her CV’s with receptionists at different offices. She really
wanted a job badly and the only place she had seen any vacancy was for the
position of a female messenger. The job wasn’t for someone with her
qualification but she went ahead to apply anyway, at least she could
hold on to it for the meantime till something better came, she thought.
She also thought of calling her dad to ask for help but again, if her father
found out that she had resigned from the ministry job he had a hand in helping
her get, he would raise a thunder storm and she didn't want him to be
displeased with her. He was displeased enough that she rushed into marriage,
and she didn’t want him to quickly change her position from one of his
favourite children to his least favourite child. Her family was a highly
competitive one and being one of twenty-three siblings, she didn’t want her dad
to cut her off in anger.
“You can start
tomorrow...” The lady at the reception told her, looking at her with
superiority.
“Thank you very much
ma....” She said in appreciation.
“You will be expected
to clean, go on errands for the staff and help staff prepare tea, coffee
and the like.”
“Yes ma...” She had
replied.
“Your monthly pay is
twenty thousand naira however if you perform your task well, it would be
reviewed. When you come tomorrow, you can come take your letter.” The lady
said.
“Thank you so much...I
really appreciate it.” Rita said cringing at the amount of money she would be
paid after a month’s hard work.
She left the office
feeling more depressed than she was when she came, as she took a transport
home, she remembered how good life used to be while she was single, she had a
house to herself, food on her table and no worries whatsoever. She had however
worried that some of her junior sisters and cousins were getting married before
her hence the pressure to settle down so when Chuka had come with his proposal,
she had accepted.
“If only I knew...”
She said aloud.
The man sitting beside
her said.
“Huh?”
“No...” She said
waving to him to indicate that she wasn't referring to him.
As she went home, she
wondered if the two wraps of moi moi she had left in the tray was still good
enough to eat. She was famished.
********
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