It was a bright Saturday morning at a popular street in Ikoyi, Lagos. After breakfast, Mike went out with Kazeem for a stroll.
"Wow, this place is beautiful. You're a big man o. See where you live."
"Big man indeed, abeg forget talk. Where's my car and my own house if I'm a big man?", Kazeem said, joking.
"So guy, I'd like to get another cooking job immediately as I'm not ready to sit at home all day."
"No problems. You don't have to worry about that. I secured one for you last week but it's on the mainland."
"Where's the mainland? Is it not here in Lagos?"
"It is quite a distance from here."
"I don't mind."
"It's a private job. I'll give your boss-to-bes phone number when we get home."
"Alright man. Thanks a bunch. I owe you a lot. Remember I don't have a phone at the moment."
"It's my pleasure bro. Forget that thing, you're a brother. That's true. You will speak to him with my phone", Kazeem said, patting his shoulder.
They had a long walk and enjoyed each other's company as they strolled back home. Mike couldn't wait to get back to work. He seems to have forgotten all that happened while at his former place of work.
He got the job at the Mainland with accommodation as well. After two weeks of working, the boss was no longer in need of his service, so he gave him a notice to leave once he received the next salary.
"What do I do now?"
He had no phone to reach Kazeem. He couldn't dare ask his boss for Kazeem's contact.
"It'd be too embarrassing to go back to Ikoyi, just like that. Let me see if I can get a one room apartment around for myself"
He went to the nearest phone market and bought for himself a Nokia 3310 and SIM card. He rented an apartment from the money he saved and moved in before the expiration of his stay at his current boss's home.
Finally, he received his salary and left. At least, he now lives in his own apartment. Somewhere to lay his head every night. He was grateful.
The next morning, he visited a business center, and printed many copies of advert notifications. It read;
"Need a professional cook? Call: 0819654xxxx", boldly printed on each of the twenty pieces of white A4 papers.
He took his time, purchased gum and stuck them on walls from street to street. He was certain that someone would call.
"I'll go to Ikoyi to see Kazeem this weekend. He needs to know what's happening here. I could have written down his phone number on a paper before coming down here in the first place. Well, it's not too late to meet him."
Still thinking of what to tell Kazeem, his phone rang. It was a call from an unknown number.
"Hello, good afternoon", Mike greeted.
"Good afternoon. I'm Engineer Olumide. I copied your contact from your publication. You're a cook, am I correct?"
"Yes sir."
"Alright. Can you work full time, 8:00AM to 5:00PM in Lekki?", the caller inquired.
"Yes sir, I can."
"Alright. I'll send you my home address. Make sure you're here at 10:00AM on Saturday for the interview."
"I will sir. Thank you."
He ended the call. Mike quickly went through the photocopies of Kazeem's details and one of his passport photographs. He knew the need would arise someday, so he did an extra copy from the one he submitted to his last boss.
The problem here is that he doesn't have Kazeem's phone number. What if his new boss requests for his guarantor's contact number?
He left the next morning to Ikoyi to see Kazeem. When he got there, he saw an empty house. There was no doubt that Kazeem had relocated.
Mike felt bad but had no choice than to go back home and await his fate on Saturday. He was going to use his old missing phone number to fill in his guarantors' details.
It was a long trip back home. There was a gridlock for two hours en-route the third mainland bridge. He finally got home at about 9:00pm. A journey that would ordinarily take less than One hour thirty minutes to five hours.
He got home very tired and slept off immediately without taking his night meal.
It was Saturday morning, the next day and Mike was already on his way. He left home as early as 7:00 AM using the address sent him by the caller.
At about 9:30AM he was at the gate. Lekki Phase I.
He was let in by the security man upon confirmation of his identity and contact with the boss. He walked in as directed.
The building was a magnificent one. Painted in white and light ash, black roof, huge black gate, black doors with parking space that could take up to ten cars. Big, spacious and beautiful. There were four exotic cars worth tens of millions of naira parked in the compound.
"This man must be a very wealthy man. My salary must be at least one-hundred thousand naira or more."
He waited at the guest room and the man walked in, he knew it was him. He stood up, greeted with bow;
"Good morning sir",
"Good morning Michael, how are you doing?"
"I'm fine sir."
"Please, sit" Mr. Olumide gestures pointing at the seat behind him.
He sat. The interview commenced and Mr. Olumide was quite satisfied with him. They reach an agreement on his salary. He would be paid eighty thousand naira at the end of every month.
He was asked to resume the following Monday. In addition to his new job, he was offered an apartment within Ajah by his new boss. However, he's expected to pay up within six months. He accepted.
Mike was excited. Overjoyed. Words could barely describe how good he felt coupled with the fact that he's about to start living in a furnished apartment with little rent of just one hundred and twenty thousand naira per annum.
It was more of a gift as the structure was worth over five hundred thousand naira per annum. From there, he was driven in one of the cars to the house by Mr. Olumide's PA. He could start bringing in his things immediately.
The keys to his new mini flat apartment were handed to him. Here's where he's about to start living. A gated compound with four other tenants. He cleaned up the apartment and headed straight to the mainland to bring his things.
Mike was grateful beyond words.
If he could see the future... If he knew what would happen to him, he wouldn't have accepted the offer but what could he do, he's just as human as everyone else.
The real hurdles of life are yet to hit. Can Mike survive what's about to go down in his life? Let's see what happens next as the story unfolds.
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TREACHEROUS ORDEAL
General FictionWhen the tussles of life becomes one's nightmare, the hurdles become a reality. In the quest for survival, betrayal roams. Mike had to settle for what was available irrespective of the fact that it was dangerous and costly. He was caught in-between...
