APART

Chapter 10: FIRST DAY AT WORK

         "Good morning miss Iris." Echoed Theo who was arranging something behind the counter. "I'm very happy to see you. Today is your first day at work. We need to pop champagne." He chuckled.

            I must admit, Theo is a lot like me. He behaves a lot like a last born. Him saying all that made me smile but i had to keep it on a low to avoid over familiarity. That would lead to a disrespect.

              "Well, thank you, hopefully today will be an embodiment of how my stay in this country will be. A beautiful one and full of amazing surprises." I smiled faintly. Making those statements made my burnt tongue hurt a lot. I can't believe this happened to me on my first day of work in Nigeria. I scanned my eyes around the store in search of a place to stay. As if reading my mind, Theo walked up to me from behind the counter.

             "Miss Iris, let me show you to your office."

           "Okay." I responded surprised. Where's the office? I couldn't see any doors or entrance inside the store. He led me to a part of the store that looked like every other part with ankara materials stacked step by step. He stuck his hand in between and twisted an invisible door knob. I was stunned. He pushed it inwards and a black curtain came in view. Is this a cult room or what? He closed the door and flipped the curtain open. A large office came in view. I roamed my eyes around to get a full view of it. It was the same height with the store.

              Directly opposite the entrance stood a black office desk with a chair behind it and two chairs in front of it. Beside it was a metal safe. At the left side of the office was a medium size fridge. Opposite the fridge, at the right side of the office, stood a long sofa with a one person seat beside it and another one on the left side of the office which was placed beside where i was standing by the entrance. Then beside the chair i was standing by, stood a door. Before i was able to ask Theo, i saw the employees of the store come out from another entrance that was on my right.

            "Good morning miss Iris." They all screamed. There were about nine of them. I noticed Cecilia holding a chocolate cake with "WORKING BUT STILL A BADDIE" written on it in white. I got so emotional.

            "Welcome miss Iris. Since today is your first day at work in Nigeria we all decided to surprise you. Theo almost spilled it." we all chuckled "Especially for me, it was a way for me to apologize for my rude behavior towards you the first day you came here. Sorry ma."

              "Awwn, it's fine. I've forgiven you already."

              "Thank you miss Iris." Them caling me "ma" and "miss" felt awkward. But if that was what they felt like calling me as a form of respect, then it's fine.

              "We'll all make sure you don't regret any day here." He chuckled. "And miss i did what you asked me."

             "Oh, okay. Introduce them to me."

             "Well" he said as he pointed starting from the left to the right in the order they all stood. "That's Gideon."

              "Good morning miss." Greeted Gideon. I gave him a nod to save time. If i respond, we would start a conversation.

             "Standing beside him is Reuben." Said Theo. Reuben greeted too.

            "Beside Reuben is Ruth." She greeted also. "Beside Ruth is Jasmine." She greeted and i also gave her nod. I'd speak with Jasmine specially.

           "Standing beside Jasmine is her replacement, Rose." She also greeted me. Hearing her name made me smile. She was also bearing a flower's name like me.