My phone alarm kept ringing with Alessia Cara's overdose. I was in no mood to overdose this morning all I wanted to do was continue sleeping. I put off the alarm and was about sleeping when my mother entered my room and started shouting, "Aderinsola have you forgotten today is your first day of work, so after looking for a job for 9 months you don't want to resume abi we are about starting morning devotion come and join us". Wait this woman was kidding me "morning devotion keh?"
I checked the time and it was 6:16 am resumption time was 8am and with Lagos traffic I doubt if I would even get to work by 8. After searching for a job for 9 months after youth service I finally got a decent job and I wanted to ruin it. Thank God I already ironed I rushed into the shower and I rushed out. I put on a simple black corporate dress with a brown shoe and bag. I couldn't even make up after planning a simple facebeat for my first day of work. I guess I would have to do that tomorrow right now I just needed to find a way to get to Victoria Island.
As I was about leaving the house my mum called me and said, "Aderinsola you didn't join us for morning devotion when you knew you had to get to work early why didn't you set your alarm you need to be responsible you are no longer a kid". If only she knew how excited I was when I set my alarm for 5;30am last night my love for sleep was just my problem and I sure didn't need a reminder this morning. "Okay mummy I will wake up early tomorrow, I need to leave now see you in the evening". 'Kneel down let me pray for you how can you go out without praying more so today is even your first day at work' had been her reply. I didn't even have time to argue I just knelt down her prayer was quite fast as she knew I was already really late. My mother was not one to finish praying under 5 minutes.
I stepped out of the gate by 6:40 am thanks to my mum for the 5 minutes plus delay. I boarded a bike to the junction where I entered a bus going to CMS thank God we lived in Gbagada and it wasn't so far from the island. Luckily for me there had been no drama in the bus looks like everyone had something serious to do this morning no one had time for drama. At CMS I entered another bus to Victoria Island. My office was at Idowu Taylor it was already 7:45 am there had been the usual Monday morning traffic. I highlighted from the bus at 7:55am trekking down to the office building a few blocks away when a black car rushed pass and splashed water on me. It had rained yesterday it was raining season Luckily for me the water just affected my shoe and legs it ddnt get to my dress. I was so mad and I shouted at him even though I knew he wouldn't hear. If he was not driving with high speed it wouldn't have splashed on me, after all other cars had been passing too. As I got to the front of the office building I saw the black car and a young handsome man came out. He looked like he was in his late twenties he was a little above 6 feet. For a short 5'3 like me I sure knew heights because I didn't want to marry a short man. I walked briskly past him into the reception. He saw me and didn't even apologise the nerve of this man. I'm very sure he recognised me yet he couldn't even apologise. I got to work at exactly 8:05am I was late.
The receptionist was a middle aged woman who sure knew how to paint her face well I wonder if no one had told her that she should tone down her make up. Her name tag read "Patricia Iwu", "Good morning Mrs Iwu I.... ", "Miss" she corrected me rudely there was so much disgust in her thick voice and she had an obvious Igbo accent. She sure looked like someone that should be in her husband's house with teenage children. I wonder how I didn't notice her during the interview I had been almost late too and I entered when it was almost time to move into the hall so I didn't even notice the receptionist "Ooh I'm very sorry Miss Iwu I was newly employed here and was told to resume today". I replied. "See the time you are coming ehnn I hope they don't fire you before you even start work let me see your letter". I handed the letter to her and she directed me to the accounts department.
As I took the lift to the department on the 3rd floor I prayed they didn't fire me as Miss Iwu had said as I stepped out to the floor my phone started ringing loudly who was calling me this Monday morning, My mum. "Hello mummy I just got to work I will call you when I settle down" I didn't even wait for her to give any reply dramatic or not I hung up immediately. I met with another receptionist for the accounts department she looked quite young maybe 25. "Good morning, I just got a job here and I was directed by the receptionist at the entrance". She smiled at me warmly. "You are late oo it's 8:15 but you are lucky the head of accounts isn't at work he had a personal emergency and should be here anytime from now. He doesn't tolerate late coming make sure you are here before 8 tomorrow". "I will get here before 8 tomorrow thank you" I replied. "What's your name?" "Aderinsola but you can call me Derin" "okay Derin my name is Ivie, finally there is someone of my age group in this department How old are you I'm 24" she said as she stretched her hand out to me for a handshake." I'm 23. Ivie and I quickly bonded she wasn't a university graduate yet. She had completed her OND at Yabatech and was currently a part time student in Unilag DLI. She looked way comfortable for someone who was sending her self to school from her salary as a secretary here. Her human hair was really nice I'm sure it was well over 50k and she was even using an iPhone X and I was here using Infinix note 2. I'm sure with time I will find out how she was taking care of herself. Maybe she was dating one of this rich Lekki guys.
We had been so carried away with our gist about Unilag lecturers that we didn't the Head of Accounts had arrived. "I can see you and Ivie are really having fun and learning about working here" Mr Akin the HOA had said sarcastically. "Errm good morning sir" I said grumpily. "What's your name again? Aderinsola but you can call me Derin I don't know why I was just being so clumsy. He started walking so fast and I walked briskly behind him. Mr Akin looked like he was in his early 40s. He had a rounded pot belly like one of those men who finished all their salaries in beer parlours and went home with tales of how they had been robbed to their wives even though they were half drunk or fully drunk sef. He showed me to my seat in a general office and introduced me to the accounts department staff.
Apparently people were busy working inside and me I was gisting with Ivie at the reception liked I owned this company. The accounts department staff were all way older no wonder Ivie was happy I was here. I hope this people won't be sending me on errands o. I had to make it clear that I was a full staff and not an IT student that they could ride on. We were 6 in the general office and I was to be reporting directly to the Assistant HOA Mrs Obong she looked kind of mean I just hope my judgement wasn't right no-one wants to work with a mean boss. The other people I was sharing office with were John well he told me to call him John. He was kind of young probably in his early 30's or late 20s, Mr Dada he was way older, Mrs Oladipo, Mrs Eze and Mrs Alani. The women looked like boring gang of married women in their late 30's no wonder Ivie didn't like this place with the way they were relating it was obvious they were the office gossips and were besties. They had scrutinised me from head to toe and warned me to know my mates in the office looks like they were not even happy to see me. Thank God for John he even told me they called Mrs Obong 'Oblong' behind her back lol. This office was definitely drama packed and I was ready to unravel them one by one.
I was assigned by Oblong to do enter some paper work on the system and was invited to her office about some do and don'ts. Like no pressing of phone at work I had only just discovered that there was WiFi here and was jubilating was even planning to ask John for the password, eating in the office or even drinking of water eating and drinking had to be done in the staff room. So if I want to drink water now I have to walk all the way to the staff room. It's not like it was far but it didn't just make any sense. No wonder they called her Oblong.
The rest of the day went on fine, the office caterer had come to our deparment to drop our lunch well they were not informed that there was a new staff so they had to hustle to get me my own food. The way everyone exhaled joyfully and hurried to the staffroom for their bags when it was exactly 5pm you would have thought we had been chained or bound. Atleast no extra hours work here thank God o. When I got to the reception Ivie had gone na so she no like work reach nawaa for the girl. She didn't even tell her new friend before leaving. John joined me in the lift downstairs he was a really handsome man and looked neat and trim but he was short. Not my height though but maybe 5'6 or 5'7 when I wear heels will be his height or taller and I didn't like that. Why was I bothered sef it's not like he was hitting on me. "Hope you enjoyed your first day of work Derin" he said bringing me out of my thoughts. "Ooh yeah I did atleast it went better than I initially thought it would go". I told him about how my morning went and when I mentioned the incident I had with the man in the morning. He told me that must be the MD's son Ayotunde. "That's his business so because he is going to be the next MD that's why he can't apologise when he is wrong" I hissed. John lived at Anthony with his brothers and had a small Toyota car he was managing well that's what he said. Imagine my joy when he offered to be picking and dropping me everyday. That means no transport fare or bus wahala. I accepted the offer immediately. My day was indeed going well I just hope mummy cooked one lovely dish to finally cap this good day. The ride home was interesting. He was hoping to get transferred to another department where he had a chance of rising in his career. He felt the account department won't give him the opportunity to reach the top of his career. Where he dropped me off was just a stone throw from my house and we agreed on where to be meeting every morning by 7am. I hope I don't delay this young man that was trying to make life easy for me.
As I entered the house the aroma of egusi soup struck my nose thank God my mum was on leave she worked with the state government atleast I will get home to good food this period. I ate semo and egusi soup, had a cool bath and went to bed well not to sleep but to feed my eyes instagram and twitter. My younger sisters Deola and Ronke were in Unilag as school was still in session so I had my room to myself.
