JUST FOR YOU

《30》Job Interview.

By four am, my alarm blared out. As usual, I wanted to snooze for another ten minutes, but I quickly remembered that I had an interview. I flew out of my bed, showered, and quickly got dressed.

I wore a black two-piece set trousers and jacket suit with a white camisole. Simple but classy. I chuckled to myself. I looked at my reflection over and over in the mirror, admiring what I saw, and told myself that I looked good, and even if my certificates didn't get me the job, my good looks would. Having confidence is the key to success.

Pride at the highest level.

By five, I was out of the apartment. The early morning air made me shiver. I looked around; the street was deserted and dark. I wanted to turn back and wait at home, but I thought against it. Waiting at home meant I was willing to suffer. With every step I took, I said a little prayer. When I got to the bus stop, I saw other people waiting for the bus. I was relieved and surprised at the same time. How are people up so early? I forgot I was in Lagos, the city that never sleeps.

I waited at the bus stop for more than an hour. As a posh girl that I was, I didn't know how to fight to get a bus. I stood there waiting for my limousine. While I was there, I noticed that before the bus came to a complete stop, some people would have jumped in, including men and women. I didn't want to join those people because I didn't know how to, plus I didn't want to rip or roughen my suit. I stood and waited, thinking people at the bus stop were eventually going to reduce. Instead they kept increasing in numbers.

I looked at my phone; it was six fifteen, and I was still at the bus stop. Traffic was rapidly building up. I contemplated ordering an Uber, but when I looked at my account balance, I made up my mind. Uber was a luxury I couldn't afford anymore. I kept on having conflicts of interest in my head. One side said I should order the Uber so I could get to the interview on time, while the other said, What if I didn't get the job? I will only have more debts. So, I went with the latter, but I still believed I would get the job. After fifteen more minutes, I finally got a bus. But it wasn't without a struggle; I had to fight a girl for it.

I called Ann to let her know I was already on my way. She asked me to come straight to her office since my interview was at nine. By eight thirty, I was at her workplace, where she gave me tips on how to comport myself. The dos and don'ts. She also helped to apply light makeup on my face, which I objected to at first but later succumbed to. Quarter to nine, we left her workplace for the interview venue. She took me to the gate, hugged me, wished me good luck, and then went back to her office. I puffed and walked into the company's building and headed straight to the receptionist.

"Good morning." I smiled nervously.

"Good morning, how may I help you?" She smiled back. I immediately felt at ease.

"I'm here for the interview." I informed her.

She bowed slightly. "You are welcome. Take the elevator to the third floor. You would see other people waiting too; join them." She informed me, still smiling.

I wondered if her face didn't hurt from smiling too much. I couldn't smile for that long. "Thank you." I smiled at her. I could already imagine myself working here.

"You are welcome, and good luck." She smiled once more before I walked away to join the other job seekers upstairs. Like she said, I saw four people sitting in the corridor leading to the interviewing office, so I joined them.

Once the clock struck nine, a woman walked up to us. "Hello everyone, I'm Mrs. Haruna, and I'm the secretary." She introduced herself with her northern accent.

"Good morning." We chorused indistinctly.

"I would be needing your CV according to your attendance." She said then everyone brought out their documents and handed them to her. "And one more thing: if anyone comes to join you guys, tell the person we are no longer interviewing anyone. We do not tolerate African time." She informed us sharply, and with her chin lifted, she walked away. Two girls that were sitting close to each other and appeared to be friends started talking. I heard one of them hiss loudly once the lady was out of hearing range while the other one smacked her thighs as if to reprimand her.