Made To Believe ✔️

Chapter Two

KAREEM'S POV

I loved my job, the smell of engine oil, clanging of metals, burning of parts as they melted together. Most boys were obsessed with cars at a young age but very few got to live the dream like I did. Choosing a career in automotive engineering had been the only good decision I'd made in my young adult life. The rest had been a mileage of terrible decisions leading to big regrets and a lot of getting hurt.

I'd been given a second chance in life when I'd met my current boss at Masinga Drag Festival three and a half years ago. It was an automobile event mainly for vehicles where people showed off their machines and participated in races. I had accompanied a few friends to celebrate our graduation from university. I'd graduated yes but only barely and no one was willing to hire a drug addict, covered in tattoos and was high more times than he was sober.

I had passed by my current bosses Vihaan's tent where he was showing off a mustang he had assembled himself. I'd been interested but had immediately noticed something wrong with the hydraulic front disc brakes. If anyone had attempted to drive that car they would have crashed in complete carnage. When I mentioned the problem Vihaan corrected it and immediately gave me his card. He told me that he was impressed how a drunk me could have noticed a problem that his best team of engineers had made. He hadn't offered me the work immediately but had promised me that if I cleaned myself up, he'd give me a job.

The next day I personally checked myself into rehab where I fought all my addictions. It had been an excruciating three months but I'd resurfaced stronger than ever and Vihaan had stood by his word. He owned a few car assemblies in the country where high end clients imported car parts from over seas and we assembled them. The job paid good so I was able to support myself, my sister and my niece. Plus I got to play with cars all day long. My life was great. It hadn't always been but I had no complaints at the moment.

Someone kicked my boot to get my attention so I pulled my head from under the honda civic I was inspecting to find a grinning Fabian staring at me.

"Were you checking out my ass again?"I asked teasingly causing the smirk to fall off his face.

"You wish you twisted fuck. I just wanted to tell you that lunch has arrived but you can starve to death for all I care."He retorted kicking my boot, a little too forcefully and walked away.

I chuckled before finishing up my check up and sliding from under the car. Vihaan being the rich tycoon that he was spared no expense in making sure that his employees had the best working environment to provide the best service. In the three years I'd been working for him I had managed to climb up the management ladder so I answered directly to Vihaan himself. I was good at what I did, had proven myself to be trustworthy so he had no problem relinquishing power to me. At the branch I worked at which was in Kilimani, we were a group of ten engineers and two cleaners who kept the place pristine. We had lunch delivered to us daily, had a snack bar and a vending machine in the premises.

I cleaned myself up at the sink making sure my hands and face were clean before walking to the tent outside the warehouse where everyone was gathered enjoying lunch. I served myself a good helping of the rice and chicken we were having, grabbed a banana and bottle of water before settling myself next to Fabian and Manuel who were the closest to me. Fabian had been working there as long as me while Manuel had only been with us six months and he was proving himself to be a good friend and a reliable worker.

"Still mad at me."I tested Fabian nudging his shoulder with mine.

He attempted to stab my hand with a fork but I moved away fast enough to save myself. We weren't best friends, I didn't do those anymore but we were close enough to have each others backs. I trusted him and he returned the favor.