It was a rainy Monday morning, and the cold breeze meant I'd keep sleeping until it stopped raining. I had nothing to do, nowhere to go, and no job.
*phone rings*
"Hello?", I answered.
"Good morning, Mr John Solomon, aren't you supposed to be at work today?", a lady said angrily over the phone.
"Good morning, what work? Please where are you calling from??", I asked.
"We sent a message via your mail last week Friday. Go to that message and read through. You have an hour to get here". The call dropped.
I stood up from my bed and sat down on the chair, close to my reading table. It was a one-room apartment.
Still pondering over the call and what the lady said, I checked my Google mail, but it wasn't loading.
"Ahh, and I no get data sef", I muttered. "But what work was she talking about? I haven't been working for almost 4 months now", I continued.
I opened my bank app, to subscribe, and found I had just 500 Naira there. I went to my trouser, hanging on a nail close to the door, to check for money in it, and saw 1000 Naira.
With a smirk on my face, I hurriedly opened the door, only to be greeted by heavy rain pouring on my body. "Rain", I said, going back inside.
It was 8:20 am, 20 minutes since I received the call, and I had not figured out what the call was about, and no data to check my mail. I walked to my calendar hanging on the wall to check the date Friday was, it was on the 26th.
I tried to borrow data, but I was already owing 2000 Naira. I sighed and went back to bed. By that time it had stopped raining.
About 3 minutes later, I received a text message from MTN, I was gifted 20mb. I hurriedly opened my mail and saw lots of irrelevant messages from websites I registered things on. I kept scrolling and repeating the words 'Friday, 26th of February'.
There it was, there was only one message on the 26th, I tapped on it, to see the contents of the message, and my jaw dropped. It was an appointment letter from Zenith Bank PLC. It was about 2 weeks since the interview, I got the job.
The time was about 8:45 am, and I wasn't ready. I hurriedly had my bath and ran out of the house.
I took a bike, and stopped at Next Cash and carry junction, crossed the road and entered a taxi. The time was 8:55 am, I was late.
"Oga, good morning. How much to zenith bank for Banex?", I asked.
"Nah 700 sir", replied the taxi driver.
"Abi nah because I wear suit and tie you dey call price for me? I for kuku enter along, if no be say I dey late. You no carry me 500?"
"How much be fuel wey I wan carry you that amount from here?"
it was getting so late, 8:57 am. I entered the car, and mumbled to myself, "700, from Next to Banex, nah wah".
I arrived at Zenith Bank, Wuse 2, opposite Banex plaza. It was 9:06 am.
As soon as I got to the bank gate, the security personnel did not allow me to enter because I wasn't wearing my face mask.
Letting out a sigh of disbelief, not because I was stopped, but because I forgot to come along with a face mask.
"John Solomon", a familiar voice called. I recognised the voice, but where?
I looked up and saw a woman standing at the entrance of the bank building. She wore a fine navy blue suit, looked like it was handmade, particularly sown for her. A pair of arched eyebrows, looking down on sweeping lashes. She had a fair complexion and wore nice well-made cognac coloured high heels. "You are late", she continued.
"It must be the woman that called me this morning", I thought, looking at my wristwatch. "Please, who's that woman?", I asked one of the security personnel, and he said she was the bank manager.
My eyes lit up, as I hurried to meet her.
"Good morning ma"
"Keep your greetings. You were supposed to be here before 8:00 am. I called you, and gave you an extra hour. What's your time now??
"It's nine..."
"It is past 9 am", she interrupted. "15 minutes gone. Follow me inside"
She pressed the button on the door, it slid open, and we entered. Taking the staircase, by her right, she led me to her office.
"Sit down. Why are you late?".
"I had no idea I got the job, ma", I replied. Even if I knew about it, there was heavy rain this morning, I said that in my mind.
"Don't you receive mails?".
"I do, but I wasn't having any data".
"You were not having data, or you couldn't afford it? Anyway, it's time to work".
She took her office telephone and dialled a number. "Rachel, come to my office", she said to the person on the other side of the phone. Rachel got to the office in no time.
There was a gentle knock on the door, the doorknob was turned, and the door was open. Standing beside me was a well-dressed beauty, she rolled her hair in a doughnut. She was 5.5 feet in height, I could tell because I was 5.8 feet tall. I was looking for words to describe her beauty in my head until the bank manager interrupted the process.
"Rachel, take John to where he'd start".
"Okay ma", replied Rachel.
Rachel and I headed out, we had a friendly conversation as we walked down the stairs.
My first job was as a bank teller, it was a bit hectic because it was my first time.
After the close of work, the bank manager offered me a ride, and I couldn't reject the offer because I was broke.
"I was late and was still allowed to work, now a free ride. I think I'm going to enjoy my time here", I said to myself as I entered the car. It was a Lexus RX 350, 2020 model. I was impressed because of the car she drove.
She smiled and said, "yes, you'll enjoy your stay".
I became mute because I didn't expect she'd hear me.