4 2. Getting Paid

It's been two weeks since I started working here. In a mall, specifically the clothing section. I don't know why people spend so much money on clothes. I've never been one to wear designers. I'm more of a style anything kinda person. Shopping for me in Lagos was basically going to Yaba night market and buying cheap ass okrika clothes. Okrika is basically clothes that people have worn. It's not sad if they're good clothes. I'm wearing okrika jeans and a top I bought on a friend's thrift shop on Instagram. Not cause I wanted it but I felt like patronizing her business. Thrift is basically a more expensive okrika clothes, cause she buying it where I am and selling it for more.

Ryan helped me bag this job. Let's just say I did good getting this job. That's fucking 20 dollars an hour. And I've taken up an 8 hour shift everyday apart from Sunday, cause I'm basically jobless at home and I need a lot of cash for the future. It's not easy to get jobs like this in Lagos. Problem being that Nigerians used to make movies about people leaving their villages going to Lagos and coming back with a car, less than a year later. If only life was that easy. What I do here is quite easy. Pick up clothes and hang them up. Would have been easier if I didn't have to arrange them by brands, colors, sizes and styles. Today I was asked for the first time to help unpack boxes of newly shipped clothes. I was helped by Cassandra, she's the closest thing I have to a friend here. She needs a few extra cash to get a concert ticket by the end of summer, her friends all have theirs and her mom won't pay for it. $200 for a concert ticket. Mad oh, Nigerian celebrities need to learn a thing or two, their concert tickets are like ₦30,000. They buy concert tickets for two times the amount and more. I can't imagine wasting that much money to stand around and rub sweats with strangers. I've never been to a concert, even in Nigeria. I know for a fact my parents won't give me a kobo for anything music related.

"Give me those boxes over there"

"Which ones?" Cassandra asks as she unpacks the box in front of her. Putting them on hangers and arranging the by size.

"Those" I pointed to the ones labeled fragile. "Why do clothes need to be labeled fragile anyway"

"Cause they're fucking expensive and worn by snobby rich people that won't buy them if they have even a slight tear" Her brunette hair was packed into a neat tight bun on top of her head and her hazel eyes accompanied by a stylish pair of glasses. Unlike me, she's only here 3 hours a day from noon and her salary is $10 an hour. I don't know what strings Ryan pulled but I've made almost $2000 and I'm basically a rich woman. By my standards of course.

"You girls should stop for a while, come out here. We've got a customer. Swart, I need you to bring out the new arrivals. Eze I need you to attend to them" my boss was a young woman. Probably in her early 30s she was very pretty. I don't know if her red hair was natural but her green eyes looked like a healthy field that could go on for hours. I've never looked long enough to admire it, I'd probably come off as rude or creepy. "Mrs Rune has been one of our best customers for years and she's here with her daughter today. I need you to get her a bottle of spring water. I'm busy right now and have to make an important call. Don't mess it up." I like that he has fate in me. She's a very professional woman, always called me by my Surname and never anything else. Took her a week to remove the title. My hair was also packed up but the thick texture won't make as easy as Cassandra'a so I left it that way. I got the water and passed each aisle to look for the lady Miss Diane was speaking off. I found a blonde girl going through some clothes but I figured she wasn't the one as she looked about my age. On a further aisle for pant suits I saw a lady holding up a bright pink pant suit, that was definitely a size 10. I could tell she was older by her face, she looked aged. She blonde hair was high and looked like it had way too many extensions to make it fuller.

"Excuse me, here's the bottled water you requested" A polite smile graced my face. She looked rich so I'm hoping for an extremely generous tip. She turned from looking at the outfit to me. She squeezed her in disgust. Maybe I have something on my face.

"That's disgusting, what kind of bad service is this. Asking this black person serve my water. I'm certain she poisoned it. She wants to kill me" She said in disarray. I desperately wanted to give her a piece of my mind but I loved my job, so I kept quiet. "Who in their right mind hired you here? No wonder this pink looks dirty. It's been stained by the likes of you." Another lady who was shopping clicked her tongue at the woman.

"We're in the 21st century, racism isn't welcomed anymore you glorified white woman"

An argument started between the two women. Then Cassandra walked up to the scene from the opposite, she was walking with the blonde girl I saw in the previous aisle. It's obvious they know what's going on. The store isn't that big and I know the blonde girl was just a few feet away.

"I'm so sorry Mrs Rune for the inconvenience" the lady turned. "I'll be the one to assist you. Should I get you another bottle of water?" Cassandra said calmly.

"Oh my if it isn't Cassy" the lady smiled "I wouldn't mind that I'm parched. I wonder how you're coping here working with this this girl"

As this was going on I quietly walked away. The lady that stood up for me noticed this and moved towards me. "I'm sorry for her bad manners. It's not common for black people to be treated like that anymore. Probably something she grew up with" the lady herself was white. But she was older like she was in College. "Thank you for standing up for me" I told her honestly. It's normal for kids in Nigeria to be raised with respect. It's something so engraved in our heads that it's not so easy to overlook. "It's not a problem. Do take care" and with that she walked away. I noticed she talked differently. The accent definitely British.

I know how these things work. And I'm going to make sure I don't get into any trouble cause women like her would try to get me fired. Let's test my acting skills, I haven't done this in a while. I remember crying and breaking down in school once just to make sure the cleaner didn't repost to the administration and it worked. But this time I've got something else in mind. I thought of the saddest things ever, how my mom is definitely going to die someday, how much I missed my friends and before I knew it I was crying. I walked towards Miss Diane's office, knocked on the door and waited for her usual come in. When I came I walked in and made eye contact with her. Noticing my tears she politely ended her call.

"What happened"

"I went to give her the water like you asked me too but then she started picking on me. She called me the N word and told me I poisoned her water. I didn't know what to do" I cried some more and bent to the floor slowly heaving, gasping for air in between each I said next. "I didn't know I'd come across racism in this job. It's so painful. The way she looked at me" Diane I could tell was speechless and had no idea how to comfort me. Her hand were on my shoulder and the other rubbing my back. I know I exaggerated but that's the only way to get out of this without getting a backlash.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I didn't know she was like that. Please hold on, let me get you something to clean yourself with" she got out a handkerchief from her table and passed it to me. "You don't have to go out till she's gone I'll deal with her. Alright?" I knew she wouldn't. Her important customer wouldn't receive any words just a few apologies. That how these things work. She left the office and I stood up from the couch she walked me too to look at the cctv that could only be seen from her office, there was no audio which is why I know I will successfully get away with my lie. Miss Diane wasn't talking as the lady looked like she was scolding her. Then I tell and apology anywhere which is what Miss Diane was currently doing. The blonde girl and Cassandra weren't too far as the blonde girl walked up to the woman and said something. Even Cassandra looked as shocked as my boss, and I could only wish to imagine what she said. They talked for a while again before they went back to shopping. Miss Diane took it up herself to get her cookies. I was disgusted, but can I blame her? The amount of clothes that lady and her daughter left with was amazing. I wasn't posted to the shoe section but they were heading there. Miss Diane was heading back to her office so I rushed back to the couch and rested my head on my knees, trying to willingly force out more tears.

"I'm sorry about that, can't believe they said I should fire you. The nerve of those people. How about this, I give you your monthly payment right now and you go one home, no need to wait till 4pm." The wall clock in her office said 1:37pm and I took this as an opportunity to see round the new state I moved into. "Is that really okay.?What about my remaining shift?"

"Not to worry about that Miss Swart is going to cover for you. Now now, get going"

"Thank you Ma" I stood up and walked out. Going towards the changing room I removed the button up shirt and tight black skirt. The clothes I was required to wear here and threw on my jeans and tee. And walked out of the shop with the main purpose of getting a new phone. And buying a cheap outfit. Need to take a nice picture for my Instagram. They definitely need to know I'm not their level anymore. E mi, working class woman.