36 Finally Employed

The Institute's Director did not offer me cigarettes this morning because he knew I had stopped smoking. Instead he brought out a note from his drawer and gave it to me. It was addressed to me

and read:

Dear Mr. Akaa Iyortyer,

You are hereby informed that you have been employed in Ali Group of Companies. Report in the office on 10.7.22 at 8.00 a.m. prompt. Do not report late by even a second. Any lateness

would be met with instant termination.

Yours faithfully,

Hajia Aishatu Ali (Mrs)

I didn't believe my luck. 'You can see the warning there' said the Director if you make any mistake the threat would be carried out to the letter. Remember that the threat is coming from Mohammed Ali's office. Mohammed Ali does not issue a threat in vain.' I agreed with him. For all I know Mohammed Ali was the most arbitrary man in the world.

He would not even care to know if you came late to the office because you had a motor accident on your way to the office.

I was so happy about my luck that I did not know how to express my happiness. The usual thing I would have done would have been to organise a massive drinking orgy and feel happy.

This wouldn't be possible because Mohammed Ali gave me this job on finding out that I had stopped drinking and smoking. I spent about ten minutes thinking about how to express my happiness.

Well, I was not going to dance in the streets like a madman simply because I wanted to express my happiness.

You had better start running to the office to take up the appointment!" the Director screamed at me like one addressing a small boy.

I told him that I could not take up the appointm- ent this morning since according to the letter I was to report on 10th July.

Today is 10th July!' screamed the Director. "Your appointment takes effect from today! You better rush there now!' I was sure the Director was wrong about the date so I corrected him by telling him that today was 9th July and not 10th as he had said.

'You are wasting valuable time' he yelled 'Today is 10th July!' My confidence about the date was shaken.

I rushed out of the Director's office without further talks. What's today's date?' I asked the first man I met. The man told me it was Tuesday the 10th of July.

I pounced on another man What's todays date?'

I asked Tenth' I heard. I shot into the general office 'What's today's date?" I asked, this time my heart was pounding like a pestle in the mortar.

The man simply pointed at the calender. I rushed to the Calender. Glancing through it with all my body shaking, I discovered to my shock that I was wrong: the date was tenth July, the very day that the letter of appointment said I should report in the office at 8.00 a.m. I looked at my watch..

The time was 9.00 a.m. I was an hour late for the assumption of duty, although the letter signed by an Hajia Aishatu Ali had warned that a second's lateness would earn me a termination.

I jumped from the Calendar over a bench and shot into the open space outside. From there I ran towards the main road for a taxi to the company, knocking down a small boy and his wheelbarrow.

I didn't care. By the time I managed to halt myself. on the main road, I had knocked down three more people including an old woman. They were all cursing as I entered the taxi and ordered the driver to take me to Ali Group of Companies. The driver was telling me the fare to the Company with an irritating slowness of speech and was driving so slowly that I had to yell at him to drive me fast to the company.

I was going to pay him whatever he requested, I added. After crossing the customs roundabout, we came to a heavy traffic hold us in Sabon Kasua. Frustration nearly Nurned me into a radman. I ordered the driver to abandon the queue and overtake the other vehicles by the right. There is space on the right!" I screamed desperately.

The driver told me he wasn't going to do that because it was against the law. Forget about the law.

My future depends on this!" The driver looked at me as if he was examining whether I was sane or insane. I don't want police trouble' he said. I assured him there were no policeman around,

and that he only had to overtake the others by the right.

In that case" said the driver 'I would drop you here instead.' This was the last thing I wanted. For all I knew I could spend more than ten minutes waiting for another taxi while the problem of my lateness on my first day would only become worse. I didn't press the driver

any further.

When the hold up cleared I ordered him to drive with fury, which he did. When we reached Ali Group of Companies he told me that my fare was four naira. I knew this was too high a bill but I wasn't in any mood for any argument so I paid him.

I dashed into the company's buildings and was delayed a little only by the gatemen. I was forced to show them my letter of employment which they took and read. "You are late by one hour and thirty minutes in assuming duty,' observed one of them as the rest screamed in alarm at the implic- ation of this.

You havelost your job already' observed another. I seized the letter from them and dashed across the open place towards the general office, ignoring their gloomy prophecies.

Mmembe was visibly shaken when she saw me: I knew she, didn't want me to come to her in her office because Mohammed Ali would sack her for entertaining visitors at all. I quickly gave her the letter without saying a word. She read through it and was about to jump up for joy when she was disciplined by her sudden realization that, I came to take up the appointment too late

Hello 👋 Guys sorry for not updating since last week.... was caught up with many tinz

am really sorry

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