Few months after I wrote my SSCE, I was registered in a tailoring shop to learn a skill but Five months gone I took excuse from my boss I was going to look for a payable job and maybe after working for like three months I will resign and come back to shop. She agreed and granted me permission. The available job with good pay was an attendant in a fuel station even though I didn't like it cause they go to work on Sundays, but I still went for it cause they pay well and you also get tips from customers.🤣 Working for the first time in a public place opened me up to the reel life. I had so many bad and good experience when working there. It was the first time I was involved in a road accident and the first time I was scammed.
Talking about the scam, Before work on Sunday I was always going home with a smiling face through out the week because no day passes without me going home with nothing less than 3-4k. The fact we made so much money that week, me and my colleague Dorathy agreed to go to the market after the close of work by 2pm on Sunday to buy new pairs of trousers. Finally here comes Sunday and at about 1:30pm just 30mins to my closing time, a lady in her late 30s came asking for assistant that she wants to withdraw some amount of money and because it was Sunday no pos was available and the money she needed it to buy drugs and they were quite expensive. I told her we don't accept transfers and the POS is majorly for customers who want to fuel their tank not for public service. She pleaded she was not with her card and would do a transfer to my own account and wait till I see it. I agreed cause she needed the money for treatment. To cut the long story short she did a fake transfer unknown to me and I already counted the money, gave it to her and she left. I was trying to withdraw the money when I want to close my sales account for the day but insufficient balance that was when I realized have been scammed. Have always been careful with the men when it comes to transfer not knowing that women also are in the game.
After realizing I was scammed, I turned to paper immediately the wind could literally carry me away. I lied on the floor and was crying like a baby rolling here and there . Dorathy was consoling me and all of a sudden, she started crying with me. I stopped crying and was consoling her but it took her some time before she stopped and started encouraging me again to be strong. I told her to go to the market alone but she said she's not going. Dorathy knowing fully well the money I gave the lady that scammed me was from my sales, took all her money for clothes and gave it to me to reduced the shorts incurred. I was surprised to the call by her act of kindness cause I least expected it. Somehow I was able to pay off the debt, overcame all the trauma the incident caused and was happy once again.
Two months after that incident, we closed from afternoon shift and I was going home with my coworkers around 9:00pm when we saw an elderly man in his early 60s struggling with his bike and from the look of things his out of oil. we all passed him but then I was disturbed so I turned back and reached out to him to know whats wrong. Just like we thought it was lack of oil and since we're not that far from our company I told him to follow me. I went back and pleaded with our supervisor to unlock the pump to fuel ⛽ his tank which he did without hesitation. The only thing that came out from the man's face was tears rolling down his cheeks like a baby.😭 He said he has been pushing his bike for the past one hour and was not having a single penny on him. I asked were he was staying and he said Mando. Mando is a place in Kaduna state and I worked at Television also a name of a place. Have never been to Mando before but my colleague said going there by foot is about three to four hours journey. OMG! I was moved with so much compassion. I wondered if I had not gone back to meet him, what would have become of him that too it was late and Kaduna is not even a safe place.
That moment I was able to help, was priceless and fulfilling to me, It was a moment of Joy for being able to put a smile on someones face same way Dorathy helped me when I was in trouble.
It also shaped my life to becoming a better person rendering little assistant to someone in need and becoming my brother's keeper. I believe the world still have nice people and I chose not to allow an incident of scam make me a bad person.
This writing was initiated by @HiveLearners community weekly prompt w110e3.
1&2 Images are mine and were taken five years ago.
Thank you for your time, peace 🕊️