"Why do I have to keep living like this?
why should I work like an elephant and eat like ants?
Why is it that everything I lay my hand upon always turns out in jeopardy?
Why does it seem like no one is ever ready to help? Where I have had it wrong?
Why do I have to work years without nothing to show for it."Exclaimed John as he was struggling to wake up from the bed.
A day before he had received a sack letter from his boss with the allegations that ever since he had joined the company everything has turned sideways. John was the manager of Onion Filling Station in Lagos. They had had an encounter with Armed Robbers on several occasions.
Until this very morning as he was preparing to leave for the bank to deposit the money they had made during the week as that day was Friday. The Armed robbers stormed their filling station again. "Everybody lies down. If you raise up your head, you are dead meat, where is the manager?" Shouted a gruesome dread devil head of the gang.
No one could utter any statement as everywhere was quiet. John with the bag containing several millions of naira was already shivering in his office, had refused to yield the call until he was fished out by one of the attendances working at the filling station when the head of the gang had the order to shot everyone in uniform if they failed to provide their manager. One of the gangs members had raised his hand and landed three dirty slaps on John's cheeks upon seeing him dragging the bag containing the money with them before John knew it he was hit by AK 47 gun. He was lying unconscious on the floor as the robbers made away with the money. He had been rushed to a nearby hospital and spent three in a coma before he could open his eyes.
He was thinking of this and the pain he had all over his body which had deprived him of sound sleep. Not long after, He heard a knock on his door. "who is that?" He said as he was reaching for the door. "Your landlord," retorted the man. He brought quit notice. Not that he was owing house rent, but the landlord, Mr. Ajasa, had claimed that his son, who was studying computer engineering in the UK is coming home from oversea to start a new life. So he needed a place to stay before securing his own apartment.
"Where do I start? How am I going to cope with this? How do I care for my old grandma in the village? What about my siblings that depend on me, Who will they go to? How do I tell my wife, that I have lost my job? Even when I was working she would always complain about everything." After some minutes his phone beeped. He reached out to get it. 'Who is on the line?' John asked.
"Are you saying you don't know who is talking? Don't you have my number on your phone again?" Retorted Moses.
'I don't know it was you, I was buried in thought about the whole situation. I just want everything to end right now, I mean right now." John exclaimed
"My friend! you better don't kill yourself before the actual death knock at your door. Are you the first person to lose your job and served quit notice? I have heard of someone whose factory caught fire, lost his three children and wife to a fatal accident.
And never killed himself. You have to learn how to survive after a fall. We fall, we rise so don't kill yourself with thinking as many mouths depend on your for a living." said Moses.
"I'm grateful for this word of encouragement,
It really reshaped my thinking.
So I have to agree with you that when there's life, there is still hope." John responded.
"Of course my friend, as long as we are still breathing we can't pull off hope of better tomorrow.
And I know you aren't lazy, you should just consider this period as trying time that you have to get over and be strong.
Less I forget, the reason why I called you earlier was to inform you about what my boss said about him needing someone to drive his wife to work and some other places and I know you can drive very well. If you don't mind to take the job for the time being. I will talk to my boss concerning it tomorrow." Moses emphasized.
"Thanks so much my friend, I won't forget this. I never thought I could see any work so easily, but the barrier now is this my leg that is yet to heal completely." said john
John and Moses had been a friend since they were young, they went to the same high school and proceeded to college at the time. They wore the same clothes up and down as if they were twins and if you are careful you will think they were brothers and not friends. The two were inseparable, it was when they married that things change a bit since each of them had to take care of their family.
When Moses got to the office the following day, he met with his boss. He said," I have a Friend that can drive very well and has a diploma in Business Administration, he recently lost his job. I will be happy if you can accept him to work with you, sir."
"Well, accepting him is not a problem. If he can do the task to my satisfaction then I won't have any reason not to employ him and if he proves himself as a good man then I could give him chance to head to one of our factories since you said he has a diploma. Inform him to see my tomorrow so we can discuss more further." Responded the boss
"Alright sir, I will deliver your message to him. I'm glad you are willing to help. I'm sure he will be elated upon hearing the news. Thanks, sir." said Moses as he was heading back to his office.
Throughout that day he could not stop smiling and ready to go home to inform his friend about the latest development.
To be continued...
This fiction is still under review, feel free to point out errors and if there is any suggestion on how it should be writing or you have ideas on what can help. Please indicate in the comment section of this post