The ring of the alarm clock on my bedside table told me that it was time to wake up and prepare for a new day. I wish I could silence that alarm clock forever but that would be shooting myself in the foot because if not for the alarm ringing at exactly 5:30 a.m everyday, my new nickname would have been Miss late comer.
I know how Madam Funke detests tardiness and as such I was not ready to fall on her bad side. Despite my need to sleep in and enjoy the loving embrace of my blanket, I pushed it aside as I stood up and went to get ready for work. It was a part time job I had gotten through a friend's connection. Since I didn't want to laze around at home when schools were on strike, I took up the offer.
Madam Funke owns a frozen food shop where she sells frozen chicken, turkey and even fishes. It was a very lucrative business for her. Her shop never lacked a customer and when she needed someone to deal with the accounts book, I took the job offer and became her accounts recorder.
Today was the same as every other work day. I would get up early, prepare for work promptly, pack my food in a food flask and head out to the bus stop. I would then board a bus from Orile Iganmu to Balogun market and finish the journey to her shop with my legedisbenz(trekking).
The pay was good and no one disturbed me while at my desk but on this day, I resumed work only to find out that two of her girls who helped with butchering the meat did not come to work.
”Thank God you are here Becky. See, I will have to trouble you today. Aminat and Mariam are down with a fever. You need to help Zainab out with attending to customers if her hands are full okay”, my boss said to me before I could even get settled in.
Nervous at not wanting to upset her, I quickly nodded and replied, ”Okay ma. I will try my best”.
”Thank you so much dear. You are a darling. You will marry a man,” Madam Funke praised me before leaving to the cold room to check on some other things..
In my heart, I said a short prayer for strength and then resumed my seat. Soon, I heard Zainab calling out my name. I left what I was doing and quickly walked to her.
”Hey what's up? You called for me?”
”Yes Becky, please help me cut up these chicken by the side table. It is for a customer and she's In a hurry”.
I looked at Zainab who was busy chopping up some frozen chicken with the speed of light and I felt like I could do what she was doing. After all, I used to help my mum chop up the frozen fish she usually bought from the market.
I went to the changing room and picked up a blue coloured apron and bonnet to protect my clothes and hair. Then I went to the side table, picked up a chopping knife and began to chop the meat. I put my strength into the work but the knife betrayed me. I ended up using twenty-five minutes to chop off just one piece of frozen full chicken.
After managing to chop the meat to bite sizes, I packed it into a synthetic bag and gave it to the customer. I guess she must have understood that it was my first time and so she wasn't angry, rather she paid for the meat and went her way.
Feeling a bit upset at my own performance, I went to meat Zainab who was still chopping more meat like it was crackers biscuit she was breaking so effortlessly.
”Zainab, are you not tired yet. Watching you cut meat on this table, one would think it is as easy as a pie, not knowing that it is not as easy as it looks. What's your secret?”
”There's no secret to this work dear. It is simply practice that makes perfect. I have been working here for five years, so surely, it might look easy but I'm used to it now”.
*”You don't have to feel bad at your slow pace. This is your first time. As a matter of fact you did well. Didn't you notice that the customer did not complain? Don't beat yourself up okay and thanks for helping out when I called you earlier, she replied me and went on with her work.
I returned to my desk, no longer upset but now amazed at how proficient Zainab had become at this job. That day, I learnt that initial impressions can be misleading.
Thank you all for reading.
Images source: Meta Ai
