There was this time when my sister Jessy got offered a writing job for an online news platform called Kontri news, yeah, it felt like a win , you know how difficult it can be to get remote gigs that actually pay in this our economy, so when she told me about it, I was like, “Omo… You don blow like this o, and the pay is nice too o”
So the job was from my brother-in-law’s connection , and they promised to pay her ₦30,000 per month , and she was to do three news dailly , though the money wasn't plenty, but it was something to hold body and soul together, especially since it was writing something she loved doing.
“I will just manage the pay for now,” she said to me. “Because they said as time goes on, they will increase it.”
“Ehn ehn, no wahala na,” I replied. “At least you won’t be idle at least , and it is a stepping stone too, like adding to what you already do.”
So she resumed and at first, everything looked smooth ,my sis Jessy would wake up early, get on her laptop , and start editing and writing articles , and Sometimes she would even gist me about what was trending or what stories she had to polish.
But then, after collecting her first salary, then the second, which came on time by the way, everything started to scatter little by little, The third month came, and no kind of alert.
At first she was calm,
“ Maybe they are just busy,” she said. “Maybe the accountant is slow or something.”
I just nodded. “Hmm, I hope so o , because a this kind of things I don't like.”
Two weeks passed, and still nothing.Ah!
“Have you reminded them?” I asked her.
“I have o , I even messaged the oga today again.”
“What did he now say?”
She sighed, “He said they are processing it.”
Ah!. That particular word processing,see ehn.. once a Nigerian employer starts saying that , just know you are about to enter one chance like that.
Fourth month still came, still no pay, yet they kept sending her stories to work on, like everything was normal, She would rant to me sometimes, but she was still trying to hold on.
“I don’t even know whether I should quit or just endure,” she told me one evening while we were sipping garri with groundnut.
“But Jessy,” I said, "you are working like person that is collecting salary but nothing is showing forth. This one don pass endurance o.” I laughed that day.
“I know, but it is because it was through bro dandee na and I don’t want to look ungrateful or like I am not serious.”
That part was what made it even worse., Because it was linked to family , she felt trapped. And to be fair, the job looked attractive at first remote, flexible time, and related to what she normally did which is writing on hive, but what’s attraction when it is not backed by value?
After four months of stress and delayed payments, and empty promises of increment, Jessy finally decided to step back , see she didn’t even formally resign. She just ghosted the job and faced other things.
“I’m tired of begging for what I worked for abeg,” she said one day as she deleted their contact from her phone.
And you know , honestly, I did not blame her at all, that whole situation was a clear reminder that not all opportunities, no matter how shiny they look at first, are worth holding on to.
Till today, when we talk about that job, we just laugh and say, “Shine wey no last.”
And really, sometimes, the glitter is just surface-level , The real value is in the peace of mind.
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