To be honest, when I think back on it now, I still smile small because I didn’t even know I was entering something serious. I was just 12 years old, nothing serious was going on in my life, I was just one small girl trying to understand life. I wasn’t even thinking about work or job or anything like that, but somehow life brought it my way.
It was my mum’s friend that connected me. She had a business she was running, something like a store and she needed help. I don’t think they were looking for professional help or big grammar, just somebody to assist, and my mum said, “go and try it.” I trusted her, so I just went.
At first I thought it was going to be play and laugh, like just go and be helping aunty and come back home. But omo, I entered and realised that woman was not smiling. She was so strict, I’m not even joking. Not in a wicked way, but the kind of strict that makes you stand up straight and behave yourself. She wasn’t the type that would pet you or overlook mistakes. If you mess up, she’ll correct you immediately, and she’ll do it with boldness. And if you repeat it again, you go hear am.
But the crazy part is, she was also sweet. Very sweet. You just have to behave yourself. If you do well, she’ll smile with you, even gist sometimes, she’ll buy snacks, give small money here and there. She had that balance I’ve not seen in many people. She was strict enough for us to take her serious, but soft enough for us to feel safe around her.
My friends that time were laughing at me, like “Why will you go and work? You’re too small nah” or “Are things that hard at home?” and honestly, I used to feel bad small. But something in me just knew that it was not a waste. And I was right. A lot of the things I know now, how to handle money, how to be organized, how to talk to people, even how to stand my ground and not be pushed around anyhow, I learnt that foundation from her.
She taught us how to balance accounts. Even if it’s pure water money, you must calculate it well. Nothing must be missing. She will sit down and count every kobo, and if anything no dey balance, nobody sleeps. That’s how serious she was. And back then, we used to think she was just being difficult. But now I see it. She was training our heads. She knew life would meet us ahead and she didn’t want us to be empty upstairs.
Some of the other girls that worked with her quit. They couldn’t handle her wahala. But me I stayed. I didn’t even know I was learning anything serious until I started growing and I started seeing how those small small lessons were showing in my life. Even till today, when I make decisions or plan something, it’s like her voice still dey my head.
Running a business is not just about smiling with customers. You need to be sharp. You need to be able to call people to order, be firm, but still be fair. That’s what she taught me without even sitting me down to say it directly.
I’m grateful to her. I don’t even know if she remembers me or if she knows how much she helped shape my life. But I won’t forget her. No experience is a waste. That small job I took at 12 still dey speak for me till today.