GENRE: THRILLER, ROMANCE, ACTION, DRAMA..

CHAPTER ONE


The room might have been as spacious as a conference hall, yet it didn't stop those who had gone in over the past two hours to walk out with the same cold, sweaty and hopeless look on their faces.
Perhaps now he sat before the four interviewers, he felt the room only mocked the applicant's confidence once they sat under the watchful eyes of the directors but he had stayed more hours than any other previous applicant did, something worthy of note and maybe if he wasn't trying too hard to be at his best he could tell his dazzling presentation was enough to get the thumbs up from all four of the directors who sat at the opposite end of the table.
Surely this was it for him, it had to be, the previous year had been painted with failures from job searching, interviews that led to nowhere and promises that only materialized in his dreams, maybe if he could decipher the expressions from the directors faces as they talked to one another in low voices he could put a smile on his face.
"Mr Adewunmi Kunle, your qualifications are quite impressive and only goes to show what and the calibre of employees we are looking for, you must have known that after being shortlisted alongside the other nine from a list of three hundred job seekers." One director remarked passing off his credentials vitae to another and again the nervousness crept in, not because of the compliment but how the director had starred at him when he made the remark.
"Listen, I don't think we should waste any of your time. Your credentials say here that your schooling abroad was a part of an amnesty deal made with the militia group of which you were a member of Mr Adewunmi, is that so?"
And there it was again, the same problem that had troubled his job-seeking for two years now, he had hoped this time around, his recommendation from the federal government which he secured once he got back to the country as did others would help him but the opposite was the case and now the director's words had fallen into a well-known pattern.
"Well, sir."
"I am sorry, Mr Adewunmi, we do not hire ex-militia or terrorists here, I'm sure you understand our reasons." Another impatiently interrupted him as he tried to explain.
He winced bitterly where he stood, the last three weeks had taken a lot from him to get to this point only to be turned away like this, there was no trying to control his anger now, he leapt out of his chair and passed a mean stare at the directors who suddenly became alerted by the possibility of faced an ex-militant.
"So you are going to send your best likely candidate for the job away because he had a rough past just like that and need I remind you that my militancy days were eight years ago, I have worked hard day and night all my life for what is right even when I was a militant, I and everyone the government branded militants was nothing more than freedom fighters who gave voices to our people, something if you will check out you would realize, we didn't harm anyone or take what didn't belong to us and yet you would deny me of a job in your establishment just like that?" Adewunmi replied angrily as sweat came running down his face.
"that is not what we are saying, Mr Adewunmi, it is just that."
"it is just that hiring an ex-militant would tarnish your company's image, isn't it, it's always about that, anywhere i go, its always about that, I am just trying to make an honest living here and you can't even let me do that." Adewunmi sighed as he shook his head pitifully. There was no need to talk any further because of what he feared could happen next if he continued to talk.
They were all the same, different companies, yet they all seemed to think the same way, in fact, now he looked at them he could see how scared they were of him like he was about to hurt them but maybe he needed to so he could make his points clear however he composed himself and took one last good at all four of them.
"Your company motto says SEEING THE BEST OUTCOME IN EVERY SITUATION, so how come you can't see my five years of academic brilliance, awards and recommendations as a sign of something good inside of me." He paused and took a sympathetic look at the straight-faced directors. "I have an ailing mother who needs over three million for her operations, I have got two sisters who are about to write their waec exams, i had to borrow this suit just to look nice, i have given my last three weeks to this job interview and yet you are going to turn me away because of my past." he nodded dully to himself.
"I am sorry, Mr Adewunmi, it's just company policies."
"Bleep your Policies, Bleep you and you and you and you, to hell with you all four and your policies," Adewunmi remarked before slamming the door behind them.
He may not have gotten the job, but this time he wasn't just going to play an obedient dog and walk away, he had given them a piece of his mind and that was worth it.


TO BE CONTINUED

CONTINUED



By noon Adewunmi had made it to the cyber cafe where he assisted his landlord as a computer operator, it wasn't one of the best nor would he even recommend it to anyone he knew within the street but it was how he had come up with late payments to the house rents as the landlord gave him more time than the others to source for the rent.
"So how did it go, when are you resuming?" Bello, a street barber and his friend whose store was just across the busy road where the cyber cafe was, came asking as soon as he had settled down.
"Same old story my brother, it's as if these people went on a zonal meeting on top my matter," Adewunmi replied Bello as he brought out a plastic chair for his friend.
"Don't worry about it Ade, See let me tell you, one of these days you are going to get a job offer that is going to make all these idiots regret their decisions but you have to keep trying you know that, right?"
"I know, I am just afraid I am losing my zeal to keep borrowing suits and perfumes to look good for these worthless guys who won't even bat an eye before coming up with their usual excuses of why they can't hire me," Adewunmi replied.
"wait oh, Is it not my suits and perfumes you always borrow, do i complain about them?" Bello remarked a bit displeased about his friend. "listen, it is going to be alright, I just know that the perfect job for you is around the corner, they aren't serious about hiring that's why they always turn you down but with that, your killer credentials vitae, who really in their right senses wouldn't want to hire you so don't you worry at all, it can only get better." Bello said with a convincing smile on his face.
"if you say so."
"oh, i know so my brother, it will be alright by the way i have told Mama Temitope to expect you to come for a plate of rice, you must be hungry, my brother," Bello added.
"Thank you so much for that, I was already melting inside, i only had enough money to secure my fare back and forth, i will pay you back as soon as i can," Adewunmi replied happily.
"Eh you are going to pay back this evening, Remember that babe i told you about now, i was wondering if you could accompany me to the club tonight, i want to track her at the club and i need a wingman so do the smooth-talking," Bello said.
"Oh i see, no wonder you are extra nice to me this scorching afternoon anyway, no problem as long as you can also guarantee two bottles tonight, I am down for it." Adewunmi replied.
Bello took his time to give the setup a thought or two before he nodded satisfactorily to his friend's bargain.



TO BE CONTINUED.