₦airaland Forum

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​June 30 arrived with the usual relentless hum of Lagos traffic outside the pharmacy doors. Inside, under the bright fluorescent lights, Obinna leaned against the back-dispensing counter, staring blankly at a box of Cefuroxime.
​Looking back, he was glad he hadn’t taken that ₦65,000 locum gig at Ring Road two years ago. Holding out had eventually brought him here to Lagos—a steady community pharmacy job paying ₦170,000 plus incentives. On paper, he had made it. But standing on his feet for twelve hours a day, constantly chasing sales targets, he knew his spirit was wearing thin.
​Now, a new crossroad was staring him right in the face.
​Anambra had finally come through. A government appointment letter was sitting in his email draft—job security, clear progression, less daily pressure, and crucially, the time he desperately needed to pursue his Master's degree and transition into academia. It was the life path he actually wanted.
​There was just one massive, terrifying problem: The start date was July 6th.
​Today was June 30th. According to his contract, resigning required a full month’s notice, or he would forfeit an entire month’s salary. If he gave notice today, he’d walk away with zero Naira for all the backbreaking work he had put in throughout June. But he needed that June salary to afford the move down East, pay for initial accommodation, and survive until his first government paycheck came in.
​Should I just take my salary today and disappear? the thought nagged at him. Just run? No hand-over, no notice?
​He hated the thought. He prided himself on being professional. He didn't want to burn bridges or leave HR in a lurch. But doing "the right thing" meant starving in July.
​"Obinna, you've been staring at that same pack for five minutes. You okay?"
​The voice belonged to Christabel, the pharmacy technician. She stepped into the dispensary, wiping her hands on her coat, her sharp eyes immediately reading the panic on his face.
​Obinna snapped out of his trance and lowered his voice. "Christabel... I haven't decided what to do."
​Christabel leaned against the shelf, dropping her tone to a whisper. "Wait, you're still contemplating? About the Anambra job?"
​"I want to do things the right way," Obinna muttered, rubbing his temples. "I was thinking of telling HR today that I need to resign in five days. Maybe if I explain the situation, they'll understand and pay me for June..."
​Christabel looked at him like he had just suggested drinking hand sanitizer.
​"Are you insane?" she hissed gently, catching herself before a customer out front heard. "Explain to HR? Obinna, this is a private retail pharmacy in Lagos! The moment you say 'five days notice,' HR will flag you immediately, hold your June salary, and calculate your forfeiture. You will walk out of here with zero Kobo!"
​"But dropping keys and vanishing feels wrong, Christabel," Obinna argued softly, his voice tinged with guilt. "It’s unprofessional. What if I need a reference tomorrow?"
​"Reference for what? You already have a government appointment!" Christabel shook her head, her expression softening with genuine concern. "Look at me. You worked every single day of June. That money is your sweat. How are you going to transport your load down East? Where will you sleep before your first civil service pay comes in? On the Anambra state secretarial floor?"
​Obinna closed his eyes. Her words hit him like a cold bucket of water. She was completely right, and it terrified him.
​"If you give up that June salary to play Mr. Nice Guy," Christabel added, tapping her hand on the counter for emphasis, "it will be the most foolish decision you've ever made in your life. Collect your pay today, pack your bags tonight, and go and start your new life."
​The chime above the front door rang as a influx of evening customers walked in. Christabel gave his arm a quick, supportive squeeze and stepped back out to the front floor.
​Left alone once more in the quiet of the dispensary, Obinna felt the weight of the evening settling over him. June 30 was almost over. The salary alert would drop in a few hours, and when it did, he would have to make the hardest exit of his life.
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I adopted this story from a post I made on my diary thread. What do you think about it?

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As the sun rose over the city of Benin, a young man named Obinna sat on the veranda of his rented apartment. He had just finished his morning devotion and was lost in thought, contemplating the direction his life was taking. Obinna was a pharmacist, but he had been struggling to find a job since he graduated from the university two years ago.

Obinna had always been an ambitious young man. He had dreamed of becoming a pharmacist since he was a child, and he had worked hard to achieve that dream. But now, as he sat on his veranda, he wondered if his dream was slipping away from him.

He had applied for several jobs, both in government and private hospitals, but nothing had come of it. He had even gone for interviews, but he always seemed to miss out on the job by a whisker.

Obinna's financial situation was not helping matters either. He had been surviving on his meager savings, which were fast running out. His rent was due in two weeks, and he had no idea where he was going to get the money to pay it.

He had considered relocating to Lagos, where his friend had promised him a job, but he had no money for transportation. Besides, the thought of leaving his familiar surroundings and starting afresh in a new city was daunting.

As Obinna sat lost in thought, his roommate, who was also a pharmacist, walked out of the house, interrupting his reverie.

"Obinna, are you still here?" his roommate asked, "Aren't you going for that locum job at Ring Road?"

Obinna looked up at his roommate and sighed. "I'm not sure if I should take it," he said. "It's only paying ₦65,000, and I've been negotiating for ₦70,000."

His roommate shrugged. "Well, it's better than nothing. You need the money, Obinna. You can't afford to be picky."

Obinna nodded, knowing his roommate was right. He had bills to pay, and his savings were dwindling fast. He got up from the veranda and headed inside to get ready for the job.

As he dressed up, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He had always dreamed of having a fulfilling career as a pharmacist, but now it seemed like all he was doing was settling for whatever job he could find.

Obinna knew that he had to make a decision about his future soon. He couldn't keep living like this, drifting from one job to another. He needed to find a sense of purpose and direction in his life.

With that thought, Obinna set off to the locum job, hoping that somehow, he would find the answers he was looking for.