CHOICE

1

Putting the last button in place, Zechariah exits the room and goes into the living room. Sighting a green purse on the glass made centre table, he carefully scans the room before moving towards it. He unzips it and picks two #200 notes. Without any compliments, he leaves the house.

    File bag under armpit, Zechariah trudges along the express way as he hungrily munches on a piece-apparently the last-of Coaster biscuits and gulps the content of a cold stachet water down his throat. He hurriedly accesses his dressing before knocking on the black gate covering up the largely settled landmass and building of McKinney and Sons investment Limited. A man of about sixty five years opens the gate and ushers him in exposing his kolanut colored teeth at intervals.
  "Good morning sir." Zechariah genuflects. The old man smiles again as he finally succeeds in locking up the gate.
"Morning omo mi." He replies.
"Yes sir. I'm here for the interview slated for today and I don't know my way around." While Zechariah was speaking, the old man's eyes widen at intervals and he shrinks his forehead intermittently.
"Slate ke? Won o ma kin ko iwe nibi o." Sensing that the old man didn't get the message he passed across, he repeats himself in yoruba and the old man nods in recognition.
   The old man directs him and he now runs up a flight of stairs. Getting to the reception, he acknowledges the receptionist. "Good morning ma'am." She looks up from the computer.
"Good morning. How may I help you?" She replies.
"I'm here for the interview."
"Please write down your name here. The waiting room is just there. Take a seat and it will be your turn sooner than you expect." She directs.
"Thank you very much." He appreciates her and does as directed.
He goes into the waiting room and meets a few persons obviously attending the same interview.
"Good morning." He greets.
"Good morning."
"Good morning sir." Only two out of the six people acknowledge him. Either not minding this or being used to it, he takes a seat nonchalantly.

"Please come in." A loud deep voice booms from the other end of the door. Zechariah fidgets a little before turning the knob and stepping into the room.
"Good morning." He genuflects still standing.
"Please have your seat." The voice which spoke earlier instructed again. He takes his seat and stylishly takes his time to scan the room. There are three women and two men. One of the women has a different aura and looks wicked as she constantly adjusts her pink cateye glasses while turning here and there a thousand times.
"What's your name?" The other man asks.
"My name is Chuks Zechariah."
"How old are you?" The man repeats.
"I'm 28 years of age."
"Which school did you finish from?" One of the 'normal' women asks.
"University of Ilorin, Kwara State." He shyly looks her in the face and is relieved to know that she's smiling.
"And you studied?"
"Business administration."
"That's nice." The woman compliments and the 'cateyed' lady suddenly looks up and stares at him.
"How many years of working experience do you have?" She glares and makes him very uncomfortable.
"None." He mutters.
"Excuse me?" She asks as demanding that he makes himself audible.
"None ma." He almost doesn't complete his sentence when she bangs her hands on the table and fumes. "Bladerdash!" She spits, "Do you think we're here to joke? You're applying for the post of a manager without any work experience? I seriously don't know why you're even qualified for the interview without any job experience." She throws her hands about as if to emphasize her point.
"Please calm down miss Olumide." The man with the thick voice pleads.
"Oh please don't tell me that." She retorts.
"Calm down Rose. Calm down. This man has all the qualifications we need. What's with the working experience trouble?" The other woman who hasn't said a word since the beginning of the interview chips in.
"No! No! No! Aunty Debbie, this is my father's company and I will run it as I please." She turns back to face a now dumfounded Zechariah.
"Young man, out!"
"Ma?"
"I said out! This instant!"
With nothing left to do, he scurries out of the office and dejectedly exits the gate forgetting to say goodbye to the old man.

    "Welcome home. Where is my money?" A woman old enough to birth Zechariah says flaring up immediately he enters the house.
"Good afternoon Mom."
"Don't greet me. Just return my money."
"Please bear with me Mom. I used the money to transport myself to the interview venue.
"So, it's not as if you got the job."
The argument is interrupted by a voice belonging to a young man, the exact replica of Zechariah.
"Stop it Mom. Here's your money."
"No no Zephaniah. No! He keeps stealing my money to attend fruitless interviews. What's the meaning of that? Ehn?" Mrs Chuks queries and she collects a #500 note from Zephaniah.
"It's okay." Zephaniah consoles her. Zechariah just abandons them standing and goes into his room.
"See him. He can't work and wants to keep eating free food in this house. Mchteew...." She ends with a long hiss.

That's the first chapter. We're progressing. Thanks for checking this book out. Much love 💖.
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Yours In Ink; Bethel ™