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I am waiting for the prospective employer to call, yet I was the
one supposed to call him. I make the call. He tells me to wait as he is making
some final deliberations with one of his managers. The bloke I am supposed to
meet is unknown to me. I was given contact and off I was ready for a meeting.
Thanks to connections, I had hope of getting a job.
Minutes turn into hours but I still wait patiently, the double
espresso I ordered comes in handy to aid in my patience. Yes this is the fate
of a jobless lad whiling away time waiting for manna. But experience has taught
me otherwise. Don’t be over ambitious about prospective jobs. They are just
that, forthcoming illusions. I never take them seriously till confirmed.
While waiting, I get to sample the character of those who frequent
this joint. They are people of means. A white lady is seated somewhere with her
apple Mac doing her thing. This joint like many other of such ilk has free
Wi-Fi. I don’t inquire for the password out of fear and majorly due
to the fact that at my area of residence there is free Wi-Fi.
In situations like this, just like gambling, there are two sides
of the coin, there is the option of failure or success. Failure relegates you
back to the status quo while success means you start ‘kuadisia mawinch’ and
maybe chart the way forward. Failure also means you have to restrategize and
continue with the cycle of job searching like the regular Tom, Dick and Harry.
After some hours the ‘sonko’ calls me. My acquaintance who had
hooked me up with the prospective employer told me some things about the bloke. He
was previously a banker but currently a real estate developer building a 10m
dollar estate in one of the pricey suburbs. This bloke had contacts and had
widely networked. Hence I felt obliged to meet the guy as it meant opening up
doors that had been closed.
I was not shocked to see the dude. He was simple. He had just
finished working on the façade of his apartments and had a brief chat with the
bloke he was giving recommendations. The bloke left. Initially I had been told
to do some research on likely areas of questioning. I did that but not with the
desired oomph. I guess I am more of the kind of person who loves dealing with
institutions. Dealing with an individual was not something complex. In either
way, I was ready for what came my way.
I introduced myself, likewise the prospective employer. He asked a
very prominent question. ‘What do you want?’ the innocent being in me told him
that I want to be engaged since I was not employed. I never knew what I wanted
ideally. Fresh from campus and having only taken up casual and voluntary jobs,
defining what I wanted was kind of tricky. I had to be arty so I just kept
talking consciously but cautiously to create the impression of a person who was
adept of what he wants.
What I told him was not convincing so he rephrased the question. I
was caught unawares so I told him to give me a clue or hit the head on the nail
of what he expected as a response. Having construed his insinuation I avidly
replied. Mark you; I was not serious with this whole thing. I just wanted to
reduce the monotony of being an idle mind for fear of turning into the devil’s
workshop.
He asked a couple of questions and in about five minutes I was
through. I must say that I did not at any point develop stomach spiders as I
saw this as a dress rehearsal for something more challenging in future. He
asked the obvious questions that I had seen over time and again either on the
net or the workshops I had attended in preparation for the job market. But one
question though caught my attention, he challenged why I had not taken up self
employment. That was tricky; he was in self employment though. My answer came
from my heart but all in all I think I did a good job.
He however told me that getting a place before graduation was
problematic but said he would try his best to hook me up with something soon.
The exact date was not known. I knew it. Ideally, I thought the man was coerced
by my acquaintance to interview me so as to nail a deal they were working on. I
usually like reading some one’s mien when talking one on one. His attitude was
drab, his body posture kind of flat and his eyes never bespoke of ‘I want to
help you like serious’.
I realized I am not alone. There are scores like me whom I don’t
want to compare myself with. That is the two sides of a coin. The only
encouraging aspect is that it’s never a big deal being aggravated by the haves;
it builds the character to withstand even the harshest of life’s circumstances.
PS: I regret paying my bill. It left a huge dent on my broke wallet.
The guy had told me he would pay. But the person in me told me to pay my bill.
It would depict a person devoid of the culture of being helped but again
someone independent. But all in all, that experience was an eye opener.
SITUONANE.
SITUONANE.
