People face threats directly and indirectly every day, especially in this part of the world where survival itself comes with different threats. It can be as simple as a stranger picking on you for silly reasons or as serious as police officers pointing a gun at you, threatening to shoot for denying them a bribe despite not committing an offense.
We face numerous threats every day, and some of us have grown thick skin against them. When it’s just a regular threat, like excessive warnings from parents or elders, we tend to overlook them, and they don’t bother us much. Sometimes, they can be severe threats with something very important on the line, and we have to tackle them immediately before they get out of hand.
Growing up, I have faced many threats while trying to navigate through life. Some of these threats made me nervous and others made me stronger, teaching me great lessons about life.
A particular one happened at a company where I worked for a short time back then, and whenever I think about it, I feel cheated. It’s not a good memory, but it’s one of those things anyone trying to survive might face in life.
At that time, I needed a job badly and would take anything that came my way. So, an uncle(not related) linked me to a job and I was very happy to get it even though the pay wasn’t much.
The job involved selling electronics in a warehouse, and it wasn’t stressful. There was no stress involved, and all I had to do was attend to customers and, if possible, convince them to make more purchases.
I took the work seriously and even overdid myself. Out of being too hardworking, I took on tasks that weren’t mine, and honestly, it was fine. I didn’t complain, nor did it bother me, and like in every other organization, everyone likes the hardworking guy.
The manager of that warehouse became fond of me and always sent me on important errands that involved handling cash, which wasn’t an issue. I would run these errands happily, and it went on like that for about three months.
One particular morning, the manager handed me an envelope, instructing me to give it to the cashier who hadn’t resumed work that day. The manager himself didn’t enter the warehouse, as he claimed to be meeting an important dealer that day, and he drove off after giving me the instructions.
I called him after checking on the cashier and notified him that she hadn’t arrived yet. He told me to keep the envelope safe, and I did.
Upon the cashier’s arrival, I handed the envelope to her, and she went straight to her spot. Work continued as usual until the manager arrived, and I started hearing a loud argument involving a missing cash of a hundred and sixty thousand naira.
They didn’t call me, so I listened from afar. It wasn’t long before the manager called me, asking how much he gave me that morning. I was dumbfounded because he didn’t ask me to open the envelope, and that was exactly what I told him. He broke the news that the money wasn’t complete when the cashier counted it, and I was like, what’s my part in all of that?
He said the money must have gone missing while it was with me because he trusted the cashier, meaning he didn’t trust me. I started laughing because I knew something was fishy between the two of them, and before I knew it, they started threatening to call the police.
I told them to involve the police since I wasn’t guilty of anything, and it reminded me of the time I was falsely accused of abducting my junior at school. The police didn’t investigate because the girl’s mother was having an affair with the officer; they just arrested me immediately, putting me through stress until the girl was found somewhere else.
I eventually pleaded that I had nothing to do with the money, but the manager didn’t listen. I involved the uncle who introduced me, and he told me to sort it out, insisting I shouldn’t drag his name through the mud.
After processing the whole thing, I knew it was either planned, or they took advantage of me not counting the money, but why would I do so when the manager left immediately after handing over the cash?
That day ended with lots of threats, and I was scared of dragging my mom into that problem. I continued pleading and didn’t stop going to work because it was one of the conditions he gave me. That month’s salary was taken by the manager, and it would still take another four months’ salary to cover the missing 160 thousand naira.
One morning, I decided to stop going, and the manager kept calling, threatening to come and arrest me at home with all my family. The threats went on for weeks until I eventually told my mom. She was angry and wanted to confront the manager, but I didn’t allow her.
Months passed, and he stopped calling, but I didn’t dare pass through the area where the warehouse was located to avoid trouble.
Everyone I told about the story blamed me for not counting the money, and the whole thing was a setup. The manager knew what he was doing and just wanted to cheat me. He succeeded but also taught me a lesson that helped me when I got a decent job.
Someone tried the same trick, but I caught her instantly after insisting that I count the money in her presence. I discovered the shortage and gave her the cash back until she added the balance, claiming it was a mistake.
Image is mine.
