It was just a few months after celebrating the new year, 2017, and after that, everyone went about their lives with the hope that things would work smoothly. I’d already gotten employed at a private teaching school close to home. It was just the kind of work I didn’t need to run down the bus stop waiting for the bus and wasting my money on transport daily, especially with the low amount of money we were being paid.
Thankfully, I didn’t go through so much stress finding a job with my Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE), hence the low payment. I still accepted the salary thinking I would survive with my Dad. My plan was to support him by feeding my siblings and me, but deep within me, I knew the salary wouldn’t be enough. But I overlooked that because I needed a job plus, my boss promised to increase our salaries every year just to appreciate us.
I have only worked for a year already when I got an offer. It was very early in the morning, and on my way to the school, a man signalled while walking up to me.
“Hello dear. How are you?”
“Good morning, sir. I’m fine.
You are going to work, aren't you? I would like to see you when you return back.
"Alright, sir. I will come to your house after the close of work."
I was sceptical about meeting him at first because I was afraid and thought he wanted to say something about my dad’s behaviour. I have noticed he was always around him, and most times, he would want to know some things about my dad, and I mostly try to conceal some information from him. He was too close to us, but I didn't give in to such familiarity.
As I walked slowly towards my friend's house to call her, I was thinking about what could make him want to see me but I was lost in thought that I'd gone past her house. I jolted back to reality when a young boy tapped my back to greet me.
I turned back and went to call her after checking the time on my wrist and knowing we still had some time as we were careful not to be late. For the first few hours before the break time, I couldn’t concentrate on my work. Peace noticed my frowned mood and asked what the matter was.
"I don’t know. My mind is just racing like I'm scared of something I can't truly identify."
"What is it?" She asked.
"Okay. So, on my way this morning before coming to your place, Mr John (for the sake of this post, I would call him that) asked to see me later today. I don’t know for what reasons he would want to see me. I just hope it’s not about my dad." I said uninterestingly.
“Wait, Mr John wants to see you?” She enquired again inquisitively with a surprised look on her face, followed by a smile that looked like she knew something.
"Why are you smiling, Miss Peace?"
"No," she said as she sighed silently, took a pause, then continued, "It’s just that I might know why he wanted to see you because he already met me some days ago."
"Oh really! What’s that?" I asked inquisitively, raising my eyebrow, and moving my chair closer to her so other people wouldn't listen to us.
"Yes, he asked me to come work for him at his new school and he’s willing to pay me higher than what I’m getting here."
"Hmm. If that’s what he wants to see me for, I won’t accept." I bluntly replied
"But wait," I jumped in before she could say something
“Why would he be willing to pay higher? I mean is he that desperate for new staff? How about his teachers that are there already?" I became more interested.
"Well, I am not taking that offer because I heard something about him, too. Some said he owes teachers salary a lot and besides, his school is still new and you will definitely work more than what you are paid for. He only wants to use that offer to entice and lure us."
I was just smiling all along because I knew deep down in me that I wouldn't be tempted by such an offer. But I still wanted to go to hear his own side of whatever he wanted to say.
Later in the evening, I got back home. I quickly prepared something to eat before going to meet Mr John. But when I got to his place, he wasn't around, but I was told he would be back soon.
"I will come back then," I told one of the occupants in the compound.
A few minutes later, I saw Mr John walk towards our landlord's shop, which was facing our building, which he rented out and which we were one of the tenants while he and his family built their own home next to the shop.
"Good evening sir, I already came by your house earlier but was told you weren't around," I said with a smile on my face.
"Yes, I quickly went to get something."
After the little greeting and talk between him and our landlord, he faced me while signalling we sat somewhere in a corner but still an open place, which was a relief to me.
I was still wondering what could he possibly say but I just wanted to hear him talk.
As we sat down, he started by asking about my day and work. I could smell a rat as he started asking about my boss and how she was treating me; he asked about my salary, to which I replied positively and told him the amount I was collecting.
"Come and work for me. I will pay you double what she's paying you," he said.
All the while, I was just smiling and couldn't believe such was happening to me. But he continued, thinking his sweet mouth and offer that looked too good to be true would actually make me reconsider.
"I'm sorry, sir. I am enjoying my present workplace and my boss is a nice person. I can't just resign without a good reason. I'm very sorry," I said while making sure my words weren't hurting.
"Alright, no problem." He said when he saw he couldn't change my mind with that speech he kept bringing up.
It was after some days I got to know from another friend of mine that all he said was lies as I wouldn't enjoy the place as he told me. Besides, his school is far from home which I would be spending on transport daily.
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