(picture taken by me)
Just like every other day, the shop was busy with different clients and customers coming in to either repair their damaged leather bags or to book for new ones. I was on the sewing machine as usual. My apprentices were around, as it is common practice in apprenticeship. Those who were new (or should I say “unlearned”) were fixing their eyes on me while working on the machine. This they usually so that they can gather knowledge as the master is working.
“Good afternoon, Ma”, greeted a light in complexion lady as she stepped into the workshop. I stopped what I was doing, pushed my apprentices aside so that I could give her the attention.
“Good afternoon, Ma. You are welcome.” I welcomed her warmly as I ushered her into the shop to show her more of our products.
“Bisi, bring those bags over here for Mummy to see.“ I ordered one of my apprentices.
“No, don't bother. I have seen them.” she said as she restrained my girl from bringing more products.
We had a good time discussing together. What was looking as if a customer had come to buy a bag, turned out to be a familiarization meeting. She introduced herself to me and I equally introduced myself to her. We talked for quite some hours. That was the a step upward on my journey to prosperity and greatness in my bag making business.
How did this meeting bless my business? One of those days, I visited Mummy Bolu in her house, I saw a unique bag design. Lest I forget, she too was into the same profession as me. She was a producer of leather bags. She had just relocated to my community from Ekiti State, so she decided to get to know me when she noticed my shop. Our relationship grew from then and we started working together.
So, that day I asked her about the beautifully crafted bag I saw. She introduced it to me and explained in detail how it was made. I grabbed the knowledge and without delay attempted to make mine. Through the learning process, I later perfected it.
(picture taken by me)
About a year or two later, after I had learnt from Mummy Bolu, I introduced the design of that bag to a school who wanted to make a large quantity of school bags for their students during a year-end graduation ceremony. The production was very fine. The entire school community (the learners, the teachers, and the parents) appreciated the bags.
“Oga, a woman want to make this weaving bag up to 200 pieces as a souvenir for her ceremony.” One of my apprentices told me as I entered the shop one day.
The weaving bag had become popular since the time I started displaying them in my shop. It gives me more customers as people tend to like something that looks attractive and fanciful. I gain more customers and make more money in my business because I have learnt that weaving bag from Mummy Bolu.
This post is in response to the ink well creative nonfiction prompt #146
