Walks of life

Only hope crushed part 2

Joannah's POV

Reaching at the agency, it was already 30 minutes to 9am. It was really a smart move to take the motorbikes because that was the only mean of transport we could use to avoid the morning traffic.

Reaching the building we went straight to the reception and greeted the lady behind the counter. She is so well kept smartly dressed in her navy blue dress with a small scarf wrapped around her neck.

She is really beautiful I stared at her just admiring her for a little bit.

"Damn she looks so smart in that" wish I could get myself a job here in my vac. I heard they are fairly paid, Lin whispered said to me while putting a protective hand on her mouth.

How did you know about their salaries ? I question her surprised with her compliment to the receptionist.

I have a friend whose sister works here but I don't know in which department, Lin explained to me with a shrug like it wasn't a big deal to know about such information.

Hello, good morning to you ma'am? Mom who has been listening to our conversation silently with Jo greets the lady behind the reception counter.

Good morning to you all. How may I help you please? She replies to us with an ear to ear smile.

Well we are here to meet with Mrs Okech Linda, she is expecting us please.

Okay ma'am, give me a minute please.

She gets to the telephone I guess to make a call to inquire about our appointment with Mrs Okech.

Alright please you may proceed to her office. It's on the right hand side opposite the elevator on the second floor.

You can use stairs or that elevator right there please.

The lady tells us whose name I read from her name tag as Sarah.

Well that's not where I found her last time but who would turn down an opportunity to ride in the lift anyways.

We leave after saying a thank you to her and went for the elevator of course.

Reaching the second level we started looking for the office we were directed to by the lady.

We saw it and mom proposed to go in first to leave us in the lobby.

She knocked twice and the door was opened revealing Mrs Okech herself dressed so professionally in a black pantsuit with a white shirt inside.

Good morning to you Mrs. Okech, Am Amanda Mukwaasi and your expecting us.

OH yes please Mrs Amanda your on time, come in please.

Am here with the kids would you like them to come in with me now.

Mrs Okech gets out of her office and walks straight to where we were.

Good morning ladies and gentleman, good morning Mrs Okech we replied to her all at once while she extended her hand to Lin and Jo respectively. And it's been nice meeting you two.

Nice to meet you too Mrs Okech,they replied.

Hope you guys don't mind me speaking with your mother for a little bit while you stay here. Make yourself conformable please.

Of course ma'am no problem, I reply to her and she turns on her heels walking straight to her office leaving us as we took our seats on the couch we found in the lobby.

Amanda Mukwaasi's POV

After Mrs Okech gave me a seat in her office I couldn't help myself to admire her office. It looked so beautiful with art pieces which were hang on the office walls. The furniture was so smooth and the window curtains had bright colours that made the office even more bright.

I was still being envious with the office when I had the door being closed and clicking of high heels behind me. Her office was built in a way that you can't see someone coming until they are right infront or behind you. So I had to turn around to see if she has come in. It has been like 3 minutes since I got here but I left her out talking to my kids after welcoming me in.

Sorry about that Mrs Amanda. So I would have liked it if we started with why you didn't come to pick up the registration forms on Friday yourself but I have some kind of bad news so it doesn't matter to know why you didn't come on that day.

Mrs Okech tells me with a very serious and pointed expression.

I opened my mouth to speak but then closed it immediately after. I didn't know what the best answer would be to her question she had asked.

Am sorry for not making it to the agency that day, I really wanted to come but had some things that I had to take care of myself so I had to send my daughter to pick up the forms for her siblings because they were also studying in their holiday study groups.

But what is the bad news you said you had? I asked her immediately before listening to her next response because if she said bad news then it means we weren't getting any sponsorship of bursaries here.

It's was my first time doing this but I knew how these kind of process goes.

Uh Mrs Amanda, I don't know how you know one of our directors but it seems like whatever connections you have with her is the reason as to why your son and daughter are denied a chance to be part of our student sponsorship program at out agency.

I really feel so bad about this because your daughter Joannah looked like she needed these bursaries for her siblings according to what we talked about with her my first time meeting her.

Excuse me Mrs Okech, I didn't get your point with what you said. Which director are you talking about.

Because according to what Joannah told me, your a director at this agency if am not mistaken right ma'am?

Of course am a director but am a bit on a lower level than the person who canceled your children's registration forms.

I had already made the acceptance letter too, even before you bringing back the registration forms because your children are both in their last year's of their respective levels. So they needed this more than some of our students but everything here is done through a process to ensure that everything is recorded properly and well organized because we have to be with the accountability on each student we pay his/her tuition for.

But after sending the names of the students who had registered for the scholarships forms to the Executive director who is also in charge of the accounting department, she called me immediately after receiving them and started asking me about your children. Which was really odd because the list had more than 50 applicants. I told her all I knew of course from what your daughter told me, but she looked so pissed and even tore the forms directly in front of me. Luckily I had made a photocopy of them before handing them to her.

To be honest with you Mrs Amanda I was so much surprised that I didn't even have the courage to ask her the reason for her action. I just went out of her office and waited till when she called me and told me to call you and make an appointment and tell you that your application did not push through that's why you are here today. Because I didn't know when you were planning to hand in your forms yet that's why I submitted my copy with your children's names included.

Mrs Okech was talking as I attentively listened to her but I couldn't make out any sensible reasons as to why someone did such a thing. First of all I know no body at this agency and it's my daughter Joannah who told me about it and she was also directed and recommended by her high school teacher. So I was confused and at the same time so angry.

What is the name of the director please, I asked Mrs Okech who was also looking at me with a sad face. It was so clear that she also did not like what one of her bosses did and she wanted to know the reason too.

She is Mrs Amelia Yiga a high profiled lawyer in the country. I don't know if that name sounds familiar to you. But she is one of the founder of this agency (HERS )that's why she is on the Executive board and runs the accounting department too.

I couldn't believe what I heard when she mentioned the name . I got up immediately like a mad person and went straight out of the office without another word.

I heard Mrs Okech running after me shouting please stop what's the matter, do you know her please Mrs Amanda say something. I opened the door and told my kids to get up and follow me.

I couldn't believe it. My worst nightmare of my past is coming back again. One of the people I knew I left behind in my life was coming back again. It felt like I have been relaxing a little bit and now my happiness was yet to be over yet again.

Kids please let's go hurry please let's go dont watse any time.

I said it without breathing in between my talking.

They looked a bit surprised and Jo looked behind us to see where I was coming from if there was something running after me I guess.

Mom what is it, why are you in a hurry. Whats wrong what happened in there?

They all asked different questions at a go but I had no time for any of their answers right away so I did the only thing I could do.

I caught the girls on their hands and told Jo to follow me out without looking at their faces.

I didn't want to even wait for a second in this building to give that woman a chance to see my face more so seeing my children.