Chapter Three - Episode One: The Opportunity
733 Words
Two weeks into Lagos, she was ready to work.
The excitement of arriving in a new city had slowly settled into reality.
Lagos was no longer just the place she had imagined from stories people told.
It was where she was now.
Every morning came with noise.
Every afternoon came with movement.
And every evening reminded her that there were thousands of people in the city trying to make something out of their lives.
She had spent the first two weeks adjusting.
Learning the roads.
Learning the buses.
Learning which places were safe to walk through and which ones required extra caution.
Learning how quickly money could disappear when you weren’t earning any.
Her friend had been helping as much as she could, but she knew she couldn’t depend on her forever.
She needed to work.
She needed to start building something for herself.
So when her friend called one morning, she was ready to listen.
“There’s a vacancy at a boutique in Yaba,” her friend said.
She immediately sat up.
“Really?”
“Yes. Go today. Take your CV.”
Her heart lifted.
A job.
Maybe this was finally the beginning.
She had been waiting for an opportunity like this.
“Are you sure they’re still hiring?”
“Yes. Just go early.”
“I’ll go.”
She didn’t waste time.
She got up and began preparing.
She dressed neatly.
She checked herself in the mirror.
Then she took out the CV she had prepared.
She looked at it carefully.
Her name.
Her details.
Her qualifications.
Everything she had worked for was represented on those few sheets of paper.
She printed three copies of her CV and placed them carefully inside a clear file.
She checked the file twice to make sure nothing was missing.
Then she picked up her bag.
Her little Bible went into the same bag.
She didn’t leave the house without it.
It had become her small reminder of home.
A reminder of her mother’s hands placing it in hers.
A reminder of the prayer her parents had prayed before she left.
A reminder that she was not completely alone.
She looked at herself one more time before stepping outside.
“God, please let this work,” she whispered.
She didn’t need anything extraordinary.
She just needed a chance.
The journey to Yaba was another lesson in Lagos.
She stood among other passengers waiting for a bus.
People were rushing everywhere.
Drivers were calling out destinations.
The roads were busy.
The city moved quickly, and she had learned that if you moved too slowly, Lagos would move without you.
Eventually, she got a bus.
She held her clear file close to herself throughout the journey.
She didn’t want the CVs to get folded or damaged.
When she finally reached the boutique, she took a deep breath before entering.
This was it.
She walked inside.
The boutique was neat and busy.
Clothes were arranged carefully around the shop.
A few customers moved around, looking at different items.
She approached the manager.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning.”
“I came concerning the vacancy.”
The manager looked at her.
“Do you have your CV?”
“Yes.”
She brought it out carefully and handed it over.
The manager looked through it.
She stood there quietly, trying not to show how nervous she was.
After a few questions, the manager smiled.
“Come back tomorrow with your guarantor’s letter.”
Her heart jumped.
“Okay.”
She almost couldn’t believe it.
Maybe this was it.
Maybe things were finally beginning to work out.
She thanked the manager and stepped outside.
The moment she left the boutique, she smiled.
She felt lighter.
She had gone there hoping for an opportunity.
And now, she had been asked to come back.
She immediately thought about calling her friend.
Maybe she could finally tell her that something was working out.
She walked back toward the bus stop with a small smile on her face.
For the first time in a while, she allowed herself to imagine what life could look like if she got the job.
She could contribute at home.
She could start saving.
She could become more independent.
She could stop feeling like a visitor in the city.
She could finally say, “I have a job.”
The thought made her smile again.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD