“What’s your name,” the light-skinned man asked me, with a faint indifferent smile on his face. “Kay Sir,” I replied. His reserved indifferent smile suddenly broadened into a pale sinister one. “Kay? Your name is Kay?” he questioned. “No Sir. I’m sorry sir. I meant Kelechi. Sorry Sir! My name is Kelechi Dim Sir. I’m sorry Sir.” I answered him almost immediately, having realized my mistake. “You can go now Mr. Kelechi Dim,” the man said as he hit one of the buttons on the white inter-switch telephone on his table, signaling for the next interview candidate. “Just like that? Was that all he needed for the interview or he’s not yet ready for me? Perhaps, he’s not the interviewer. Let me stylishly find out from him,” I thought.
“Please Sir, Ermm…, I actually came for the interview Sir.” I said. “Yes, I am very much aware you ae here for the interview young man and I’m actually done interviewing you. We don’t need absent minded people in our firm. We need people whose attention will be 100 percent dedication to whatever post they would be required to handle. People who are focused and apt to help is in achieving maximum productivity. But it is quite fortunate for us that you’d be needed somewhere better than our firm. Your absentmindedness will surely be of use to a firm which unfortunately, I can’t think of any at the moment. You can see I still have a lot of better and serious candidates to attend to, so if you don’t mind Mr. Kay, help yourself with the door.
I stood up, feeling rejected, frustrated and confused. I tried so hard to hold back the tears I felt welling up at the corners of my eyes, but freely they came racing down my cheeks, the moment I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply. “Goosh! What a day? The sixth interview in two weeks and the worst. I’m fucked and cursed. A messed up never-do-well,” I murmured to myself as I reached out for the doors handle to go out of the interview room. Before my hand could get to the handle, the door swung open to the outside and someone bumped into me. “Hmmmm… Nice perfume,” I thought, ask I quickly clasped my hands and apologized, making few frantic bows like a Chinese kowtowing.
“Heyyyy, c’mon… it’s not your fault at all. I should have knocked before coming in. I should be the one apologizing here,” the man said patting me gently on my left shoulder. I looked up slightly and sharply enough to catch a glimpse of the owner of this voice and rare manner in a generation like ours. Do such people still exist? People who own up quickly to their faults regardless of what eyes were watching? “Fadalod,” I muttered to myself the moment I beheld his face. He was as handsome as his manners and voice. He looked like something out from the movies. How could someone be this cute? Shisuuux!
“Hey Sean, good to see you,” the interviewer’s voice exclaimed with a warmth I never felt in it during his interview with me. Their pleasantries faded quickly as I shut the door behind me. For a second, the world seemed a little fair and nice until the receptionist’s yelling voice impaired the sweetness of that moment. “Come and sign out ohhhhhh, you this boy! What are you even thinking at this your age? Do you have shildren at home that you’re feeding?” I just ignored her and walked out of the reception as the laughter of the many that were still waiting their turns for the interview, faded slowly behind me. Outside, I sat under one out of the numerous fruit trees with a massive shades, waiting for the sun to set a while before I headed home. There I slept off.
I was woken up later by one of the security agents who urged to start going home, with the company having reached its closure time. I thanked him, brought out my phone to check what time it was. My phone was out of power. I quickly inquired from the security agent and he told me that time was 6:45pm. I slipped out the bottle of water from my bag, turned out some of it on my palms and washed my face. Then dried carelessly with my handkerchief and strutted along the road leading to the company’s main entrance gate. I was very hungry. I had money but only enough to take me back home. As I recalled the events of that day, tears welled up my eyes again. I tried one more time to hold it back, but they only managed to let it out with an audible heavy sigh. Then I started sobbing. I knew there was more to my life than these, just that I couldn’t figure some things out yet.
A car horned from behind and yanked me back to reality. I turned only to see that it was my interviewer. I waved at him but he just drove past me as if we’ve never seen nor met before. Behind him was another car, clean with tinted glasses. I couldn’t see who was inside. The car got closer to me and halted. Its tinted window on the side I was, automatically wound down. “Him again?” I thought as a faint smile crested my lips. “You’re the guy I bumped into, right?” he asked, his laughter revealing his perfect set of white teeth. I laughed. “Yes, I am Sir. It’s no big deal. We all make mistakes.” I replied him. “I am Sean, and you are?” he asked. “I am Kelechi Dim,” I answered. He smiled. “Gaaaawwwwd!!! That smile.” I thought trying to avoid his eyes which he had fixed steadily on my face.
“C’mon, don’t get too formal with me man. Don’t you have any nicknames? A short one would be preferable,” he said. “There is sir. But the same I fear, just denied me a working opportunity with this great company, some hours ago.” I answered, laughing. He joined me in laughing too. “Jezzzzz! Who is this man? Why is my heart doing me somehow? How can a man be this fine and free at the same time? Down to earth and yet, seems equal to any task.” I thought to myself. Fine people are usually pompous. And the rich ones amongst them are no go areas. But this one seems very different.
“You’ve not told me a shorter name I can call you,” he reminded. “Oh! I’m sorry sir. Kay. You can call me Kay.” I replied. “So where is Kay headed?” he asked. “Home sir.” I replied. “And where is home Kay?” he asked again with a smiling tilted head. “Ermm… not too far from here sir.” I said, having sensed he might offer to give me a ride home, which I wasn’t sure I wanted to do. “Okay, hop in and give me directions on how to drop you off. I may be going your way as well, you know,” he said. “No Sir! I’m alright really. Thank you very much.” I insisted. He looked down, shook his head and then turned again and looked at me and said “C’mon man, hop in. I won’t bite you” I laughed and without any more hesitation, I hoped in. “Have you had something like lunch or dinner?” he asked. “No sir, But when I get…” he cut me short before I could finish saying, “Let’s get to an eatery and get you something okay.” “Okay sir. Thank you very much. I really appreciate.” I replied. “You’re welcome,” he replied as he drove off and those tinted glasses came winding up. “Cool ride,” I thought.
#MrnormanWrites 2017
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