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A MIRROR OF HOPE

You forcefully open the double doors to your room to see your reflection in the large spotless mirror staring at you, as you try to avoid the Master. Your image kills the mustard seed of hope you have been trying to nurture – your eyes exhausted from too many tears. Your lips are chapped, and the glory of your skin is in the past - your beautiful skin as your mother would remark. You wonder if it’s because of its fairness or the hairless sight of it, or the chubby feeling when touched. And then you reckon the eyes of your mother are not yours. Your beauty lies in your freedom, you think to yourself. You affirm that you don’t belong here, not in this castle with grey walls, lofty ceilings, and heavy brown curtains. Not viewing ancient paintings of wars. Not on a bed for a crowd and certainly not wearing these expensive clothes too pure to smear. You recall the first day of your arrival at your new home. You were greeted by a servant who avoided your eyes as he bowed his head and sai...
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WEIRD INTERVIEW



WOULD YOU SELL FOOD AS A GRADUATE JUST TO SURVIVE?


My name is Prisca, a graduate of Biological Sciences with a second class upper division and I want to share my job hunting experience just after I was done with service. 
I was desperately looking for a job so I kept applying and going for every interview I was called for.
 I went for an interview not quite long ago. It was a sales manager position advertised online. I saw this as an opportunity to meet new people and be more outspoken and to network. So I applied; forwarded my CV. Afterwards I got a mail from them saying that out of the 50 people who applied for the job, I was opportune to have been selected. This made me very happy and I didn’t mind borrowing money to go for the interview at Ojota.
When I got to the location I was not sure it was the right address even though I could clearly see the house number.  I asked a lady; just to be convinced, about an interview taking place there and she replied “yes this is the place.”
Ha! To my astonishment this place was occupied by people cooking moi moi (Bean Cake), rice, beans, not in large quantities but is small coolers. This lady I had asked to help confirm the address turned out to be the person who had forwarded the interview email to me. Apparently she was with the HR team. We both went in and I was asked to wait. When she returned, she kept asking me all that was on my Cv and lastly, my pay expectations. I told her I would like to begin with 80,000 since I had no work experience. The next thing, this woman asked me to go out and tell a particular woman to fry plantain. Foolish me went to deliver the message and when I returned, Mrs. HR was introducing me to the environment:
“So Prisca, this is a job where you have to sell food. We cook food and sell at strategic points.”
UN-PACKAGED FOOD! When someone wants to buy you would have to sell with spoon and plate… I was shocked! She kept on preaching on how a cab man would pick me up and I’ll have to sell from Monday till Sunday sometimes; that’s if the food was still remaining. She said I’ll also take along with me a microwave since many people liked their food hot. Plus, I would resume by 8am for those going to work who would love to have their breakfast and close 9pm for those coming back from work and would want to buy food.
I didn’t know when tears began to drop from my eyes. I was already crying and asking God if this was what He wanted to do with my life… Would "mamaput" be my new occupation now or what? Mamaput as a job! Along the line I asked her if she read through my CV and she said yes:
“ I did. You’re Prisca and you graduated from Eboyin State University right? I remember you because my friend is from that state. You even graduated with a second class upper right?”
She knew all these and still sent me a foolish mail!!! It did not end there. This woman said I should resume work that moment: “start packaging, start covering the foods and I’ll call the cab man right away”
This was when I told her that I had to leave but would be back, out of respect for her. She said she knew that I wasn’t going to take the job and that I should just say so. She was really taking it personal so I told her I couldn’t take the job. These were my exact words…
“I can’t take this job.  I cannot be found selling food on the streets. For crying out loud I know my destination. I know it may take time getting there but I know what I want and I know where I want to be. Please ma I’m sorry but I cannot!
A Shared Experience       

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