🧖♀️MARRIED💞
Episode 16.
©Miriam Edem
The woman took me to the back then looked at me for a while,
“Why are you like this and where do you stay? She asked.
“Ermm ma I don’t really have a place to stay that’s why I need a job just anything I’ll do, I replied.
“You don’t have a place to stay? Don’t tell me I am to give you a place also? she asked.
“Ma please I know no one here, anywhere even at the corridor I’ll gladly stay help me please, I replied and she heaved.
“Anyway I am opening another branch of the restaurant and it will also be a bar. I never planned for this though but there’s a store where the drinks and other things will be stored but then I hope you won’t turn back to sting me? I have seen and helped girls like you who will in turn show me they are smarter, I just hope you won’t make me regret this ba? She asked.
“Ahh ma I am not a thief and I am not planning to be one. I promise you that your things will be secured i swear! I shouted letting go of the nylon I held and raised my hands in total surrender.
“You better be, anyway I am still working on the place and when it get open I’ll send you over there, but for now you’re hired here and you’ll be managing the tables at night to sleep but don’t break them for me o, she said and I was so speechless. I never expected that so soon without much grammar and pleading like I did in the other places I entered,
“You don’t like the offer? She asked when I just stared at her not knowing what to say.
“I’m so sorry ma, Thank you so much ma, thank you, I weakly replied and cleaned my tears.
“Its alright and we will discuss your pay later, but please help those lazy girls to wash the dishes the whole place is so messy, she said and I quickly dried my face getting ready for work and she took my nylon to keep it safe for me.
I ate to my satisfaction and took over everything without waiting for anyone to tell me do it, and in the evening when all the food was finished, the girls who worked there bid the woman goodnight and I was left with her.
“Okay Sharon I have watched you and I am impressed, I pray it continues that way. So for your pay I’ll give you 15,000 naira every month since I’ll be feeding and giving you accommodation, the woman said.
“Thank you ma I appreciate it, I said very happy.
“Are you sure? She asked.
“Yes ma I have no problem with the pay, I replied.
“Okay, when I send you over to the new place you can do the serving and leave the dishes to another person that will come in, she said.
“Anything you say ma I accept, thank you so much, I said.
“Alright then, lock the doors and stay in. See you in the morning, the woman said and left and I jumped up happily.
I stayed there for 3 weeks with no issues and my boss was so good to me. She brought me wrappers and a blanket to cover myself at night and clothes I can change up to. When the branch was finally done, just as she said, she sent me over there to serve both food and drinks. We worked round the clock but I wasn’t tired and after 3 months working there she increased my pay to 20,000 naira and all I did was to safe the money without taking a kobo from it.
I tried my best keeping my personal life away from the other girls despite they tried opening my mouth to know why I am staying there. If my Boss has never asked about my personal life is it the girls I will share my life with? Whenever they bring up the discussion i claim very busy attending to things and it didn’t take long for the customers to like me. This pleased my boss and she started complaining the girls to me and handed the running of the restaurant to me, unknown to her she was doing me a very bad thing because the girls had to turn on me violently.
I saw the hatred and ignored because I know why am there, though I ask myself every night whenever I am done with work ‘what am I to do? Has my stay outside the village changed any thing? Because i was still feeling weird but I couldn’t figure out where I was missing it. But I never forgot about my baby, and she was the reason I was saving every kobo I’ve worked for without spending a dime so I can take care of her.
After some weeks things began to go wrong in the restaurant, drinks began to miss and before I could realize myself my boss shouted on all of us asking of 50,000 naira.
I just looked at her because I was innocent and I mistakenly looked at the girls who looked at me too,
“Why are you looking at us? Is it stamped on my forehead? One of the girls asked.
“I didn’t mean it that way, i was thinking someone should say something at least, I replied..
“What happened to your own mouth? Can’t you talk or was the question asked to only us? The other girl asked and I heaved.
“Ma where did you keep the money? I asked the boss.
“Where else? There was 50,000 naira in my bag I kept at the store just this morning, and its no more there, my boss replied.
“Oh oh Sharon is it not only you that goes to the store? Where is the money? Another girl asked.
“What do you mean by that? Was I not busy outside? I asked.
“Same way we were busy, after all you hold the keys and whenever we want something from the store you go in and bring it for us isn’t it? The girls asked and I knew I was held on the neck when my boss turned and looked at me. I didn’t know how to defend myself with that and I was so scared, my only source of bread is at risk now,
‘Sharon what’s going on? Things keep missing in the store that I wonder why you are here. You sleep and do everything here yet things are going wrong, where is the money I kept at the store! She shouted on me for the very first time..
“Ma I really don’t know who took it, I am not a thief and I will never do that to you, I replied shaking.
“Don’t play with my intelligence, for the fact that I am quiet does not make me stupid. I don’t want to embarrass you but I want to see the money and everything that has missed from this restaurant by tomorrow, she said.
“Ahh ma I am innocent I don’t know who took the money, I cried.
“Don’t dare me Sharon, haven’t you heard slow water runs dry? Don’t be so unfortunate to fall into my hands because I will so deal with you for all the kindness I’ve shown you, she said and left immediately as my heart was beating so fast.
“Hehe hehe this God sha knows how to punish people, so madam where is the money? One of the girls asked me.
“You won’t come let’s go and do our work, she can solve her problems, the rest told her and went in leaving me outside as I stared into space.
I thought of giving her my savings if I don’t see the money tomorrow, but then I will implicate myself and I’ll truly look like the thief and she won’t trust me anymore. But what will I do now after I have worked so hard and given myself to this work with all my heart, and it hurts to see this is happening to a good woman who has shown me kindness.
I went to the store and searched everywhere and saw nothing, then I returned to serve with my moody face,
“My daughter what’s wrong? A man who has never been to the restaurant asked but I only shook my head. I was not in the mood to talk to anybody because the cry that was boiling inside of me, no one will understand.
“Be careful, your tears may drop, the man said when I returned with the soft drink he requested for and that was when I saw I was crying. I just cleaned my tears saying nothing to him and left. I went back to the store and sat down on the floor thinking so hard, I know quiet people can do and undo but then who is doing this to me na because it was very clear the girls must have taken that money but how? I am the only one with the keys except my boss and how will i explain to my boss that someone else got into the store without the key? Everything was driving me crazy as it was already 7pm and the money was not yet found, so is this how I will leave this place and return to suffer? I cried.
I cleaned my tears to return back to work and met the man I last served done eating and I left to take the used plates.
“My daughter can you talk to me? What’s bothering you my dear? The man asked and I looked at him. Hiannn what is this man problem sef with my daughter my daughter is it by force? Can’t he just eat and go without bothering me? With the way I was very angry I was not ready to transfer aggression especially not with a customer, and in the process of me hurriedly leaving the man table with the dishes I mistakenly hit one of the girls coming out with food and everything waaaaa on the floor.
“Hey Sharon! My boss shouted as she immediately walked in and met the incident………………
TBC
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