"I came here for love
For someone to hold me down
I won't give it up, no
I want you to reach out
I came here for love..."
I don't know what it is about this song but I have been repeating it all morning and I can't stop dancing and singing to it.
I am in my new flat, my parents helped me move in 3 days ago and I just finished unpacking, while listening to my ultimate feel good jam, something about this song just makes smile from ear to ear. I start work tomorrow and I can't wait! I strike a pose in front of the mirror and laugh at my silliness, I still can't believe it!
As I hear the last notes of the song, I decide to switch to a jazz playlist and start making dinner. My flat has a medium size bedroom, one bathroom and a lounge with kitchen. As I sit down to eat a dinner of spaghetti bolognese, I say grace and dig in, I have one week's worth work of outfits already set out, courtesy of my twin, Carol since I am still learning the ins and outs of office wear. She basically bought my entire wardrobe and I sure I'd be lost without her, the only non-negotiables are my afro and no make up, I get ready for bed and fall asleep soon after.
I am woken up by the sound of my phone's alarm clock going off in the kitchen where I left it. It's 5:00am, and it feels like I barely slept a wink. Two hours later, I have taken a shower, made breakfast, gotten dressed and I am ready to go, I call a cab and the app says the driver is two minutes out.
So I head down stairs and meet him in front of the building, I give him the address to the firm, sit back and enjoy the ride. It's the first time I've lived in what is arguably the biggest city in South Africa, Johannesburg, actually this is the first time outside my province. Since I only arrived 3 days ago I haven't had time to explore but I will, I can already say the air smells different though, nowhere near as clean as the sea breeze back home.
I guess I'll just have to get used to it. The driver drops me off in front of firm, and I walk into the building and see a board in the lobby with all the companies that are in the building and the floors, eighth floor it is.
I get into the elevator and take deep breaths, I am not a fan of closed spaces, I wouldn't go as far as say I'm claustrophobic but I am not a fan. I hear the ding and step off the elevator, I see the receptionist and I introduce myself, she gives me the directions to the conference room and I thank her. Following her instructions, I taking my time observing the office space and the people, everyone seems so busy already, I am grateful I let Carol set up my wardrobe or I would be grossly underdressed.
As I walk into the conference room, all eyes are on me, "Hi", I say, " You must be Karen, welcome you can take the available seat, and we can begin". The lady in front introduces herself as Dineo, she in charge of us while we are in training. We go around the table making introductions, there are ten of us in total, six guys and four girls.
Dineo begins with orientation which takes about two hours, then we have coffee break.
I can see the cliques begin to form already, I sit by myself and enjoy my coffee and muffin, "Hi, Karen right?, I am Alka, can I sit here?" I tell her sure and she sits down, we sit and eat in silence. I look at her, studying her profile she is Indian, has fair skin, slightly shorter than me, slimmer too, her hair is in a ponytail that reaches her collar and looks like she would rather be anywhere but here. "Sweet?" she asks and I smile and take one. I'm begining to like her already.
When we return the conference room and we sit next to each other, Dineo continues to explain how the next few months we will be rotating through the different departments in groups of five and be mentored by the different attorneys heading the departments. We are split into groups, Alka and I are seperated but I give her my number and tell her to stay strong. Each group consisted of three guys and two girls, in mine there's David, Thabiso, Kyle and Geraldine.
Geraldine volunteers to start a Whatsapp group and we all give her our numbers. Soon it's time for lunch and Dineo tells us to follow her, we take the elevators to the second floor where there is a cafeteria area ...I think I'm in love.
It's beautifully set out with stands for foods and tables near the windows, Dineo tells us that the cafeteria is open to everyone who works in the building, not just the attorneys, since the firm only takes up the top four floors of the ten storey and that for this week our food is fully paid for. I knew they loved us! " I expect everyone back in the conference room at 14:30 sharp" she says turning and leaving us.
Alka finds me again and we shuffle together in the line to get food. "Where are you from?" I ask, "Johannesburg, but I went to University of Pretoria, and you?", " I'm from Durban, and I went to UKZN", she laughs and says "I knew it, I knew you were Zulu."
I am surprised and ask she could possibly tell, and she shrugs, " when you sat down for the coffee break you had this stern look that like you were just waiting for someone to try you so you could beat them up", now I'm laughing, "all that from a look?" I ask, she replies saying that I have very strong facial expressions.
I just laugh and shake my head, after we get our food and take the last table next to the glass windows, the view of the street below was everything. I ask her how she is liking her group, she rolls her eyes which makes me laugh, " lets just say its going to be a looong year", which makes me laugh even more.
We finish our food and head back to the conference room, where we find Geraldine and David swapping spit, I mean making out.
I look at Alka and ask if she wants to swap groups, she just laughs at me as they finally notice us. David seems to be feeling himself while Geraldine, blushes," oh, don't be shy now, we were just enjoying the show."
Geraldine excuses herself and leaves while David takes out his phone, the others start coming in and soon we are being introduced to the supervisors for the first two departments we will rotate in, criminal and litigation.
The rest of the day goes quickly and soon it's four and we are leaving. Alka and I talk some more and I tell her to call once she gets home and I promise to do the same. I walk to the taxi rank, its a fifteen minute walk from the office and sit inside a taxi waiting for it to fill up and take me home.
I enter my apartment thirty minutes later, and receive a text from Alka saying she got home safe I reply the same as I begin reheating my leftover spaghetti. I sit down to eat, I pondering over the events of today, arguably it was one of the best days of my life. I am excited and scared, I at least made a friend who seems sincere but only time will tell.
Finishing my meal, I can't help but think that this was just orientation and that the real work begins tomorrow.