There was silence in the store has I hadn't made a sale through out the whole day. I already knew that I was going to get fired after this because of the warning Big Tee gave me the other day at work but would you blame me. It isn't my fault that the store was lacking customers infact it was Big Tee's fault because he had the habit of sending his customers away with his hot tempered bad attitude but of course I will get blamed because I work for him and he has the right to do whatever he wants, I mean it's his store.
I never wanted to work as a sales girl, it wasn't close to my dreams. I wanted to be a model. One that would be known everywhere whenever the name is mentioned
I know I deserve it. I mean look at me.... A girl with my kind of beauty,my height,charisma, intelligence and even the way I spoke swept men and women off their feet. Oh who am I kidding.... I had one thing that did make me question God for my looks.... yeah my complexion
My name is Ebony Anderson, I am the first and only daughter of Carlos Anderson who is now late
I was named Ebony by my father which of course means Black... yes I'm dark but I won't say black....a that's an exaggeration
I didn't get to meet my mom cause she died while giving birth to me but I was quite comfortable living with Dad because he played every role in my life while he was alive. He was my mum, my dad ,brother , sister, and friend. I didn't blame Dad for the kind of name he chose for me it was the quickest thing he could think of when he saw me and I'm sure he didn't have much joy to come up with another name while he was mourning his wife
I was just 6 years old when he was diagnosed with cancer of the blood and knowing he was going to leave me soon, he took me to the orphanage home cause we had no other family
"Ebony, my princess". He called with tears rolling down his cheeks. We stood in front of the orphanage home gate with my bags on the ground. "I know I can't hide this sickness anymore from you, you're a smart girl. The doctor said I might leave soon and it's happening faster than I imagined "he sighed
"Daddy do you want to leave me like mummy did, you said you'd be there for me" I couldn't hold my tears any longer. As little as I was I understood where my Dad was driving at.
"I'm going to be with you my princess... forever. I'm just going to be in a distance. I and your mum are going to be together watching you from above". We both stared at each other and cried our eyes out.
My life after that was no longer interesting after that infact it was a mess. Living in the orphanage for 12 years without ending up in a good home. I was adopted quite a number of times but was returned like an expired stocked same number of times. My life was a mess. I thought being pretty was the key to getting adopted by lovely parents. Unfortunately every family I was adopted into didn't see me as pretty
One time when I was 8 my former adopted parents went back to their home town and took me along they hadn't seen their people for years and of course it seemed like they lied to that they had a child of their which was supposed to be me who had grown up. Well unfortunately things didn't go as planned. Kate, my adopted grandma and mother to my adopted dad didn't buy their lies. During dinner she started stating the obvious differences between me and my adopted parents emphasizing on how fair my both parents are and how dark I am. She accused my adopted mom of being a cheat and saying that there was no way any of them could have had someone as dark as me
Well after much argument I and my adopted parents went back to their house and within no time I was delivered back to the orphanage .
Similar cases occurred with more couples that adopted me; their friends, neighbors and other families gossiped about the clear difference between our complexions and how it was impossible for them to begath me
I always felt ashamed of myself I couldn't even keep a family and didn't get much friends either .
Sometimes I thought of doing horrible things to myself out of depression and anger but of course I always managed to survive
I was given freedom at the orphanage home when I clocked 18 because I've always been asking for it. Since no one liked me then why was I there. It felt like hell. Every single day was a bad day. All the kids avoided me , they said if they didn't I would stain them; doesn't that sound ridiculous. Leaving the orphanage was like a dream come true but I always appreciate the fact that I got to live there
I couldn't imagine what would have happened to me these past years of my life if I was on the street. The orphanage gave me a roof over my head,food in my stomach and even quality education even though I didn't further into tertiary. Regardless I always remain grateful because I know things won't have been the same if my dad just died and left me in the outside world but leaving the orphanage and getting my freedom was the best and only birthday gift I have ever received
I was given some money to rent an apartment for myself in town and I had saved some money for a few things I was to get on my way. Coming out from the orphanage made me realize what I had been gaining from them and how much they had been spending on me from the day I was brought in
I now had to work for my money and I had applied for series of job vacancies but since I had no degree I wasn't employed
On my way back from job hunting I walked into a store to get a bottle of water with my torn 100 naira note as I walked in, Big Tee was sitted on the cashier's counter boiling with anger like someone that just lost a million naira from sports betting. I quietly walked towards the fridge to grab the bottle of water and approached the counter to pay and acting like I didn't care I dropped the 100 naira note on the desk and asked with my sweet voice for a receipt
Big Tee glared at me like he had known me for years and was to pounce on me
"Are you just going to sit there and act like there's no customer in front of you" I said with confidence swallowing my fear "pls give me a receipt I have places to be"
"With this 100 naira that looks as bad as your life you seriously want to purchase this water and ask for a receipt... You must be out of your mind" he replied with his thick masculine voice
The fear I had swallowed came back up like I was going to puke
"I am not selling to you so take this money and leave my store before I hit you"he said and grabbed the bottled water from me
I was now extremely scared, we were the only ones in the store, he could actually hit me or even do something worse and get away with it. I wondered how someone could be this mean to a customer especially the only available one. At this point I knew I had to find a way to get him to calm down cause I was very thirsty and his store was the only store opened on that day. If I didn't I would trek two more streets looking for an opened shop
"See oga I don't know what it is that made you this angry but calm down okay... remember I'm a customer and customers are always right" I spoke with an apologetic tone and even Big Tee was surprised.
"Is it obvious that I am not happy "he responded this time without yelling. "My store keeper resigned at the shortest time ever and now I have to travel to see my people this evening and I can't leave my store opened"
I knew this was a job opportunity but I didn't want to be a store keeper so I couldn't offer to help
"Who are you?" He asked
"My name is Ebony, I'm....."
"Can you work for me?" He interrupted not wanting to know anything more about me "it's obvious you need a job, pls don't say no"
I was offended but I knew I was looking as he described and I barely had enough money to get dinner. I was confused
"Look.... Ebony right?"
I nodded my head
"I just someone to stay behind this counter and record sales before I get back from my travel... Come and work for me"
I already knew I had to accept the job but I was waiting for him to tell me how much I was getting paid, I just watched him talk about easy the work was going to be and yeah I wasn't paying attention until he mentioned...
"The closing time is 8pm and the store should be opened by 8am. I'd be out of town for a week and there are price tags on every product...."
"Look sir, can you just get to the part of my payment. You're boring me with all these talk" I was curious at this point all I needed to hear was the money part
"15 thousand naira..... I'd give you 15 thousand naira after one week. Id have been back from my trip"
It sounded fair to me 15k to work as a sales girl in a local store but I couldn't accept without negotiation else I would feel cheated. "That's too little oga, if you want to pay me pay me well. How can I work for one whole week and the wait for that little change."
He was shocked. He must have thought I would jump up at his offer.
"Look if you really want me to work in this store, give me five thousand now and pay 15k later after 1 week. So am sure you won't owe me"
I could see the anger he had buried rise again but I didn't care. I now realized how much he needed me and I knew he didn't have much choices
Whereas I had to find a way to get money that day. I was extremely broke even my last 100 naira note couldn't get me a bottle of water because of it's pathetic condition
"Who do you even think you are?" He asked
"My name is Eb..."
"Just shut up " he cut me off again
"Okay then I guess I should take more torn note and leave... Good luck finding a new employee " I turned back and was about to leave
"Wait..." he called back " I'd pay you as you have asked"
I smiled with content cause I new I had won the bargain 🙂. I lwas blood enough to look through the anger and frustration in his eyes, he had no choice. Well anything to put good on my table I guess.
"Here are the rules and regulations of the job... If you come short of one you'd have yourself to blame."he pointed at the paper pasted on the side of the wall
"And don't even think of stealing from while am out cause I have people watching you from all around the neighborhood any naughty move and I'll make calls and get your arrested after you must have been beaten to pulp" he concluded
"why don't you make those calls and get someone to work for you" I whispered and rolled my eyes in disgust
"What did you say?"
"Nothing...."