As I got to the junction waiting for a bus, I started to blame myself for taking so much time, the bus stop was filled with people also trying to catch the bus and go about their day, I looked to my left side anxiously to see if I could catch any forthcoming bus, my legs started to shake, I started to bite my finger anxiously thinking of how I will beat these people and be the first to enter the next bus coming, but still I can't envisage having to struggle with these people just to enter the bus, my soft skin could get torn by a sharp piece of the bus or my bag hijacked or my clothes ripped.
"God!!" I stumped my black shinny baby shoes on the ground
"Ohhhhhh! Thank God I didn't wear heels o" I said to myself in a close-to-madness mode, I heard and verified that Lagos is full of crazy people, brought out my phone and quickly checked to time, and realized it was 7:15
"There is still hope to meet up" I whispered to myself to console myself and cut myself some slack, I quickly returned my phone to avoid being snatched.
Then came this bus, before it even stopped to pick up passengers it was already filled, people rushed the bus like ants rushing a cube of sugar
"God I am not cut for this" in my head as I watched in disgust as they all squeezed themselves in, the bus conductor continued shouting at the top of his voice while hitting the top roof of the bus
"Wole pelu change e o " "Enter with your exact money" with his cracked rugged voice
I took about two steps back to make way for the bus to zoom off
" Beautiful lady, you no go hustle for motor go your work?"
"Beautiful lady, won't you struggle to enter a bus to work?" the bus conductor said to me while he winked at me
I shook in head in frustration and dismay, not like I was shocked at what the bus conductor was doing but honestly I was not in the mood for as on a regular day that I wasn't going to work I would have given him a reply but my best mood was on a vacation trip that day. I tried to use my eyes to count the number of people still waiting for the bus, I was on the twenty-fifth when this bus came to park right in front of me, my brain did what it was best at doing and pushed me inside the bus before other people rushed it, seated at the second row of the bus, I started to feel like a superstar as I saw others rushing in like their lives depended on it and I was the one picking them up and rendering them help.
The bus had no conductor as the driver was the one multi-tasking, immediately he parked in front of me, and he came down immediately to call people in and tell them to enter with the exact amount of money. After the bus was filled, he still took his time to buy herbal mix to drink, in my most impatient spirit I shouted at the top of my voice " Oga!!! Answer us, some of us are short of time and you are still not helping" I hissed
"See, make I no close door? Na me say make you no wake up early? "
"See, shouldn't I close the door? Was I the reason for you waking late? " he responded as he shut the door with a sachet of herbal mix in his mouth
I was about to give him my most savage reply when my phone rang out loud, reached out for my phone and it was my sister calling me via video call, I picked and it was my splitting image right at the end of the phone over there, my other and better half, the one who allows me to see my face in person, my lovely twin sister
"How are you ?" she signaled to me with a sad smile on her face
" I am doing fine, I am on my way to my new job " I signaled back to her with one of my hands.
"I have been trying to reach you for a while this morning and your line was switched off, you got me worried, I thought you had forgotten about the job " maintaining her sad smile
I laughed lightly " Why would I forget about it, I switched off my phone and forgot to put it on " I rested my back on the seat properly as the woman sitting next to me was peeping at my phone, I gave a bad eye as she looked away "You know what?, let me call you back as soon as I settle at work, okay?"
"Okay, I miss you" she signalled as she ended the call abruptly.
My intuition advised me to confront the woman sitting close to me but I didn't want to make a big deal out of it after all we were total strangers. It is not like I am ashamed of my dumb twin sister but I don't like to make her an object of Pity and sympathy and I really like to respect her feelings and prioritize them but then I remember ifeoma saying Lagos people are all moving mad.
I highlighted from the bus and walk directly to the office, as I entered the general reception, I saw few men sitting right and I went straight to the female receptionist there
" Good morning ma" I softly said in my feminine voice with a full smile
" Good morning ma, which floor are you headed" she responded in the one of most professional voices I have heard in this city
"Fifteenth maam"
She input into her system "Your name ma'am?"
"Ginikachukwu Okoye" I replied, I could hear the men sitting behind me whispering.
" This is my spec, to be honest " one man said
" Are you the only one that likes good things, and who told you she is not my spec as well?" another man said quietly
"Alright ma'am you can go, thank you," she said without raising her head
" thank you ma "As I left
Honestly if not that fifteenth floor is quite a number I'd prefer to use the staircase, as much as I am claustrophobic and hate being inside the elevator, I hastened up my speed to join the people in the elevator as it was about to close it's door and gently placed myself in between people as I greeted them
"Good morning"
"Good morning" they all chorused
I stopped at the fifteenth floor and tried to catch my breath as I walked to the office, I brought out my phone to check the time and it was 8:01 am, I sighed and took a deep breath of relief and optimism, I could hear the footsteps behind me but my goal can't be compromised at this point, I kept my eyes fixated on the office entrance door as my attention was cut short to this sexy deep masculine voice that sent chills down to my veins and my adrenaline that rushing with speed that was faster that flash.
"I don't like this work setting" in the deep voice
" it is not all bad, we haven't entered the main office" a female voice responded.
I turned to see who the owners of the voices were " Are you guys new here as well?" I asked in my rarely used sexy voice, I took a supposed quick scan at the male ignoring the female figure that stood by this side. I started to quickly scan him from the shoes to his longs legs and chest but I couldn't get a vivid silhouette of the chest as I moved to his face and damn this is a very tall guy, he is fully beard with a big nose that sat right on his face, well refined shining lips and a bald hair.
" Yes, we are " the female voice responded
He isn't my type of man but he is not bad at all, the female voice gave my brain a little twinkle in the armpit and I blinkly simultaneously "Oh! Let's go in, nice to meet up"
I allowed them to walk in first as I followed suit, we got to the reception and met a woman in her mid-30s
" your names please" the receptionist asked them
" Kareem Usman Farid " he responded
"Oh he is Muslim" I whispered to myself
"Anita Kelechi Maduka" she responded
"Not bad his name suits him perfectly " I continued my conversation with my brain until my brain ditched me when it heard
"And you?" the receptionist to me
" oh! I am sorry…" I abrupted said
"Is that your name?" the receptionist cut in
I frowned as I raised my brows and answered reluctantly
"Ginikachukwu Miracle Okoye," I said as I looked away from her with my hands crossed over my chest
" you can go in there" She pointed adjacent to her a room labelled meeting room
We all moved and walked toward the directed room
"You are excluded," she said
We all stopped abruptly and turned our backs to see who she was referring to
"You" she pointed to me
"Me " I beat my chest
"Both of you can go " she signaled to them
My chest started beating faster than someone had just had her first kiss or someone experiencing love at first sight, as I walked back to her I started saying my prayers in my mind as I could sense my enemies got to work earlier than me, I could barely feel my feet as I didn't even know I got back to her
" your name is not on the list of the new members to be onboarded" she unapologetically said
I recalled how she sounded so rude to me the other time as she swallowed hard gave a straight face, swung my synthetic bob wig, and folded my hands
"What do you mean my name is not on the list?" I said softly
"Are you deaf " she questioned me "I said I can't find your name on the list of those to be onboarded today" she added
What do you mean you can't find my name on the list of those to be onboarded today?!" I dropped my bag and screamed at the female receptionist in front of me as I was about to cry and I was filled with confusion. Honestly, I intended to be a hard girl to the core but my tear gland failed me, my scream attracted the other members of the office as before the tear could drop the reception was almost filled. The receptionist stood in shock as she wasn't expecting such a reaction, the scream and tears came from a place of frustration and incapacity to accept what I just heard.
"What is the matter Mrs Joan" a man in his mid 40 Asked
" I told her I couldn't find her name on the list" the receptionist answered
"Are you sure you got an email" my man faced me
I nodded as I dried my face "Can I check the list"
"No you can't" she answered so fast like she already hated me
I swallowed hard and sighed, I tried to reach out for the phone but the phone ghosted, I ran out of battery, and out of this frustration, my tear gland released some other drops and I hissed
"What Role did you apply for, " the man asked
"Junior HR" I answered quietly
"Call Mr Kingsley for me please," he said to a younger colleague
"What is your name, stop crying, weep your face," he said to me
" Ginikachukwu Miracle Okoye " I answered hurriedly
"Are you sure that was how you placed the names " he added
I nodded and wiped my face dry
"Mr David you asked for me," Mr Kingsley said quietly
"Yes, this younger lady said you applied for a role in your department and her name is missing from the onboarding list" Mr David pointed as he said
"What do you mean her name is missing if she got the job, her name would be there.
What?!!!