The Interview -Part Two

When we reached double glass doors, he told me to enter and pointed me to where I should go. I thanked him and entered.

The Interview -Part One
The Interview -Part Three
The Interview -Part Four

I greeted the receptionist and explained why I was there. She told me they were expecting me and pointed me to the waiting area. I went and sat. First thing I did was check the my phone for the time. 11:05am. Damn! I was late even after trying to be one and a half hours early.

I looked around. Very impressive place. Knowing I could be called in any minute, I took my wipes out and cleaned my hands, trousers, feet and shoes. Thank heavens for wipes; looking at me, you couldn’t tell what I had gone through that morning with boda men. I now felt clean and calm.

Now at ease, I allowed myself to take in my surroundings. The place was huge and spotless. I loved the ambiance. The architectural design of the place made it appear massive. I love space, it helps me breathe and relax. To my extreme right, there was another guest lounge with couches and a table. Several people sat there talking, reading magazines and newspapers. Were they also here for the interview? I couldn’t tell.

There was a line of huge, impressive cars. Infront of me where three. My eyes darted from one to another. At first, I was just looking at their brands and picking clues for my interview. But what beauty! My eyes rested on the red one right infront of me. I don’t even recall what it was called but buoy was I in love.

Finally I understood why men fall in love with cars.

Shortly after my arrival, I was joined by a gentleman. Blake. He was the highlight of my time at that place. Talking to him helped me relax. We talked about everything that came to mind: cars, my interview, career, marriage, school…

When I had warmed up to him, I asked for the direction to the bathroom. I mostly wanted to look at myself in the mirror and just breathe.

That morning, I skipped breakfast due to nerves. Plus, my new high-waist  black jeans were too tight. And they were not the stretching type. Breakfast would have complicated things. I carried lukewarm water in my vacuum cup to help with my tummy. The water worked effectively, as always. 

“Marriage or Job, what comes first?” asked my new friend randomly. Blake was friendly, and I loved the distraction. It helped me relax and kill the tension.

“Job,” I replied without a pause. “You don’t want to be a burden to someone”.
Blake seemed amused by my response. However, from the look on his face, I knew I had given him a satisfactory response.

An hour and a half passed. Blake continued to indulge me. Two other young ladies joined us. I had spotted one in the other guest lounge. But it was too far for me to conclude on whether it was really her. Now that they were close, I recognized them instantly. Matter of fact, I had known them since childhood. We had gone to the same primary and secondary schools.

When they approached me, I got up and hugged them. Rebecca was my classmate since primary school. She had also been my best friend and confidant in A’level. Sera had been a class lower. Where had time gone? Here we were now, competing for the same jobs. Unbelievable!

At least I now knew my competition. It was a fair fight. Any of us could get the job -unless if there were other contenders we knew nothing about.

By 1pm, we started going in for our interviews. Initially, Sera’s was at 10:00 am. Mine was at 11:00am and Rebecca’s was at midday. Sera was in and out within a few minutes.

Suddenly, I started panicking. As I had earlier told Blake, I wished my interview was on anything other than cars. I did not trust my head. It was very possible for me to enter that room and forget everything I had researched on cars. I couldn’t even drive for the love of God. Until two weeks back, I had never searched about cars, besides, I couldn’t even afford one.

End of Part Two.

Disclaimer: The names that feature in this story are fictitious. They were made up to protect the identity and privacy of those involved.

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