My first day at work

After 2 months of actively looking for work, I had an unforgettable Friday and Monday.

I was interviewed by a company a few days earlier, and I was waiting for the feedback on this particular Friday. On this same Friday, I had an interview with a ‘Big’ company (multinational). On this same Friday, a contract I had been waiting 6 months for came through.

Talk about being blessed. I really was. While I was still rejoicing, the call came in from the first company offering me the job. I even got my first salary increase on that same Friday from a company I was yet to start working for.

But the Monday showed a different side of the story.

I accepted the job offer on the Friday and out of excitement I promised I would start on Monday.  I forgot that I’d run out of cash. I am not talking about cash in hand; I meant cash anywhere (I was very broke)

So on Sunday night, I did like the old times. I took out all my trousers and started ransacking the pockets hoping that I’d find some cash in them.

After going through a few, I found nothing. It became a frantic exercise, and eventually I found just enough money to take me to work the next day.

Like every first day at work, I was anxious about how it would go, but I needed to get their first.

At the back of my mind, protecting my money was the most important thing to do that morning. I had just enough money to get me to work.

Shortly after leaving home, it began to rain and by the time I was halfway into the journey I’d spent all my money.

Lagos, on a rainy Monday morning can be very chaotic, but getting stranded in that chaos in the rain with no cash and in a fine suit was even worse.

I called around to find someone who could transfer money into my account, and thankfully I did. The first amount transferred was ‘swallowed’ by the bank (apparently there was a minimum balance requirement).

After another trial, I had money, but I needed to withdraw it from an ATM. In the rain, I tried the first, second, and third ATMs I could find with no luck. Eventually I found one that worked. Holding cash in my hand again felt like a miracle.

I didn’t want to give a bad impression on my first day at work, so I looked for the fastest way to get to work under the circumstances, and I took the plunge, a bike.

I gave the address, and the bike man went racing so I can make the 9am resumption time. At exactly 9am I was looking at the office gate, I hopped off the bike walked quickly over to the gate and presented myself as the new employee reporting for work.

Only to find out that I was at the wrong office!

At that point, the remaining energy in me seemed to disappear. This is the wrong office? I asked. Yes they replied.

There was no miracle to perform anymore. I am going to report late on my first day at work. The extra cash I thought I had will run out by the time I eventually get to work.  I was wearing a fine suit when I left home, now it is a rain soaked, mud water stained suit.

So I got on another bike, and headed for the right office. I was trying my best to look calm and unruffled, but I was very ruffled.

When I got to the right office, the miracle still happened. I was the first to get there (every other person had been stranded in traffic), I had enough time to clean up, and by the time other people turned up for work, I was looking almost like the way I left home.

Many times when we think we are at the end of the road, or about to give up or lose hope, remember this:

1.)    You are about to breakthrough – Choose to still go forward

2.)    If truly you are at the end of the road, there is a road still there; the one you came from. Follow it back.

3.)    The only time you fail is when you give up. So don’t give up.

Thanks for reading, I really hope you got some laugh, got inspired, and will continue to share this story or your own stories to inspire others.