"I woke up that morning in a very high spirit. I was feeling good. There was this spring to my step, but I didn't know why. You know one of those days when you wake up feeling like you don't have a care in the whole world, like nothing else matters? Exactly, it was one of those days. I just wanted to be happy, I just had to be happy! Enough of all these ups and downs of life!
I took a shower, had a healthy breakfast, and got ready for work.
'Today's gonna be a great day!' I said to myself.
I got to the office, and found an envelope on my desk, accompanied by a message from the clerk that I should see the manager asap.
I knew it! A promotion was underway!
So did I get promoted?
You wish!
It wasn't a promotion. The envelop contained a sack letter. I was laid off for virtually no reason.
I didn't quite understand. I never defaulted on any of the company's policies, I was a model employee...
Well, tell that to the crows! These employers don't give a single damn about you.
And thus, my great day turned out to be not-so-great after all.
I walked out of the company premises, dejected, like a man who just lost his dream job. You bet I just did; just like that!
I walked onto the next available bus. I sat down, oblivious of the things happening around me. It almost felt like I've lost everything. It took me almost two years after graduation to get this job, and now that I've lost it, I didn't know how long it'll take to get another.
Jobs were scarce in this city.
My train of thoughts were interrupted by the raised voices of the driver and a young lady. She wasn't forthcoming with her fare and the driver wasn't gonna take that.
'I'm telling you sir, I had my money in my purse, but I just can't find my purse anymore' she said almost close to tears.
The driver wasn't moved. He was used to seeing all kinds of characters, wonderful actors, practiced pretenders who'll do anything to avoid paying for their fares.
Not today!
Personally, I knew the lady was neither acting nor pretending. She was too classy for that. This is Lagos and anything is possible! Someone must have swiped her purse while she wasn't looking. I've been a victim myself, so I knew what it felt like. She didn't even have a phone on her.
I walked up to the driver and asked:
'How much is her fare?'
Even though I just lost my job, I wasn't broke yet and I wasn't the man to turn a blind eye to a helpless person, that wasn't me.
I ended up paying her fare and mine. The gratitude on her beautiful face lifted my dejected spirit. She wrote down my number and promised to call. I wasn't expecting her to. Girls can be like that you know...
But she did call. And that was the beginning of a new phase of my life.
It turned out she was the human resource manager in her company. She had attended a meeting that fateful day and her car broke down on her way back. The mechanic told her that it wasn't something that could be fixed in a jiffy, so she had to take the bus in order to meet up with other activities.
That was how she ended up in the same bus with me and she could have been very stranded if not for my timely intervention.
After hearing the details of how I was laid off in my former company, she offered me a position in the company she was working for.
And that was how my day went from great, to not-so-great and back to very very great;
for on that fateful day, I didn't just find a better job, I also found the love of my life!"
Vera looked at me with a beautiful smile on her small, bright, innocent face.
"So that was how you met mum" she asked in her tiny voice.
"Yes my darling" I replied.
"You know, sometimes life takes a surprising twist and it is not all that bad, you just have to take everything as they come..."
END
This is my entry to Shary's Writing Prompt Contest #4
I hope you enjoyed reading.
Still needs, #mapens