I always forget this part of my life, but seeing job seekers offered trash salaries reminds me of it.

Sometime around 2002, few months I finished secondary school. I was lazying about at home, nothing to do , no school in view yet. The financial dire conditions at home was nothing to write about ( story for another day).

I was advised by my neighbor to take up a job, at least it’ll remove my personal upkeep away from my family’s challenges.

I wrote an application letter as a “errand boy”( can’t remember the title again) to a deacon in her church who sells industrial alcohol and other wine making solutions. Her major clients were people who make adulterated wines and drinks.

My salary is agreed 3500, but my major responsibility is to thread Bacchus wine bottle caps ( create the locking groove that makes those cap fit on the bottle) using a manual threader similar to the one in the picture

As a good staff and wanting to prove how disciplined I am. I worked and worked from morning till night threading caps…a whole 50kg sac.

In my small understanding, I thought once I’m done with the sac, I will be free for the rest of the day…

An employers job is to extract every value possible from you in exchange for the paltry salary you get.

I was surprised when after finishing one sac, she gave me another one to continue working on, ignoring the fact that I’m already exhausted.

As a humble disciplined child, I took the new sac and slowly continued with curses under my breath because I felt betrayed.

Day 1 ended and I resumed the next day into the same job, I’m also responsible for answering telephone calls whenever a customer calls, and I’m to relay that information to the other sales girls who pitied my condition.

Day 2 ended on same note, overworked for 3500 .

On the third day my brain caught fire literally🔥..My father gives me 200 naira daily for food before leaving the house to my new workplace. The salary definitely isn’t enough to cater for my feeding which was the major reason for taking the job.

If you don’t know your value, you will exchange gold for the price of a broom stick

I also faced another battle at home then…my step mother in her mercies said since I’ve started working and not running errands for her at home , I’m not entitled to eat in the house anymore.

Like a flash, it became clear that I’ve signed up for slavery and also deprived myself of food at home.

After working for 3 hours on the third day, I told the sales girl I’m tired and need to walk around for a while to cool off since Madam isn’t around at the moment.

While cooling off, I kept walking and never came back, got home in the evening and told my dad, I can’t do the job anymore.

Few weeks after that, I got another opportunity that pays 400 per day where I work only 3 hours collating pool receipts, to crown it all I only work 3 days in a week

That job or position isn’t the last bus stop for your life, life presents options as long as you continue asking.

Don’t expect life to be fair, you have to decide what you want out of it crumbs or buffet … it’s your choice.
This lesson taught me that not everyone smiling at you have your best interest at heart.

You’re the No 1 crusader of your life.

Constantly, evaluate relationships to ascertain if they’re still beneficial or parasitic to your dreams.