“I need you to come back immediately,” my boss shouted over the phone.
Did she change her mind? What could have made her change her mind? I pondered over the question before steeling myself to leave.
Image generated using AI
Battling with my job and writing exams was my ordeal, though my boss permitted me to take a week exam, but that Saturday she was bent on not letting me go for my exams.
It was the last day and the day to retrieve my tools used during the course of the practical.
“If you step out, kiss your salary goodbye. Forget about this month and last month, and you just stacked yourself.” I stood with devastation, staring at my boss, who crossed her legs without any care in the world.
“Please, ma, consider.” I tried to explain showing her my exam timetable, but she didn't even bother to spare a glance at it.
I stood considering my options; should I really abandon my tools or sack myself? It was difficult, but then I have come a long way. I can't abandon my future for peanuts; considering it was a private organization, there wasn't any guarantee.
I could easily be replaced any time.I went for my exams with the thought of leaving the job in mind. I didn't care anymore. I went straight to my friend to pay her a visit since it's been long since I saw her.
That was where I was when I got the call. With so much excitement, I got up with just one thought: my colleague must have convinced her about me. I told my friend I was leaving, though tired, and I headed back to the office.
I stopped some meters away and tracked a bit. I saw a uniformed man standing at the extreme end of the compound where the tank was.
I could have gone home; I could have turned off my phone whenever her calls came in; I should have left, yet I slowly walked into the lion's den.
I had nothing in mind; I thought it was one of the customers who had come to purchase gas.The gate was slightly closed, and it seems work was stopped abruptly.
I went straight to the pump to find out what the problem was. There was my boss explaining to one of our reputable customers it wasn't just a single uniform anymore. There were about three more uniformed men.
Two stood where tall orange cylinders were as they listened attentively to my boss, nodding their head occasionally.
My brows furrowed, trying to make sense of the situation, my heart beating so fast, and my body screamed for me to flee, but yet I was still deep-rooted, trying to make out what the situation was. I saw the driver standing close to one of the cylinders, his hand akimbo and his leg crossed.I slowly moved close to him, hoping my presence wouldn't be noticed.
My boss's voice was on the edge as she kept explaining, and her eyes blazed with fury.
“What is going on?” I whispered to James, who turned to me.
“Daniel was caught stealing gas,” he said.
“How?” I needed more explanation to know how he was caught.
“He filled an extra 10 kg into these cylinders,” he pointed at the cylinders.
My eyes darted as I counted each one of them in my mind. There were about ten cylinders in total for the side road gas sellers.
A cold chill ran through my body as realization dawned on me. My boss has lured me back.
Daniel the pump attendance was on the run since he was caught, and I was the next target to put the blame on.I didn't know Daniel much, just a colleague and nothing more.
I didn't even put effort into knowing where he lives since we have been working for over 3 months now.
I remained calm like a lamp, my eyes alert for anything, though I was so weak due to the exam stress and needed a good amount of sleep from the sleeplessness I have been having over the week.
“This is my sales rep,” my boss introduced me to the uniformed men.
“You come with us,” one of the Sars ordered, and I followed without fighting it off. I stared at my boss one last time with a broken heart. How could she arrest me knowing the stress I have put up with over the week?
I was drained and confused as tears clouded my eyes. My mind was a pool of thought as my father's voice kept whispering to me.“Resign from that job,” he warned me countless times, but I was stubborn.
I got to the station, and I was asked to write my statement. My hand was shaking, and I didn't even know what to write. I kept asking myself, is this it?
Tears strolled down my cheek uncontrollably. I was trying to make ends meet, yet I got arrested, accused of a crime I didn't even commit.
One of the police officers helped me by directing me on what to write, and I began to pin down. He told me to write what happened that day, and I wrote it down exactly without misplacing my words.
My boss was outside writing hers, but suddenly she walked in and out immediately with one of the police officer.
“You, take your stuff out. You're lucky your boss has saved you."
My bag was returned to me, and I was taken outside. I saw my boss in the hallway, and everything I felt was hatred for her, though I didn't sleep in the cell. It was the end of the road for the both of us.
Private organizations are mostly cruel to their employees, that's the reason for some employees ripping them off.
It's a good thing you chose your exams over that horrible place.
Yeah, a terrible place to work.