STORY "IT IS OURS.......

AUTHOR-ROOSEVELT BENARD

To balance workers in an organization at times bosses tend to give other departmental heads the priority to bring in their relatives and friends to fill in positions whenever a vacancy comes up.

When this happens, we see hatred, competition and tribal fights involved.

Now I remember being so fresh from high school and faced with the challenge of hustling for a job. So after the long desperate search I luckily get this family friend with the good news.

"Young man!Prepare your CV for tomorrow and make sure you look smart for an interview."

The truth is with only an O level certificate and with just a year out, this was the best opportunity for a young man and luck couldn't be better.

Early morning I prepared myself for my first day and with a tie from my dad's wardrobe and black shoes I excitedly picked my envelope with one page description of how I was a barber, a mtumbaclothes seller and a good Christian whose hobbies included swimming, playing rugby and fishing. Well I lied just to look classy, didn't know my surprise job was waiting immediately after my interview.

Now my interview didn't take long because my host was confident so he knocked on the director’s office door and he signaled us inside. My host who was the sales manager in the company started by briefing the director on his last days report and finally he said pointing at me;

"As per our discussion yesterday, this is the boy I brought you Sir!"

So the director looked at me and said “hallo! what's your name young man? You look very smart in that tie!”

I said all my four names without blinking and of course I had gained confidence because my host, the sales manager, was here too.

So with a satisfactory nod the director who was Indian muhindisaid;

"OK bwana manager go handle your sales let's hand him over to the factory foreman to fix him somewhere in the production department".

Thanks God I had seen the light and this was my best opportunity. So we head together with the foreman to the factory, and he says this is pipe producer one this is two both are for electric conduit pipes then that's three and four you simply change the nozzles and it produces big waste pipes and irrigation pipes. Now we have a plan to bring in a new machine for bigger pipes and it will be planted here. He said here while pointing down on the hard concrete floor that looked like tarmac road.

We therefore need a tunnel dug along this line from here to here.

I was learning fast and quickly as I bounced inside the factory getting orientation for my new job. Then he stopped and asked;

 "Who brought you? What is your name? Which tribe are you? "

I gave him quick answers as I adjusted my neck tie...”I was brought here by the sales manager and yes I am from his tribe too".

He changed from the initial gentle man and said "that's good my friend, rush there to stores and get a chisel and a round hammer. Make sure the tunnel for the new machine is dug by you on that floor. Make sure you dig it as deep as possible."

I felt tears rolling down my eyes I asked him if I could change my clothes and get a dust coat at least but he said no we have no dust coats today.

I removed my neck tie, rolled up my white shirt sleeves and sat down on the floor and started digging.

My first job full of hopes was now gone.

I had to kill my spirit, dig deep, bruise my tender palms to get a few shillings which was the minimum daily wage and paid in the evening.

Ruined by tribe and hated for being different. I later learned it would only change if IT IS OURS.

…………………………………………………………….THE END………………………………