Now let’s meet these six friends and see what’s up with them…

The alarm on the Redmi Note 9 went off.

It was 5 a.m. in the still, spacious bedroom of the Aforos.

Rolling over to turn it off, Bruce sighed as he silenced the phone. He shook his head.

Oh boy. Another Monday morning.

Oh, how he dreaded this time of the week!

As usual, the weekend had rushed by so quickly, and now that a new day and a new working week had arrived, the usual worries and anxiety that plagued him throughout the week had returned with a vengeance.

A young man in his early thirties, Bruce Aforo worked with Sandfeld Ghana, an insurance company, as an assistant finance officer. It was an okay job that paid him just about enough to put food on the table, but the problem was not related to finances, but the head personnel.

The CEO of the company, a middle-aged Spanish man by the name Lorenzo Martinique, had set his sights on Bruce in the past couple of months, tormenting the poor guy at every opportunity. It was like anything that went wrong in the office was Bruce’s fault, and Lorenzo would not hesitate to put him on roast, whether in private or in the presence of everyone else. Even if his immediate bosses didn’t have a problem with his work, Lorenzo would somehow find an issue and let him have it.

And Bruce was sick of it.

He sat up, crossed his arms and sighed.

His movement awoke the one next to him. His wife, Nana Asor. She looked up at him and saw the morose expression on his face.

“Baby?” she called softly.

He looked at her, sighed, and shook his head. “It’s Monday.”

“Awwww,” Nana Asor cooed, sitting up to put her arms around him. She knew exactly what was wrong.

Bruce sighed again as tears formed in his eyes. “I’m tired, babe, I’m tired. What at all have I done to this man? Eh? What have I done that every working day, I have to worry like this? Why? Life is hard enough as it is. Why do I have to go through this?”

He shook his head as the formed tears began to run down, the frustration in his heart clear and palpable in that moment. The daily hustle was already stressful on its own, but the actions of this boss of his made it worse.

“Baby, it’s alright, it’s alright,” Nana Asor consoled, cradling her husband’s tear-stained face on her shoulder while he sniffed. “Sssshhh. It’s okay. Bruce, I dunno why this is happening to you, and God knows I’d do anything to make things less stressful for you if I could. But it’s okay, honey. It’s okay. We’ll find a way out of this. It’s okay, I’m here for you.”

***

6:45 am, and Bruce was dressed up and ready to head for the office. In spite of his earlier breakdown, he knew he couldn’t do much but suck it up after a few moments and get ready for work.

“Asor, I’m ready!” he called out, standing in the living room, clad in his white shirt and black suit and black shoes.

Nana Asor stepped out of the kitchen, still in her shower cap, orange blouse and cute denim shorts. “Okayyy Bruce! Hold up and lemme pray for you before you move.”

She moved quickly to him, took his hands in hers, and she gently added, “Let’s kneel down.”

As they both did so and closed their eyes, she began.

“Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for a new day. We thank you for your grace and mercy that never runs out on us. Lord, I commit my husband into Your hands. Lord, You know what he’s going through, You know the stress and the anxiety in him because of this harassment at work. Lord I pray in the name of Jesus that as we work towards getting somewhere new, fill Bruce with joy, fill his burdened heart with peace that surpasses all understanding. Father, strengthen him and grant him grace to move through the day. Let him be comforted in the fact that you uphold him with Your right hand, and that You will never leave him nor forsake him.

“And Father, I pray that while You strengthen him, You will open the door for a job that brings peace. A job that pays well. A job that… that adds no sorrow to his soul. Lord, we believe in You, and we trust that indeed, You will turn things around for Bruce. And we thank You, in Jesus name I pray, amen!”

“Amen!” Bruce responded slowly, rising to his feet as he helped Nana Asor up. He took in a deep breath, then exhaled. “Thank you, Asor. I really needed that.”

“You’re welcome, baby,” Nana Asor responded, wrapping her arms around his waist. “You know I’ll do anything to make you as happy as can be.”

Bruce smiled, then kissed her on the forehead. “That’s why I can love no other woman but you, Asor. No one else. No other woman could make me as happy as you do.”

For a moment, the Aforo couple gazed lovingly at each other, still locked in their embrace.

They had known each other, along with the rest of their squad, since their junior secondary school days, but the concept of dating each other never popped up until university. It was only in his second year that Bruce realized that the girl he always trolled for having a big forehead and the cutest diastema was the most beautiful girl in the world, and he went hard after her.

She initially thought it couldn’t be possible to be with him, as she saw him as just a ‘brother’. With time, though, as Bruce pursued her passionately, her heart realized the ‘brother zone’ was the wrong zone for Bruce to be in; he eventually became the man she just couldn’t imagine living life without. Two years of marriage later, and they couldn’t be happier.

“Well, time for you to get moving now,” Nana Asor quipped, patting him on the butt. “Let’s just pray that today is one of those uneventful days at work, okay?”

Bruce nodded as he released her. “Yeah, let’s pray for the best. You’ll be setting up for work soon, right?”

Nana Asor nodded. “Mm-hmm.”

“Okay. Well, gotta get moving now… and oh, you look real cute in them shorts.”

Nana Asor grinned, her perfect diastema in full view as her husband winked at her. “Thanks, Brucie. I’m glad you like it.”

“Oh yeah, and have I told you how much that smile of yours makes me happy?”

“Oh, I know, honey. I know. My smile’s the best smile in the world.”

“Yep. Your ultra-perfect mot…”

“If you like, finish that sentence, and see if you’ll get that evening shower you want!”

Bruce immediately muted himself. No way was he going to forfeit one of his favourite activities with his wife by bringing up that silly ‘motorway’ tease. He grinned and scratched his head sheepishly. “Sorry, babe, I… dunno what got into me.”

Nana Asor shook her head at his mischievous smirk and spanked him on the butt. “Off with you, now. I don’t want you getting late.”

***

Waving her husband goodbye, Nana Asor sighed as Bruce drove off in their VW Jetta. “Lord help us,” she murmured to herself while she locked the gate.

Walking back to the house, she shook her head.

It was bad enough that her dearest husband was dealing with a boss who seemed to have some personal vendetta against him; it only added to the stress upon both of them already caused by one little issue they were facing in their marriage.

The inability to get pregnant.

One of the biggest things Nana Asor had been looking forward to once she and Bruce tied the knot was becoming a mother and raising children with her lover, and their prayer had been that it would happen as soon as possible. Unfortunately, two years in, and despite making full use of her ovulation periods, her period showed up without fail.

Thankfully, neither her nor Bruce’s parents were breathing down their necks for their grandchildren. Whether it was her mother, one of the richest and most successful traders in Makola, or Bruce’s father, a big man in one of the banks, all she got was encouragement and assurances that it would finally happen, and that there was no need to fret or feel pressured. And for that, Nana Asor was grateful.

As she made her way into the house to set up for her remote job, though, the worry remained. She wanted to become a mother. She wanted her darling Bruce to become a daddy. Yet, month after month, the results remained the same. Nothing.

“Lord, help me. Help us,” she murmured, heading for the dining room where her laptop sat, ready to be used for another day of work.

***

Sitting outside the studio, his sight oscillating between his phone screen and the ‘ON AIR’ sign above the door to the studio, Deladem Etse Fugah was busily waiting for 7:15 am to arrive before joining his colleagues for the morning show. As one of the panelists for one of the most popular morning radio shows in the country, he was well-known by many as the light-hearted but passionate guy who spoke on sport and political issues. Affectionately called ‘Didayy’ by all around him, he was the life of the party, and was an absolute joy to be around.

Scrolling through his Twitter feed, a phone call interrupted his little virtual busyness.

It was Bruce.

He immediately answered. “Yo, Bruce. Chale, daybreak.”

“Yeah, Didayy, daybreak.”

“Everything good?”

“Mmmm, chale, how we go do am? It’s all good.”

“Mmm. On your way to work?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, alright. We still dey ground top. Soon enough, something new for drop give you.”

“I really dey pray so, coz chale, I just tire. As to why this man make ein mind sey he go torment me diɛɛ, I still no know. Chale, I really tire.”

Deladem sighed. He had heard this from Bruce so often, and he couldn’t help but wonder what it was that was motivating Bruce’s boss to be such a jerk to him. “I can only imagine, chale. Make we just pray sey he no go disturb you too much this week.”

“That be all, chale. Coz honestly, I still no dey get. Ah, I go fit make Mr. Bortey check report them say make I do, he go give me green light, then before I realize, this man go call me blast me over something tiny bi. He no go complain give Mr. Bortey sef, ibi me naaa he go call then talk talk plenty. Why?”

Deladem shook his head. “Chale, this witchcraft diɛɛ, e no nice. E no nice kraaa. Chale, make we hold on. I go find better link give you. Man no for live like this. Secondary school sef, we no dey move like that.”

“Oh chale! Chalee! Say am again. Grown ass nigga like me, see how I dey move with fear like ibi boarding school I dey. Chale, I beg, do wild give me.”

“Most definitely, bro, most definitely.”

“Thanks, thanks. Abi you dey give sports report in a few minutes?”

“Nahh, ibi Vanessa Lawson e go do for today. Them finish that one before I go go inside.”

“Oh, alright, cool. Chale, I dey move. So make we talk later.”

“Sure, chale. Safe.”

Deladem hung up and sighed.

He was truly dedicated to helping Bruce out with getting a new job, but it wasn’t as straightforward. There weren’t many jobs available on the market, and even those that were available did not offer sufficient pay. And the last thing he wanted was to get his tight paddy a job that would only offer a paycheck barely sufficient to help him throughout the month.

Besides, Bruce wasn’t the only one facing employment issues. In fact, Bruce’s own was the tamer of the two.

Deladem shook his head as he went back to scrolling on his phone.

It wasn’t easy being the only guy in their sextet with a stable job which he was completely satisfied with.

***

“Hmmm! Another week to try and try again!”

A still drowsy Clarence Addy, making his way from the bedroom to the bathroom of his apartment, sighed to himself.

Indeed, another week had come. Meaning there were five more days to try and get something done about this awful state of being termed ‘unemployed’.

It had been almost eight months since the bank he was working with had unfortunately folded up and rendered him jobless. Since then, he had been trying his best to get back into a job.

Sadly, however, the huge pool of unemployed young men and women in town made it pretty hard for him to have any form of success. For every job vacancy he chased after, there were others who were more qualified than him, and more often than not, they got the job. No matter where he went, even though his CV was a solid one, he somehow ended up getting trumped by someone else.

Frustrated would be a mild term to adequately describe how he felt. Had it not been for the benevolence of his friends and a little help from his father, his crisis would have been worse. Getting money to buy food would have been a struggle of its own.

Lazily grabbing his toothbrush and readying it to receive a portion of toothpaste, Clarence looked at himself in the mirror and shook his head.

This was hell. Having no source of income in a difficult economy like this. He was grateful that the squad was looking out for him and doing their best to keep him afloat while he tried to get a job, but it didn’t take away the frustration. Besides, he knew full well that they were doing their best to stay afloat. So he needed his own job.

And he needed it as soon as possible.

God abeg, he internally pleaded as he brushed his teeth. Please, I beg You waaa, help me out. Na this life of depending on people for my daily bread is the pits. The absolute pits. Please, I beg You, help me get a job. I beg You. Please…

Interesting. So Bruce got a bad job, Clarence ain’t got a job at all, and Nana Asor has that sensitive issue to worry about. Everybody’s got something to be concerned about.