It was six-thirty on a Friday morning.

In the comfort of his simple bedroom, a stirring Clarence sat up, awoken by his alarm.

His chest heaving with a big sigh, he rubbed his eyes, then slowly murmured to himself, “Chale, another day.”

Barely a nanosecond after those words left his mouth did the events of yesterday spring to mind. And in no time flat, his cranium was buzzing with anticipation.

That first statement was wrong. This Friday wasn’t just another Friday of fruitless job searching. For this Friday, he had an interview.

At Prosperity MicroCredit.

After the party on Wednesday, he had wasted no time in contacting Rakim the next day, and the two had had quite a lengthy conversation. Judging by the tone and general warmth of it all, it was obvious Rakim was genuinely interested in Clarence’s background and skills, offering him an interview on the spot for the next day.

Quite the glimmer of opportunity in what had felt like a sea of rejection. He had been hoping for some leads or something, but an interview so quickly was unexpected but highly appreciated.

Chale, thank God Didayy forced my anti-social ass outta the house, he thought to himself as he pushed himself up and headed for the bathroom. Who would have thought they would have crossed paths that way? Deladem had admitted he had planned the whole thing, but had no idea Rakim was an old student of St. Augustine’s. So this had panned out even better than he had even imagined.

Thank goodness! Hopefully, this was the end of this hell of joblessness.

***

Nine-thirty, and Clarence stood before the mirror, nodding in satisfaction at his appearance.

White shirt, blue tie, cufflinks, neat black trousers and nicely-polished black shoes. He was more than ready for this interview, appearance-wise.

He then pulled out his phone and opened up WhatsApp, heading straight for the friends’ group chat.

I’m going for the interview now. Wish me luck!

Hitting the send button, he grinned as the message dropped on the group chat. He had excitedly informed the group about the interview right after he ended the call with Rakim, and of course, everyone was delighted for him.

A minute later, and his phone buzzed multiple times.

The squad had all responded. Funny how they seemed to all be near their phones at the same time.

He picked it up.

Delasi: Awesome! All the best, Ganyobi! May the Lord show you favour

Nana Asor: All the best! You’ve got this!

Bruce: Vim! It is well kraaa

Deladem: Chale, all the best! You go make am!

Becky: Go kill it, Clay!

Clarence smiled and nodded. No less than he expected from the squad.

He then switched to the call log. Time to speak to that cute human being. Of course, she had also been informed about the new window of opportunity that had opened, and she was equally as excited, asking him to call her before he set off so she’d pray for him.

She picked up after the first ring. “Hi, Nii Ayi!”

“Naa Torshie! You good?”

“Yeah, I’m good. You’re ready?”

“Ready to move kraaa, chale.”

“Awesome! Okay, let’s pray, then… Father, in the mighty name of Jesus, we thank You for this day. We thank You for Your love and Your evergreen mercies. Lord, it’s by Your grace alone that we live and move and have our being, and we are ever grateful to You. Father, I commit Clarence Nii Ayi Addy into Your hands. As he goes for this interview, we stand in agreement and declare that victory is his portion in the name of Jesus! We stand in agreement and declare that Your favour is going before him in the name of Jesus! We declare that… this job is his, that this job is what You have strategically kept for him. We thank You, for we know that You have done this. This is Your doing, and it is marvellous in our sight. We bless Your name and give you glory, in the precious name of Jesus. Amen!”

“Amen! Thanks, cutie.”

“Hihihihihi, you’re welcome, Clay. All the best, okay? God’s got you!”

“Amen to that!”

***

Arriving at Prosperity MicroCredit’s office, Clarence took a moment to collect himself, taking a deep breath and adjusting his tie as he observed the flashy building before him.

He had entered so many buildings like this over the last couple of months, hoping against hope that he would pass the interview. Sadly, they had all gone the way of the ancestors, for a myriad of reasons; from the panel being unimpressed by something of his, to him just losing out to another candidate. It had been one hell of a frustrating journey, that was for sure.

But with this… there was a strong belief that it would go well. Everything about this just seemed right, and there was a buzzing excitement in his chest. This definitely had to be it.

He quickly did the sign of the cross before stepping inside. The receptionist greeted him with a warm smile, directing him to the waiting area. As he took a seat, his heart pounded with anticipation as he mentally prepared, forming answers to possible questions in his head.

About twenty minutes later, the door facing him opened, and a young woman appeared, her expression friendly yet professional.

“Mr. Clarence Addy?” she asked, gesturing for him to follow her.

With a deep breath, Clarence nodded, then rose to his feet, ready to face whatever lay beyond that door.

The time has come, he whispered to himself as he prepared to step into the office of the CEO, that flicker of hope burning brightly within him. The time was due, and he could only hope for the best.

As Clarence entered the office, he found himself facing the imposing figure of Rakim Yorda and the Human Resource Manager, a poised woman with an air of professionalism. Seated behind a polished mahogany desk, their expressions seemed slightly unreadable as they regarded him.

They were probably maintaining a level of professionalism. This was no place for jokes, after all.

“Good morning,” Clarence greeted the two, his voice a bit shaky, but mainly confident.

“Good morning, Mr. Clarence,” Rakim said, his voice smooth and commanding. “Please, have a seat.”

Clarence nodded, suddenly feeling the weight of the moment settle upon him as he lowered himself into the chair opposite them. He adjusted his tie slightly, trying to project an air of confidence despite the butterflies fluttering in his stomach.

Yeah, the tension of interviews never grew old, no matter how confident you were.

The HR Manager, her nameplate identifying her as Ms. Adardey, spoke first. “Thank you for coming in today, Mr. Addy. We’ve had a chance to review your CV, but we’d like to hear more about your experiences and qualifications directly from you.”

Clarence nodded, swallowing hard as he prepared to answer their questions to the best of his ability.

Over the next few minutes, Rakim and Ms. Adardey peppered Clarence with inquiries about his previous work experiences, his educational background, and his skills relevant to the position.

Despite his nerves, Clarence managed to respond thoughtfully and articulately, drawing upon his past experiences and demonstrating his knowledge of the industry he was in. All that mental preparation before he was called in definitely helped; he could feel the confidence growing as he spoke on and on, with Rakim and Ms. Adardey looking more and more impressed as the interview went on.

About an hour gone, and as Clarence completed a question about his personal five-year plan, Rakim glanced at Ms. Adardey, nodded and leaned back in his chair, studying Clarence intently.

It was clear from his disposition that the interview was finally over.

Clarence glanced briefly at the clock, and his eyes grew wide for a moment. Ei, one hour is gone already! Chale, that was fast…

“Thank you, Mr. Addy. We appreciate your candor and the time you’ve taken to speak with us. You’ll be hearing from us by the end of Monday,” Rakim commented.

Ms. Adardey glanced at her boss, then nodded at Clarence. “Thank you, Mr. Addy. You may take your leave now. We’ll be in touch.”

Clarence nodded, grateful for how the interview had panned out. That went pretty smooth. The nervousness had worn off with time, and he was more than pleased with his answers. “Thank you very much for your time,” he gratefully responded, rising to his feet.

As Clarence stepped out of the office, his heart still racing from the interview, he took out his phone, ready to give his people the news while he stepped out. Now to wait until Monday and keep praying that the answer is a good one…

“Mr. Addy!”

Clarence froze at the entrance of the company, caught off guard by a sudden call from behind him. Turning back, he saw the receptionist standing at her desk. She waved at him and pointed towards Rakim’s office.

Clarence stepped back, and saw the big man of the company standing in the doorway of his office, his expression unreadable.

“Mr. Clarence,” Rakim called out, beckoning him back into the office. “Please come back for a moment.”

Suddenly, Clarence’s heart skipped a beat as he hurried back inside, his mind racing with a thousand possibilities.

What was wrong? Had he forgotten something? Was there another question they needed to ask? Had they discovered something they were dissatisfied with?

Lord, please don’t let anything go wrong, he internally prayed as he reentered the office. Everything was going so beautifully, surely there was no heartless plot twist at the end. It would definitely break him if there was.

As he took his seat again, Rakim, who was seated, fixed him with a steady gaze. “So, Mr. Clarence, I forgot this, but… I have another question for you. A very important question. This is a very critical question, so please… be very careful how you answer this. You understand?”

Clarence nodded, his heart beating fast. He had no idea what this question could be, but… he could only hope he would answer it the way Rakim wanted. It would certainly spell the difference between finally getting employed and continuing the awful spell of joblessness.

“Good. Okay, so… my question is…”

Clarence remained still in anticipation.

“When can you start work?”

Clarence blinked in surprise, his confusion evident. “St-st-start work?” he stammered.

Rakim nodded, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips as he smirked at Ms. Adardey. “Yes, start work. We were just pulling your legs with the ‘being in touch’ thing. Please, we’ve already made our decision, and we’d like to offer you the position.”

A surge of joy flooded through Clarence, washing away his confusion and leaving behind nothing but elation. “You… you mean… I got the job?”

Ms. Adardey’s smile widened. “Yes, Mr. Clarence, you got the job. Congratulations.”

Clarence could hardly believe his ears. How in the world was this happening so fast? In a matter of days, his situation had changed so quickly! From wondering if he’d ever get a job on Monday evening, to getting a job that Friday! This was a dream come true—a ray of light breaking through the clouds of uncertainty that had hung over him for so long.

A delighted grin stretching from ear to ear, he extended his hand to Rakim. “Thank you so much, Mr. Yorda! Thank you! I’m so grateful, truly grateful.”

Rakim shook his hand firmly. “The pleasure is ours, Clarence. This one, ibi God wey come drop you for my lap inside, sharp. Apsunian wey you get all the qualifications and skills? Haba! Why I no go hire you? Chale, welcome to Prosperity! I know you’ll be a valuable addition to our team. No doubt.”

***

Stepping out of the office, Clarence had to fight hard to not shed any tears.

This was just mind-boggling. Absolutely mind-boggling.

I can’t believe it! Finally! This nightmare is over, he thought to himself, shaking his head as he walked to the roadside and waited for a taxi. Oh, God, thank You! Finally! Finally! No more waking up and wondering what I’m going to do with my life. No more having to depend on Papa and my people. I now have a job! I now have a job! Yessss!

The excitement bursting through, he began hopping slightly, trying to contain himself before he attracted stares from people around. He then reached into his pocket and took out his phone, and opened the group chat.

“Guys! The interview is over!” he began excitedly, recording a voice note. “So they said they’d get back to me on Monday, and so I was happy, thinking at least, I can prepare myself and all that. There norr, the Rakim guy called me back, saying he had another question to ask me. A very important question. Guess what it was? He asked when I can start work! Guys, I got the job! I’ve got the job! The storm is over! I’ve finally gotten a job!”

*

“Wooooohoooooo!” Nana Asor cheered, jumping up from the dining table and punching her fists in the air in celebration as Clarence’s voice note came to an end. “Finally ooo! God, thank You oooo! Ohhh, thank You! Clay suffer taya! Now he’s got a job! Thank You!”

*

Bruce immediately put his hands up in the air in celebratory mode as he sat before his computer screen. “Ahhhhh! Oluwa don do am give our boy! Perfect!”

*

“Yes! Yesss! Yessssss!” Becky cheered exuberantly, hopping in her seat, with a bottle of sobolo by her side. “Oh, this is awesome! Thank goodness! The nightmare is over!”

*

Deladem rose from his seat, looking like a footballer who had just scored the winning penalty at a World Cup final. He jumped into the air and threw a celebratory fist pump before landing with a loud “Whoooooo!”

His colleagues, already puzzled by his sudden rising from his seat, were even more taken aback by his loud shout.

“Ei, Didayy? I dey beg, everything cool for the top there?” Kudzo asked curiously.

Deladem glanced in his colleague’s direction and simply smirked. “Chale! If you know the good news my guy bi just deliver, eh…”

*

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

An excited scream escaped Delasi’s lips once the voice note came to an end. She put her hands up in the air and gushed excitedly, “See what the Lord has done ooooo, see what the Lord has done!”

Jumping around the living room in delight, she watched as her phone screen lit up with messages from the others on the group chat. Everyone was over the moon with this news, and rightly so. They had been there through every frustrated announcement of losing out on one job or the other, and the levels of despair that deepened with each passing month.

Now, it was over! Now he could get back to the employed life!

Still hyped up, Delasi switched to the status tab, ready to write out a joyful message when she noticed something.

Irene had just updated her status.

Delasi smirked, then opened it up. She knew it had to do with the good news.

😍😍 See what the Lord has done

Can you see what the Lord has done

What we waited so long for, has come to pass

See what the Lord has done😍😍🔥🔥

Delasi snickered. Just as she had expected. “This girl, eh,” she guffawed to herself. “What we’ve waited so long for. Saaa? Okay ooo.”

She took a screenshot of the status and quickly moved to her chat with Deladem, sending it with a caption.

See what Clarence’s geh is saying on her status 😂

Minutes later, a response came.

Hw3! Waited so long for? Ei, the power of love!

Delasi laughed out loud.

Another message came from Deladem.

U know what? This calls for a lil celebration at CC. Lemme mention it on the page. And as for Clay, eh, let’s give our man a little surprise…

Finally! Aren’t you relieved for Clarence? Wasn’t expecting him to get the job that quick! Well, I wonder what they have in store for him…