The Man Lied

[3min read]

A man lied? Shocking!!!

It is the first day of my new job, my first occupation. It’s also Monday. I’d stayed up late last night carefully picking what I would wear, I had to make a good impression. After I'd ironed my chiffon shirt and my favourite black pencil skirt, it was time to select a shoe.
I stared at three pairs of flats I’ve had since my 100l. They are really good shoes. Mama has eyes for quality. But I decided to look past them to a new pair I’d gotten barely two months ago and hadn’t worn once. "The Chosen".

“New shoes for a new job” I said.

Killing these kicks

It’s 9:40 a.m and I’m all smiles. I’ve been here since 8 am. I have no job description yet, my new shoes are killing my feet, but I don’t care. There is an albino male sitting beside me, two other men are opposite, sharing a table.

We are all here for the first time. We are making conversation without the albino, who decides the office is the best place to call his mama and explain why  Chima is an unserious suitor for Amaka.
The nice lady that had received my Curriculum Vitae seven months ago during the job fair in my school comes in and asks me to walk with her.

The grace of God is the only reason I do not fall on my face when I stand to follow the lady. My feet have gone numb because they lacked breathing space in my footwear. Little wonder they stopped hurting for a while.

The act of walking seems unnatural at this point. I punch my thighs and stomp severally in a bid to wake my feet. I start to feel pain again, this time it is double of what it was before the numbness assuaged it. I try to flex my toes under each cover to confirm I still have toes. They are there, really sore, but they’re there.

With that confirmation, I lift my head to commence my graceful strides and realise I am being watched. Even the albino was done with his call. I flash a foolish grin and say
“the shoe is yet to expand to my actual size, I’m fine”. Now carry on.

Twenty seven minutes past 10 a.m, I am walking alone to the office of my new supervisor. I, mentally, check on my toes again. They are less sore and the shoes are actually less tight.
The thing is, when the man in the market said it was going to expand, I believed him, but didn’t expect it would happen in less than three hours.

Hallelujah! I over flex my toes.
“Now you can breathe” I sense cool breeze touching my toes. Comfort at last.

Hold up! I’m wearing cover shoes. No! No! No! I shouldn't be feeling this breeze.
I look down to my feet. I’m no longer wearing cover shoes. It looks like I’m being laughed at and my nails are doing a great job playing teeth.
My vision is blurred.

I reminisce the day I bought these flats.
"Oga, this thing is too tight"
"Fine girl take it, e go expand", he said.
"Na quality leather be this" he assured me.

He lied.

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