The New Teller

It was a rainy Monday morning, and the cold breeze meant I'd keep sleeping until it stopped raining. I had nothing to do, nowhere to go, and no job.

*phone rings*

"Hello?" I answered.

The caller said angrily over the phone, "Good morning, Mr. John Solomon. Aren't you supposed to be at work today?"

"Good morning, what work?

"Please where are you calling from?" I asked.

"We sent a message via your email last week Friday.

"Go to that message and read through. You have an hour to get here." The call dropped.

I stood up from my bed and sat down on the chair, close to my reading table. It was a one-room apartment.

Still pondering over the call and what the caller said. It was a woman who called. I checked my Google mail, but it wasn't loading.

I muttered, "Ahh, and I no get data sef.

"But what work was she talking about? I haven't been working for almost 5 months now."

I opened my bank app, to subscribe, and found I had just 500 Naira there. I went to my trouser, hanging on to the door of my wardrobe, to check for money in them, and saw 1000 Naira.

With a smirk on my face, I hurriedly opened the door, only to be greeted by heavy rain pouring, on my body.

"Rain." I went back inside.

It was 8:20 am, 20 minutes since I received the call, and I had not figured out what the call was about, and no data to check my mail. I walked to my calendar hanging on the wall, close to the television, to check the date of Friday, and it was on the 26th.

I tried to borrow data, but I already owed 2000 Naira. I sighed and went back to bed. By that time it had stopped raining.

About 3 minutes later, I received a text message from MTN, I was gifted 20MB. I hurriedly opened my Google mail and saw lots of irrelevant messages from websites I registered things on. I kept scrolling and repeating the words, "Friday, 26th of February."

There it was, there was only one message on the 26th, I tapped on it, to see the contents of the message, and my jaw dropped. It was an appointment letter from Lexious Bank PLC. It was about 2 weeks since the interview, I got the job.

The time was about 8:45 am, and I wasn't ready. I hurriedly had my bath and ran out of the house.

Took a bike, stopped at the Next Cash and Carry junction, crossed the road and entered a taxi. The time was 8:55 am, I was late.

"Oga, good morning.

"How much to Lexious Bank for the Banex area?"

"700 Naira, sir," the taxi driver replied.

"Abi nah because I wear suit and tie you dey call price for me? I for just enter along if no be say I dey late.

"You no carry me 500?"

"How much be fuel wey I wan carry you that amount from here?"

It was getting so late, 8:57 am. I entered the car and mumbled to myself. "700, from Next to Banex, nah wah."

I arrived at Lexious Bank, Wuse 2, opposite Banex plaza. It was 9:06 am.

As soon as I got to the bank gate, the security personnel did not allow me to enter because I wasn't wearing my face mask.

Letting out a sigh of disbelief, not because I was stopped, but because I forgot to come along with a face mask.

A familiar voice called, "John Solomon."

The voice sounded exactly similar to the person who called me earlier at home.

I looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman standing at the entrance of the bank building.

Standing there was a beauty, with a fine navy blue suit, that looked like it was handmade, particularly sown for her. A pair of arched eyebrows, looking down on sweeping lashes. She had a fair complexion and wore nice well-made cognac-coloured high heels.

She said, "You are late."

"It must be the woman that called me this morning," I thought.

I looked at my wristwatch to check the time after that.

I asked one of the security personnel who the woman was, and he said she was the bank branch manager.

My eyes lit up, as I hurried to meet her.

"Good morning, ma."

"Keep your greetings.

"You were supposed to be here before 8:00 am. I called you, and gave you an extra hour. What's your time now?"

"It's nine—"

"It is past 9 am," she interrupted. "15 minutes gone. Follow me inside."

She pressed the button on the door, it slid open, and we entered. Taking the staircase, by her right, she led me to her office.

"Sit down. Why are you late?"

I replied, "I had no idea I got the job, ma."

"Even if I knew about it, there was heavy rain this morning," I said inwardly.

"Don't you receive emails?"

"I do, but I wasn't having any data."

"You were not having data, or you couldn't afford it?" she shuffled files on her table, "anyway, it's time to work."

She took her office telephone and dialled a number. "Rachel, come to my office."

There was a gentle knock on the door, the doorknob was turned, and the door was open. Rachel stood before her, waiting for the order to be given on why she was called.

I turned my gaze at her immediately after she spoke. Her words were so eloquent and calm, her diction and phonetics as one who spent most of her life outside the country. She was a well-dressed beauty, her hair rolled at the back like a doughnut.

She looked 5.5 feet in height, I could tell because I was 5.8 feet tall. I was looking for words to describe her beauty in my head until the bank manager interrupted the process.

"Rachel, take John to where he'd start."

"Okay ma," replied Rachel.

Rachel and I headed out, we had a friendly conversation as we walked down the stairs. I took the opportunity to compliment her on her beauty and the way she speaks.

My first job was as a bank teller, it was a bit hectic because it was my first time working after a couple of months and I had forgotten most things.

After the close of work, the bank manager offered me a ride, and I couldn't reject the offer because I wasn't having enough money to transport myself.

"I was late and was still allowed to work, now a free ride." I entered the car. "I think I'm going to enjoy my time here."

The bank manager's car was a Lexus RX 350, 2020 model. I was impressed because of the car she drove and her class.

She smiled and said, "yes, you'll enjoy your stay."

I became mute because I didn't expect she'd hear me.