The Poor: Unexpected Circumstances

Cape Coast, Ghana

Bang, bang

A woman in her mid-fifties kept banging on a door trying to wake up the person inside " Phoebe I am coming inside now", she stated angrily.

She entered and her angry face quickly changed into a smile as she looked at the person sleeping so quietly like a sleeping beauty, it didn't last long as she turned to look around and saw how messy the place was, her anger resurfaces.

" And here I thought she said she had a meeting today" she whispered to herself as she got closer to the bed, she sighs and pulls her long sleeves up and slowly grabbed the pillow under Phoebe's head and held it up.

boom!!

Straight to her back and yelled, " Get up you sleepy head, you said you have a meeting today”

“Ouch!!, What the…!! , Phoebe stopped mid-way as she realized who was standing in front of her, she quickly positioned herself and yawn. " Maa why did you wake me up so violently I needed the sleep" her mother scowled at her

" Do you know what time it is? Huh, and I was thinking you had a meeting today at 10 am and it's already 8:30 in the morning", she said to her.

Phoebe suddenly got up and screamed " What!!, I am going to be late Maa, why didn't you wake me up earlier, I need to take my shower" She storms into the bathhouse which was outside.

Her mother chuckled, looking at how messy her daughter was, " when you are done, hurry down to join me and your brother for breakfast" she said as she left her daughter's room to their small dining hall.

The house is a two-bedroom apartment with a kitchen, and no bathroom, in a compound house (where multiple households live within a single-building complex).

The rooms were very small, so they had to adjust to many things, including, dividing their hall into two, a dining hall and a resting room. They shared the bathhouse with the others in the building, which explains why Phoebe had to go out to take her bath outside.

Phoebe finished up and got dressed, wearing a long white sleeve shirt, putting on her black trousers and black shoe, taking her woven brown bag, and heading out.

She was stopped by her mother asking her to take a bite before she leaves, she checks her time and shook her head, she got closer and picked a sliced bread from her brother's plate, and runoff.

" Hey, see Mama, she always does that all the time" her brother complains. " Dear do something about your hair'' She yelled at her daughter " And you Joe you better get used to it before you lose your mind" she advised him.

Phoebe POV

I am late, I am supposed to be there before 10 and I got only 30 minutes left, I can't lose this job, no trotro( Public transport in Ghana) for me then.

" Taxi !!, thankfully our house is a few minutes away from the roadside, so it's easier to commute.

"Taxi!!!" I called out and finally one stopped. " Hi please take me to International Graphic Design Institute."

" Yes, ma'am ". The driver answered.

So where was I again, wait I didn't even introduce myself, I am Phoebe Meyers, and the woman you met earlier, well she is my mama, which is obvious, but I had to say something.

so yeah, she is my mama, and for that little foul mouth, he is my half-brother, the same mother but different fathers, my Papa was an English man who visited my country as a tourist and met my mama and you know how it ends, then I came in.

I have never met him, and I guess I'm never going to since he is dead, so I heard.

As for my brother's Papa well, he is alive but just a good for nothing man, so my mama just left him and took us with her and we've been living together since. Nothing much has changed, we don't have much but as long as we are together, everything will be fine.

Right, I am on my way to meet the best boss in the whole wide world, he called me three weeks ago for a job opening which will change both mine and my family's lives for good and so I had to do everything in my power to get the job.

"Ehm, Madam are you talking to me or something," the driver asked.

Oh, I did it again, " No please, just speaking out loud". " We reach O madam". " Alright sir, thank you, and here is your money, keep the change."

I am finally here, standing in front of a three-story building, all glass curved shaped design, so beautiful, I am always amazed whenever I see the building, working with them is amazing even though I am on probation but finally, I will be a permanent worker soon, I am so excited, " let's go and met the best boss ever!!"

My boss is a tall black man, he loves to wear blue shirts with a black coat on them and black trousers.

He always gives off that professional look, "no personal business at work" his motto which is posted on his door. I saw him on the second floor, and I quickly ran toward him.

" Hello sir, reporting for duty" I saluted and laughed softly. " Oh, Phoebe you're here, I didn't think you will be coming since you didn't reply to my text," he said with a smile.

I was confused so I asked, "What text?", " Wait so you didn't get my text?", he asked in a low tone. " It doesn't matter you can tell me now, Is it something serious?' I said nervously. " Well, the job has been given to someone else Phoebe".

It felt like I was hit by lightning, and my soul was being sucked out of me, I could see my boss's lips moving but I couldn't hear anything, I felt weak in my legs, I heard a snap and shock my head.

"Hey, are you ok? do you want me to get you water? he asked with a guilty look on his face. I didn't want that, so I responded that I was and then asked "Why did I lose the job opening? did I do something wrong or were my deeds not good enough" I stated in a brittle tone.

" No, no, you are an excellent designer, your work is amazing, it's just, well, the person who got the job was one of the investor's sons and he did look competent so we thought he would be a good fit", he explains with the same guilty look.

"Oh, that was it, I got it, Mr. Jackson". I said faking a smile.

I turned to leave but he held my hand and looked at me like he was expecting something from me, I didn't understand so I nodded, indicating that I was ok. " Jesus Christ Phoebe, you didn't get my text.

Mr. Jackson states with his left hand on his forehead and sighs. " I also said, there is a job opening of the same in Singapore and I wanted you to take it on if you still want to, I mean work with us".

Singapore, it's far and I don't know if my mama will be ok with it, I didn't know what to say.. my thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Jackson "You have two days to think about it, so you don't need to answer me right now ok.

Well, I have to go, I have a meeting, but I hope you take the job offer." He said to me as he pats on my shoulder.

I quietly left the building and headed to my friend's house, Ella's parent's house. It is a green and white five-bedroom house with flowers decorated in front of the house, it was beautiful.

I was very shocked back then when she approached me in high school and asked me to be her friend, she was rich, and I was just a poor student who got by with the little she had.

At first, I thought it was because of my appearance since I looked like a black American girl with thick curly hair, but she proved me wrong, and we have been friends since then.

I needed her to help me right now, so I just went straight to her. She is living alone in that big house because her parents are on vacation in Paris.

I was standing at her doorstep waiting for her to open up, she came in and hug me tight and let me in, after talking a lot about missing me and all that.

she finally realized how drained I was and quickly asked "Hey what is wrong?, I sighed and poured out everything without breaking for a moment while pacing.

What!!!, her scream took the life out of me, and she took the liberty of shaking me off while talking non-stop.

" Are you crazy? So, are you not taking the job or what?, hey when will you think about yourself for once besides this is a great opportunity to better your life and your family, and here you are thinking about leaving them behind blah blah blah.

Come on reason up will you, why don't you just tell them and see what they have to say about it ok."

After everything she said, I felt like I was a drained puppy being eaten alive by a hungry lion. She finally let go of me and sat me down, I let out a sigh and thought about it for a while, but she shook me again and we chatted a little more.

I finally left her house, it was getting late, so I needed to leave, I boarded a trotro and went straight home. On arriving I saw my mama watching the television and my brother on his phone as usual, I chuckled and tiptoed and sat by her side and called her " Mama" In a blink of an eye I told her whatever I needed to tell her.

She was silent for a moment, suddenly she smiled and hit my shoulders.

"Ouch mama," I said with a teary puppy face.

" Dear, you are taking the job, it's time you think about yourself too, and taking this job is a step into doing something for yourself, you don't have to worry about me and your brother and besides Singapore or whatever is a step away, you can visit us any time.

"It seems my mama does understand this traveling thing, but I'll just take her support, I thought to myself as I showed a light laugh. My little brother looks on with a suspicious look.

" First thing in the morning you going to call your boss and tell him you are taking the job ok…" My mama said to me...

I teared up while smiling and gave her a tight hug. The next morning, I called Mr. Jackson and accepted the job offer.

"Singapore here we go!!

" Hello Miss, we need to use the toilet so can you please be done already" A woman screams at me as I daydream in the public toilet. " Ooh sorry I am done you can go in now puff"!

Got to go, don't want to be late ….