Hard to decide

Two days after receiving two interview invitations for jobs to be held at the same date and time, Philip, a recent graduate, found himself in a pickle. His girlfriend's dad offered him a job at a big oil company, while his uncle, a high-ranking official at the Central Bank of Nigeria, promised to help him secure a position there. Philip couldn't decide which interview to attend.

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He walked to his friend's house for advice and on getting there, he met him outside seated on a plastic chair with his shirt off and hung around his neck while his legs were crossed at a bench placed in front.

"Bro, what's happening, your face looks like a cloud that wants to release water." Gab teased Philip upon seeing his stressed expression and quickly went inside to bring him a cold bottle of water.

Philip tried to muffle some laughter at the tease, but his dull face couldn't produce anything. He shifted the small bench to himself and sat down.

"I'm in a pickle right now, I have two interviews I need to attend tomorrow at the same time. Wait, do you remember that job I told you my girl brought to me to apply, saying that her dad would help me get the job?"

"Yeah, I know about that, and the other one you mentioned with your uncle,"* Gab nodded.

"Yeah, exactly!" Philip clapped in excitement as his friend recalled everything, and he continued, "I got an invitation last Friday to come for the interview tomorrow at the same time. I mean, both are happening at 8:00 am."

"Hmm, this is serious. Drink some water first," Gab teased again, pushing the bottle of water towards Philip's mouth.

"Bro, stop. This is not a laughing matter. I don't know how to go about it. I don't know which one to choose, and also, I don't want to call either of them so they wouldn't see me as unserious or not trusting their offer."

"I'm thinking..." He paused for a while, smacked his head slightly with his left hand, "how about you represent me in one of the interviews?"

"Hahaha!" Gab burst into laughter upon hearing that suggestion, his legs hitting the ground.

"You want me to represent you? You forgot that you submitted your passport photos when you applied for the jobs online?"

"Oh, it's true! Mtcheeew!" Philip hissed.

"From my point of view, I suggest you go with your uncle's interview. I think it has the upper hand. You know, your girlfriend's offer isn't a direct connection."

That's it, Philip bought the idea and left for his house after spending some quality time with him.

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The next morning, which was Monday, the day scheduled for the interviews, Philip woke up early, eager to beat traffic and prepare for his interview. Despite not being one for prayer, he felt compelled to pray before leaving the house.

Just as he was about to leave the house, his phone beeped. He checked and saw it was a message from his girlfriend reminding him to attend the interview and wishing him luck. The message prompted him to take the file along, just in case, he went back and picked the file he had earlier arranged for the other interview.

Stuck in traffic, Philip's anxiety increased as he constantly checked the time, worried about being late. The congested bus was filled with a foul odour, a result of the heat and sweat emanating from the passengers.

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After about 30 minutes, he finally arrived at the Central Bank, the premises filled with fellow job seekers dressed in their corporate attire, some carrying their files in bags while others held them in their hands. The security personnel were busy directing the applicants into a single file towards the chamber where the interview would take place. Seeing the multitude of applicants with different calibres and specifications, his hope began to dwindle because he stood little chance against all these sparkling men and women to get the job. He joined the long queue, picked up his phone to call his uncle to inform him of his presence at the interview venue. The uncle told him to hold on; he would send someone to meet him shortly.

Not long after finishing the call, he felt a tap on his shoulder from behind. He turned to see a man dressed in a security uniform standing beside him.

"You're Philip Atti, right?" The security man asked.

"Yes, that's my name."

"Okay, please follow me; your uncle said I should bring you."

Philip smiled, raised his shoulders confidently because he was sure that other applicants around him heard the conversation. He walked behind the security man like the son of a world king as they headed to another block in the premises. As they arrived at a hall, there was a lady dressed in a black and white office suit with some files in her hands. Beside her were a set of laptops on a single table with two wooden chairs attached to it.

"You're Philip, right? Welcome. Please come over."

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Philip nodded and walked closer to her. She collected his thumbprints, made a thumb scan, and took a passport photo using the laptop and the camera fixed on it. Throughout the process, Philip smiled inwardly because he knew his uncle was behind everything. After they were done, he was told to stay put in the hall and expect an email on his phone. He thanked the lady and the security man, and they left the hall, leaving him alone. He sat on the chair and began to gaze around, and after growing tired, he brought out his phone to catch up on social media. Just as he opened his X app, an email notification popped up. It was a congratulatory message informing him that he had been awarded a job at the Central Bank.

"Jesusssssssss!" He exclaimed, his voice echoing loudly in the hall. He couldn't believe it; he had just gotten a job with so much ease. He picked up his phone to call his uncle to at least let him come to where he was so he could thank him properly. But his uncle said there was no need, that he should go home and celebrate his new job.

He joyfully thanked him and made his way out of the hall, passing the same applicants he had stood with earlier, still in the queue. He walked past them, feeling like a boss.

As he exited the premises, it dawned on him that he had a big task ahead of him in how to explain to his girlfriend that he turned down her father's offer without even informing her. Nonetheless, it was a joyful moment for Philip; he decided not to worry too much and that he would deal with it when he gets to the bridge.

Thanks for reading

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