Truebone County

We had received our letter of appointment to our various centres of assignment. I had been sent to a private high school in Dave Truebone county. But, later on before the call year commenced officially, I had been transferred (by the influence of Salome Wright) to another high school in a neighbouring county.

National call year had started on the 19th of September of that year. I was set to influence the lives of the younger ones coming behind me.

I didn't have a sound high school education, owing to the fact that, I wasn't a studios student. I barely made my ordinary certificate results in one sitting (it was a narrow escape for me).

In high school, my experience had been the going and coming to school adventure. I was a very good note taker; but had a very bad studying habit. I thought taking notes was more important than reading them. I only read when it was time for examinations and tests. So, my results just managed to escape above average mark.

I had admired the likes of Tim Willow, Godwin Hitachi, Greg Anderson, and Kyle Matthews. They were among the tops in my class. I had wondered how these boys did so excellently well in the science subjects we all offered. It was amazing!

Ironically, I looked intelligent (may be, I was). But, my grades weren't reflecting my looks. May be, I should have worn glasses or used an inhaler like Tim (this would have made me an excellent student like him, I thought). How foolish I was to think this way.

What was the cause of my poor academic performance? Was it because myparents couldn't give me the right assistance, I felt I needed? Was it because I was

the first child in a family line of academic illiterates? Was it because the only

people who I felt would have helped me, were my elder cousins based in St.

James Metropolis? Was it because I had a poor primary school foundation? (No,

of course! I was the best graduating pupil of my set).

The answers to these questions was - 'no', as I grew older. If I had committed

myself and time to vigorous studying, I would also have come tops or best in my

class.

After, the high school certificate examinations of my graduating year, I took a personal resolve to study the key science subjects in preparation for the college

entry examinations. To my greatest surprise, I had discovered the secret to

academic success - consistent personal studies!. It was like magic, so this was it. Why didn't I build on the demands of my parents to study my books (though, their manner of approach wasn't appealing enough).

Well, this discovery had made me take a vow never to allow my academic woes,

become same as the experience for the students who would come after me.

Before answering the national call for that year, I had taught various students

writing the HSCE, for two consecutive years. They had all obtained outstanding

results in the examinations. So, teaching wasn't a problem for me. I had a combined experience of nine years doing free-lance teaching. I was a time bomb waiting to explode.

Six months already into the call year, I made a phone call to one of my former youth coach in church. His name was, Mandy Osmond.

It was one afternoon; the staff room was too noisy. I had finished my classes for

the day (I needed to go home and sleep long). So, the call went through and on the other end, he picked. We exchanged

pleasantries, as it's customary. He said, he had heard that I was in call.

I said, "yes Sir".

"Rick Mitchell State, is that where you are?" he asked.

"Yes sir," I replied.

"which part in Rick Mitchell state?"

"Dave Truebone county sir," he was startled.

I could sense it in his voice. "Brother you are in my county, my home land is in

Ezraville," he said surprisingly.

"What a coincidence!" I exclaimed.

National call year was over. I took a teaching job in a high school within the

estate my parents resided. I was assigned to teach chemistry and physics to senior students.

For fifteen months, I stayed on the job. It was a wonderful experience. For the

students in level four of that session, I was a God sent to them. It was an eye

opener for those children. From the basic knowledge of the principles of physics,

they were soundly groomed. The vow I made some years ago after I left high

school, was playing real in their lives.

Seven months into the job, I received a call from Mr. Mandy Osmond. He had told me to send my CV to an e-mail address he has sent me. Immediately, I complied with his request.

Truly, I never had it in mind that, something was going to come out of the CV I had sent to Mr. Mandy.

Well, I still did my job dutifuly while in that school. It was one of those classes, I

should have had with the level five students. Something happened (I cannot remember exactly) and I got offended. These children don't understand the level of input I had made to get them to this height of academic insights they had. And,

all they can do is to take me for granted? I sat in the chemistry laboratory, discouraged. I was literally tired.

I bowed my head and prayed, "I need a new job, not a teaching job again, dear

Lord," I muttered. I studied chemical engineering, I needed an industrial experience. One of the students came towards the laboratory, I heard his footsteps. I knew who he was, it

was Miranda Landers. He was a brilliant and serious student. He called to remind

me of a class which was to hold some fifteen minutes ago, but I did not respond.

Why he yet spoke, two girls in his class, Lisa Minews and Rose Crossant came. I overheard Rose say, "may be Mr. Bishop is praying." Still, I didn't respond to

their calls. I remained stationary, heads bowed on the table until they had left.

It was one sunday morning, in November of the same year, I had sent my CV to

Mr. Mandy. I had received a text message from an unknown number. The text

contained a request for me to be in an interview in the following week. The date

and venue for the interview was also stated in the text. Initially, I was stunned.

How can a company send out interview messages to candidates on a sunday? I

thought it was a scam. On a second thought, I remembered I had sent out my CV

to someone in April. So, I called Mr. Mandy, telling him of the message I had received earlier that morning. He said, It was from the HR of the company he worked with in Richard Bells State.

Well, the weekend for the interview drew near. It was in that week that the

revision for that term was scheduled. As a proactive teacher, I had completed the

revision in physics for level four students. While we were rounding off the revision class, I had told my students that I won't be available next week. I told them I was going to Osborn Myrtle (it was a rephrase of the story my colleague had told me, saying one of those student had said that he was to travel to Osborne Myrtle state for undergraduate studies). When I said, I was going to Osborne Myrtle, there was a startling expression on the face of that student. Like someone had revealed his mind to me.

I was at the venue of the interview on the said date. I was dressed in a black suite

and pink tie with a black leather shoe to match. Of all the candidates interviewed,

I was the last. It got to my turn and I was shown the door to the interview hall. I

met two men, one was a Gandian and the other seemed to be a local.

The interview commenced. I was asked my name, course of study, year of

graduation, favourite course while in school. To be precise, the Gandian

interviewer was answering or better still throwing more light into the questions

he asked me. I humbled myself and listened patiently to what he was saying. For the first time in my life, I'll be speaking to a foreigner face to face. Though, his English wasn't sound, surely the man was grounded in chemical engineering.

At the end of the exercise, he made a passing remark on how my credentials were

been disarranged (that fault had been that of the HR assistant). I didn't try to deny

or push blames. But, the HR had sensed I was trying to kindly state his assistant

had made the mistake. Mr. Benkatuch nodded in affirmation acknowledging the

HR's explanation. Before I left the hall, he said I looked handsome in my

passport. In affirmation, I said thank you very much Sir. Deep down in my heart,

I knew I was going to get this job. With the way the interview went, I knew Mr.

Benkatuch liked me.

One week later, I got both a sms and an e-mail confirming my employment status.

I resumed the position on the 12th of December of that year.

Three months into the job, a new set of employees had joined us. One of them,

Brian Mosslick, became my friend. During those early years of our work together, it was a chaotic period. The Gandians had been thought of as expatriates. We expected them to be experts in this field (so they claimed). They were hiding their ignorance and inability in hostility to us. This attitude never solved any problem. It only fuelled the pride of these Gandians. I had even written my resignation letter to be submitted to the project manager for approval when the HR called me to reconsider my action (maybe he was protecting his interest. So was my direct supervisor, Vichel Ross).

I had spoken to Brian about my woes with Akashil. He was the Gandian

responsible for the data acquisition and instrumentation infrastructure in the plant

where we worked. That short guy who was even two years younger than I made

my life a living hell by intimidation.

Brian and I got along to know each other better anyways. During our discussion

when I came to visit, I asked where he came from, and he replied, "Rick Mitchell

state."

I pressed on, "where in Rick Mitchell state?"

"Dave Truebone County," he said.

"Are you serious? What a coincidence," I exclaimed.

"This world is really a small place, I served in your county during the national

call year," I told him.

Mr. Mandy, the safety officer, is also from your county, I mentioned.

As events kept unfolding, the company staff had agreed to form a union to

counter the inattention given to staff welfare. This management led by the

director, Mr. Oleg Winchester had requested that the staff welfare committee

rescind their move to get a staff union registered with the national company

registration commission.

The staff welfare committee refuted that request. After several attempts and pleas, the committee still won't shift grounds. In April of that year, the management presented all members of the committee with sack letters stating their services were no longer needed by the company.

Unfortunately, Brian was a member of this said committee. He later got a new job with Spear Chemicals Incorporated, after seventeen months of staying out of a job.