Life was tough in the village. Financial challenges at home denied me the privilege to seek better jobs or even to wait for appropriate jobs offer. After sleepless nights pondering over the directions of my life, I made one final decision, join the others, move to town, take what ever job that pays.
That weekend, the village youths returned from their working places. Most of them construction labourers. They seemed to have so much stories to bring home. After seeking information on jobs and the employers, I decided to try out with Benedict, whom we fondly called Ben.
Sunday morning came, I carried a bag and $30 in my pocket, waited for Ben and two others. We waited at a small village grocery shop. Went all was ready, we boarded the 10am bus to town some 80km away. My dad and youngest brother were there to see me off.
By 1pm we arrived at the so called workers hostel. The hut was hot though spacy. There wasn't any rooms/bedrooms, a spacy common room where we were supposed to sleep, a bathroom with toilet and a kitchen space. The walls were made of boards. After resting, Ben brought me to their employer's house not too far away.
Boss, he's my village buddy and would like to work, said Ben. The employer, a man in the 70s looked at me from head to foot then back. A can of beer in his hand which he seeped from time to time, ok, come tomorrow he said as he continued his beer. What a man I thought.
I was tasked with a wheelbarrow, ferrying sand, gravel, bricks and cement. It was quite fun I thought. 10am break, everybody crowded round the employer's station wagon. There were packed noodles and packed and iced tea for everyone. The boss himself drank beer all day long. By 4.30 pm, the boss did his round to see the progress of our work. Then we called it a day.