Beautiful Saturday

I came from a very poor background, my dad was a palm wine tapper and mum a petty road side trader, oldest of five siblings so supporting my family fell on me at a tender age. My parents had no money to send me to the university after my secondary education and the only descent job i could acquire with my level of education was a phone attendant otherwise known as a receptionist or other jobs in that rank per se.

There were so many job offers but salary wise, nothing good to write home about, i was supporting in feeding my three younger siblings as my immediate younger brother was learning trading, part of their school fees fell on me too so i refused to accept any offer rather took up the job of a house keeper which paid me more because my Madam was kind. Apart from my salary, she always gave me food stuffs and toiletries in abundance which served my entire family.

I wasn't a live in house keeper so i found pleasure in doing my job because i live with my family and when the bankers and nurses and teachers and doctors and secretaries are all on the road to work, you will see me in their mist and at the end of the day, you will see me going home from work then at the end of the month when workers queue in the bank to clear their cheque ,i will be in the number because my Madam doesn't pay me cash.

I loved working for her not because of the goodies she gives me but because of the fact that she was a good woman and her husband too, her kids were all like my own biological siblings, i love them all and they also appreciate me, they gave me a free hand in their house and my Madam always advised me, she knew that i was supporting my family with the salary she pays me, she knew my story and also knew that i intend to go to the university.

It was a Saturday morning and i came very early because she asked me to come like an early bird because they will leave for the airport to pick up her husband's younger brother coming back from Germany. I was mopping the back balcony when they returned from the airport then within hours; the entire house was filled with their friends and relatives who came to welcome Engineer Nnamdi Okpara who has been studying in Germany. The moment i saw him, i saw the way he looked at me.

He walked to me and asked me my name then held my hand and quietly asked me the next question; "Are you married"? Obviously he knew who i was because my madam had previously called on me to bring out the meat from the fridge. He walked back to the living room and came back with his brother my boss then they both smiled at me as they talked with each other.

Well, that was how it all began, i would have taken a job as a receptionist in Oakwood hotel, or as a receptionist in Glover Ltd, i would have also taken the job as a petrol pump attendant but i chose to be a house keeper, it was listening to my inner voice though so many people looked down on me, some gossiped and called me a big baby seater but at the end i gained what so many people are struggling to get; True love. Engineer Nnamdi, walked to me and held me then told me that he has seen his wife, his missing rib. I was only 22 years and i felt shy but he meant it because it's now five years after that wonderful Saturday which was the best day of my life.