MEMORIES

Is adulthood a scam? Were you informed as a teenager about the task ahead of you? Do you sometimes feel imprisoned by the constant obligatory responsibilities of adulthood that you wish you could turn back the hands of time to return to a carefree childhood? Sometimes to escape reality, I sit down and reminisce about my childhood and teenage experiences.

Growing up as a child, I had the mind and zeal of an adult, and this is because I learnt a lot from my older siblings, who, when sharing their personal life stories, allowed me to sit in and listen to their experiences. They never hid any of these stories from me, stories that ranged from the ridiculous to the sad and laughable experiences. Some of their tales were so hilarious that I would laugh till tears rolled down my cheeks. I was so interested in growing up quickly, being independent, and making my own money. Little did I know that adulthood came with so many responsibilities and challenges.

During my time at the university, I engaged in several part-time jobs such as hostessing, known as “Ushering jobs,” brand promotions, and activations. As a Student, I earned quite a good sum, and due to my commitment and experience, I was usually recommended for many jobs. I thought life was a bed of roses until I faced my first real problem doing business.

In my second year, I got an activation job for a new Whiskey line owned by a popular brand to be carried out at various locations within Lagos. I was also paid to refer about twenty people for the job. The job duration was three months, and the number of days worked varied. We earned Fifteen thousand naira (N15,000) daily but were paid weekly. My first month on the job was wonderful as I worked more days than my colleagues, and the payment was prompt, as stated in our signed agreement. Subsequently, the company defaulted on the weekly payments, and payments became irregular. This went on until the entire promotion came to an end, and this resulted in a huge payment backlog. At this point, I kept calling and visiting the company as this issue prolonged for almost a year, and eventually, the company offered to pay me off so that I would not fight for my other colleagues. This only upset me; Hence, I resolved to do whatever it took to ensure everyone I referred got paid, as my reputation was at stake.

We all know what the judicial system is like in Nigeria, and as students, we had no funds or experience to go down that lane. Our Last Resort was to call them out on social media or protest at their office. We decided to go with the latter. On this note, I created a WhatsApp group and added everyone I referred for the job. We agreed on a date to storm the Company premises. We were denied entry into the premises upon arrival on the said date. After long hours of chanting, the General Manager, who was in a meeting with some important guests, heard our voices and was compelled to come out to resolve the issue. Eventually, everyone got paid, and we were so excited that we took ourselves for a treat. This was one of my early experiences of how complex adulthood can be.

I hope you enjoyed reading my blog post.

#MEMBA11

Written by Tutty Tero