Chapter 3: Recruitment and Reality

Since I finish school, months don waka, job still no show. Na either nine-to-five for forty thousand a month, or work die finish, use all the money treat myself for chemist.

My mama for village go dey ask, "Tolu, when you go send money come?" I go just dey lie say dem never pay salary. For my mind, na shame dey catch me.

One day, I see say one foot massage parlour downstairs dey recruit. E catch my eye.

The signboard big, yellow and green. "Royal Touch Foot Massage." I think say na those Chinese people get am, but when I peep inside, na just regular Naija faces. The way dem arrange chairs and all the small small light dey shine, e sweet me small.

To be honest, before, I dey look down on this kind work.

I go dey reason, "Abeg, na only yahoo boys dey come here?" But as hustle dry, all those my shakara just die. Hunger humble me.

But the benefit shock me: 120,000 salary, food and house join.

Omo, even bank work no sure reach this one. My padi wey dey work for bank dey collect eighty thousand, still dey buy lunch with him own money. Here, na daily swallow, stew, sometimes jollof rice.

That time, I tell myself…

Hmph, foot massage parlour? Even dog no go—

Work here.

If my papa hear, e go faint. But for this Lagos, na who get sense dey survive. So I humble, start from scratch. No pride.

Na so I dey work for foot massage parlour now.

Every morning, I dey mop floor, clean window, arrange towel. If customer enter, I go smile, dey bow small. My new life be that.

The work no too hard, plus every day na to dey see fine legs.

Some customers go just cross leg, dey show you tattoo or fresh pedicure. I go dey tell myself, "O boy, if dem see you for village, dem go think say you dey enjoy."

Plenty fine women in their twenties dey whisper sweet things for your ear.

Na dem dey ginger the work sometimes. You go hear, "Tolu, abeg, help me bring water," or "You too fine, I fit marry you." All na work cruise.

Which guy no go like am?

Even if you no get money, all these small, small attention fit boost your morale. But for here, na packaging full ground.

The woman for settee na my manager, Ruth. She dey treat me well normally.

Aunty Ru na correct woman. If you work well, she fit dash you small bonus. But if you slack, e go be like say devil enter her body.

That time, she stretch body, her shape just dey show everywhere.

Her skin na caramel, and she dey always wear short things wey go make you dey look twice. But me, I dey respect myself.

"Tolu, what time be this?"

I check my phone. "Na eleven, Aunty Ru. Even Mama Chidinma bukka don close by now."

I dey try remind her say time don dey go, make we open sharp.

Ruth just wave her fine hand. "Abeg, open shop, make we do business!"

The way she talk am, na like say money dey wait for road. I no even argue again. For Lagos, time na money.