Scars (Romola 2)

15: Interview Report

How would she narrate what had happened at the interview?

Every other member of her class gave glowing reviews, on the whatsapp group, of the companies that hosted their interviews but she was yet to answer. Her eyes lingered on Unice's review. The girl already got a contract to work with Oil Magma after her internship.

Romola rolled on her mat until she faced the ceiling. A line of tears slid down her face to the mat. If she had known Olumide was there she would have been better prepared. It would have been better for her to finish the interview and let him know that she was not affected by who he was and what he had done. Instead, she had run away like a second class coward.

Her phone vibrated in her palam. Mr Joseph was calling. She hesitated. What if he had heard that she ran from the interview? What would he say? She hadn't meant to blow her chances.

"Romola, pick your phone or cut it. You are disturbing my sleep." Ifeoma said.

She slipped her legs into her slippers and walked out of the room. "Hello, Good evening sir."

"Good evening. How are you doing?"

"Very fine, sir and you?"

"I'm doing great. I didn't see your report."

She bit her lips. She could just lie that the company didn't pick her.

He continued, "Any problem? Demola gave his own report."

"Oh." She had been too focused on Unice's success to read everybody's report.

Romola's brow rose. Demola, with all of his brains and boasting, wasn't picked. "What will happen to him?"

"I sent him there through a favour from my old lecturer but I think I'll have to source for another company myself. I encouraged him to try other companies too."

"Oh. That's great."

"Your report?"

"Sir?"

Mr Joseph raised his voice. "I want to know how your interview went."

"It went..." What if Mr Joseph thought she actually had a chance and refused to reassign her somewhere else? "It didn't go well."

"Of all the people I sent, you were the one I was most sure would get the job."

"I had a little accident."

"Are you okay?"

"Not that kind of accident. I didn't stay for the interview." Romola slipped her hand into the left pocket of her dark green shorts.

"Why?"

"It's a personal issue."

"Romola. Romola. How many times did I call you?"

"Two times sir."

"I am not stupid for sending you to a comany like that. In the professional world, you have to put your personal feelings aside. How are you going to pay the scheme fees if you don't have any money?"

"I'll think of something sir—"

"Think of something? You are not serious. Don't you know this counts for a huge part of your grade. I will not pass you just because you are a good student. No shortcuts in this life."

"Sir—"

"I had high hopes for you and Demola. I'm disappointed, honestly."

"Maybe it's not us. Maybe it's the company."

Mr Joseph cut the call.

Mr Joseph rarely lost his temper but there was nothing she could do. She would rather die than work with Olumide even if it meant losing this opportunity to finish her education.