She was working as a receptionist and was paid peanuts, but the salary also wouldn’t come when it was supposed to. They would pay her half her salary at the end of the month and tell her they would pay the rest later. I was always angry, but she told me she had suffered to get that job, so I should be patient.......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
I was fresh out of school and was also looking for a job, so we relied heavily on that small amount that wasn’t paid on time. I went to her place one afternoon, hungry and angry. I opened everything in the house, and there was no food. I called her on the phone, and she told me she didn’t have money because her salary hadn’t been paid.
I rushed to her office, asked for the manager, and went straight to his office. I said, “Have you been paid this month? How can you make a woman work all month and not pay her? Do you know the kind of people depending on that small salary you give her?”
It turned into a heated argument when he asked me who I was and why I was talking to him about his employee. I went out, held my girlfriend’s hand, and pulled her out of the office. She didn’t know I was around. She asked, “What happened? Why are you pulling me?” “We are going home,” I answered. “Let me go for my bag. What you’re doing is not fair.”
When she entered, I followed. I told her boss, “Give us the rest of the salary, or else I will carry your computer with me.”
He paid us, and we left. She was crying, but I felt content. That place wasn’t a job. It was an embarrassment.
A month without a job made things terrible for both of us. I borrowed money for us. I went home and stole food for us. I got a job later. The salary was very little, but it was better than what she had and was paid on time. We split what I got. We used the rest to buy food. A year later, I got a new job. She also landed a job that paid better and on time.
Today, we talk about those days and laugh. She would say, “We’ve been through a lot, paaa ooo.” I would respond, “How we got here with two children and a roof over our heads is a miracle. Let’s pray for life.”
When we got married, they called us crazy and laughed at our wedding dress. They said, “If you don’t have money, who is forcing you to marry?” But today, I don’t think anyone is laughing at our marriage. Nobody even remembers our wedding. It’s not all bright and colorful, but we can afford happiness and the things we need.
