JOB HUNTING

Megan had already spent two weeks looking for a job to no avail. She would leave the house early in the morning with Benny as she dropped him off at school then head out job searching.

It became a routine for her to go into the cyber café in town to search and apply for jobs in the internet. After spending about three hours doing this, she would then start walking in the offices around in search of job vacancies while dropping her resumes.

The one disadvantage that she encountered was that the companies wanted someone with at least two years of experience in a prior job so even though she had the papers to prove her qualifications as a Human Resource Manager, she failed in the interviews when it came to work experience.

All this could have been made easier for her if her husband had agreed to get her a position at the company.

This was all her fault, she thought as she got into the car to pick up  Benny from school in the afternoon. If only she had not rushed to get married to her university love soon after graduating, she would not be at such a disadvantage.

As she changed lanes and took the exit to the school, she remembered how she had fought with her parents when they rejected the idea of her getting married right out of college. Her father had arranged for her to work in his Boss's company as an assistant Human Resource Manager after begging his Boss for the position.

Instead of appreciating all this, she threw it in her father’s face and vowed to kill herself if  they would not let her get married. Afraid of her making good on the threat, her parents had to give in and blessed the couple. That marriage had cost her five years of her life and she ended up with nothing to show for it.

Benny sat in the back of the car and looked at his mother. She had a sad expression on her face and she looked tired. In the last one year, he had been forced to grow up fast and read the adults mood especially after his parents started shouting at each other. He chose to concentrate on his homework and not bother his mother.

It had now become a norm for Rich to come back home after midnight which was fine with Megan. She was still a dutiful wife and would wait for him to come back. She would then warm his food and place it in the dining room before heading to her room to sleep.

At first, the food would just be left there untouched but after a few days, she noticed that he would have his dinner before retiring to bed. This night, she did not wait up for him and just left a note to say that his food was in the microwave.

Rich entered the house but did not find his wife in her usual spot on the couch. Not bothered, he went to the dining room but his food was not there but a note. Not in the mood to eat, he went straight to bed, wondering why Megan was acting up.

As luck would have it, early the following morning, Megan got a call from a boutique that she had left her resume on a last thought because she figured that if she could not get a job as an HR then she would go for anything else out there.

An interview had been scheduled for ten o’clock so she had enough time to drop Benny at school and prepare for the interview. Getting there half an hour earlier, she quietly sat in the reception area until the secretary asked her to go in.

The owner of the boutique was conducting the interview in person as this was a high end boutique where the rich and affluent shopped. He had no problem with working with inexperienced people as long as they were first learners and he liked Megan on the first instance because of her warm smile and open yet honest nature.

Just like that she got hired and would be starting her first job the following day. She was so excited that she rushed to her parents to share the good news.

 Mrs. Fodert was so happy for her daughter because she knew the grievances that she had suffered in both her first and second marriage. She thought that the job would help her get a footing in life and stand up for herself in future.

Mr. Fodert on the other hand showed neither concern nor joy for his child. After they had a fight when she graduated, he deemed her unfilial and still held a grudge in his heart. Megan always thought that after getting into the second marriage to save his life, his affections for her would change but the damage that she had done would take a long time to repair.

After spending time with her parents she eventually left to pick Benny. She still had to tell her mother-in-law and Rich and she did not know how they would take the news. She knew Beth was still rooting for Liana to officially become her daughter in law and her unwanted presence in the family was irritating them. Coupled with Rich's indifference towards her, living in that house was really taking a toll on her.

"Good afternoon mother, may I speak to you for a minute?" She approached Beth who was sitting in the garden with a book in hand.

Beth lifted up her head and looked at Megan. She disliked this girl because she had ruined her son's chance of living with his true love. "Make it quick. I am busy".

" Mother, I got a job today and I will be starting tomorrow," she said hoping for Beth's approval. Maybe if she showed her worth to the family, they just might change their attitude towards her, she thought.