Chapter Seven
He felt relieve as he walked to the front desk to ask for suite 435 of the Thames and Castle Employment Building, the smartly dressed young man pointed towards the elevator and said ‘fourth floor to your right, theirs a sign on the door” Julius got off the elevator and turned right, taking a few steps in a brightly lit lobby, the bold big, lettered sign said Thames and Castle Staffing. He pushed the door forward and walked directly towards the receptionist or secretary behind a panel of executive chairs.
The young man behind the desk along with an even younger woman, slender about 5ft 11inch with oval shaped glasses, he looked up at him as he approached and said in a clear crisp voice “welcome to Thames and castle staffing’ Julius smiled and responded, “Good Morning, I am here to interview with Mr. Andrew Christopher’, is she here yet? “Yes, he has some scheduled interviews ahead of yours, Mr. Julius is it? He said in a cockney accent, “I am guessing from your diction? Julius smiled “yes guessed right”, “While you are waiting for Mr. Andrew Christopher, there are some papers you should complete before speaking to him”, handing over a clipboard and some papers, Julius sat across from the small oasis surrounded by a circular wooded panel in the middle of the office, the cascading water fountain giving the illusion of a rising water fall and giving the effect of a cool and calm space, the clashing water sound was completely calming, the walls had a wall to floor shelf filled with an assortment of books, organized into groups, were magazines, sports, business, entertainment, and news magazines. He took out the first of the forms and began filling them out, name, date of birth, place of residence, schools attended, date of graduation, position applied for, shift and date available for work, references. As he filled the forms he scribbled on a note pad to verify details of his information, he wrote Mr. Walhallis address, and phone number along with Susan’s Phone number and address. Then signed his name.
He sat down for a while thinking about his job search, his host country, his determination to succeed in this country and what it would mean if for any reason he decided not to go through with the job search. The British government surely frowned on foreigners without work papers working or obtaining work, also he imagined employers would have to think seriously about employing persons without work papers, also he thought how it would be such a waste of time and money to not follow thru and have to return home and start all over again. He thought seriously of such implications starring at his clipboard for a short while as though he did not think of all these issues prior to now.
He walked to the desk without any hesitation and said, “All done”. Mr. Clapton, the executive assistant, looked up, pushed up his glasses and accepted the papers. Julius looked on as he flipped through the sheaf of papers and told him pointing towards a section of the page “sign here’ and here’, and “he will be with you shortly’.
Julius glanced at his watch as he got to his seat, the process so far took him less than 45mins, Mr. Andrew Christopher walked out through the double doors a few steps behind him was a smartly dressed man with a rustled black leather folder, she stopped half way between the reception desk and said in a distinct heavy accent “thanks for meeting with me”, replied Mr. Andrew Christopher ‘Mr. Schroog, it should not be long before we find a suitable position’, Mr. Schroog said ‘thank you’, and left. Turning to the reception desk ‘Mr. Clapton? Mr. Clapton handed him the clipboard containing the information for Julius, and pointed in Juliuss direction, he turned towards Julius and said Mr. Julius? ‘Yes’, said Julius, ‘it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Walhalli spoke very highly of you, please come with me’. Julius got up and followed him back through the double doors into a conference room.
The conference room appeared well lit in comparison to the lobby, a large rectangle table occupying about one fifth of the room, flat almost cushionless carpet, from one end of the wall to the other end of the end, to the left side and to the right side a rectangle table is a small round table with two upright chairs she motioned Julius to take a seat reaching onto a file and brought out a single sheet handing it over to Julius “Here is a description of two positions you may be interested in filling’, please read through it and tell me if there’s any of these you would not feel comfortable filling’, “The companies I hire for usually want to review your application for at least 24 hours if there is an urgent need, and I should back from them, and get back to you before the end of the day Tuesday’. Julius read through the first opening, it was a job in east end London, paying 5.75 pounds an hour, ‘a food prep packaging company’, all foods for the airlines going through Heathrow and Gatwick, working early shifts from 6 am through 3.30pm every day 5 days a week. The position required someone able to work in a stand or sit for long periods, able to learn quickly, and lift items at least 45pounds. Requires at least elementary school graduation and high school graduates will get preference. All training provided.
Julius looked at the second half of the page as Mr. Andrew Christopher asked him ‘would you like some tea’, Julius hesitated for a minute and said “No, thank you’. And quickly returned to the job description, a position stocking the shelf shelves at London’s most prestigious clothing store, British Home Stores, (BHS) the job sheet claimed was more than just a retailer, it is the place to come for every desired quality were at a price everyone can afford, including students. As in the previous description applicants must be able to us a step ladder, able to interact with customers, able to work with minimal supervision. The hours were similar except BHS wanted someone who could work weekends and occasional overtime on some holidays.
He finished reading and handed the job sheet back, ‘you may keep that copy she said’ May I submit you for those positions? Julius without hesitating said ‘ I can only fill one of those, can tell you my preference? ‘certainly’, responded Mr. Christopher, ‘then you may submit me for both positions. Mr. Christopher got up and pulled out another folder from the large round table to the wall by floor to ceiling book shelf, handling a him the first two sheets in the file she added “for your check and weekly deductions’. Any friend so highly recommended by Mr. Walhalli as you were, can be assured that we will do everything possible to get you into a position as soon as possible’, please be sure to write legibly, so there is no errors on your check, your check will be cut on Backlay’s Bank, I suggest you take your first check to them and open a free account. He got up to pour himself some tea, picking up a tea bag and dunking it in a cup of hot water from the water cooler, and dropping two cubes of sugar into the cup and sat back in the chair directly in front of Julius as he dutifully completed both documents trying to print every letter as straight and legibly as possible.
He completed both documents and handed it back to Mr. Christopher, he looked it over and set it on her desk, handing him a closed file, in your file are your employment contracts, I will make copies of your wages and deductions on your way out’. ‘Please sign here, pointing to a middle line and date in the bottom line, and that’s the interview, I am glad to have met you, once again I hope we can get back to you before the end of day on Tuesday’.
As they walked through the hallway past the escalator to the right she asked “ do you have any questions? He responded ‘No’, I am thrilled and eager to begin working, I will make sure you get nothing positive feedback when I start work. Julius, the file tightly grasped in his hands rode the elevator down to the ground floor refusing to let his growing excitement show at the prospect of securing his first job in London. Grateful he was for such good fortune of meeting Mr. and Mrs. Walhalli and the favorable introduction to Mr. Christopher.
He had sounded confident he would be invited to fill the position to fill the position, recalling her exact words “Your check will be cut on Barclays bank, I suggest you open a savings account with your first check’. Julius could not recall the last time he felt such hope or confidence about a job opportunity. If he began working in the next three to four days, his meager purse will be more than adequate to tide him over to his first check. He was very reluctant to shift his thoughts to the moment. But as the bright midday sun showered his face with warmth mixed with damp breeze, he forced his thoughts unto the task at hand. As he approached the transit stop he began fishing for his wallet for the fare. He decided to take the tube home.
He needed to begin finding new experiences to remind him, he is away from known settings, friends and family, to deflate the impending feeling of loneliness and adapt and enjoy his new home. Since this is indeed a unique city, and one of it is sitting comfortably in a pressurized container underneath the earth, insulated from dust, noise and everything else and moving faster than many sports cars. The feeling he got from riding the tube never dulled each time he got on into the tube.
Julius walked rapidly down the steps to the tube station, stopping at the ticket gate to buy his ticket and on time to see or feel the gust of air and the stormy wind busting out of the tunnel as the train approached and the passengers got up from their seats forming a queue in position for the approaching train. Gradually the trains passengers got out and the train pulled up again as it’s doors closed. Moving slowly at first, almost reluctantly, then in a gust of speed it leapt forward, its inhabitants were thrown into their seats and those on their feet thrown forward and into the walls as they tightened their hold on the overhead railing and the train station disappeared in an instant. It was a little after 2p.m when he slumped onto his sofa in his hotel room. He kicked off his shoes and layed flat on his bed for a very long time, closing his eyes and not sleeping.
Julius lay on his back legs over knee, his big toe pointing upwards at the ceiling. He starred at the ceiling for a while thinking how nice it would be to receive a call to come into work this week, his eyes danced across the room, at the strip lining the edge of the ceiling, the mini chandelier with tiny oblong shaped bulbs, his eyes rested on the bedside table, a magazine, a newspaper. This would be good time to find a good novel to read, he thought, fiction is always a great diversion form monotony and boredom, and his constant attempt to think about the outcome of his last interview. He sat up leafed through the magazines on the bedside table, he really did not see anything to grab his attention, he would call Susan but she had that part time job and will be in class tomorrow. He sauntered through the lobby to the first floor, the hotel lounge was not crowded, he sat on a sofa and picked up a TV remote and started looking through the TV channel guide. He allowed his curiosity to run, he wanted to see what was so special about “Saturn Density’, a show Susan had been determined not to miss. It was not particularly his kind of show. Julius looked at his watch it said 10.45pm, he headed downstairs to bed.
Julius woke up to a cold room, he was not used to very cold mornings, he reached out to the knob by his bedside table and turned the thermostat up, heat gradually flowed throughout the room, his feet felt warm and he suddenly felt different about this morning, he felt cheerful. What a big difference warmth or hash cold air can have on ones outlook. He headed for the bathroom, he picked up a tube of toothpaste scooped it with his forefinger and spread it on his teeth, then with even strokes he brushed his tooth to a shine. Julius had just returned to his room, after breakfast, the phone rang, the front desk asked if he wanted to take a call from Mr. Andrew Christopher, he agreed, speaking into the phone with nervous excitement. He was to start work on Tuesday morning. Julius said ‘thanks, I will be there and I will do a great job, you will not be disappointed’.
Loumarki sat face forward, the bucket seat, soft cushions caressing him, he struggled to keep His balance, he had just completed his long shift and he was both tired and happy to be done with this week’s work. Gresford Templeton his friend and room-mate who had allowed him to stay in his apartment for the last 8 months, came out of his room asking “when did you get here? Ä few minutes’, he replied, ‘Ok’, he replied dryly. Ï am headed to the grocer’, want to come? “No’, said Loumarki, can you get me a bottle of pot? “Yeah, why not’, said Gresford Templeton, as Loumarki handed him a five-pound note.’ ‘You are cooking next week? asked Gresford Templeton, “Yeah, I did not forget, said Loumarki. “I am Just really tired! “Did you see the hot chick next door? “Yes, why? Said Loumarki, raising his eyebrow. ‘She is free to date”, Gresford Templeton quipped, “Yeah it appears so, said Loumarki reluctant to say any more. There are two more in the upper floors and two more in the lower floors’, did you know that? His choppy British accent rolling off his tongue. “Yeah’, said Loumarki Ï did not know that”. Ï am not bored, I am too busy trying to figure out my life to see straight! A sly smile appeared on Gresford Templeton’s eyes, “I could introduce you”, “No, said Loumarki, “I have a girlfriend and we have met”. “Some things take time’, concluded Loumarki. “Sadly, said Gresford Templeton, and for some things waiting is not an option, you don’t got time! He paused and added I’m off”. Loumarki sat back in his sofa, he never once believed her had time, in fact he had other problems more complex than time. He was arrogant. An arrogance that could neither empower him nor add value to his current status in life. The year was 1978, Loumarki a strong, athletic robust man, black as charcoal, his jet-black hair cut uncharacteristically short and trimmed neatly, had his weekend planned. One of the conditions of his staying with Gresford Templeton was that they share both cost and chores. He had had proven that he was mot daunted by the kitchen, neither was he lazy. Loumarki had joked about it saying “I will keep all the cost down until I find a partner then I can spend it on expensive dinners’, and Gresford Templeton had retorted, another one bites the dust”. and had added “”maybe you’ll strike it rich, and money will not be an issue’.
Loumarki was from a family of nine children, his parents Zachary Wolofuota and Dianbour Wolofuota fell in love barely out of their teenage years. Although they did not set out to have such a large number of kids, they welcomed each child with the same amount of exuberance and incredulity. When the eight-child arrived Dianbour proclaimed in a bemused voice, “I have certainly outdone myself this time’. When after six months she began wearing clothes she wore last spring Zachary remarked to her amidst a sly smile that “she was stirring up trouble again’, Dianbour remained unconcerned and waived her hand non-chillingly saying he “should be glad she was regaining her form’. By the time they had their 9th child Loumarki had become a lanky teenager going on to become a young adult male. His thoughts wandered back to the present, his ”not having any time according to Gresford meant his time avoiding deportation or employment refusal due to inadequacy of his legal status or the possibility of not reaching his savings goals before he either decided or a decision was made for him and it would have to be made for him, and he would have to return to his home land. Yes, that was a fact, “he had no time’. This weekend though, he had no choice. He had to rest, he had worked a total of almost 60 hours in the last six days, and in the previous 2 weeks he had done 70 hours each week. This week, time or no time was his time to rest.
His gross income for that week was almost 600.00 pounds. And for Loumarki, resting on weekends meant sleeping, disengaging from anything remotely engaging his muscle or his mind. As a rule, he did not step out of his front door, he slept, ate, watched a movie or two, but slept most of the time.
Gresford soon came back with groceries and Loumarki bottle of pot. A short robust bottle with a fat base, Loumarki got up, picked up two glasses and poured for himself, handing the bottle to Gresford. He poured himself some pot. Loumarki looked through the grocery and found something to snack on, he picked out a bag containing a mixture of dry smoked beef and dry smoked fish. little bite sized cubes that he tossed into his mouth as he headed back to his room.
Gresford said grabbing the bottle of pot and pouring some more for himself, remember you don’t got time! Loumarki said ‘yes, I know”. “We’ll talk about it if I change my mind? a statement made as a question. Gresford said “Yeah, absolutely’. Loumarki was not just resting he was continuously considering options he would need when he returns home to Senegal. Loumarki was indeed a uniquely clear minded Youngman. In his desire to make sense of all the contradictions in his life, he weighed the consequences of quickly finding an attorney, an extremely expensive venture, something that would consume his wages for almost an entire year. It would surely wipe out his saving to date, and he was almost certain that such process would involve a marriage, which might or might not include genuine love. In cases like these even if he was sure of himself that he would make such a commitment out of love, what of the other party or parties involved, and when one attaches himself in such a way to both a foreign system and processes and people, it appears that he will also have to detach some of himself from his natural inclinations and home country and people.
Yeah, in fact he had made up his mind to work deliberately towards returning home to Senegal. Instead of working to stay in England. His decision became almost irreversible the moment he found that item which was a critical component of one of Britain’s most valuable industry, the locomotive engine. A part that cuts down the cost of repairs and replacements by almost 65%. He thought he was dreaming. Loumarki knew he could never discuss such find with his boss. He was all too familiar with the stories throughout early history, about a discovery and a competitor company, a senior manager, a colonial master, who takes over and swindles the rightful owner, often making return to the pittance they were trying to shake off in the first place. So, he kept working and saving every little penny. This weekend the only item on his mind was how to make sure he transfers his savings safely to Senegal, if he had to leave on short notice, he wanted to be sure to leave nothing behind. Yeah, he thought about Gresford request to talk about it as he poured more pot into his cup, he won’t change his mind’, and the “talk about it’, will be soon and will be about something different.
Loumarki worked at a company in southeast London, the company, Forward Turbines Enterprises, repaired and restored engines for locomotives. they had separate facilities for restoration, and another for short term repairs and yet another purely for storage, retail and bulk replacements. Loumarki worked at a smaller facility annexed to restoration doing repairs. he had learnt very quickly using his knowledge of auto mechanic’s a skill he picked up in his late teenage years. Auto mechanics are not well paid, and although they had a steady flow of work, a pace that sometimes was overwhelming, yet it appeared to Loumarki that it was never going to be enough. Every day he proved his mind was as sharp and there was no difference between him and his colleagues, regardless of his “shiny” black head and skin! But unknown to his colleagues Loumarki had to work double shifts to earn half of what they earned. Loumarki was certain that the market was going to get even bigger and he wanted to be able to be on the receiving end of all the supply requests, well at least most the shipment requests that will go out to his source and region.
