[b][/b]

The atmosphere was tensed and her face was drawn with her shoulders hanging. There was no need for an oracle to tell that she has had it with life. She looked up, then hung her head yet again and let out a heavy sigh. Preceded by a hiss, she murmured, as if speaking to herself, "how many times will I try and for how long do I have to wait?" She kept mumbling but a bit louder this time, "All my mates are married. They all have jobs. Is it that I am not good enough, or am I so dumb to get a job?"

I knew it was fallacious, misguided and inaccurate to assume that all her mates are married and with jobs- but it was the wrong time to try to pick a hole in that. Instead, I placed a hand on her left shoulder and said, "the fact that all doors you have knocked on remained closed could be because you deserve something better. It's never your door if it doesn't open". She looked up and stared into my eyes presumably searching for clarity. With more conviction in my voice, I continued, "you should realize too that there are times the door gets opened with the last key on the ring. It tells us we just have to keep trying until the lock clicks."

Ben was right there with us. Sensing that the atmosphere in the room was approaching fever pitch, he had to cut in, "I was in Port Harcourt several years ago, trekking the length of Trans Amadi searching for a job in the oil and gas sector. I did this for 5 years until I decided to return home and take a teaching job in my village". This, to many people, seemed like a massive downgrade. Opinions were divided but more people thought I was insane." Ben rubbed his palms against each other and then paused for a while. With a somewhat suppressed smile, he went ahead, "in my sixth month in the school, I met a student whose parents approached me for extra lessons in preparation for the mid-year SSCE."

So anxious to hear more, I made a gesture towards Ben, urging him on. Smiling more evidently this time, he said, "due to the son's excellent performance in the exam, his father out of appreciation, introduced me to his brother, who was working with one of the top multinationals in the country. By virtue of this introduction, presently, I am a senior management staff in the company".

REFLECTION
When the door is not opening, we get so consumed by frustration and hopelessness that we fail to notice the opened windows. Who knows, the unopened door may be leading to an undesirable destination while our destiny lies through the window. I don't know for how long you would have been trying without success, but I am convinced you are getting closer to a better and bigger door. However, you must hang on to fulfil this breakthrough.

In Ben’s case, he did actualize his dreams of working in a multinational- even though he took an unexpected route. He revealed to me that one of his friends who refused to join him for the teaching job but kept faith with the industrial giants along Trans Amadi road is still without a job twenty years after. Some of us are presented with opportunities that fit in at certain stages of our lives but we neglect them and insist on having it our way.

Finally, I must say, "be focused to ensure that you are not pushing on the door when the actual instruction says 'pull'. And always remember the days of humble beginnings...

For more inspirational stories:
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nice one.
God bless u for dz