The Harvest Of Hardship - S01 E21

Story 3 weeks ago

The Harvest Of Hardship - S01 E21

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 21

The big office was very quiet. You could hear the tiny sound of the clock on the wall. It went tick, tick, tick. Tobi stood in front of the large wooden desk. He was holding a piece of paper in his hands. His fingers were shaking. He looked at the word written at the top of the paper. The word was Janitor. To Tobi, that word felt like a heavy stone. It felt like a loud slap on his face. He could not believe what he was seeing. He looked at Seyi, and his eyes were full of surprise and a little bit of anger.

A janitor? Tobi gasped. His voice was high and thin. But Seyi, I have a degree! I went to the university for four years. I studied big books. I am a graduate. How can a graduate be a janitor? How can I hold a mop and a bucket in this big building where everyone is wearing suits? People will laugh at me. They will see me cleaning the floor and they will say that Tobi has failed. I cannot do this. It is too small for me.

Seyi did not move. He sat very still in his black leather chair. He looked like a teacher who was waiting for a student to understand a lesson. He did not get angry when Tobi raised his voice. He did not look annoyed. He just looked at Tobi with eyes that were very cold and very professional. These were not the eyes of a cousin. These were the eyes of a boss.

Seyi leaned forward and put his hands on the desk. Tobi, listen to me very carefully, Seyi said. You say you have a degree. But we both know the truth. You have a piece of paper, but you did not work for it. Aunt Clara did the assignments for you. She paid people to help you pass your tests. She made life so easy for you that you never learned how to use your brain. A degree is supposed to show that you are a hard worker. But you are not a hard worker yet. You are just a man with a piece of paper and a lot of pride.

Tobi opened his mouth to speak, but Seyi held up his hand.

I started at the bottom, Tobi, Seyi continued. I started by washing your clothes. I started by cleaning the kitchen while you were sleeping. I started by carrying bags for people. Because I started at the bottom, I know how to build a house that will not fall. You tried to start at the top. You tried to be a manager when you did not even know how to manage yourself. That is why you fell so hard. You fell because you had no foundation. You were like a tall tree with no roots. When the wind blew, you fell into the mud.

Seyi pointed at the paper again. This is your chance to grow roots, Tobi. I am offering you a job at the very bottom. You will learn how to be on time. You will learn how to follow instructions. You will learn that no work is too small for a man who wants to be great. If you can prove to me that you can clean a floor with excellence, then I will know you are ready for the next level. If you can be the best janitor this company has ever seen, then one day, you might become a clerk. And then a manager. But if you think you are too big to clean a floor, then you are too small to lead a company.

Seyi paused and looked straight into Tobi’s soul. If you do not want this, you can leave. You can go back to the street. You can go back to the slum and wait for someone to give you bread for free. But remember, the bread will eventually run out. This paper is not a hand out. I am not giving you money because we are family. I am giving you a lifeline. I am giving you a way to save yourself and your mother. But you must be the one to pick it up.

Tobi looked at the paper. Then he looked at Seyi. He saw that Seyi was serious. This was not a joke. This was the only door that was open for him. He thought about the hunger in his stomach. He thought about the dusty floor of the room where his mother was sitting right now. He thought about the woman at the delivery company who had told him he had no grit.

Tobi realized that pride was a very expensive thing. It had cost him his future. It had cost him his happiness. He realized that if he walked out of this office, he would have nothing. But if he stayed and picked up the mop, he might find something he had never had before. He might find respect.

He picked up the silver pen from the desk. His hand was still shaking, but his heart was starting to feel a little bit different. He put the pen to the paper and wrote his name. Tobi. He signed the paper.

As soon as he finished writing, something strange happened. Tobi did not feel like a failure. He did not feel ashamed. Instead, he felt a tiny spark inside his chest. It was a very small spark, like a little candle in a dark room. It was a feeling of purpose. For the first time in his life, he had made a choice to work. He was not doing it because his mother told him to. He was not doing it because it was easy. He was doing it because he wanted to survive. He was doing it because he wanted to be better.

Seyi saw the change in Tobi’s face. A small, kind smile touched Seyi’s lips, but he quickly made his face professional again.

Good, Seyi said. You start tomorrow at six o’clock in the morning. If you are one minute late, the guard will not let you in. You will report to the Head Janitor. He will give you your uniform and your tools. Now, go home and get some rest. You have a lot of work to do.

Tobi nodded. Thank you, sir, he said. He did not call him Seyi. He called him sir. He was starting to learn the rules of the world.

Tobi walked out of the office. He walked down the long hallway. He saw the other workers in their nice clothes. He saw the beautiful paintings on the walls. He knew that tomorrow, he would be the one cleaning the glass on those paintings. He knew that people would see him in his janitor uniform. But as he walked toward the elevator, he kept his head up. He was no longer a beggar. He was a worker.

He left the building and walked into the hot sun. The heat did not feel so bad now. He felt like he had a mission. He walked all the way back to the slum. He did not stop to talk to anyone. He went straight to the tiny room where Aunt Clara was waiting.

Clara was sitting on the floor. She looked very old and very tired. She looked up when Tobi walked in. Her eyes were full of fear. She was afraid that Tobi had come back with more bad news. She was afraid that they were going to be thrown out of the room.

Tobi? she whispered. What happened? Did you find any work? Did you see Seyi?

Tobi sat down next to her. He took her hand. Her hand felt like old paper. Mom, I saw Seyi, Tobi said.

Clara’s breath caught in her throat. Did he help us? Did he give you a job as a manager? Is he going to buy us a big house?

Tobi shook his head. No, Mom. He did not give me a manager job. He offered me a job as a janitor. He wants me to clean the floors in his building.

Clara gasped. She covered her mouth with her hands. A janitor? My prince? My university graduate? How can he be so mean to his own blood? After all I did for him! I gave him a place to stay and he wants to make you a servant? No, Tobi! You must not do it! It is a disgrace!

Tobi looked at his mother. He saw the same pride that had ruined them. He saw the same ideas that had made him weak.

Mom, stop, Tobi said. His voice was firm. He is not being mean. He is being fair. I have a degree, but I do not know how to do anything. Seyi is giving me a chance to learn. He is giving me a chance to earn our bread. I signed the paper, Mom. I am going to be the janitor.

Clara started to cry. But this time, the tears were different. They were not the loud, angry tears of before. They were quiet tears. She looked at her son and she saw that he was changing. She saw that he was finally growing up. She realized that her "prince" was finally becoming a man.

I am sorry, Tobi, she whispered. I am so sorry that I made it so hard for you to be a man.

Tobi hugged her. It is okay, Mom. We are going to start again. We are starting from the bottom. But this time, we are going to do it the right way.

Clara leaned her head on Tobi’s shoulder. She felt a great weight lift off her heart. For many years, she had been carrying the weight of lies and secrets. She had been trying to build a fake life for Tobi. Now, the fake life was gone. There was only the truth. And the truth felt like relief. She cried because she was happy that they did not have to pretend anymore. They were poor, but they had hope.

That night, they shared a small piece of bread. It was the last bit of food they had. But they did not feel sad. Tobi looked at his alarm clock. He set it for five o'clock. He wanted to make sure he was at the gate before the sun came up.

Tobi felt a "spark of purpose" after signing the paper. Why do you think working as a janitor gave him a better feeling than having a degree he didn't work for?

Seyi told Tobi that he was like a "tree with no roots." What are some ways that people can build strong roots in their own lives?

Clara cried tears of relief. Why is it sometimes better to face a hard truth than to live a comfortable lie?

Do you think it was right for Seyi to make Tobi a janitor, or should he have given him an easier job because they are family?

The First Step on a Long Road!

Tobi has made the biggest decision of his life! He has traded his pride for a mop and a bucket. He is finally ready to learn what it means to work! But as Tobi prepares for his first day, a hidden enemy is waiting in the shadows. A new danger is moving toward Seyi, and it might be too big for him to handle alone!