Due to my lack of an active social life I spend most holidays in my mom’s shop and most times she would not even turn up at all and I was left to be “shop manager” of the day, this was one of those days. It was a beautiful day; sales were quite brilliant , the salesgirls too were co-operating. Infact nothing could go wrong , money was being made-even though not a single shilling was mine, I was having fun.
Enter Mr. Igbo onitsha trader, I was writing out the receipt for a customer when he came in and laid his complain about his wife not liking his choice of goods bought. Shuo! Is it your wife that bought it? did you not like it before leaving here?but I was busy and I knew he was not here to give me money so I let one of the girls attend to him.
Midway into their convo I heard raised voices I ignored it as a little misunderstanding, but then Mr. Trader turned to me and started yelling. I was confused at how I entered the wahala, calmly I asked with a smile what the problem was and with ‘the customer is always right ‘ thing my mum quite generously embed in my mind I wasn’t going to make trouble.
But somehow it seemed like mr IOT was not getting my calm vibe as he went on ranting, see me standing there like someone pressed a mute button on me until the bombshell was dropped. Uncle IOT quite suddenly barked out “I DOES business too” and I’m like “what now” he repeats it so I’m sure it wasn’t some kind of mistake. He didn’t even give me the chance to utter a word but kept on emphasising that he does business and asking me – a graduate at the time if I had any form of tertiary education.
At this point I couldn’t hold my laughter anymore giving out occasional giggles because I didn’t want to infuriate him further to avoid other bombshells, there was only so much I could take.
Enter my mother/C.E.O she quickly shut him up pointing out how stupid he looked barking at somebody who only had a big smile plasterd on her face and who also was a graduate(at least almost-but that info was not for him) while adding that he should go home and sort his marital brouhaha, His money was refunded and he left after making a few mumbling apologies and explained how there’d be no peace in the house that day if he didn’t do her bidding as if it was my consign, mtchew.
Basically that day I learnt the need to exercise MORE levels of patience with some people because they’d definitely come at you to wear out your patience but don’t let them! Like the Penguins of Madagascar just smile and Wave 😀 Let that dog keep barking just don’t stoop to its level because you never know the personal battles they have going on with them . 🙂
Peace and Patience
MissEngineer 