CHAPTER THREE – THE WORKERS
The afternoon sun hung high above the auto repair shop as apprentices gathered for lunch under a shaded corner of the compound. They joked and argued noisily, hands busy with food smeared in grease and oil.
A skinny, bald, dark-skinned man approached them someone clearly above their rank.
"Orga Julius, this one you still dey around so?" one apprentice teased.
"Belike everything don settle for headquarters!"
Laughter erupted.
Orga Julius smiled and shook his head.
"Boss never still call me. Belike Osas dey handle the bookkeeping well."
A young apprentice clearly new, leaned forward with curiosity.
"Headquarters? Which headquarters?"
Destiny, a senior apprentice in his late twenties, laughed softly.
"Oga Julius na supervisor for this company. This place na just branch. The real owner dey headquarters. When I first come here, I sef wonder say which kind repair shop be this — bookkeeper, secretary, supervisor — and everywhere neat pass any workshop wey I ever see."
The young boy whistled.
"Ha! That boss go dey rich well-well oh!"
Julius exhaled deeply.
"E no be as e dey look so. The man suffer plenty. Before na just one small shop he get. He dey trek go from place to place to fix motor. na only him sabi key work that time. Nobody know say as he dey hustle so, he dey plan. Money wey him get, he dey save am , unlike some of us wey don tie family matter for neck or dey waste cash anyhow."
Destiny nodded.
"One big auto company later hire am after dem see him work. From there everything just begin shine. He become supervisor, salary big. He no dey sleep for work. From there he build his first shop after one year another shop follow. Then spare parts business join. Now, na wholesale him come get hire people around. God just bless am."
The new apprentice shook his head in awe.
"Wow… the Orga still dey come here sef?"
"Yeah but not every time," Destiny replied.
The conversation was cut short when the secretary hurried over to Orga Julius.
"Orga Julius we have a customer come see his car"
Orga Julius left with the secretary to attend the Clients.
Destiny Continued still wanting to tell them everything about the boss.
"I know am now. Well well sef. He even teach me some things about cars make Orga Julius nor know."
"Na so?"
"Yes na"
Destiny replied with a grin.
"Afar see those guys car" Ayomide said pointing at the customers who just came down off the BM
"Damn, na Yahoo boys they go be oh" Destiny said
Yes na , watin before?
The boys continued their lunch as they discussed over the new customers.