Hushed Echoes

He kept on checking until he finally came in contact with what he had anticipated, there was a vacant post In a petroleum company, a leading multinational oil company, and it was written there in the paper that interested applicant should forward their application within one week from the date of the publication.

Marco got up instantly and took the remaining cash left from the bread he bought this morning, put on his shirt and was about going out when Carolyn saw him.

“Where are you going to?” She demanded.

“I want to quickly buy a foolscap paper outside there, I will be right back”

Within a second he ran outside and approached the provision seller, asking for two foolscap papers, when he had obtained the paper, he scurried back into the room as if he was being chased by someone, he sat back on the chair, panting and sweating.

“What is the problem?” Carolyn asked.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“There is no problem” Marco replied, using the edge of his shirt to wipe the sweat off his face.

“Then why are you feeling uneasy” Carolyn asked again.

Marco’s eyes grew wide and his lips twisted into a broad edifying smile, it was a smile of seriousness and without looking at her he have her an effusive reply.

“I don’t have to take it easy atall, infact I just came across a job opportunity in the paper, so I want to write my application letter without delay”

“That is fine, but you don’t have to write it with tension, take it easy, relax and take your time before writing”.

“Thanks for the advice” Marco said courteously.

Marco found Carolyn’s advice very useful, she was absolutely right, it was not that Marco did not realize the importance of having to be calm when it comes to writing application letters, but his anxiety were precipitated by sheer excitement, in his inner mind he had longed for information concerning any job he could possibly lay his hands on as he had become so desperate.

Maybe it did not matter much when he first arrived Accra, but now it had become a matter of urgency, especially now that Carolyn had arrived, in the distance corner of his heart, he felt it was inappropriate to continue living with them in their matrimonial home.

It would have been a different case if it was just Fred and himself alone, but now things would absolutely not be thesame again. Though Carolyn appear to be a nice person, at least for the few hours he had been with her, but one cannot determine the depth of a river by watching it from it’s bank.

Marco decided that he still needed time to observe Carolyn characters before he could pass his judgement, only if she could remain the same person she had proved herself to be in the past few hours, however he was confident that he was suitable for the job, if nothing else matters, the quality of his university degree was something that would give him an edge.

But was it not that same formidable degree that had denied him an employment for over four years after graduation? Everywhere hebwent to, people gave him a pat on the back for obtaining such an excellent degree, Yes! that was a pat on the back and nothing more.

Apart from that the next statement that would always come out of their mouth had been, ” sorry there is no vacancy yet” .

How was he sure that this time around the statement was going to be different?.

As Marco started writing, a conviction settled in his mind, it gave him the assurance that he was bound to make it at that point in time, what really baffles bhim was that he had never been so confident before, ever since he started writing application letters.

Nevertheless, he had been writing application letters for the past four years, to the extent that he would just tease himself that If he had compiled all those letters and had taken them for publication, he would have become a multimillionaire.

Alas! Since that was not possible for him to do, he would have to continue writing until the day his dream would become a reality.

Marco was going through the battle of his life, he had finished writing but was not satisfied with his handwriting, looking at the paper intently he felt the need to rewrite it, he dropped the first one, picked the second paper and began to write again.

When he eventually finished, he made a comparison between the two and concluded that the second one was more presentable than the first one.

He placed it neatly on the table and was going to get his curriculum vitae when Carolyn came in, he quickly seize that opportunity to enquire from her where he could possibly make a photocopy.

“There is a photocopy shop in the next street, you can do it there, but it’s already 5:30pm now, they would have closed for the day, why not wait till tomorrow morning? after all you are going to submit the application tomorrow” Carolyn replied and smile warmly at him.

“Okay, if that’s the case, I will do it tomorrow” he returned everything back into the room and kept them safely. Carolyn called him from the sitting room and he came out looking composed.

“Are you not hungry?”

“Iam as hungry as a lion”

“Then get ready to have your meal, I have just finished cooking”

“Oh! I will eat the leftover food in the pot”.

“I cannot allow you eat that food anymore, it’s so tasteless, I know that was Fred’s little effort, anyways he tried, some men don’t even know how to put pot on the fire” she remarked, laughing loudly.

“You had better not underestimate us at all, remember that there are still some good cooks around” Marco responded.

“I know, but those ones are purely professionals”.

“You are beginning to sound like a genius” Marco flattered her and say back on the chair to relax for a while.

Carolyn bought in the food and placed it infront of marco, his mouth began to salivate when he perceived the aroma of the soup.

“You make me remember my mother” Marco said, getting ready to do justice to the food.

“Easy Marco, Iam still very young and have not started making babies, how come Iam now being compared to your mother?”

They both laughed at the same time, Marco settled down to consume the sumptuous meal in the plate before him, a meal such as this would not have taken him up to one minute to finish, but Carolyn presence forced him to observe some table manners, which he had abandoned for a long time.