Bruno fixed his eyes on the wall painting, the artwork had some words written at the bottom of it.
He stood from his seat and slowly moved closer to the wall just to know what was written there.
"The world is a stage, make it yours", a female voice said from behind.
"Oh, thank you ma", Bruno replied as he returned to the seat.
He readjusted his bow tie as he stood in front of the young lady
.
"Good morning ma, I am the job applicant you told to come today for feedback", Bruno gave a faint smile even though he was nervous.
"I remember you very well. I was at the head office not long ago and I am sorry they can't take you in", Miss Wunmi replied and Bruno's reaction made her feel pity for him.
He placed his head on the desk and was sobbing already.
She continued, " Mr. Bruno, I am truly sorry. I know how you feel passing all the tests and still not getting the job. You are an ambitious person and this shouldn't weigh you down because soon, things will fall in place for you".
Bruno managed to get out of the seat he sank into after the bad news was broken to him and left the office. He went back to ask why he was rejected but Miss Wunmi didn't have a response.
A lot of thoughts crossed his mind and ending his life was the top on the list.
"Who would say I haven't tried?", Bruno murmured as he was trekking home in the hot sun.
He continued, " a widow did everything possible so I can be educated, get a job and take care of her but it's the other way round. I graduated with good results but no one is ready to employ me and after everything, I still have to depend on that woman for survival".
Bruno broke into tears and decided to sit under a tree to hide from the sun. He was there for a while, his legs were too weak to move the rest of his body. He was about to leave late in the evening when he noticed a woman struggling with her vehicle on the other side of the road.
"Should I help check the vehicle or not?", Bruno was contemplating when his phone rang and it was his mother.
I should better head home, mom must be very worried about my whereabouts.
"Hello mom, I am on my way. Let me not waste your airtime, I will be home soon", he didn't allow his mom to say anything before he ended the call.
He started his journey home but his mind kept going back to the woman struggling with her vehicle.
Bruno couldn't ignore what he saw earlier so he went back.
"Evening madam, what's wrong with your vehicle?", he asked.
The woman raised her head and it turned out to be Miss Wunmi, the CEO of the recruitment agency that was helping Bruno to get a job.
"Mr. Bruno, our paths crossed again", she said with a surprised look.
"Do you live in this neighborhood? You have left my place a long time ago and I am surprised you are still here", she continued.
"I slept off while resting under the tree over there, I didn't know it was you but my mind kept telling me to return and help", Bruno replied.
He removed his jacket and started checking the vehicle, it took him some time before finding what the problem was.
It wasn't something he couldn't do without getting a new part to replace the damaged one so he suggested they push the vehicle to a safe place and he will fix it the next day.
Miss Wunmi didn't have a choice since it was late and they departed after finding a safe place for the car.
Bruno arrived first the next day with his tools and Miss Wunmi was surprised he got there earlier. She gave him money to get the parts and in a twinkle of an eye, the vehicle was in a good condition again.
Miss Wunmi was surprised that he was very good at it. She gave him money but he turned it down and went his way.
A few weeks later, Miss Wunmi called Bruno to fix someone's car and he was paid well after the job. He got called again several times and he was happy about it. He got a gift for her from the money he made so far and she was touched by his kind act.
She invited him over to her house on her birthday and introduced him to her uncle who was into selling cars.
Bruno shared his knowledge with him and Uncle Kola was wowed. He tried pressing a few buttons with his connection but he couldn't get anything done.
Bruno left the party disappointed and Miss Wunmi knew exactly how he felt.
The next day, she went to look for him with the address on his CV. Wunmi met his mother but Bruno was out job hunting again.
Wunmi checked the environment and saw opportunities that Bruno wasn't seeing.
"Let's have dinner", she texted him while leaving his neighborhood.
They met later that night and Wunmi suggested the possibility of starting a mechanic workshop on his mother's remaining land.
"That's a good idea, but I need money to get things started", Bruno emphasized his condition.
Wunmi agreed to help him with a loan and he started work a few weeks later.
Things were slow from the onset but Wunmi didn't stop helping him get big people and companies to fix their cars at his workshop. Soon, he became famous and big vehicle brands tried persuading him to become their staff in that town but he turned down the offers.
Wunmi wasn't happy with his decision because it was his dream to work with big brands and she didn't understand why he turned them down.
Bruno pushed for being their business partner instead of working as a staff, and they agreed to his demand.
He got a bigger workshop in the heart of the city and he became more famous than he was before. At the opening ceremony of his new workshop, he advised people to always create opportunities even when the world denies them one.
He dedicated his success to his mother and Wunmi who later became his wife.
Every time Bruno shared his story with people, he doesn't miss out on appreciating the two women who supported his ambition in life.