Reborn

Chapter 8

The year was 2006, I was 23 and working for a butchery chain. I so loved my job. It was a

bit icky sometimes (that's what the other girls said) but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I started

with them when I was 21 and this was my third year with them. They had quite a few

branches around Durban and I had the privilege of working at all of them. I worked for

amazing people and worked with a lot of amazing people.

I remember going for the interview and the owner looked at me suspiciously. He wanted

to know how a pretty girl like me was going to manage in a butchery. I said that I would. I

was taken aback a bit. That was the first time I was judged on my looks. I asked him to

elaborate. He then proceeded to tell me that he doesn't mean to judge me or sound

harsh but I look a bit too refined to work in a butchery. Off course I wanted to know

exactly what he meant by that.

He answered willingly. He described me as being pretty, refined. He said that he could

see that I came from a good home. I am well spoken; I have manners and a lot of respect.

He described me as being a cut above the rest and said blatantly that he doesn't see

someone like me surviving in a job like this.

I then told him that it's unfair to judge me without knowing who I am. He asked me what I

would do if he had to ask me to mop the floors. I told him that I wouldn't just mop the

floor, I would go down on my hands and knees and scrub it too. I guess that was a good

enough answer for him. He told me that they will get in touch with me. I didn't think I

would get it but I did.

Now, I had to prove to all these people that I'm not just another pretty face. I was on a

mission here and after a while, he realised that he had made the right choice. I proved to

him and everyone else that I was a hard worker. After that whenever one of the stores

didn't have staff, they always requested me. I became a chick to be reckoned with and

that was good. I needed to prove my worth and I did.

My employers were really amazing people. People always say that you shouldn't work for

Indian people. But here where my employers proving the stereotype wrong. They were

simply wonderful people. They took care of all their employees and treated us all like

family. I never thought that I would enjoy the working world but I did. And I guess I

always thought I would be working in an office somewhere but I'm glad I found this one.

I've never been happier.

We worked really long hours but it was so worth it. I enjoyed working under pressure and

being busy all the time.