Foolish Competition
Sand got into Bavawala’s eyes as he stood by the road side waiting for a motorbike that would rush him to his appointment with his friend, Lwazi. Being out like this was rare, given that he had been recruited in a foreign country where he knew only a handful of people. Life had been interesting so far, as he had been hired to start a brand-new department from scratch. Although he did not have the qualifications that his boss, Hawa, had required, he was hopeful that he would be able to wade through and satisfy the demanding boss.
Bavawala had been pleasantly surprised to receive a call from an old friend, Lwazi, a car dealer whom he (Bavawala) had met way back home, some four years ago. “I hear you are in town”, the friend had noted. “When can we link up?”
Bavawala had explained the intricacies of his job. “Man, we are working day and night here, trying to beat deadlines”, he had told Lwazi. “But I will try to see if I can slip away, one of these fine days”, he promised. And so, when Hawa got a trip upcountry, the boy decided to make the break.
Bavawala managed to get to Lwazi’s office in no time, having chosen to go during low-peak hours. The reunion was great, with the two young men catching up on several issues. Apparently, Lwazi had managed to survive in the country by selling cars from Japan. But Bavawala was mostly touched when Lwazi ridiculed his (Bavawala’s) decision to work for someone in a foreign country. “You cannot be that dumb, man…; you must earn something on the side, behind the boss’ back”, he winked mischievously. Bavawala was hesitant given that he had committed to work for the organisation and for them alone. But Lwazi laughed in unconcealed mockery, “Okay…, you continue…, but never say that I didn’t warn you!”
On the taxi back home, Bavawala was disturbed. He hardly had a house yet; yet Lwazi had shown him pictures of his double-storied bungalow back home. The weeks that followed were hectic for Bavawala as he became more and more unsettled by the fact that he could earn more money, if only he could break free of the chains that Hawa had bound him with.
The opportunity came the day Bavawala demanded for his salary, knowing full well that Hawa’s firm was experiencing severe financial doldrums. “Could you wait a bit”, the boss had requested, hoping that Bavawala would understand the circumstances that had led to the delay. “But I must be paid right now”, the boy insisted, with gross disrespect. “And, if that is not the case, then I have no option but to dash home..., I have to find other means of solving my problems”; he retorted arrogantly, making it clear that waiting was out of question. That was when Hawa had lashed out at Bavawala, complaining that the boy was very selfish, having chosen to travel when he knew that the company had a very urgent assignment, which only Bavawala could execute. “Why hold us at ransom?” Hawa quizzed, looking Bavawala straight in the eye. This did not go well with the boy.
In retaliation, he decided to abscond from duty the following morning, and head straight to Lwazi’s. “Nobody ever talks to me like that…, let them sweat looking for me…, they will search until they give up” he growled, switching off his phone with finality while swearing to punish Hawa by leaving the assignment hanging. “Have they forgotten that you are the one that has been making their company stand?” Lwazi snapped as a seething Bavawala paced up and down. “…means you have what it takes to start a company yourself. Remember, I told you man…” he concluded, patting Bavawala on the back.
During the days that followed, Bavawala had registered a business company, aiming to teach his ex-boss a lesson. Next, the boy borrowed funds from Lwazi; after which he deliberately purchased better equipment than what Hawa owned. “Now we shall see if the woman will be able to retain even ‘half a customer’” Bavawala would smile smugly, each time he brought a new piece of equipment home.
When all was set, the boy hit the streets, visiting the ex-boss’ clients with the sole purpose of snatching business from his ex-employer. “See, our set-up is better than hers”, he would insist to Hawa’s customers. But being a stranger in a foreign land, and with no business training, Bavawala’s venture hardly took off. And, in just over a year, he had run bankrupt.
One of the things that drive such unforgivers is an inside voice: “they will see me”, or “today, I will show them”. But these ‘show-off’ inclinations have got a downside; for should one fail to keep up with an opponent’s flow, the offenders will definitely have the last laugh.