I AM JOBLESS [PAGE 6]

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5...

I barely slept. The thought of her kept me up all night. I guess I read out that name ‘Mo Johnson’ over a hundred times. Call it obsession, I really don’t care; but there’s something about this woman I just can’t lay my hands on nor wrap my mind around. Was she afraid I could harm her and yet courageous enough to let me stay in her office to talk? Was she harsh but kind? What is this woman and why is this preacher lady so different?

She wants to help me but if I took her job, she may become my boss and I will never have the chance to take her out, date her and maybe understand who she really is. On the other hand, if I didn’t, I’ll remain jobless. It’s 6.45am and she’d be expecting my call at 7am; what should I do?

I fiddled a bit with with the card, and very deep in thought right now. Another look at the card, I muttered, for maybe the one hundred and thirtieth time, “Mo Johnson”.  It’s 7am on the dot. I held my phone... should I call or should I not...

CONTINUED IN THE MOVIE...

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OPEN RUSH (I AM JOBLESS) By Ekene Sean

A WORK-IN-PROGRESS MOVIE COMING SOON  |WATCH OUT FOR THIS MOVIE | THIS MOVIE  WILL BLOW YOUR MIND | FULL OF SUSPENSE | THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL LOVE STORY 

I AM JOBLESS [PAGE 5]

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4...

I didn't tell you, but when I really need to relax, I smoke. Yeah, say it, "bla bla bla...your lungs, your liver... you'd die young..." That's your problem; but a stick of cigarette does the job and right now, I need that. If she doesn't like it, she'd say so. I'm just going to dip my hand in my pocket and bring out my pack. You never can tell, she may smoke with me. "Do you mind me smoking in your office?" I asked. "Do you always smoked when you see people in their office?" She quizzed. "Is that 'no' or a 'yes'?", intending to have my way. "If it makes you happy, by all means, light up", she said. I said, "thanks", already going for my lighter.

"So, what does a Jobless Rush do all day?"She asked me. I froze for a moment, trying to digest the straight-to-the-point-question. "That's harsh, the way you put it; 'Jobless Rush', you don't have to say it like that", I replied. "Really, don't I?", she questioned. "Did you come here to hear the truth about yourself or to be pampered like you've got everyone doing in the last...how many years of your life?" She asserted.

Ok, that's definitely an annoying way to talk to a man. This lady just spoke to me like she knows anything about me. Why on earth is she talking to me like my grandmother. I spoke up, "Is this how harshly you talk to people when they come to see you?"  "It's only harsh if the truth worries you. There's nothing I said that you didn't say first. Maybe you just don't like the sound of it coming from someone else."  She said. Ok, this is interesting, now, this is a new twist to this sweet looking woman. Maybe she not so sweet, after all. "You won't understand, you probably have never been jobless all your life" I said, still holding my unlit cigarette. "What's not to understand about being jobless. It's simple enough to be understand by a child. It just means you wake up and decide not to be useful to anyone till nightfall and then you go to bed and repeat the same thing the next day. So, what's not to understand about being jobless." She questioned.

Wow, this woman is walking dagger. She is bow and arrow in one. I shouldn't say this, but I've never been more insulted in my life. Right now, I have lost my desire for a smoke. I think she's evil. If I remembered correctly, from a couple of stories I heard about Jesus; he was a kind, loving fellow and tender with people. This lady, whatever her name is, has no kindness in her. She is rude. She is heartless and harsh.

"But I can help you get a job if you're serious about getting one." She mumbled. I Don't think I heard right. "What did you say?" I asked. "You heard me, if you're serious about getting a job, I'd help". She said. My brain disk felt like it was spinning out of balance. 'Confused'; I guess is what it's called when you think you're clear about something but you're not. Do I want this lady to help me? Do I want anything from someone who's able make me lose my smoke appetite in one statement? Do I really want anything to do with this woman? She stood up from her chair and before I could think I was up too. She said, "I take your silence to mean you're not serious about getting a job..." I broke in, "But I'm serious, I'm very serious but I will..." She picked her jacket, pulled out a card and handed me. "That's my number on the card, call me at 7am, tomorrow; we'll see what happens from there" . She escorted me through her office to the door. "I'll be expecting your call at 7am tomorrow. Goodnight". As she closed the door, she said with a smile, "I hope you'll call".

I stood there for a bit, wondering what happened in there; still clutching my cigarette, I dropped it. Her voice kept ringing in my head; "I hope you'll call". That voice again. Who is this woman? I held her business card up and read her name loud, "Dr Mo Johnson".

TO BE CONTINUED...

I AM JOBLESS [PAGE 4]

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3...

I entered the office but she wasn't there. I looked around, curious at the photos on the wall. "Please make yourself comfortable, you may sit ...will join you in a moment". That's her voice from another room, I'm guessing; the ladies or balcony maybe. Her voice has a ring to it, not sure how to explain it, though. One gets a sense of laughter to her cadence; like she would smile after speaking. I could still hear that tone even without seeing her face. I thought I observed it the last time I visited her church; almost like her voice is saying something more than what was said. "Oh no, you don't think I'm trying to imply she wants anything from me? Oh dear, how could you be this shallow. I wasn't thinking that. I was just saying her voice is different." And these photos and trophies all over the wall. What is this woman?

"I see you're busy" I spun around to her voice in the room. 'Blank', I believe is what they call it, when you know you have to say something but nothing comes out and you try to smile but your face isn't responding either. "Are you ok?" She asked, "Uhhmm yes, I am very fine" Wow! This woman is fine. I know you don't get the half of what I just said until you see her. Who wears sleeveless in the office? I think I'm just going to ask her out now. It's got to be now or never; we're all by ourselves in this office, it doesn't get any better than this. "Please, sit down. So, what brought you here?" I wish I could tell this preacher lady everything in my head right now. But my mouth said, "In church, the other day, I heard you say that nothing is impossible with Jesus"

A light tap on the door, the Secretary enters with a glass of water. "Do you care for water", the preacher asked. "No, thanks", I said. "Would that be all, Pastor?", asked the secretary. "Yes that'd be all for the day. "Are all the CCTV's working properly?" The secretary looked up in surprise, "What CC..." The preacher quickly interrupted her, "...Ok, that's fine, that'd be all for the day. The CCTV's are working, ok. Goodnight Gladys". The secretary was as confused as can be. She walk out of the office wondering what her boss was talking about; without saying a word further, I could see that her face was asking the question, "what CCTV, boss?"

Let me quickly tell you something about me before I continue; I may be JOBLESS, I may have a strange name called RUSH, and I may have jumped into the swimming pool to save a drowning girl, not being a good swimmer myself all because I need a job; but one thing I am not; is, a fool. I can tell from the last exchange between this preacher and her secretary that there's no CCTV anywhere close by. She said that because of me; I can tell. She wants me to believe someone is watching. She doesn't even feel safe. O.M.G, she thinks I could be a criminal or a crazy person. Can you believe that?

"You were saying...", she prompted. But Inside, I'm trying to make up my mind between getting out of this damn place and staying to just talk regardless of the outcome. "You said, you were in church the other day..." She continued. "Yes, yes...uhmm, I was in your church...", I said. "You seem a little distracted, are you ok?" She asked. I tried to talk but what came out was the weirdest thing ever, "It's late, let me go now. Hopefully, we'll do this another day." I didn't even mean to say that. But her reply caught me off guard. "It's ok. Start by telling me you name and what you do".

I exhaled. I thought she isn't feeling safe. And maybe she isn't but she was going to let me sit in her office and talk to her. Anyway, I looked her in the eye as I am the man in the room, and said, "my name is RUSH, and for what I do, I am JOBLESS". "'RUSH', I like your name... wow, I really do like your name, Rush". She commented. 

Again, I can hear that thing in her voice that sounds like there's more to what she's saying. What's going on?

TO BE CONTINUED...

I AM JOBLESS [PAGE 3]

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2...

I sat there waiting for the preacher. I was told she'd be done in about 45 minutes; a glance at the wall clocks tells me it's already 63 minutes 35 seconds since I started waiting. I really should go. Sincerely, I don't think she could help me anyway. I thought she had it all together, but of course, she's got her own troubles. Who knows what more troubles she's got besides a sick father who needs more than one straight hour of phone call . Where is Jesus? I thought she said Jesus could do anything.

The office, although not so large is tastefully designed and decorated. By now, I'm on the eighty seventh count of the ceiling boards. There are twenty two bulbs; one of them slightly out of place, a little adjustment to the right will do the job. I think I'm beginning to get really hungry. The ceiling color at the time I entered this office was white, now it's turning yellow and my last round of bulb count was twenty three. I guess I'm beginning to see double. Waiting this long will get anyone seeing double. I've counted the ceiling, the bulbs, the tiles, the patterns on the sofa and everything else. "Bored"; I need something else to count; I might as well leave now.

The secretary seem polite but too busy to pay me any attention. She's perhaps in her late 20's. She had asked me if I had an appointment; I said, "no". She asked what it as about. I replied, "personal". She seemed to be used to people not revealing the reason they came to see the preacher. Maybe I should have told her, she may have spared me all the counting exercises by telling me something like, "sorry, Jesus doesn't give jobs, stupid".

"She will see you now" I was too immersed in my thoughts to hear. The secretary repeated, "she'd see you now, you can go in". "Oh really? Yeah...for sure," I stuttered, hoping I was really sure about what I came here to do. My heart pounds; is this visit about my JOBLESSNESS situation or about this beautiful preacher?

TO BE CONTINUED... 

I AM JOBLESS [PAGE 2]

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1...

All I wanted was to see the preacher about my joblessness; she said Jesus could give me a job. You remember the lady preacher I told you about, the last time? Okay, let me explain, I'm not here to see her because of what she said about Jesus saving me. Honestly, I don't know what I need to be saved from. As a matter of fact, if there's anything needing saving from right now in my life, it'd be this crazy joblessness.

To tell you the truth, I am not a church going person, I really don't care about all that clapping and shouting and God and Jesus and what is the other stuff that make them speak that language that no one understands? Oh yes, they call him 'Holy Spirit'. However, for the sake of my joblessness, I don't mind coming to see this preacher. Despite my dislike for churches, this preacher looks believable and she's undeniably beautiful too; I mean, touch-down beautiful. You should see her. I don't know why anyone would be wasting such fine figure and pretty face in a church. In my opinion, that figure and face belong to the club or some crazy successful magazine, or perhaps a giant billboard somewhere in NYC. I'm guessing we're about the same age, and I don't think she's married either.

By the way, just this afternoon, I ran into the little girl from the other day; the one I tried to save from drowning in the swimming pool during my swimming pool attendant job interview. I wished there was somewhere to hid. She must have told her friends how we both almost drowned while I was trying to save her. I wondered what the giggling was about. "Childish crazy children, it'll all make sense how difficult it is to get a job when you're grown", just thinking. Whatever. Anyway, I really don't care anymore. I decided to take swimming lessons after that terrible incident, just in case.

So, here I am at the preacher's office. I've been told I must wait for at least 45 minutes before I can see her as she is on phone with her sick father. Wow! Now, tell me something, I thought she's got it all figured out. A sick father with all the talk about everything being possible? Wow! What am I doing here?

TO BE CONTINUED...

I AM JOBLESS [PAGE 1]

My name is Rush and I'm JOBLESS. (See, I had to type 'JOBLESS' in Caps because I didn't want you to miss it. I want you to understand this, no matter what else you see, if I can't get you to see 'JOBLESS', then this text is all but a waste) So, yes, I'm JOBLESS. (Ok, sorry, I said that already)

Moving on; I asked myself a couple of questions; questions like: what can I do? What special skills do I possess? Can I sell? Can I design websites? Can I sing? It turned out that I have been very true to my name, 'Rush'. I have without doubt rushed through life these thirty one and half years without becoming particularly good at anything.

I'm thinking; maybe if I looked deeper within, I may find something I'm good at. How about gaming? Well, my friends always beat me even at that, so, not really. Ok, I thought I'd probably pass as 'good' at speaking, but not really. I realize my few friends don't even take me seriously when I speak. What have I done with my self these past years? It seems like I can't account for my life; as if some else lived it for me.

Out of boredom, I visited a church beside my house, the preacher was a lady. I heard her say say that Jesus died to save us. I wondered what he died to save us from? She also said Jesus could give me a job. I wish it's true, I just want a job.

I almost got a job last week; nothing serious though. I was suppose to work as a swimming pool attendant, the only problem was, on my interview day, it happened that some kid was drowning. I was told to jump in and save her. Yes, I did jump in, and yes, I did try to save her. It turned out we both started drowning because I was not that good enough a swimmer to help another drowning swimmer. So, a real attendant jumped into the water to save both me and the little girl. I was embarrassed, thankful and still desperate for a job, all at the same time. I've never had such conflicting emotions before in my life.

It's been 2 weeks, 3 days and 14 hours since the swimming pool episode and I still haven't got a job. I'm thinking about going back to the preacher lady, maybe she could explain how Jesus does his job placement thing. 

My name is Rush, I'm still JOBLESS and I won't stop till a get a job.

TO BE CONTINUED...