Ephemeral Nature of Happiness |- Creative Nonfiction Prompt #58

"Can life be fun without being happy?" It was a question I believed I had an answer to when I commenced working at Emac Global during my university years. The working environment was a welcoming one, the manager and other fellow staff made the company a place to call home because of the team spirit and collaboration. The spark of my desire for a part-time job was fueled by the need to cope with the excessive expenses that come with being a student.

The prospect of finding a company willing to accept me seemed bleak as many companies believed employing a student leads to lack of efficiency and commitment but my determination drove me to persist. My application letters laid on various office tables, yet the expected call-ups remained elusive. Disappointment fueled my persistence until the last attempt.

Then, a breakthrough: "Vacancy! Vacancy!! Vacancy!!! Workers needed immediately." Boldly typed on a plain white sheet, it became my beacon of hope. I hastily copied the number, called the company for more information, and meticulously wrote an application, attaching my Curriculum Vitae. Emac Global was easy to locate, and upon entering, the receptionist, a beautiful young lady, welcomed me with a flier for their services.

"Welcome to Emac Global," she said without further ado, taking my application to submit to the manager's office. Within a two-week interval, all applicants were called for an interview. Grace and favor seemed to be on my side as I found myself among the ten newly hired employees.

Assigned to the storage department, my responsibilities included labeling and storing chemicals. Paired with two guys and three girls, we functioned as a cohesive team. We were all working in oneness, taking our work seriously, avoiding gossip and standing in for absent colleagues without the manager's notice.

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My self-reserved nature, however, didn't escape the manager's observation; he found my quiet lifestyle attractive and complimented me. The attitude of the fellow team members was encouraging but unexpected tables turned.

As camaraderie flourished, jealousy brewed among the females in my department. They never spoke up, dwelling in assumptions and acting like nothing was wrong whenever I was around. Mr Kenneth, the manager was a kind person but promiscuous.

The manager made advances but I objected and he understood that and that didn't stop his act of kindness and accommodating lifestyle which fostered a comfortable work environment for me and for other workers.

One day, our after work gathering took an unexpected turn when accusations from my manager's wife echoed aggressively through the office. My boss' wife from the little I know is a cool person but difficult to work with which made her husband open her own business for her. Working in, she aggressively grabbed my white dress, accusing me vehemently. Despite my attempts to explain, I received a resounding slap. Respecting her position as my boss's wife, I weathered the storm.

The news was that I'm trying to lure my boss into loving and having an affair with him. Being a closed office, once I'm inside the office, they seat back and gossip about something tricky going on inside. It was a scene I didn't enjoy, the embarrassment and the humiliation but I allowed it to slide.

As the boss intervened, he summoned his wife and I to the office. Trying to clear his name and mine. His wife was adamant which at the end, left the office in vexation. The aftermath led me to tender my resignation, realizing the ephemeral nature of happiness.
The encounter helped me realized that happiness cannot last forever, situations can make the one happy moment turn sour leaving inedible mark.

Since combining education with part-time job was giving me some emotional stress, I had to put my head up and concentrate on my studies.

Shifting focus to education the financial struggle but back and that change my decision, I made a new decision of embracing online opportunities, venturing into affiliate marketing and spot trading. Though still in touch with some former colleagues from Emac Global, those from my turbulent department were completely out of my life for good.

It was up to four months after I stopped working there that I heard the troubles going on in the company. Lots of vices that led to the temporal shut down of Emac Global. Soon after, I learned of a colleague being pregnant for Mr Kenneth, leading her to leave the state due to shame. Despite the boss accepting responsibility, his wife prevented another woman from entering their marital home.