Chapter 3 3. Company Lunch

While navigating my internal dialogues, somebody calls my name.

"Victor, Victor", it was Mr. Manuel

"Ntate", I replied, Ntate is a respectful word meaning father in Setswana which is Mr. Manuel's home language

"Are you coming?" he asked

"Where? What is happening?", I enquired

"It's lunch time, they are waiting for us", he said

"OH, yes Ntate, let's go", I got up and locked my laptop screen and followed Mr. Manuel.

When we got to the kitchen there was already a queue, managers who sat downstairs were already dishing up. Usually, Finance is at the front because our office is just next door to the executive's kitchen, and it is opposite the executive's Boardroom.

The food smelled amazing, it's a buffet and I was feeling hungry and drained. It's company culture that on the last Thursday of each month, lunch is served at our head office because all senior site managers come to head office to report on their production figures as well as challenges they might be facing.

So today it was a full house because the company has 5 different sites, 3 are coal mines, 1 is a manganese mine and 1 is a newly acquired coal processing plant. Everybody that is part of decision making for the company was here. Usually on these Thursdays I don't eat breakfast because I know I am going to have a big lunch. I normally dish up and take my food and eat at my desk, so that I can eat while being productive with something even if it was catching up on market updates.

Today was a different day emotionally for me, I opted to stay around like everybody else. I felt like I needed to be around people just to distract my mind because I knew I had to figure out how I was going to start doing a root cause analysis, as though looking at people or being around people will immediately give light and answers to my internal dialogues.

It was my turn to dish up, food looked and smelled amazing or maybe it was hunger speaking. There were 3 varieties of starches, pap or porridge, rice and samp. 3 varieties of meat, beef stew, roasted chicken and braai (barbecue meat) and wors (sausage). Then there were 3 types of salads, creamy spinach, potato salad and green salad. Then finally there were 5 varieties of sodas.

I opted for samp, beef stew, braai wors, creamy spinach and green salad, please don't judge me I needed some serious energy levels and poured myself a glass of stoney ginger beer.

Since I was one of the last people to dish up, most seats were taken but there was a vacant seat next to Sepp's mother, I went to take a seat next to her. Remember it was very common for the Bosses' family to be around the office, our company was more of a family business.

"Sawubona Mama", I greeted, meaning Hello mother

"Yebo ndodana", she replied "Hi son"

She was dressed in a black and white church uniform, with a black hat. As somebody who grew up at church myself, I know that Thursdays are devoted to woman's fellowship. Every black township when you drive around you will see woman dressed up according to the dress code of their Christian denominations on Thursdays.

"How was church ma?", I asked

"It was good my son, there's nothing as

Wonderful as fellowship. The Bible says, I was glad when they said let's go to the House of the Lord", replied the old lady

"Amen", I exclaimed!

"We are praying a lot these days, Sepp's sister visited by a Prophet of God, that she only saw for the first time, and he warned her that we need to pray because things are not going well in the business", said the Bosses' mother

"Aw ma, when was this?", I asked

"Two weeks ago, but the devil is a liar", the old lady affirmed

"You should eat, your food is getting cold, Hmm I really enjoyed the stew, enjoy the food son I have to go and speak to Yolanda before I go"

"Okay, bye ma", I said

I was so dumb struct; I was like a chicken that was poured with cold water. I held my composure and ate my food. What was surprising to observe as I looked around, is that it was business as usual all around from those seated inside the kitchen as well as those seated outside the balcony. People were all smiling and sharing jokes. I was seated outside by the shade on the balcony and 4 of the ladies who attended the meeting with me earlier in the morning were seating together, sharing jokes, laughing and giving each other high fives.

I couldn't help but reflect on what the old lady said, as much as I was feeling down, I felt encouraged that at least there was a private army that was fighting privately. I guess it is true that behind every successful man there's a woman behind. Not only did Sepp have a wife for support but his mother and sister were there also.

It was a paradigm shift for me that business success takes the involvement of one's entire family, genuine love and care.

Suddenly I had this light bulb switching on moment of realizing that protection by itself it's a blessing any blessing impacts household of the one blessed, then it trickle to family members, then to neighbors, then to community, then to the whole town, then to the province, then to the entire country, then to the continental region and eventually to the rest of the globe.

Today we have people working hard at space missions which will change the history of our existence as a human species, simply because one person received a blessing to take the initiative.

"Bye, see you tomorrow ", Patricia said

"Bye, have a great evening", Victor

"Tomorrow is another day, will try again tomorrow ", said Mr Manuel

"Have a great evening Ntate", Victor

A call came through my desk landline, it was from the security guard at the gate

"Ola, your transport is here", thanks I am on my way. I packed my laptop and went home.