Kids, when the year 2010 started I was in a rocky place (Sorry, for sounding like Bob Saget in ‘How I Met Your Mother’, but I really like his narrating style)..
Well, anyways, when the year 2010 started I was in a really bad place, as in, ‘I can’t take this anymore, I want to kill myself’ bad, yeah.. that’s right !!!
I was back in KFC, the one place on earth, I never wanted to go back.. I was working there for an year.. and then.. things got really bad for me.. so I quit… after an year of unemployment, I had to go back and ask them to give me my old job , because truly I didn’t have a choice… I thought… this is it.. I have hit the bottom of the rock… even thought about killing myself… but you know what.. things were just getting interesting… but later on that ..(see..again the Bob Saget thing)…
When the year started, the weather was changing in UK.. to the worst.. it was snowing in December… so by Jan the snow was melting to ice… it was horrible.. I was living at the top of a dead end road.. so everyday.. I had to walk down.. and I mean ..really down.. to go anywhere… normally it only takes me less than 5 mins to get down that hill.. but thanks to the ice.. it took me half an hour to get down… oh!! how sweet joy that was !!!... since I was working at that time… I had to go out of the house everyday.. dressed in layers… taking each step very carefully… somehow.. I managed to go and come back to wherever I want at that time… without falling down…
Weather changed.. new manager took charge at work… life was not so bad then… although I was depressed with the fact that I was not finding a job in my field… I got a couple of interviews.. eventhough I ‘preformed well’.. they just ‘decided to go the other way’.. whichever way that is…
Days passed… this new guy came to live at our house… the house I was living was a shared house.. it felt more like a hostel than a house as lots of people came and went and I stayed there for almost two years… I didn’t want to.. but again.. I didn’t have a choice.. anyways.. this guy was a wild one.. he didn’t really gel well with the herd which was present at that time… he created some problems with me… so I decided to move out of the house… started searching.. and searching some more… but nothing good came.. but that’s only because something better was on its way..
Summer came… As I wasted two of my summers .. one doing my dissertation and the other because of the unemployment thing.. I didn’t want to waste this summer.. so I decided to do some travelling.… so I went to Scotland as a b’day gift to myself… after three magical days of my life and more than 200 photographs later, I came back to reality.. and started house hunting… but as I was short of cash.. (because of all the travelling).. I couldn’t do anything on the matter.. as everyone started to ask both security deposit and one month rent in advance.. which came upto a good size amount.. that I couldn’t possibly afford at that moment.. so I decided to put my search onhold…
But this guy I was talking about was really starting to push my buttons.. it became unbearable to live with him under one roof.. it was either him or me.. as I am famous for running away from my problems.. I decided not to break the pattern and asked my colleague/friend to help me out.. and you know what.. she did.. she was living in a shared house with a live in landlord and she had a double room.. which she was willing to share with me.. so I moved in with her… I didn’t have to pay any advance and only had to pay half the rent compared to my previous place.. how come I didn’t do this earlier?? Then again.. everything happens when its time comes..
Going back to KFC, was one of the things I never wanted to do in my life… but now.. when I look back I am glad that I did.. because despite of the employment factor… the second time really worked out for me… I became good at the job.. got to meet and befriend some nice people… also met some really irritating and annoying people… who really managed their way to get under my skin… I evolved as a person.. developed some life skills (hence.. the everyday obsessive cleaning)... got the respect of some of my colleagues who thought I should stay and become a team leader.. but I was ready to jump out on the first bus I got… I cared about what I was doing there… I started to give it a cent percent effort… I proved myself that I am good at everything I do…
The summer was getting over… so I decided to visit India for a month.. because what I had in mind was.. my visa is going to expire in March… so if I apply for my visa in Feb and if it takes a long time to get processed .. like my room mate.. she gave her passport for processing like 2 years ago.. still hasn’t got it.. so I figured I will visit India now and come back before winter starts.. so even if it takes some time to get my passport back I wouldn’t regret it.. well.. have you heard the saying, ‘Man proposes and GOD disposes’… it is true !!!
By now.. I had the reputation of being one of the best staff in KFC… so I got my leave sanctioned.. booked my ticket .. went on a shopping spree… days before my departure I found out something about my bank account… it was empty.. only £35 left… I was shocked.. my jaws actually dropped… I mean.. this is the kind of thing you would expect to happen to someone other than yourself… I was in a bad place again… I needed money.. really bad… I didn’t wanted to do any overtime… I was exhausted as it is…. Besides… the rule is 'the more hours you work the more tax you pay'.. yeah.. that’s right !!!
Do you believe that when you are in absolute trouble, God sends someone to help you even if you think you have the situation totally under control ?? Well… I do… HE sent someone to help me at that critical moment of my life… it was none other than my room mate.. she offered to give me back my rent money and paid for some of my expenses till I left the country… I still owe her some money… which I will definitely pay her back…
So I packed my bags, came home and realised that I didn’t wanted to go back… I swear to GOD..if I had that file which contained my certificates I wouldn’t have gone back to UK.. true story…
After four weeks with my father.. I didn’t want to leave… everyone asked me to get a job here and stay and take care of my dad.. I told them .. “Well.. if nothing turns up until March, I will come back and stay”… guess again…
My holidays were getting over.. I was really sad to leave.. I felt like .. this home, the people and animals in it.. needs me… they need my love, my care, my attention and everything else I can offer them… and more than that... I need them too... then again… my inferiority complex got the best of it… I thought… who would want to be with a woman like me?? right.. I mean.. I am bad news as it is.... So I tried to ignore the fact that we need eachother… and prepared myself to get back to the Queen…
So I left home…reached the royals… had a bad experience with the immigration at the airport.. nothing much.. they were just plain rude… then again.. it is England.. rudeness is part of their culture.. joined back in the force.. one day later.. I realised.. this is not what I want to do with my life… I don’t want to stay here and do this anymore when I can live a much better life… so I called my father.. told him how I feel.. he asked me to come back… even offered to pay for my tickets… well.. frankly.. I was bankrupt.. remember… I was happy.. so I made a phone call to one of my old colleagues and asked her about any job vacancies.. even though there was a tiny hope in that area.. it all blew off really quickly…but that also happened for the better.. I told my boss that I am leaving for good… packed everything.. although I think I left my driving license there… hey.. what the heck.. I don’t drive anyways….
Within two weeks…. I was out of there… I am glad that I went back the second time… I got a chance to say proper goodbye to my friends… some of them even visited me at work … just to say bye… it was really nice of you guys to do that…
I left UK for good… reached home on the 18th of October… it was a Monday… really sick and tired of travelling… slept the whole day… was so happy to come back home … after 3 years of life revolting experiences.. I was back where I belong…
The very same day my father forced me to email my CV to an id his friend gave him… I did so… next day I got the interview call…. Long story short.. I joined in one of the finest schools in India the very next monday…
As the year is ending.. I am nothing but eternally grateful to everyone who helped me through my rough patches and stood by me when I was out there and all alone…
I have experienced GOD’s invisible hands lending me a lift whenever I needed it.. he appeared as the people who helped me to walk through the ice… as my neighbour who helped me to move into my new place… as my friend who gave me a home and helped me through my money crisis…
As a person I have changed a lot… I am not the same ‘rude, rough, says and does anything she wants without caring for others’ feelings girl’ anymore…. I am becoming a better person everyday… blessed with good people in my life…
I am back where I am supposed to be… and my purpose for this life is to take care of my home and my father… which I think is the greatest privilege for a woman like me… and I hope I will be able to do the honours with the little ability that I have…
Although this year started bad.. as it is ending.. here I am… back home…happily helping to take care of it… teasing my father… being as responsible and as childish as I possibly can.. working in a school as an English Teacher… and looking forward to the next year… making a bunch of resolutions…
I guess… that will be an entirely new post for you to read…
Take care and cheers…
