Life is a Jungle

Truly, marriage is an alliance but needs lubrication to make it work. Often, a young couple gets carried away in the whirlwind of love and forgets what matters. As soon as the honeymoon fades off, and the reality sets in, only the brave dare to forge ahead.

So was the marital journey between Devon and Laura who married three months after they graduated from college. They believed that their love could outweigh any obstacles. Their lives couldn’t be harder with the bill to pay, the search for a lucrative job offer that never materialized, and the birth of their twin, Javier and Trevor. Life ordeal soon brought the couple to the brink of collapse. 

Devon got a job at a local newspaper house in Lima city, while Laura worked as a caregiver. The pay wasn’t enough to augment their bills. Every day, Laura returned home more tired than when she left in the morning. On one particular evening, Laura had a minor mishap at home, she had to go to the hospital for treatment when she was presented with the bill as her insurance didn’t cover it, and the woman simply lost it. She returned home with a repressed anger and wouldn’t take no for an answer, she had made up her mind to have a showdown with her husband. As soon as Devo stepped into their two-bedroom apartment, he knew the air wasn’t right.

“Hello dear. How was your day?” Devon attempted to hug his wife but was brushed aside. The woman’s face looked anything but good.

When Devon realized that Laura was in a foul mood, he refrained from aggravating her further. He had no clue about the cause of her anger. But his silence seemed to have triggered Laura off.

“Devon, tell me, how long are we to continue living like a rat? I have two children to care for, and I am saddled with chores at home, which hinders me from looking for a better job. Your current pay can’t even cover the twin’s monthly needs let alone having enough to save for emergencies. I’m tired of living this kind of life. So, you had better start rethinking how long we can hold down the fort.”

“What happened? Surely, there must be a reason for this outburst?” Devon asked.

“Are you going to wait until a major crisis unfolds before re-planning our lives?” With that, Laura shoved the hospital bill at Devon’s hand and stumbled out of the bedroom to the living room. The woman was mad. 

When Devon saw the bill, he was taken aback. He ran after his wife. “What happened? How did you get burnt? Let me see, are you still hurting? A bill of $2,700 is no small amount of money. How do we make ends meet? I’m sorry that I wasn’t there with you. You could have at least called me, my supervisor isn’t a beast, she would have granted me a few hours to take care of you…” Devon rambled on, and on which pacified the woman. 

The couple slept that night, but it was a long night for Devon. He soon realized that love wasn’t enough to make marriage work, he needed a change of job to make the lives of his family comfortable. Hence, he started combing the net for job adverts; he wasn’t lucky enough to receive interview offers from most of the jobs he applied. For those who granted him interviews, the remuneration was not even at par with his current earnings.

On one afternoon in late February, he was having lunch only a stone's throw from his workplace when he ran into an old colleague, Benjamin Orb. They talked about family, life after school and work. In the past, Devon would have covered up but at that point, he saw no reason to hide. He opened up about his condition and the strains it was having on his marriage. Benjamin promised to be on the lookout for him. They exchanged contact before each departed.

A month later, he was at work when he received Benjamin's call. “Is it a good time to call? Can you talk?” Benjamin asked,

“Why not, yes. I’m about to step out of the office.” Devon replied.

“There is a job opening at Alpha Tech. They are into software development and need a good writer for product descriptions. Although I may be unable to guarantee anything, I still think, you can give it a trial. You have the exposure, the knowledge and the needed skills. Your work experience perhaps set you above some of the applicants.”

“Thank you, Ben. You don’t know how happy I am about this news. I can’t thank you enough. I will start working on it. Please send me any details about the job that might help.” 

The two friends chatted before they ended the call. That night, Devon worked tirelessly to perfect his resume. He didn’t send it but waited until the following morning to take a second glance at it, before hitting the send button. He waited with greater anticipation and trepidation for a response from the recruiter which never came. Devon had forgotten about the job until the first week in June when he got a call from HR at Alpha Tech requesting his presence at the headquarters for an interview the following Monday. 

“Can you make the appointment, Mr Devon Tek?” The HR manager asked.

“Make? Certainly.” was all his reply. He was giddy and remained so all through the day.

On Monday, in the crisp silence of the morning, the ticking clock was a reminder of the passing seconds. Devon sat on the edge of the bed, tie in hand, the fabric feeling like the weight of the world. Today was the day of the big interview, the one that could change everything. But the air was thick with tension, the remnants of a heated argument with Laura, Devon’s spouse, still hanging like a storm cloud in the room.

The night before, a trivial misunderstanding had escalated into a full-blown argument. Accusations were hurled like daggers, and words that couldn’t be taken back were spoken. Now, the emotional aftermath made it hard for Devon to focus on the meticulous preparation needed for the interview.

As the minutes ticked by, Devon’s mind raced with the possibility of mending fences with Laura before leaving. There was a choice to make: leave now and be on time for the interview or try to resolve the conflict and risk being late. The decision was torturous. Despite the situation, Devon knew that no job was worth the cold war at home.

Taking a deep breath, Devon approached Laura, who was sitting at the kitchen table, staring into a cup of untouched coffee. “Laura, I’m sorry about last night,” Devon began, the words feeling heavy but necessary. “I know this job is important, but so are we. Can we talk?”

The conversation was difficult, with both trying to navigate the hurt feelings and misunderstandings. Time slipped away as they talked, cried, and finally laughed a little. By the time they reached a tender truce, Devon glanced at the clock and realized the interview was in fifteen minutes.

Rushing out the door with Laura’s supportive words echoing, “Go get that job!” Devon felt a mix of anxiety and hope. The traffic seemed to conspire against the urgency, each red light a test of patience. When Devon finally arrived, breathless and apologetic, the receptionist offered a small smile. “The interviewer is running late too. Take a moment to catch your breath.”

In that unexpected grace period, Devon realized that some things in life, like love and understanding, were worth every second of delay.

When the interviewer arrived, Devon was more composed than ever. He spent forty-five minutes inside. When it ended, he was told to await a response from the organization. He bade them goodbye. 

He was merely a block away from his office when he got an email from the Alpha Tech HR department offering him the job with good pay even while on three months' probation. As soon as the probation ended, he was to receive a full salary package, an annual salary amounting to $120,000. He was to resume in the first week of July, Devon couldn’t believe how an encounter could change his lots and the essence of harmony at home.