The unexpected

Refering back to my earlier post after my zoo interview,i was asked to wait till that friday for a reply however i never got it hence i assumed that i had lost the chance to undertake the job. However,the most amazing thing happened. On saturday,04/11/06,i had received a call from the lady who had interviewed me,informing me that i was required to go back down to the zoo on monday,06/11/06 for another round of interview with the manager. I readily informed that i was able to make it and after hanging up the phone,i kept commmenting about how i had never expected to be given another chance,especially since it was more than a week ago since i was supposed to receive a reply. I was really thrilled and excited that i had made it through the first round and meeting with the manager meant that my interview was progressing to yet another level.Like the first interview,i made my way to the zoo in jeans and t-shirt. I don't know if it is because the zoo is located in the catchment area or is it just as simple as God blessing me on my way there but this time round,it started to pour again when i was just about to reach.And as magical as the first time,after arriving at the zoo for a few minutes,the rain stopped falling and the sky cleared. I chose to believe that it was the work of God and through it,i sought peace and motivation. This time round,i was very early for the interview,45minutes to be exact. The interview was supposed to be at 3pm but i was already there around 2.15pm. I just took the time to look around the entrance area where i was asked to wait,formulating my answers for possible questions that may be posted to me. In the end,i gave up doing so,choosing to leave it all to simple fate and God to help me along. In the midst of it all,i noticed an indian lady who had taken a seat next to me. I noticed that she was clutching a folder and she was dressed in office wear. For a moment,i thought that she was the manager passing off as a tourist so that she could observe me before the interview but i brushed that off as simply ridiculous.Turned out that she was also there for the interview just like me but our dressing seemed to be 2 worlds apart but i was unconvinced that i had dressed wrongly as afterall,i was applying for a job at the zoo and not at an office. We were then ushered to the office block where we met up with the manager. I guess it was partially my nervousness coupled with the coldness of the air con that made my hands icy cold. But all throughout the interview,i kept my composure. Listening intentively to what the manager,assistant manager as well as my interviewer on the first occasion had to say. The contents of the interview was almost the same as the first,asking questions,listing out the requirements of the job and not forgetting reading out an extract from a passage. This time round,i was much more pleased with my performance. Before concluding the interview,i was informed that they would contact me either the next day or latest by the day after. The interview then concluded with a handshake with the manager and i left for home thereafter. The next 2 days were like the longest days of my life. I was eagerly anticipating a phone call from the zoo,informing me of the outcome of the second interview. But i realised that they might not even contact me if i did not manage to make it through. I did my best to keep my mind off the matter,believing that it was not up to me to decide if i could make it or not. Rather,i chose to believe that if it was meant to be,i would receive the call but if it wasn't,then i would just have to accept things as they are and continue with other forms of job hunting.Tuesday passed and then it was wednesday. I realised that subconsciously,i was looking at the clock in my room,taking note of the time as the day went on. At first it was 12pm,then it became 3pm and not long after,it was 6pm. Night fall soon came and when i still did not recieve any news about the interview,a part of me was convinced that i had failed to make it through. However,another part of me chose to cling on to the possibility that they may have been delayed in their notification and a phone call may just come in the next few days. Despite still having such a belief,i could feel the disappointment in me. I was sad that this could just be the end of it,that the dream of working in the zoo would be dashed. Everytime i had this thought,i would try to dispel it and tell myself that i had to accept it. My mother also constantly reminded me that in life,especially in society,things would be like that,that many a times,we would come face to face with failures but no matter what,life still had to move on and i had to face it to get back up again. She was right and my attitude towards the whole matter took a turn. I was now with the belief that if i could be given a chance,it is a blessing from God and if i couldn't,then so be it. It would simply mean that i was never meant to undertake it. But once again,all praise to God,i received a phone call at around 5pm on thursday informing me that i would be called back to the zoo for a 3 day attachment starting next tuesday. This in other words meant that i had made it through the second interview and all that is left is this very last hurdle. If i could prove my worth during the attachment,i would then become a part of the zoo. I was really elated at the news and i would be looking forward to next tuesday. I am excited about what i would be exposed to during that period of time but i will be reminding myself that no matter what happens,i will have to accept it. If i make it,great. But if i don't,let this all be a part of my memory. Of an experience that i was really blessed to have.