Butter Honey Pig Bread

by Francesca Ekwuyasi

“That is the culture of this firm: honesty, integrity, diligence. We won’t waste your time if you don’t waste ours. I’ve interviewed eight other candidates today, and everyone has been rubbish, barely able to string a sentence together. I see you have a certificate from LSE, and you worked in microfinance, not bad. You’re a bit young. You have a family?” “I do.” Banji leaned forward in his chair. “A wife and twins, they’re eight years—” The interviewer cut him off. “The hours here are long. We have international clients who expect fu—” “Apologies for interrupting,” Banji said. “I’m exceptional at what I do. I may not have done it for very long, but I work smart, I work quickly, and my numbers are flawless. I want this job.” Pleased with Banji’s forwardness, the interviewer took a long pause before asking, “When can you start?” “That depends on the salary.” The interviewer flipped open the paper file on his desk and pushed it toward Banji. There was a work contract with the salary highlighted in yellow. Banji looked down at it, cleared his throat, and then looked up at the interviewer and said, “I can start tomorrow.”