Big catch – Part 3

Sabina was still fuming with anger when she got home, and her dad noticed and asked. ‘Dad, Tamara did not attend the interview, so I decided to find out why she didn’t, because she told me yesterday. So I went there, and her explanation was that Yooku had offered her a good package to stay on to manage the fishing boat.

Naturally I got angry, and I tried to tell her that I had stayed in that very job for one year without seeing any sign of progress, and I took her there because I thought she would make use of the few coins that fell her way, until something good came.

Now this bank job has dropped, and she says she won’t take it. As I was leaving, I noticed a Toy­ota car parked at the house, and she said it was a gift from Yooku, in appreciation for her loyalty. You see what’s happening, Dad?’ ‘You mean Yooku has either bor­rowed it or even come to some arrangement with the owner to use it to convince Tamara to stay on?’ ‘What else could be the explana­tion, Dad?’ Yooku is certainly a nice person, and I will always be grate­ful to him for getting us this job. But he can also be very stubborn. I kept telling him that the fishing business will fail, and I advised him to stay in the corporate job for a few years till he was sure of his steps, yet he left and started this so called publishing business with no profit in sight. Dad, I will call him in an hour or two and try to reason with him, to allow Tamara to do what is good for her. Hope­fully he will do the right thing’. ‘Great. I think you owe it to your friend Tamara. She needs to get a job to support her parents’.

Yooku and Tamara had just ended a meeting with Ernest Asante, the owner of Ernestos, a ten-branch fast food business, and they had struck an interesting agreement. Yooku would supply a quantity of fish, which would be processed into a variety of products and sold at the ten branches. The company was young, so Yooku would provide the facilities required for the new ven­ture, in return for a twenty per cent share in the business, in addition to a compensation package. The new products would go on the shelves in a month.

Over the course of time, they had drawn closer and spent more time in each other’s company. Yooku decided it was time to discuss his plans for their future. But just be­fore he could start, the phone rang. It was Sabina.

‘Yooku, first of all, I would like to thank you once again for your efforts which have secured me the job. I will never forget it. My parents will also call you to express their gratitude. Unfortunately, I have to express concern about the fact that you are asking Tamara to continue managing the fish­ing boat, knowing very well that for the whole year that I spent at the harbour, nothing came out of it. My whole time was wast­ed. So I’m wondering what has changed in these few months to merit asking her not to take up the job. Please, think about her fu­ture, and think about her parents who sacrificed to educate her’. ‘Okay, Sabina. I have listened to your sermon for a while, so let me also explain. One of the main reasons why we were not getting any returns from the business was that the crew were stealing the fish. They would stop some distance from the landing bay, sell the bulk of the fish and bring only a small part to us. Many people at the fishing harbour knew this, but they never spoke to you because you hardly interacted with any of them, apart from the occasional greeting. I’m not blaming you for anything, but Tamara is simply a different kind of person.

She established a bond with them the day she started work, and they told her everything that was happening. So the following week, we caught them in the act, and changed the crew. Would you like to come and see our catch and sales records now? I can also tell you, madam, that we have just conclud­ed an agreement with a fast food chain to process part of our catch into a variety of products. I bought Tamara a car, and offered her a generous package.

I am going ahead to give her half of the ownership of the company. So my suggestion is that it is great that you have landed a good job at the bank, but please stop preaching to me and Tamara. We don’t need les­sons from you. Both our parents are firmly behind us. As I said, I believe you mean well for Tamara, but your approach is wrong. And let me also say, that I have heard a few things you have said about me, during our relationship and after the breakup. I am not a loser as you said, but I think over the long term. I have not regretted any of the steps I took. Apart from the fishing business, I have started selling some publica­tions in French, and have received some royalty payment. So if you can’t wish me well, stop destroying my name. Goodnight’.

Tamara took Yooku’s hands in hers, and looked into his eyes. ‘You are right she means well for me, but her approach was wrong. And I think she didn’t know you. I always knew you were going to do big things in future. That’s why I joined you at work’. ‘Thank you so much for that. Wow. But are you only going to join me at work?’ ‘What do you mean by that?’ ‘Let me put it simply. We are spending more time with each other every day, and I would like us to do more of that. Would you mind if we took our relationship to another level?’ ‘Why don’t you stop the big English and say exactly what you want to say?’ ‘Tamara, will you marry me?’ ‘Yes, Yooku, I will marry you’.

By Ekow de Heer