Furniture Shopping - Part 1 (by Sylph)

I arrived in Nigeria, very early on a Monday morning and early on Tuesday morning was informed that I will be running the shop and not just for a day, but for almost two weeks.... No probs, I have taken on bigger challenges.... But this authority was passed on with a few instructions.

Firstly, I was informed that the mission had purchased new bedroom furniture for my apartment, however the set that was delivered was not the one paid for and will be replaced by the end of the week. To facilitate this I was provided with the name of the store and sales attendent. Needless to say that eight weeks later, that very said set has not been replaced, but I am attending to that matter. You will be certain to read about this and it will not be in the Nigerian Daily Trust (the daily newspaper).

Secondly, I was informed that the furniture in my apartment (living room and dining room set) had to be replaced, however in an attempt to give me some input in the process, they decided to allow me to select the design and fabric of the furniture. No probs, I have taken on bigger challenges..... Or so I thought. However, after relaying these instructions I was informed that "remember this is Nigeria, so try to be open minded". On receiving those guidelines my mind began wondering!!! Just what was I in store for??? But never could I have anticipated the scenario that was about to unfold.

We leave for the furniture district on a Saturday morning and by this time I have had a snapshot of Nigeria, so I am being as open-minded as I can possibly be. I refer to the area as a furniture district because that is the only way a new comer like myself can describe the clutter of small shops, which offered a vast array of home and office furnishing.

On approaching the district I can clearly remember my mother's expression "WHAT IS THIS???"

Let me try to paint a picture........

Nigeria is relatively a dusty place and if you can recall from earlier articles, I did mention that we arrived at the start of the dry season. Added to which the composition of the soil in Nigeria is rather sandy and light-brown in colour. So we are driving along the highway and in the distance we see a cluster of what seems like tents or huts all covered in dust and the vehicle begins to slow down, then pulls on the shoulder and off onto a dirt road, track-like path, then stops. Okay, I guess we are here, because all around, all I can see is various types of furniture, ranging from beds, night stands, living room and dining room sets, book shelves, coffee tables, upholtesry fabric, you name it and I am certain you can find it in this little furnuiture district.

However, we have left the city and gone straight to the sahara....... because the backdrop of all of this was the open air, under the radiant sun, right on-top the damn DUST...... yes dust I said..... Right on-top the dust. That same dust you are viewing above.

So we get out of the vehicle and entered a small store where we are greeted "You're Welcome, You're Welcome" by the most pleasant sales person, who offered us a seat and provided us with a stack of magazines and photo albums, displaying an assortment of furniture, to enable us to select a design for both the living room and dining room set. After our selection was made and we came to an agreement on the number of pieces to be custom built, we were taken a few doors away to the fabric store to select the material for the upholstering of the furniture. I must say however, that the fabric store had the widest array of upholstering fabric that I have ever encounter. I was quite impressed with the variety of lovely fabrics to choose from. So now that both design and fabric were selected it seemed like we were all set. How long will it take for the furniture to be built? Two to Three weeks..... Okay, not a problem. We will return on Monday to make a downpayment..... We arrive at an agreement and leave for the residence.

On Monday afternoon we returned to the furniture district and as agreed, made the requisit downpayment to commence the start of my living room and dining room set. On this occasion we met the owner of the little store. So we go over both the selected design and fabric, to ensure that I would not end up with something I did not select. I was pleased however, that we were both on the same page and the owner gave his assurances that work would commence on the very next day (Tuesday).

On Wednesday morning, a colleague from the office comes to me with a strange look on his face and says "we have to return to the furniture district." My response. "Why?" Because in my mind, we had come to an agreement two days ago and I was in no mood to inhale any more dust.... Please spare my lungs, I thought!!!!!! He had just received a phone call from the owner of the store, saying that the fabric that we had not only selected and agreed upon, but also made a downpayment on, was sold. SOLD I said, SOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now why me??????

I can assure you, I was not pleased, because this would now be our third trip to the furniture district in under a week. On the first occasion, just 5 days ago, we came to an agreement. On the second occasion, 2 days ago, we sweetened the deal, by making a downpayment of half the cost of the furniture and at no point during either visit, were we informed that their might have been a problem with the fabric. Why was I being informed 2 days later that my fabric was sold????? And I now have to make a third trip to the furniture district in the sahara....... WHY???? Can anyone tell me???? So in much disgust, I return yet a third time to the furniture district....

To be continued.........