Thank You For Making Me Better

By Dede Sooyoo

Dede Sooyoo was just a normal college student when she was whisked away from her home in Ghana and planted in the last place she ever expected: Maryland. There, armed with nothing but an iron will and an endless sense of optimism, she dove enthusiastically into the corporate world. Follow Dede's sometimes hilarious, sometimes harrowing journ

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dede Sooyoo LLC
• Release date: Jul 7, 2019
• ISBN: 9781733028813

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THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME BETTER!

By

Dede Sooyoo

Copyright © 2019 by Dede Sooyoo, Dede Sooyoo, LLC

Editor- Elaina Robbins, The Book Clinic LLC

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing, 2019

ISBN 978-1-7330288-0-6

Dede Soyoo,LLC

P.O. Box 10866

Silver Spring, MD 20914

www.dedesooyoo.com

[e-mail]

Dedication

To my mother and loved ones: I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate all of you. You gave me the foundation and tools to grow. You were there for me when I fell, and you put me back on my path. I thank you with all my heart.

To my haters: Thank you for choosing me. You could have chosen a million others, yet you picked me. Thank you for your attention and for the many lessons you taught me. With your help, I grew and am still growing each day.

You all have made me into a valuable and mature wine.

Cheers!!!!

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Mum’s Wisdom

Chapter 2: Flying the Coop

Chapter 3: A New Beginning in a New Land

Chapter 4: Checking Off Goals

Chapter 5: Nastiness Insurgency at the First Branch

Chapter 6: Hazed—Life as an Assistant Branch Manager

Chapter 7: Arrival from Hell

Chapter 8: Working in Hell

Chapter 9: The Inferno Continues

Chapter 10: The Flames Burn Out

Chapter 11: Moving On

Chapter 1

Mum’s Wisdom

If you educate a man, you educate an individual. If you educate a woman, you educate a nation.

- African proverb

I was born in Ghana in 1982 and raised by a single mother. She always made sure I was well grounded and put God first. Even though she was allergic to going to church herself, she always forced me to go.

Mum, why don’t you go to church with me? I would pout.

I attended church every Sunday, from the time I was a little girl until I was a young adult, she would say, shooing me out the door. I earned the time off! Go figure, right? The only time I found her in the vicinity of a religious place was when there was a wedding, baptism, confirmation service, or burial service.

Despite her aversion to church, my mother was my role model. She had a voice and integrity. In our home, there was always laughter. She had all kinds of wise phrases that she liked to repeat, so much so that I learned to recite them by heart. Some of my favorites were:

Maintain your personal brand.

Love thy neighbor.

Every step or misstep in life will lead you somewhere in life. It is your free will and choice that will lead you to your desired destination.

Human beings are flawed, but there’s always some good. Choose the best things to emulate, and leave the bad ones behind.

You aren’t that special. (I know this one sounds mean, but her goal was to make me understand that every human life is special and that we all play a role in making this world a beautiful place.)

As a parent, the only things I owe you are education, food, shelter, and protection. If you want any luxury, I will provide it if and when I deem fit. (If I wanted more than that, I had to work and earn money.)

My mum always pushed me to value education. One time, we traveled to visit my relatives. We were all having breakfast when my uncle started asking each kid what they wanted to do in their life.

I want to marry a strong man and be a stay-at-home mum! I said proudly when it was my turn. Bear in mind that yours truly was six years old.

My mother turned towards me and looked at me sternly.

No, she said. You are going to go to school. You will become powerful on your own. You can get married and raise kids, but you will also have a career. I ain’t raising no wimp!

No! my cousin piped up. Dede is trying to save you money on school so you can give the money to us for candy! There was a chorus of laughter from the kids at the table.

Definitely not, my mum said. "I’m giving Dede a tool that will last her for life, and it’s called education." I stuck my tongue out at her. Thinking about this and other events now, I can see how progressive my mum was and still is.

Growing up, I was very social and had lots of friends, but my best friend was always Pearl, a witty and intelligent caramel-skinned girl. She and I met in preschool when we were both five years old. Our mothers have been friends for a lifetime. We attended the same school from preschool till ninth grade, when we went to separate schools. We made new friends, but whenever we met or talked, it was an organic friendship. She told me like it was and I reciprocated. We are ride-or-die friends, and I have so much respect, trust, loyalty, and love for my truest friend, who has become more of a sister.

As a teenager, I was always looking forward to attending parties with Pearl and the rest of my friends. By then, Pearl and I were about the same height (5’7") and were stuck together like two peas in a pod. My mum never gave me a curfew because she knew I would rebel (yes, I can be stubborn), but there was a workaround.

Now, you can go out and party, she would say, but I want you to understand that this is my house and I pay for everything here, so I do what I want. If I choose to close or open my doors at my desired time and you are not on the side you are supposed to be on, then too bad. That was her way of saying, You come home at a reasonable hour unless you want a self-imposed night of camping. Free will at play. And yes, I did abide by what the boss lady told me.

I had the privilege of seeing the many well-educated, powerful, and intelligent women in my family—aunts, cousins, even my grandma—exercising their superpowers. One of my favorite examples was dished out by my aunt Victoria, who lived in the same neighborhood as we did. My cousins (Katherine and Carolyn) were walking home from school when an older man who lived in the neighborhood made sexual advances towards them. When they refused him, he felt it was in his best interest to try and assault them. The girls went home and reported the incident to their parents.

My uncle was in the military, so you would think he would be the one to dole out justice. Nah!!! I was studying on my front porch with Pearl when I saw my aunt headed for the man’s house with Katherine and Carolyn in tow. She smiled and waved at us as she passed.

It’s about to go down! whispered Pearl to me. I had already told her the whole story about my cousins.

I’ve definitely got to see this one through, fo sho, I replied. I wasn’t the only one; it