Nana walked into the room holding an envelope, his head bowed to the floor in sadness. It was yet another rejection letter.  “Not again!” he screamed with a shaky voice, a pool of tears forming in his eyes. He grabbed the dining table for support. On the table was his breakfast of bread and tea he had barely touched, one glance at it and he lost his appetite.

Earlier that morning he had been on a call with his father, talking about previous interviews and how prepared he was to resume his new post at his new job when the letter arrived later in the day. 

Just the other day, the landlord called him to say that his rent was due, he either paid his rent or vacated.

Nana threw the envelope on the floor. “I have been a huge failure to my father!” How long do I depend on him?” he asked in between sobs.

Immediately, his phone rang. It was his father. He hesitated. On the third ring, he picked. He tried to conceal his pain but his voice betrayed him.

“My son, tenacity is important in these times, don't be discouraged by these letters, be resilient," his father spoke, calmly. “Keep applying for more jobs, soon, your tenacity will pay off.”

His father's words were the reassurance he needed.  He wiped his tears and snot with the hem of his shirt. He picked up his laptop and started applying to as many ads as he could.

Two weeks later Nana was called in for an interview and asked to resume immediately. He could not contain his joy. He rode the bus to his father's to share the news. His father held him in a tight embrace “Congratulations son, your silver lining is here. Your tenacity has paid off at last.”