It all started with a ring on my cell phone on Thursday evening while I was relaxing at home playing with my kids.
I received a call from a well spoken gentleman requesting headboards to be made for the very next week.. .
I notified him that the lead time is 15-30 working days, and asked if he could come visit our factory the following day to see what was available immediately.
He then asked my name and introduced himself as Mr Ramaphosa.. Cyril Ramaphosa..
I immediately asked.. “the president, Cyril Ramaphosa” to which he answered “yes” thinking it was someone with the same name or one of my cousins trying to prank me.., and I politely answered.. “REALLY!!!!… okay not a problem please come see me tomorrow morning before 10am as I need to attend a meeting there after” to which the gentleman agreed.
After cutting the call, the name Cyril Ramaphosa was confirmed by the True Caller app.. and I felt a flutter of positivity and excitement. The voice in my head saying the “the president of South Africa just called ME”?????
He saw our products online and from ALL the companies he likes OUR stuff!!”..
My excitement was quickly doused by the voice of reason: ”surely the president has people to do this for him.. he is WAY to busy to be scrolling through images of headboards..”
I felt a bit silly for letting myself believe that he would actually come to ZCreations, with all the security that’s required to transport a president.
I went to sleep that evening allowing my mind to wonder and thought of all the positive “what if” it was really the president..
JUST the thought of it had me grinning… and kept me up for a bit longer.
The next morning.. as I was chatting with my secretary, I mentioned that the president called..
She very nonchalantly asked me: “the president of what?” i replied “of the country” she was like “yaaaa right” and we left it at that…
I continued being cautiously optimistic…
8:30….. no president
8:45…. No president
9:00 No president
9:30… u guessed it…
Just a TAD bit disappointed.. but loved the thoughts and the feelings prior of the president actually coming to “MY little factory” and meeting with us… I was glad the voice of reason kept my excitement in check…
As I left the complex gate.. driving to the meeting which was a few minutes away.. I still remained hopeful to the point that I was glancing into the cars that passed just incase I saw him.. I saw a green Jaguar approaching and I thought could that be him coming “undercover” to see the headboards thinking he did call me himself.. but alas.. it wasn’t..
11:00 my cell rings.. I answer… the voice on the other side says.. “HI Zaheer. Are you available now… can I come through..i wll be there at about 11:15” I felt my excitement rush through me… but worked hard to remain composed, I replied, “yes sir you’re most welcome to come through”..
“im going to finish this meeting and I can be there at 11:30”
After a short while, I received a frantic call from my secretary…
“the president is here, the president is here.. come quick”
The thought did sprint across my mind to ask her... "the president of what?"
While in the meeting i had to compose myself so keep the over whelming excitement from showing.. inside i feelt like a school girl prancing around picking at a daizy "is this real, is this not real"
REALITY… and the thought of “What the F…..” is this for rea l!!!!!
When I arrived at the entrance to our complex.. I was greeted with no less then 10 black vehicles with dark tinted windows.. as well as JMPD vehicles and motorbikes..
I took a deep breath.. and had to tell myself this is real.. and im not dreaming..
I walked in and his bodyguards allowed me up stairs where we stock our headboards.. I tried hard not to show my excitement as the events were unfolding and reminded myself that he is a client like any other (as to not get over excited and achieve the purpose for which he came)
We then chatted “business” I took down his requirements, we negotiated prices… had a bit of chit chat… tried looking serious and business like.. and when we had concluded.. I COULDN’T help but ask if I could takes some pictures with him… as it’s not everyday that one would have a president come especially to meet with them to purchase their products!!
As we walked through the factory on the way out…. he made time to stop and chat with a few of my staff asked them about their work and their function at the factory.
He joked and said if he loses his job he knows where to come work… to which I retorted…. that he will have to submit his CV and his application will be considered.
As one would imagine my staff were SUPER excited as they had NOO idea that they would be meeting the president of the country and never did they ever imagine that they would actually shake his hand!
Ultimately……..we got the order!
The President of South Africa placed an order with ZCreations and his house will now be adorned with our furniture