A week after the departure of lolade, I resumed work on Monday morning and I attended the usual morning meeting. immediately after the meeting, a rumour started spreading that the bank was planning to recruit people for two months project and its likely that bank will invite previous temporary contract staffs based on connections. I left the meeting after the end of it and returned back to my desk only to meet the gossip crew in my office talking about the same proposed project. as I sat down, one of them called on me and said “onihaxy, is it true that the bank is proposing a project that will commence before the end of the year?”, I was surprised and I replied her saying I don’t know neither did I have any idea. she replied me and said “you?, not having idea?, that is a pure lie because your mummy is the boss here. please I have a candidate oooooo, in case your mummy told you to bring someone”. I just laughed and ignored them as others also said the same thing. I settled down and commenced my work for the day and funmi came in about 20 minutes later. it was as if segun and Betty had already knew the time I always have my break, they both engaged me in separate chats in the first 25 minutes of the break before I received a message notification on my system. I dropped my phone and opened the mail and I found out that it was a message from funmilayo telling me to see her in her office, I dropped my phone and went to meet her in her office. I pulled out the visitor’s chair and we started a conversation.
ME: hi funmi, I got your message.
FUNMI: yes, I just want to ask you if you will be going out for lunch.
ME: yes, I will
FUNMI: can you help me to get food while coming back?
ME: No problems. sorry funmi, I want to ask a question and I don’t know how bad you will feel about it.
FUNMI: feeling bad?, I won’t. just ask whatever you want to ask.
ME: I noticed that other staffs always send the cleaners or messengers to buy food for them, even temporary staffs always send them on errands to buy food. But in your own case, you always prefer to send me or go out on your own to buy. I just want to know why my own boss always stress herself. I’m so sorry to ask.
FUNMI: ***smiled***** waoooh, what a brilliant question. I have been expecting you to ask me all this while and I’m so happy you asked me today.
ME: thank you ma. sorry, thank you funmi.
FUNMI: You see, when you get to a certain position at any stage in life and you have a lot of surbodinates eyeing the same post, or you are at the same stage with some people and you are all aiming higher to be promoted to bigger post which only one person can fill at a time, then you have to be more careful and cautious in selecting the people who buys what you use or eat.
ME: I don’t understand.
FUNMI: I mean, there are people who can do anything to unseat you so as to fill your position, and there are also people who can hinder you to get to a higher position that only one person can fill among multitudes. so therefore, I need to be careful in choosing who buys food for me. anybody can conspire with anyone.
ME: hmmmmmmmmmmm, now I understand
FUNMI: as a matter of fact, you are the only person I trust in this entire building. I just have this strong believe that you cannot harm me.
ME: *****smiled** thanks so much for trusting me.
FUNMI: you are welcome. what about this your wife, how is she?
ME: who?
FUNMI: Benita
ME: she isn’t my wife, we are just friends.
FUNMI: I hear. has she started working elsewhere?
ME: no, she is still hunting for jobs.
FUNMI: ok, the bank will be embarking on a two months project in mid-december, ask her if she will be interested in joining the project and give me feedback before the end of the day.
ME: Ok, I will. thank you so much.
FUNMI: you are welcome.
FUNMI gave me one thousand naira and I left her office for canteen. I called Benita on phone to enquire from her if she would be interested in the job and she told me that she was interested. I went back to funmi’s office to deliver her food to her and also give her feedback on benita’s response. FUNMI demanded for her phone number which I provided and she promised to include her name among the people that would be invited. I thanked her and as I was about going back to my desk, she called me back
FUNMI: that reminds me onihaxy, tomorrow is adeola’s birthday”
ME: waoooh, is there going to be a party?”
FUNMI: she is in school presently, maybe she will throw a party among her friends sha.
ME: Eeeeyah. I will like to wish her a happy birthday ooo, but I don’t have her number.
FUNMI: Let me give you then ****calls out the number***
ME: Thanks so much.
I left her office and went back to my desk. I continued with the rest of my work for the day until I drove back home. I had my bath and decided to chat with segun before going to bed.
ME: hi segun.
SEGE: I’m good onihaxy, how was today’s work?
ME: it was fine
SEGE: how is your madam too?
ME: She is fine. she even called me to her office today to ask if Benita had started working elsewhere.
SEGE: why did she ask?
ME: the bank is planning to start a two month project in December, so she wanted to know if Benita will be interested. I called Benita to ask from her and she told me she will be interested in the project.
SEGE: that’s good. congratulations. so where will she be staying throughout the duration of the project?
ME: that’s true oooooo, I never thought of it sha.
SEGE: onihaxy, you are having serious problems I swear. did you remember what happened when bimpe saw her in your house?, did you remember the number of days you were begging her on phone?
ME: that’s true ooooo
SEGE: and also, did you remember that Betty will be coming back to Nigeria in the same December?, and its certain that she would stay with you?
Me: haaaaaaa!!!!!, that is true
SEGE: so what will you explain to Betty?, or have you forgotten that you already lied to Benita that you don’t have a girlfriend?
ME: yes, you are right. what do you think I can do now.
SEGE: you are still asking me?, just tell her that your two brothers are now living with you and the place cannot contain four people. and also, tell her that one of the brothers have a very high libido and he had been charged for rape on two occasions, she will definitely understand the handwriting.
ME: ok jaree. thanks so much.
SEGE: you are welcome. let’s chat later jareee. I get visitor.
ME: hmmmmm. SEGE the badoooo!!!!!!.
I ended the chat and composed a lovely birthday message for adeola, I timed the delivery of the message for 11:59pm and I indicates my name on the text message. I slept off there after only to wake up and saw a text from adeola saying “thanks so much for the text message onihaxy. it was the first text I received and I never expected it. you are a darling”. I was like “me?, darling?”.