**** TWO WEEKS AGO **********
Betty left my house that Wednesday morning after dropping her car for me with some cash too. My eyes were soaked with tears as we departed at the junction of my street. She told me “onihaxy, it’s likely we might not see each other again till I’m back from abroad”, it was as if the world was collapsing, it was as if a special part of my body was been removed, it was as if I was sentenced to jail, both of us couldn’t hold back our tears as we hugged each other at the junction for several minutes before she stopped a cab and boarded it to her house while I stopped a bike to my place of work because I was already late.
I got to the bank and I was feeling so weak and emotionally depressed. I was just moody right from the moment I entered the bank and throughout the connect session, my mind was far away from all the discussions that was made during the meeting to the extent that I was called by my team-lead to give a suggestion concerning a particular work flow and I didn’t know I was been called until a lady sitting beside me tapped me. My team lead enquired about the reasons for my absent-mindedness and I just cooked up a lie for him. We finished the connect session, returned back to my desk and my emotional problem continued. Funmi was coming from outside and I didn’t even noticed it, she got to my desk and greeted me as usual but my response was so dull. She walked pass me and went to her office while I continued with my job and target for the day with several thoughts flowing through my mind.
“How do I cope with betty’s absence?”
“Will I ever get to see her again?”
“Hope my rich rival won’t take her away from me?”
“She truly loved me and she has done a lot for me”
” I wished I was also born into a rich family, her father wouldn’t have despised me”
” I wish I had enough money or a fat salary, I would have sponsored her education myself”
” I just pray I won’t end up loosing her”
” I think I have really hurt her by cheating on her”
“I think this is the right time I stop everything between bimpe and I”
” I think this is the right time I concentrate fully on betty”
“Betty gave me a job, a car and cash”
“What else do I want in another woman?”
” I think its best I take a fast decision on bimpe before it’s too late”.
I continued thinking and reminiscing about my life, about betty, and about bimpe and I was doing my work at the same time until about few minutes past twelve when I got a message notification on my outlook mail, I opened it and it was from funmi and it read “onihaxy, see me immediately in my office”.
I was shocked and nervous. In the history of the branch where I work, anytime funmi send such a mail, it indicates nothing but “trouble”. I dropped what I was doing and I stood up from my desk and proceed to her office with the look of fear on my face. From the look on the face of my co-staffs on same floor, they were surprised to see me wearing that kind of look walking to funmi’s office which was unusual and I knew they must gossip about it. I got to funmi’s door, I knocked and I entered.
FUNMI: onihaxy, have your seat.
ME: ** drew out the chair and sat down** thanks funmi.
FUNMI: so tell me onihaxy, what is wrong with you?,
ME: **scared** nothing is wrong with me, I’m fine.
FUNMI: **pulled closer to her desk, placed her elbows on the desk and looking straight into my eyes** onihaxy, it seems you don’t know that I do observe you a lot, I can tell when you are happy , hungry, tired, sick and sad. From your response when I greeted you in the morning, I knew something was wrong, I have also been spying at you through the glass since morning and I noticed that your mind was far away. So tell me, what really happened?.
ME: ***lied*** ok, it was my landlord, he had been disturbing me for my rent and I begged him to give me a little time till month ending that I would pay him when I receive my salary but he wouldn’t listen. I have part of the rent with me but its remaining N30,000 to complete the full rent. He told me this morning that he would throw out my loads if I didn’t pay him this week.
FUNMI: is that all?
ME: yes
FUNMI: are you sure?
ME: yes
FUNMI: you should have told me all these while instead of you worrying yourself about it. And besides, why didn’t you tell me on Friday when you visited me?
ME: my mind wasn’t there and also, I didn’t want to bother you.
FUNMI: hmmmmmmmm.
ME: yes
FUNMI: that’s by the way, there are 8 vacant positions in the bank for permanent contract staff and the management had decided that the 8 people will be selected among the temporary project staffs, so I want to encourage you to work harder and be more diligent. You might be lucky to be among the 8 people, just work harder, the management is watching you.
ME: ok ma,
FUNMI: *** looked me with a frown***
ME: sorry, ok funmi.
FUNMI: better
ME: thank you very much
FUNMI: **brought out a plan A4 paper and a biro and gave it to me*** write your account number there.
ME: ***curious of why she wanted my account number*** I wrote it on the paper and returned it to her.
FUNMI: I will transfer 30,000 to you when I’m less busy, go and use that to sort out your rent and concentrate on your work.
ME: *** happy and surprised*** thanks so much, I really appreciate it.
FUNMI: you are welcome. Just do yourself a favour by going through all the work you did today and do a spot check incase you made any error or mistake so as to correct it on time. If your work is been quality assured and mistakes was found, it might cost you your job as you know that error isn’t tolerated in this bank.
ME: ok. Thanks so much.
FUNMI: you can go now
ME: alright boss
FUNMI: **smiled**
I stood up with joy and happiness filled in my heart, opened her door and went out with a smile. My co-staffs were all staring at me again wondering why I went inside moody and came out smiling.
I settled down and I did a view look up on my works for the day and 15minutes later, I received an alert on my phone indicating a transfer of 30k into my account.