Few months later around September, my temporary contract at the bank was almost rounding up, every member of the temporary staff teams had started submitting CVs and applications to other organisations, some started attending interviews, others began to do eye services to our superiors but I just had this mind-set that I was going to be retained even though I still submit applications to other organisations also. The tension at work became intense as everyone began to form seriousness, people who had not been taking their job very serious from inception began to work harder just to gain the favour of the managements who were watching and monitoring us for a permanent contract recommendation.
I also got closer to funmilayo by always going to her office to check on her. sometimes, I would buy fruits and ice cream for her while coming from home, sometimes, I would go to her office and suggested that we should go out for a lunch, sometimes, I would stylishly beg her to let me visit her in the weekend with the excuse that I was bored at home and it always worked out and resulted to smiles on funmi’s face and more closeness between us more than ever before, special thanks to the event planner himself “segun” who had been the one supplying me with scripts and proper tutorials. Infact, people at work started referring to funmilayo as my mother. Sometimes, whenever I was discussing with my team members, they would always say “onihaxy, you don’t have any problem, its certain that you would be among the people to be retained here since your mother is still the big boss”.
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Benita on the other hand was still pending my request to be her boyfriend, she was still saying the singing the same song that “onihaxy, I’m in a relationship and besides, I can’t date someone at same place where I work. And also, we are more than friends already, but you still have little periods to think about it”. We still hanged out together occasionally; we come to work and leave office together as usual anytime I drove my car to office. One morning, I was driving to work with benita sitting beside me, I noticed that she was so moody and she looked somehow disturbed, she wasn’t laughing at my jokes as usual and she was just staring at the dashboard. I tried to enquire from her about what was happening to her but she told me that she was fine which I knew it was a lie, she said she didn’t sleep well at night and that she was having a migraine. I pet her and promised to assist her at work when we get to the office.
At lunch break, I went to meet her where she was staying and I realized that she was still moody. I helped her with few of her works and I persuaded her to let us go out for lunch but she declined. She suggested that I should get a take away for her while coming back which I did. Before the closure of business, funmilayo told me to wait and see her after closing, saying there was something I would do for her. Immediately we closed, I went to benita’s office, I gave her my car key and I told her to wait for me because funmilayo urged me to wait and see her after the close of business. “You and this your mummy sha” Benita said as I left her and returned back to my office. I went to meet funmilayo and she gave me an A4 paper containing some writings, she said “onihaxy, please take this to your seat and help me to type it on Microsoft word just the same way you are seeing it on the paper. When you are through, send it as an attachment to my mail. I will check it when I get to office tomorrow morning”, pats me on the chin and she said “thank you my dear”. We both left her office; she locked her door and went home. I looked at the document, I read through and noticed that it was a two pages presentation, it took me another thirty five minutes to finish the typing and I sent it as an attachment to her mail while I kept the manuscript inside my drawer. I left the office and I went outside to meet Benita who was already seated in the car waiting for me.
I entered into the car and noticed that she was still moody just like the way she was in the morning. I enquired from her again about what was going on with her and why she was appearing so moody since morning. At first, she didn’t want to tell me and she continued to tell me that nothing was wrong with her. After so much begging and persuasion, she finally opened up.
BENITA: ok onihaxy, something is wrong, but what is the essence of telling you since you won’t solve the problem.
ME: says who Benita?, it seems you don’t know how much I care about you. Your happiness is my number one priority. Please tell me, what is wrong with you?.
BENITA: ok, do you want me to be happy?.
ME: yes dear.
BENITA: ok. please, can you do me a favour?
ME: what is that dear?
BENITA: please, can I stay over at your place for some days?, the place where live presently is an hell.
ME: ***chaiii!!!!!, omo see better offer!!!!!*****
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