The funeral was at noon.

I met Tony when I was just 21 years old and semi stupid. He was an executive at this firm I wanted to intern with. Tall , dark, handsome and ruthless was how he was described and none of it was an overstatement. He had pearly white teeth set against the richest chocolate complexion I had seen on any man, Nonso included.

Nonso dropped me off that day on his way to his parents’ at the office complex to attend the interview with the Human Resource Manager. We had spent the later parts of last nights going through cue cards and answering mock questions, I really wanted this internship and I was going to get it even though it meant I had to have Nonso bearing down on me and occasionally asking me to rephrase my answers till they were perfect. I was going to get this internship. I had ironed my dress, the most expensive one in my wardrobe, brought out my Kurt Geiger court shoes, put my weave into a single braid and wrapped it up in a silk scarf. I was ready.

I was not ready. Nobody told me the interview was going to be with Tony. No one told me his office was on the 10th floor. By the time I got to the sixth floor, I could feel my sugar level dropping. ”Nonso warned me o, these shoes were not made for practicality” I muttered to myself as I trudged on, If I had to crawl, I would get there before it was 10 am. I hated tardiness. Apparently, so did Tony.

”Ms Adoara , you are 2 minutes late” a voice said, more like whispered, to me. Before I could mumble an apology, he had started belting out instructions on who to meet, what he liked, what he despised, places he would need to be at different times of the day and how he hoped I would be able to keep up in those ”unreasonable” shoes. I was surprised. He had...Read more @https://olliealley./2018/03/15/funeral-at-noon/