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Infinite Love 124

Rude Awakening

If anyone had hoped that Commander
Datijo was joking about the painful training, that hope was shattered the very next day.


Barely had the sun rose that they
heard the bingo; it was more like a long whistling sound that was too loud for any man to make. Naturally, the new cadet occupants of both the stallion and the eagle squads ignored this sound and assumed it could be the mating call of some animal in the wild and barely stirred awake. It was a regretful move though, because barely a few seconds after the bingo sounded did, they had cold
water flung into their beds with extreme prejudice.

“GET UP! GET UP! Whenever you hear
the bingo you get up.” Sergeant Seyi was the culprit holding a bucket of water
and using a bowl to attack the sleeping cadets. She flung water to every bed
she came across including Michael’s who already awake but hadn’t gotten up on
time and so flung she smacked him with water right across his face.

“Get up!”

Some of the cadets were already
scrambling to put on their boots and some were already heading to the assembly
by the time she got to Fubby’s bed and flung water heavily onto him but he
barely stirred, she flung water on to his face next but he simply buried it
into his pillow and still didn’t stir. She stood there for a bit in amazement
at him before she finally emptied the bucket onto upon his head and screamed
into his face.

“GET UP YOU MAGGOT! GET TO THE
ASSEMBLY!” before he finally got up in a seated position flapping his hands and
legs about trying to swim out from under the swimming pool that he had been
dreaming about.

“ACK! AH!” he spluttered before
Michael grabbed him and lead him to get dressed and out the hall.

…

Outside, in the early hours of the
morning before even the sun was out they all stood there shaking in their
semi-wet clothes. Michael noticed that even the cadets from the eagles squad
had wet shirts too but not nearly as wet as theirs was. Either their commander,
Sergeant Kamilu was lenient with his water attack or his cadets had alarm
clocks in their brains that woke them up early. He also noticed Zara ahead of
him, she was looking just as sleepy as the rest of them but was otherwise fine.
He had no idea where she spent the night as they were in the same squad but
wasn’t in the common the rest of them had slept in.

There they all were, before dawn
standing at attention, in the cold mountain morning, shivering and waiting as
they made the roll call to make sure they were all there. Afterwards, they
began their march training once again.

“LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT!” they
trained until their bodies warmed up and dried up their wet shirts until
sunrise when they began sweating and barely felt the cold anymore, but still
mists flew out of their mouths as they breathed and evaporated off their bodies
and they trained.

They were already exhausted from
yesterday and many could barely raise a hand so Commander Datijo went around
slapping shoulders and knocking on heads of whoever got anything wrong or
weren’t doing it enough gusto. It wasn’t until even the other sergeants seemed
to tire of barking orders that he finally dismissed them and sent them off to
have their baths and get breakfast.

As they had been dismissed their
initial reaction was to lay down and rest but Commander Datijo who they were
now referring to affectionately as ‘Commander Dirty’, ‘Cee Danger’ and ‘Cee
Dat’ had threatened that whomever was late to the mess hall would have his own
saliva to feed on for the rest of the day.

And, so they hurriedly even with
their tired hands took off their clothes and rushed to their bathrooms where
they fetched pond water to bathe with. The water was still filled with frogs
and tadpoles but for some reason they were all used to that by now. Fubby as a
matter of fact found the frogs athletic and cute and enjoyed watching the way
the scrambled around the water when he scooped out some water but kept his
mouth shut to avoid getting them in his mouth.

That morning Fubby was feeling a
little bit better despite the torture session masqueraded as a march training
that they had just endured. He was feeling better because he had heard the word
breakfast from Cee dat. Breakfast meant food and food was almost everything to
him. Food was the only constant thing that always made him feel better.
Whenever there was good food around. He could always endure anything. Socrates
had famously said that make ‘food thy medicine and make medicine thy food’ but
to him food was both the medicine and the cure.

His parents had learned earlier on
in his life that whenever their son was coming down to an ailment the first thing,
they should try was to take him to his favorite restaurant before taking him to
a doctor. They had often realized that they saved a lot of money on medicine
just by knowing the best cooks in town. His father always said that while his
other children’s first words were ‘momma’ and ‘baba’, fubby’s first words were
‘nama’ (cow meat) and ‘ice cream’.

So that morning he was his regular
chatty self on account of the prospect of good food. His father had told him a
lot about army officer’s mess having all kinds of exquisite food and so he had
imagined they would be dining on something exciting and rare like roasted
mountain goats garnished with potatoes along with all kinds of aromatic spices.

“Hey boss, crazy morning, right?
Mad o!”

“Yeah, it was. Hey are you
alright? You seemed out of it before.” Michael asked.

“Oh, sure. I was totally drained
before and I feel like it might collapse anytime but as long as I have good
food, I’m gonna be fine. I’m great!”

“Okay, I’m glad to hear that.”

“Hey, what d’you think we’re gonna
be having for breakfast?”

“I don’t know.” Michael shrugged.

“I keep thinking something roasted
like…chicken or goats.”

“Goats?”

“Hmm hmmm. Yep, I’m very talented
when it comes to food.”

“Oh, do you cook?”

“Yeah, but I mostly eat. Delish!”

“Why am I not surprised?” Michael
smiled as they headed out to their mess hall.

…

As they filed in their mess hall
they spotted Zara and joined her.

“Hello, Zara.”

“Hey, Zee Mama. How you doing?”
they greeted and she regarded them for a bit before responding.

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Are you alright? We didn’t see
you in stallion hall.”

“I’m fine, I’m staying with
Sergeant Seyi.”

“Oh, nice!” Fubby said.

“That makes sense. Afterall it’s
just the two of you ladies we have.”

“…fine ladies” Fubby added and she
regarded him once more wondering if she should take him seriously.

“She must be taking good care of
you, right?” Michael asked but she shrugged.

“Ah, of course she is!” fubby
added “I’ll bet you two must be having a blast together.”

“I think things would have been a
lot easier if I was at stallion hall.” She said simply.

“What?”

“No way! I would be in heaven if I
was staying under the same room with Sergeant Sexy.” Fubby blurted to curious
looks from the other two.

“So, are you having things
difficult staying with her?” Michael asked her but she only stared at the women
who brought in food into the mess hall and refused to say anymore.

The woman looked like a local
someone who lived nearby and came around solely for the purpose of serving them
their food. She was aided by a few other cadets from the eagle’s squad who
carried large coolers that she would’ve otherwise not been able to life
herself. Everyone looked on in attention. They had been waiting for food since
yesterday. Most of them had never had to wait such a long time for food before.
Food was something they never had to worry about in their lives. But back here
in the mountain, their lives were different and as well as their priorities.

For some reason Cee dat was there,
he ordered them to form a queue and watched them as they slowly edged on to
collect their meal. Fubby’s eyes were glued to the front hoping to catch a
glimpse of the delicacy that was being served. But noticed that everyone who
went ahead of them to collect their meals didn’t look particularly happy with
their food. In fact, they didn’t look like they liked their food at all.

“But that was impossible, right?”
he thought “I mean, after all the craziness that they’d seen so far the
least they could do was serve them good food? Even prisoners deserved to be
well fed.”

Alas, that would not be the case.
As the three of them got to the top of the line, Michael got it first. He’d
imagined that the old lady would ask give him an option but instead she just
collected a plate from the eagle’s cadet next to dipped her long iron ladle
into the cooler to scoop out noting but a simple sloppy white and boring
tapioca pudding. Michael hadn't seen anything like it before. It looked like colourless pap that had been left on the stove too long. He wasn't sure he could eat it.

“Er…” he said trying to protest but allhe got was…

“NEXT!” from her and the next
cadet beside her simply dripped some milk from a tin can and shoved into his
hands and waved him off. Michael was starting to dislike the other guys in the
Eagle’s squad.

“MINGAO!” Michael turned around to
find Fubby freaking out. “This is TAPIOCA!? SERIOUSLY?! You mean after all the
climbing, jumping, marching and frog water baths, all we’re getting is just
SOME BLOODY TAPIOCA PUDDING? No meat! No fish! THIS IS MAD O!” he yelled again.

“Hey, you. Quiet yourself there,
piggy. It’s tapioca or saliva and if you don’t like it, if anyone of you don’t
like it, you can talk a walk, your choice.” Ceedat said calmly and with that
Fubby calmed right down. Michael now understood why he was around in the mess
hall. He had somehow anticipated some kind of reaction from the cadets.

Since he just stood there, the old
lady simply gave his bowl of tapioca to the cadet beside her who dripped a
meagre quantity of three crowns milk into it and held it out to him. Michael
came over and collected it for him while Zara with her owl along with Michael
escorted him to a table where they started their breakfast.

For a while, Fubby simply stared
at the plate muttering.

“Mad o!” Michael watched with
concern, it was obvious that with his big size Fubby was used to eating large
meals and this was not going to be an easy adjustment for him. He felt sorry
for the guy. Zara watched him too. She hadn’t for either of them before even
after they’d help her up the mountain after everyone else had left her behind.
But after seeing his reaction to the food and watching him just stare at the
plate like that, she was feeling some kind of concern for the loud loquacious
fat boy who had tried to flirt with her yesterday. His sad chubby cheeks
reminded her of the look babies have whenever they fear their mothers was
abandoning them.

Fubby looked at the plate and the
stark reality of the mountain suddenly dawned upon him. With food like these,
he was not going to make it.

“Mad o!” he sighed before
he started eating quietly.

If you want to also read a short story. Another romantic comedy. You can read it here.

https://www.nairaland.com/7010213/how-met

Don't worry it's already a complete story.

Or you can read it on my blog as usual.

Sorry I'm late guys. Life happens, you know.

Infinite Love 123

Hell's Angel

After their premium climb up the
mountain they were all expecting food and rest but instead got the information

that they’d been unknowingly put into an airforce recruitment program mandatory
for their pilot training and afterwards marching training. It was torture.
Having to hear someone blast ‘left’, ‘right’ atop a quiet
mountain in the evening after a long trek is not something anyone would like.

that they’d been unknowingly put into an airforce recruitment program mandatory
for their pilot training and afterwards marching training. It was torture.
Having to hear someone blast ‘left’, ‘right’ atop a quiet
mountain in the evening after a long trek is not something anyone would like.

Commander Datijo would blare at them;
“LEFT!” repeatedly, into their faces forcing them to respond when all they
wanted was to collapse on the ground.

“COME ON! MOVE YOUR LEFT FEET!”

And so, they would groggily make
to move whatever part of their body could respond.

“HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING BOY?”

“Ehn…what?” Fubby said tiredly.

“WHAT WERE YOU…? WERE YOU SLEEPING
ON YOUR FEET BOY?” he growled.

“Where…what?”

“What is your name boy?”

“Ehn?”

“ARE YOU DEAF, DUMB OR BOTH? I
ASKED YOU…WHAT IS YOUR NAME!” he growled even louder just inches from Fubby’s
face spraying him with saliva.

“Oh, Femi..ah ah mean FUBBY SIR!”

“PIGGY?”

“NO FUBBY SIR”

“Your name is PIGGY, PIGGY!”

“Umm.”

“NOW MOVE YOUR FEET…’ he commanded
and Fubby complied “YOUR ORDER FEET. THE LEFT ONE!”

And that was how their first
evening went. On officer yelling and spitting in their faces while they
struggled not to fall down. The marching training seemed to go on forever.

‘LEFT. LEFT. LEFT. RIGHT. LEFT.
RIGHT.”

Like the shrieking noise from a vengeful
ghost haunting them for the sins of their forefathers. Until, finally,
something somewhere in the chest of Commander Datijo where a human heart was
supposed to be, decided they had had enough misery for one day and let them go
to their dormitories.

What was supposed to be a
dormitory were two buildings fairly close to each other and they were made to
line up into two rows. Fubby lined up right behind Michael and could barely
keep on his feet with Zara not far behind them watching. Michael had to nudge
him awake many times. The two rows were led into the two separate buildings,
each one had a crest on its door and in the hall. The hall Michael went into
had the crest of a white horse on it with the word ‘Stallion’ above it. The
inside was spectacularly clean. Cleaner than Michael had expected with rows of
bunk beds on either side of the hall, arranged neatly with a foam, a pillow and
covers.

The cadets all entered warily and
gazed at their new accommodation. They hadn’t entered in too much when one of
them; Fubby, collapsed on the nearest bed to him just as an officer walked in
and they all stood at attention in salute to her.

“Hey, hey Fubby. Get up!” Michael
said trying to get him back up.

“No…no more left, mad o.” he
mumbled.

“Fubby, you have to get up there’s
an officer here.”

“Left, mad. Left, mad.” He didn’t
move anything except his legs obviously dreaming about marching again and
Michael gave up. He realized there was no way the boy was getting up as he was
too exhausted. The officer was distributing something to the other cadets and didn’t
notice him before she got his and Michael’s bunk.

“Hey! Get up.” She said tapping
his leg with her boot.

“Left. Mad o!” he said and she
looked at Michael in puzzlement who said.

“He’s just really tired, officer.”

“Is that right?” she said

“Yes, sir. I mean…ma”

She looked at Fubby lying there
for a while and Michael thought she would allow him just lie there until he
heard.

“GET UP YOU MAGGOT! WHERE DO YOU
THINK YOU ARE?” she yelled surprising everyone with her voice. It was almost as
loud as Commander Dee’s which sounded like a megaphone at the least. Fubby was
so startled that he immediately shot straight up from the bed.

“OW!” He hit his head on the top
bunk as he was lying down on the lower bunk.

“GET OUT HERE!” She yelled again
and he came out from under the bunk.

“Sir, yes sir.” He said to the
wall not to her as his back was turned to her and the rest of the cadet including
were trying not to laugh. Even the officer couldn’t help smiling at the sight
of him.

“I think he must have hit his head
too hard.” She said and everyone burst into laughter. Fubby turned around and
saw her but instead of seeing his superior officer. He just saw a woman, a very attractive one dressed neatly from head to toe in camouflage. With eyes dark and piercing, brightly peering at him from under her cap as she regarded him and his Casanova instincts kicked into play.

“Well, hello NURSE!”

“Ehn?” she said puzzled.

“Wow. Lady you look…HOT! Hi, i’m
Femi but my friends call me…FUBBY. Double oh seven, licensed, LOVE MACHINE.” He
said grinning holding out his hand to shake her hand and all the cadets in the
hall out of fear seemed to stop breathing.

“Did piggy just toast the
Sergeant?”

Michael thought.

“Are you matt?” one Fulani cadet
asked the one whose bunk was stationed opposite Michael and Fubby’s. It took a
while for Fubby to register what he said to be ‘Are you mad’ due to his accent.

“PIGGY, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?”
she yelled and he snapped back to reality and saw her uniform clearly for the
first time.

“Fubby, open your eyes man. It’s
Sergeant Seyi our commanding officer.”

“Sorry, sir. I mean..erm sorry
ma.”

“Yeah, you should be. STAND AT
ATTENTION, PIGGY!” she snapped and handed him items including; a locker key and
a name badge. She distributed the same items round to the rest of the cadets
and after she was done, she addressed them.

“LISTEN UP! For those of you with
butter for brains. I am Sergeant Seyi, your commanding officer and you are in
my squad; the Stallion squad. The others are the eagle squad. You will train
together and sometimes compete against each other. But your overall performance
will be scored and evaluated and as Commander Datijo said earlier; whoever
proves to be disciplined, brave and trustworthy, will reap the rewards of a
scholarship to Egypt and I would very much like that those top three cadets be
stallions. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

“YES MA!”

“Good. But also, there are rules!
Do you hear me? Are you listening?”

“YES MA!”

“RULE Number one; you disobey any
of the commanding officer, you’re OUT. RULE Number two; for any reason if you
cannot continue your training, you’re OUT. RULE Number three, every morning and
evening there’s a head count and if you’re not here for any head count, you’re
OUT! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?”

“YES MA!”

“Finally, you are all expected to
keep this place as clean as you found it. Individual bunks, beds, uniforms and
shoes as well as personal hygiene must be kept spotless at all times otherwise
that is an infraction and RULE Number four; three infractions and you’re OUT!
IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?”

“YES MA!”

“Now, you all have to have your
baths and then its lights out! DISMISSED!” and with that she left leaving them
to get their individual lockers where they found items; three sets of uniforms,
a single bar of soap, toothpaste and toothbrush, a towel, tennis shoes and
boots. They scrambled to the bathroom which had a large open drum filled with
water that had frogs and tadpoles swimming in them.

“Should we go tell them that the
water is dirty?” Michael asked the cadet next to him, but he just shrugged him
off saying.

“Na frog, not snake.” And he saw
the others scooping the water absentmindedly and bathing with it.

“ACK! ACK!” Fubby screamed out.

“WHAT?”

“WHAT HAPPENED?” they others came
over to his bath stall to see what happened and he said to them with a foamy
face.

“I HAD FROG IN MY MOUTH, MAD, MAD,
MAD O!” he said and some hissed and walked away while the rest laughed him off
saying.

“Next time, CLOSE YOUR MOUTH WHEN
YOU BATH!”

…

After their baths and their headcount,
they all went to bed sleepily most of them were asleep within seconds of
climbing to bed. They wouldn’t even had had a bath if Sergeant Seyi hadn’t told
them it was mandatory. Most dreamed of leaving the mountain, Michael dreamed of
finally flying and Fubby dreamed about Sergeant Seyi herself, when he first woke up he thought he'd seen an angel. But she was the hottest thinghe had ever seen in a uniform so maybe she was.

"Mad o!" he mumbled in bed.
he had ever seen in a uniform so maybe she was.

"Mad o!" he mumbled in bed.

3/5 is very generous. Thanks boss

Kellzzyy:
This story is cool but it is unnecessarily long.
A lot of characters and plays here are simply unnecessary.
Too many flashbacks.
Omo
My rating is 3/5

I have finished this short story and you can read the rest on my blog.

So now on to continuing infinite love.

Cheers!

Genevieve 5

And that was how it was between those two. During office

hours they were plain simple coworkers who seemed to hardly acknowledge each other
but afterhours they would rendezvous and walk take a walk or grab a bite to eat while at the same time he was helping her cope with her difficult boss by giving her tips and helping her connect with other office personnel that would make her work that much easier.


“Hello, dear. Say have you read the acquisition request that
i sent you?”

“Yes, Nora. I have and I have giving it to my boss to sign
and forwarded it to all concerned parties. You should get a response from hem soon enough.”

Nora was stumped. She hadn’t expected or couldn’t explain
Genevieve’s recent versatiliy in the past few days. It was unusual for recent
hires to get the gist of the company’s running this quickly but Genevieve seemed
to have.

“Is there anything else?” Genevieve asked watching Nora’s pretty
head spin was fun she had sent the particular email at 4:30pm, close to closing
hour, a time when most employees hardly ever check their mails and would make
it difficult to respond but Genevieve had gotten it signed by calling the
others and overexagerating the priority of the mail.

“Erm...no!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, that’s what I came by to tell you.”

“Alright, you should go then.”

“Oh, yes I will. I just...”

“Oh, you need to go right away because I need your response to
the said email immediately. It is needed rightaway in procurement so It’s important,
right? Those were your words.”

“Yes, of course...er I know I will go now.”

“Good” Genevieve said turning back to her desk. She wasn’t
sure why Nora had become so frequent in her office these days but she hated the
fact that she was using her work and berating her as an excuse me. Genny could
see her still stnding at the door trying to come up with another excuse for
being their and scanning the office and so she added.

“And please check your emails before coming here. So that
you don’t end up wasting your time and delay important jobs. Okay?”

She could see the shocked expresson on her face right before
the elevator closes and she enjyed it. Nora was probably going to try to get
back at her but she didn’t care. If she ever wanted to flirt with Mr.
Abdulafeez again, she was going to have to come up another excuse and not her. For
the life of her she couldn’t understand how those two coud ever be a thing.

“Hello, baby girl!” Stanley said coming in.

“Hey, Stan! How are you today?” she said brightly.

“Baby, I dey o. But you I have been noticiing you, what is going?”

“What do you mean?”

“For the past few days you have just been different. You are
happy. YOu have become good at your work you don’t ask for my help a;n you don’t
even send Abdlafeez again whenever im dey shout for you.”

“Dat one? I don tire for am abeg. He can shout all he wants.
I won’t kill myself. I can’t kill myself now.”

“That’s true sha. Most girls after a while when they have
understood they system, they just take it easy. They do whatever they can and leave
the rest.”

“Yes now, because even if you’re not doing anything wrong,
he will still shout so...abegi!”

“Yes but is that all?”

“Ah ahn, yes now.”

“Because you have become good at your job, too good and most
girls don’t get to this stage until at least three months. And like i said you
are happy, you are glowing. Tell me now."

“I don’t know what you want me to say again o!”

“You no wan tell me abi? No wahala.”

“Leave that one for now.”

“Okay, shey I go fit see your chicken chop today sha?”

“Wetiin happen now? Me i no go chop? Abeg comot. After you
don go flex finish for yesterday you stiil wan con chop my own? Na wa for you
o!”

“Oh me. I no flex o!”

“Na lie.”

“Truth to God!” he swore licking his index finiger and pointing
it to the sky in a solemn oath “for the past few days now I no dey see my guy
wey we dey go do flexxing for island. I no know wetin do the guy. So me and Nora
dem dey plan to organise something again for later tonight. She suppose don
come sef.”

“And who is this your guy you keep mentioning all the time?”

“Woo look, when you join our clique you know him. See you
later babe. Don’t finish the chicken o, remain small for me abeg.”

“Wait for me I dey come.”

Genevieve 4

"Good morning, oga." Stanley greeted briefly raising his shade from his table through the partition.

Mr Abdulafeez made a guttaral ‘hmph’ sound indicating his indiference to the salutation.
But as for her on the other hand she jumped up “Ah, Good morning sir.�


“Oh, Good
morning, Genevieve. How are you?�

“Fine, thank
you, sir. And thank you for…� he silenced her by making a low but
noticieable signal with his hand to stop and went into his office as cool as a
cucumber. Leaving her standing there fazed.

She was hadn't
understood his present demeanor towards her. Last night they were fine and he
chatted with her like they were equals, bestfriends even and now he'd stonewalled
her. Had she done something wrong last night? In the car? Had he wanted to her
to invite him in? Was she supposed to do that? Or was it that he'd only pitied
her because he found her trekking in the dead of the night, which was a one
night thing? Or was it simply that her mind had conjured up the whole night out
of desperation and despair for human kindness?


She turned to
find her boss Mr. Abdulafeez staring at her again, curiously. The must have
noticed that her response to his greeting was very unusual this morning. The
man didn't miss anything with his shrewd little eyes and big bushy eyebrows.
And so she immediately sat back down at her desk. But her mind kept racing.

'You're being
silly, Gene.' she said to herself 'it could just be that he doesn't want
anybody especially Mr. Abdulafeez to find out about their rendevouz for God
knows that the man would find fault in even paradise.'

And so she spent
her entire day trying to keep her mind off of Mr. Njoku and focus on her work.
Abdulafeez made sure she had lots to do and little room to breathe and so that
was a little easier. But it still bugged her like an ant crawling at the back
of her mind.

"Hello, ma
people." Nora called as she came in.

"Hello,
Nora." she responded.

"Yes, Genevieve,
right?" she nodded. "I'm yet to recieve the request email from you
about the new fire extinguishers that the safety department must have told you
we need. Please send it immediately. I know you're new here but try to keep
up."

She was pained at
Nora's address but she let it go and simply nodded. Nora was an assistant in HR
of which procurement was technically none of her business but as the mails work
in the company everyone gets a copy of everything unless otherwise requested
'private'. And people like Nora who already know what mails would be moving due
to her long work experience was using that to belittle her whenever she was
late.


"Thanks,
dear." she said and moved on to go meet Stanley. "Stan the man! How
far now?"

"Oh, please
tomato don't shout. Abeg, talk small because of my head it is aching me
seriously."

"Na wa for
you o. You don become small boy when it comes to drinking ni?"

"Kai!
Shottopu! Whad you mean by that? I am the don!"

"O werey!
Who dash you don?"

"I say i am
the don and you must respect me for dat."

"Wo leave
that one. Eh hen abeg tell me, why oga no show last night now? I just dey
expect expect am but im no show? What's up? Abi you don vex am again with this
your bad mouth?"

"Kai, stop
that play! Me and my oga now 5 and 6 we be. Nothin fit separate us!"

"Ah werey!
Nothing fit separate you but you no know say this your mouth when you don drink
finish na so so rubbish you go dey talk?"

"Na lie! I
dey control myself for dat one!"

"Ah okay o,
make I go talk to oga afeez before im vex for me too!"

Genevieve tried
not to listen in but she couldn't help herself.

"So Stanley,
Nora and Mr Abdulafeez usually hang out?" she assumed.

That Nora was so
annoying and she and Stanley's conversation confirmed what she had thought of
Nora all this while, she was a slut. How else could be able to talk to Mr.
Abdulafeez so confidently and without fear? And why did she usually wear skin
tight pants with tops that showed way too much than they were supposed to?

But Genevieve
knew in her of hearts that she was quietly jealous of the girl's confident
demeanor when talking to superiority and the way she always seemed to wear her
makeup very nicely on her light pretty face. How could she compete with that
when she looked to perfection while she on the other hand was a slowly melting
hot mess?

"Thank God,
Mr. Njoku is not interested in that." she thought calmly as she watched
Nora talking and smiling to Mr. Abdulafeez in a way she deemed inappropriate.
He was smiling at completely at ease with talking to her like an equal and it
made Genevieve like Nora even less.

"Something
is definitely going on between those two! Whatever, they deserve each
other." she dismissed "Thank God acts like a complete gentleman instead
of an office flirt like those two."

And with that she
went back to her work all the while hoping to get to see and talk to him soon.
But waited was all she did. For he hardly came out of his office and whenever
he did it was only to dash out to quickly and return even faster without so
much as a passing glance towards her.

To make matters
worse Abdulafeez was still finding new ways to bother her with more and more
work to do.

With Nonso
ignoring her and Abdulafeez badgering her, her mood took another nosedive by
the close of the day. It still took her longer to finish her work and most
people had already left including her boss and Nonso, same as yesterday. The
only difference was, she still had enough change left to keep her going for a bit
thanks to Nonso. But she didn't feel like going home straightaway, that would
only mean she would spend the more time tossing and turning, wondering if she
had done anything wrong for him to ignore her or if infact he was actually busy
all day.


So instead of
taking a danfo straight home, she ignored the bus conductor who was almost
pulling her, urging her to get in and she turned into Sanusi Fafunwa street
once again and began walking. For whatever reason she did it she wasn't sure.
Maybe she wanted to relieve the events of the past night or maybe she was
simply hoping against hope that she would see him again and they would pick up
where they left off. They had been many times that she was sure she was too
much of a sinner for God because he didn't seem to be listening to her prayers
but on this night without even mouthing the prayer it was answered for not long
into the street she saw him standing there. Smiling at her from across the
street in front of Chicken Republic holding his phone in his hand he said;


"And I was
just about to call you, right now."


She could have
ran across the street to hug him as long lost lovers often do when reconnecting
in the movies. But instead he came over to her.

"Genny! How
far now?" he said and her stomach did a jump flip. She had been called
that in the past but hearing it from him made it sound so special.

"I'm fine,
sir." but he threw his hands up once again and she corrected herself.
"Okay, no...sorry, Nonso. I'm fine, Nonso."

"eh
hen."

"But why did
you ignore me all day at work? You never even replied my greeting."

"Ah look, I
just realised that our office is not a very good place. The people there are
too nosy. Any small thing dey hear and they start to escalate it. That is why I
wanted to tell you to let us keep this our little secret. Just between us, especially
from Abdulafeez for now. I don't want him redirecting his anger for me towards
you.

She nodded
silently, of course he made total sense but even if he didn't she would still
comply. Just one night of dinner slash impromptu date and he was already
begininng to mean more to her than she any other man in her life.

"So are you
walking home again?"

"Yeah, its
starting to become a habit, i'm afraid."

"Well,
unfortunately my car is at the mechanic today. So how about we grab a quick
takeaway and I accompany you? Because as a gentleman I can't let a lady walk
alone in Lagos at night?"

In a few minutes
they were both walking back into the eatery for two packs, before they had
their even version of a moonlight stroll through Lagos Island. The stars seemed
more beautiful, as well as the bright blue moon, the many street lamps seemed
brighter than usual with a heavenly and even the street urchins parading the
streets begging for changed seemed to carry a charming aura about them that
night. The night was absolutely perfect. They had walked a long way before
realising that the clouds were gathering and they had missed their bus stop
many meters back. It was after she felt the first few drops of rain that they
eventually hailed a cab and took it to her apartment in the pouring rain. By
the time they got off and got to her front yard. They were both soaking wet.

"Chai! I am
completely soaked!"

"Sorry, this
is my fault. If you had just gone home straight you wouldn't have gotten
wet."

Her looked at her
deeply "Don't say that. I enjoyed walking with you."

The look in his
eyes was suddenly became too intense for her and she had to look down. She was
stuck. She didn't want him to leave and at the same time she couldn't invite
him in. And so they a moment passed...and then another. Until he said finally;

"So, I have
to leave now. I don't want to be late tomorrow because that madman can report
me."

She laughed at
insult directed towards Mr. Abdulafeez but when she met his gaze, he wasn't laughing.
His eyes were locked onto her lips and he going for it. Suddenly, she felt
paralysed and submitted to his move before...

HONK! HONK!

"Oga, abeg
answer me I wan go home o!" the taxi
driver honked loudly interupting them.

They laughed, a
little embarrassed as they disengaged and muttered.

"See you
tomorrow."

"Yeah, good
night, Nonso."

And he got back
into the cab and drove off.

Genevieve 3

The next day she went to work feeling more energized than she had ever felt in a very long time thanks to Mr. Njoku or rather Nonso. She got to work a bit late thanks to theovertime she had put in the day before. She knew her cantankerous boss Mr. Abdulafeez

was not going to like that but she was surprisingly not worried about that
leprechaun. Nonso had put her on cloud nine and she was still floating. She
floated all the way to her desk until she heard his grating voice call her
name.

"GENEVIEVE!"
he barked startling her.

She hadn't seen
him there seated sternly surprised at her not noticing him as she entered the
office. Even by that, she had already offended him. He thrived on being
conspicuous despite his short stature. Weighing in at four feet six he was a
full foot shorter than her but he still managed to conjure much terror into
her. As he sat there staring with his piercing gray eyes, balding head, and
full beard, he looked like an angry dwarf.

"Oh,
er...good morning, sir."

He nodded.

"You're
late!" was his response. "I came in earlier today just to clear the
mess you started yesterday only to meet your absence. Is this how you come late
to work every day?"

"Err...no."

He never failed
to surprise her. He knew full well the reason she was late was that she closed
so late last night. He wasn't around as he always left the office at 5pm on the
dot but he still knew as he always got a daily report of the access and egress
of the employees from the security department. He knew full well that she was
always there at work 7am a full one hour earlier than the 8am on her employment
letter.

"...No,
sir." was all she was going to say. She had given up on explaining herself
to him as she knew now that he would find fault in her regardless.

"Anyways, I
will look into that." he sneered "So, how far with the contractors
that you so carelessly misinformed?"

But for that at
least she had an acceptable answer. So, she raised her head and told him of all
the contractors promising to be on ground sooner rather than later to perform
their various jobs in the hotel from plumbing, painting to carpentry and
fumigation. She told him how it took her all night but surely got every last
bit of job on the right schedule.

But he said
"Humility goes a long way, Mz Genevieve. And besides what is the point in
patting yourself on the back for cleaning up a mess that you made all by
yourself?"

Her jaw dropped.

"Now please
open up that folder on your desk and start with the Enisson clientele we need
to reach out to them and clear up some financial issues. Please go."

She turned and
went back to her desk feeling considerably low despite her initial high before
talking to him. She found a thick folder the size of Texas on it and began to
flip through.

"Arghh!"
she gasped when she read the instruction. She had to contact an old contractor
who had delivered poor or faulty lighting systems that failed on installation
and ask them for reimbursement and pickup of faulty light bulbs but for that,
she had to find the old payment receipts as well as the date of failure after
installation by the technicians and all this happened three months ago before
she was even employed. In addition to her regular workload, this was going to
be another all-nighter at work. She sighed, took off her shoes, placed her feet
on them, and began.

It
was about an hour before the rest of the staff began to show up at work.
Stanley showed up noisily as usual but looked terrible.

"Hey,
babe! How far?" he said coming over beside her chair whispering as Mr.
Abdulafeez seemed engrossed with his desktop feigning but could stealthily be
eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Good
morning." she said tiredly.

"How
your body today?"

"I'm
okay."

"Eh
hen, any show yesterday?" he asked jolting her attention. 'Does he know,
about her and Mr. Njoku yesterday?'

"Erm...no,
nothing happened yesterday." she said finally hoping he will buy it.

"Nothing
at all?"

"Nothing
o."

"Na
wa for you o! You no just dey street. You no know what's up. I dey tell you say
make I take you out you dey form sister Mary. Let me take you places and blow
your mind."

"No,
thank you." she said sternly.

"Okay
o. Na your loss sha. I tell you the things wey I see yesterday ehn? Not to talk
of the places wey i enter. The drink wey I drink sey, shey na wine abi na beer
you wan talk? Oh God! Babe, you're missing."

"I'm
okay, thank you."

"Okay
o. Na you wan dey dull yourself sha. I no fit force you. Hey do you have
Panadol?" he asked.

“Yes
sure, in that drawer there.” He popped two tablets into his mouth and drank
water to push it down.

"Are
you alright?"

"Yes...i
mean no. The whiskey i took yesterday is giving me a serious hangover."

"Oh,
and you want me to follow you next time and be sick in the morning too?"

"Yes
o, babe. If only my guy had been there, my main man. Last night would have been
much more crazy. In fact, just a night out with him and you would forget about
all the work stress or whatever. He is the only reason I can stay in this
crappy job for so long now.”

“Really?”
I said intrigued.

“Yes,
babe. Hey why don’t you come out with us next time. My guy and I can show you
life, real life in Lagos Island.”

"No,
thank you. I don't think I can handle Abdulafeez’s wahala with a hangover early
in the morning. That combination will kill me." She whispered and glanced
over to her boss to make sure he hadn’t heard her but his was on a call.

"My
dear, something must kill a man. Life is for the living."

"Not for me, thanks."

“If you say so. It’s your loss.” And with that he put on the
sunshade he had on his head and sauntered over to his desk.

"Good morning, everyone." Mr Njoku greeted as he
arrived with his vneck t-shirt and jeans looking like a breath of fresh air in
this stuffy quagmire of an office.

"Good morning, oga." Stanley greeted briefly
raising his shade from his table through the partition.

Mr Abdulafeez made a guttaral ‘hmph’ sound indicating his
indiference to the salutation.

I however jumped up “Ah, Good morning sir.”

I know right? Thanks.

Pheobmax:
Hopefully when you resume it, you'd complete it, with steady update. That story is long overdue
Btw nice work you've got here.... Typical you though

Infinite Love is my baby. Of course I will finish it.

No it's on hiatus. I have to step aside for a while, work on something much smaller in order to refocus and finish it.

Adeabdulsblog

“Genevieve, are you just leaving the office?” he asked incredulously as he hopped quickly to within a few feet of me.

“Ye-yes sir. I just finished now now.”

“Incredible! That guy, Abdulafeez no dey pity human beings at all. I just don’t know how he can be so hard hearted, kwanu! So, he delayed you till now? So late in the night-tee!?”

“Yes, now. Ha ha.” I responded laughing. The stress he added on the last word of the sentence sounded funny with his Igbo accent and I almost forgot my embarrassment at being found walking like one of the local Almajiri children in the north.

"And what can I do? It's just part of the job, so..."

"Hey! Okay! I've heard you." he said dejectedly. While i thought of the best way to escape from this embarrassing situation. I wanted to leave but I couldn't think of the best way to do so. Considering, I didn't want someone I knew, especially of one my superiors at work to know I was too broke to afford ordinary transport and resulted to trekking all by myself. I wouldn't know how to face him ever again at work. I prayed he would just let me go with the little pride I still had left.

"Oh so you're headed to the bus stop right?" he asked finally.

"Yes, sir. And I have to hurry since it is late." I said hoping he would get the gist and leave me alone.

"Yes, yes but..." he said thinking.

'Please don't ask me why i'm trekking. Please don't ask me why I'm trekking.' I thought desperaterly. It's been such a long day, I couldn't stand another embarrassment.

"...but have you eaten anything today?" he asked lastly.

"Ehn?" I said taken aback. That was absolutely not the question I was expecting.

"I noticed Stanley had an extra food pack from the company so I assumed that must have been yours. You gave him your food pack right?"

"Ah...yes sir. I actually did, yeah. I mean yes."

"Nna ehn? That boy with im long throat! I pray somebody won't cut it off for am one day o!" He said and I giggled despite myself.

"You haven't had anything to eat, right?"

I shook my head no. Too tired to mouth anymore answers as I still had a way to go to the next bus stop.

"Come with me." he said turning away.

"Sorry...what?" I asked not sure i had heard him correctly and so he turned back around and waited for me.

"It is too late for you to cook anything for yourself when you get home, so you have to manage Chicken Republic."

He said insisted and so I followed him in a daze not sure what was going on. Was he going to buy me food at Chicken Republic? And did he say that I should manage it? Is he messing with me? I thought as my mind raced and my tummy rumbled at the thought of chicken.

What happened next took me absolutely by surprised. Mr Njoku sat me down at a nice table in the corner and asked me for my preferred meal choice. I said "anything" as I was too shy to ask for the juicy roasted chicken that my heart and stomach desired. At this point anyone who bought me 'boli ati epa' roasted plantain and groundnuts was an angel to me.

To my utmost surprise he came back with two big food packs of fried rice, jollof rice with half a whole chicken on each.

"I couldn't remember which one you said that you wanted so I bought one of each just in case." he said as I gasped.

"Oh, sir. This is too much o. Thank you." I said taking them and getting up making a move to leave as I was rather uncomfortable sitting down with the person who was practically my boss at an eatery but he said instead.

"No, sit. Sit down and eat. Let's talk a while."

I was too tired to protest, so I did. While trying not to woof down my only good food probably for the week, we talked. He was so easy to talk to, he didn't ask me anything serious or embarrassing at all and told me so much about himself. How he came to work at Komain when he had just finished from school and they were then paying him only a paltry thirty thousand naira as a procurement intern.

He shocked me by telling me then that general manager at the time one Mr. Corleone, an Italian was an even more harsh boss than Abdulafeez was at the begining when he joined at the inception with a few staff members and many of them had to take on multiple job positions while still barely getting paid fully for one position. He told me how so many workers left and he almost did too, many times because of the heavy work load and lack of appreciation.

Before he later got on the soft side of their general one day because Nigerian Immigration Service came to raid the premises of illegal work and he was the one that saved his boss from deportation back to Italy by hiding him in the toilet while he was using it too.

"The toilet then had this small box. So small. Even a small child would have a hard time standing comfortably inside it. So when I saw immigration I rushed into the office and pushed him inside that cupboard and squeezed him inside it."

"Oh wow! Really?"

"Yes! I pushed his 'gorimapa' bald head inside the cupboard behind the dirty toilet that they made for us and started shitting in the toilet in front of it!"

"Ah, no. Please tell me you didn't do that!"

"Eh hen, now. I DID!"

"Oh my God!" I said laughing with chicken falling out of my mouth and back onto my plate.

He laughed too. "I did. Immigration were searching everywhere and I know what would happen if they found him. So, I started shitting fast fast. And my boss was right there inhaling all the noxious odorous and terrible gases coming from my bombom."

"AH OGA NJOKU!" I shouted in disbelief.

"Eh hen, now! He would sometimes protest and say 'Oh, stop that!' and I would tell him shut up sir. Shut up. Immigration is coming!"

"OH MY GOD. MR NJOKU! WHAT? Are you serious?"

"Yes of course, my dear and he had to shut because he knew what was at stake. My bombom was saving him his job now. No be so?"

"Well, that's true. You're right, sir?"

"And enough with all this Mr. Njoku. We're not at the office at the moment so just call me Nonso. Na my name be dat."

I was stunned. Not sure how to process that. He wasn't exactly my boss, Mr. Abdulafeez was. But he was still my superior at work. I was at a loss so I just said.

"Okay."

"Immigration eventually came in."

"Into the toilet?"

"Of course. I told you that they searced everywhere."

"Wow!"

"They came in and saw me right there on the toilet bowl and demanded 'where is your oga?' I said 'Mr Wale is in the office he is my oga.' Because at the time we have one Mr Wale who was a bit higher than me but even he himself wasn't paid much at the time. They insisted 'No, we mean that white man!' And i told them that there was no white man here. 'Did you see a white man here? That was how we were going back and forth for about fifteen minutes because we both knew that there was an Italian working illegally in the premises as our boss which was wrong but they couldn't prove it. Little did they know that at he was just behind me hiding in the broom cupboard."

"And smelling your sh*t!"

"YES! And inhaling all the 'ewa agonyin' bean porridge odours coming from me. And he must have hard time there but he didn't say 'pim'! The officers left empty-handed too because our toilet was just the worst place on the planet at that time. You people still have it easier now because the entire premises have been upgraded and facilities have improved even though their salary and job security is still non-existent."

"Wow. You really tried sir."

He looked at me a bit sternly and pointed at me "Nonso!" before continuing.

"Well, after that things got a bit easy for me here. Since I had saved the boss. He increased my salary and made me a manager. I was the only one he trusted and again his wife liked me because when she came live in Nigeria I was the one who showed her around. Again, over time I came to learn a lot of company secrets and that's why they will think twice before misbehaving with me there."

"Oh, I get it now."

"But I have to warn you. The company has not changed much. They still frustrate people and they hardly progress their employees. So people resign a lot here. And the hire a lot too. So, I will advise you to not plan to stay here a long time. I'm just being honest. You can work here while still looking elsewhere just to be safe."

"Thank you, sir."

"NO! Nonso. Na the name mama give me."

"Okay. Okay! Thank you, Nonso."

I said as he was shaking his head and I had to appease him. I doubted I would ever get used to calling him that. But I was wrong, because as the night progressed he grew funnier and I got more relaxed with my tummy and his charming company.

As a matter of fact he was the one who noticed how late the time was. And got up to leave. He surprised me further by getting more takeaway packs for me, and softdrinks and to my utmost surprise he took me to his car and drove me home. I had never felt so taken care of. I had been struggling and roughing it through my deep bankruptcy that I hadn't even had time to relax.

The most surprising part of the night was my own reaction. After he drove me home I found myself reluctant to get out of the car. And no it wasn't the airconditioning or the slow Luther Vandross CD playing, it was him. He had made that night and subsequently the whole day so magical that i didn't want it to end. I wanted to keep staying next to him and hear another funny joke from him and just smell his light cologne all through the night. Eventually, we said our 'goodbyes' and he shook my hand as I left but when I opened it, i had N5,000 in it. But before I could either protest or thank him, he drove off. Leaving me to dream about it all.

Genevieve



"Are you alright? You sent last month's report to me to forward to our top client when you know that we have to keep everything up to date at all times?"

"I'm sorry it was a mistake i didn't realise that...?"

"You didn't realise what? WHAT? DO YOU HAVE COTTON FOR BRAINS? HOW CAN YOU MAKE SUCH A MISTAKE?"

My boss yelled and I brimmed at the edge of tears trying to hold them back and be professional despite the insults he was berating me with.

"Take am easy now, Afeez. This girl is new and she needs time to adjust." Mr Njoku said coming to my defense.

"Hey, hey stop there! This doesn't concern you or your department you hear me!" 

My boss promptly shut him up. They both glared at each other for a moment before Mr Njoku added.

"Then stop making noise and bothering me and my department." before he went back to typing on his computer system.

From my first day at work i had noticed there was some kind of friction between the two men. The way they looked at each other and carefully ignored each other despite sharing the same 2nd floor in the same building.

Our building was the Kuramo Hotel and Suites located just by the famous Kuramo beach on Lagos Island. A 25th storey building famous for its located and loved by all manner of clientele. But I only just started barely 3 weeks ago. Our company is Kuramo Maintenance and we are a facility management company in charge of servicing and maintaining Kuramo Hotels and Suites.

When you come to our hotel you feel like royalty and when I first saw the vacancy ad for a front desk officer i promptly applied and i was over the moon when I got the email to come start the job shortly after the interview. I thought it would be a dream job. The reality is very different.

It turns out that komain short for Kuramo Maintenance ltd is fond of overusing their staff members. And even with my rich experience in front desk work I quickly realised that it was not going to be easy adapting to komain's complicated documentation and procedures.

And since they pay low and overexert their workers people resign a lot. As a matter of fact I only got the job that fast because their previous front desk officer resigned abruptly due to overexertion and they needed someone to take over from her.

So i got there only to realise that there was a lot of work backlog with many management names and numbers to memorise and the company was in the middle of an expansion. The previous front desk officer had hid many contacts and documents in the hopes of making things difficult for the next front desk officer thereby making the company see her worth and hopefully call her back with a huge payrise offer. She was wrong.

My Lebanese boss; Mr Abdulafeez was adamant when responding to everyone who had asked him to recall her.

"No, I would never call her back. She left the company without telling me and you want me to call her back? No, I won't do that. We will find someone else."

He would say time and time again as I made one mistake after the other or delay a document past its deadline.

"But your new front desk officer doesn't have anyone to teach her. She is new and requires time to adjust!" Mr Njoku said finally pleading with him nevertheless my Lebanese boss with a head of hair and full beards refused adamantly.

And so I was stuck to begging Stanley.

"Stanley, come now. Come and show me how to find the emails of our clients in Ascon Engineering, Mr Abdulafeez told me to send a mail across to them right away."

"Ooh, you have come again, Genevieve. How many times do I have to tell you that I have work I am busy." he said with his regular playboy shakara.

"Please now."

"Ask your boss for it now."

"I did but he said that he was preparing for a meeting and that he would show me later."

"Eh hen? Then wait for him now."

"Stanley, na you dey talk like this? You know that he would only come back and blame for not sending it since. Sil vous plait, help me please." 

"Oh, Genevieve! You know that I like it when you speak this your French language to me. Biko, come closer and parle Francaise with me." He said slithering his hands on my left shoulder and moving it downwards to my hips before I slapped it away.

"Will you stop that! I have told you many times to stop touching me like that again. Why won't you listen to me?"

"Then get away you and stop disturbing me jor. Are you not the one coming to me always?"

He hissed turning away and so did I but as i got to my desk, I realised the inevitable storm that would come if i didn't send those emails. I was stuck. Mr Abdulafeez would berate me if I didn't do this task and Stanley was my only hope. 

He was not in front desk but he had worked at the company long enough to know some helpful things that I needed. The problem was he was a hopeless flirt that was always hitting on me and as i never gave in to him the only other thing I could give him was my lunch ticket. Which was my only good meal of the day.

I used to run a business for the past four years. I bought and sold fashion online and had a miserable time of it. Customers were quick to buy and slow to pay while my house and shop rent became due and my debt climbed even higher. Because I never had a tough temperament people found it easy to owe me indefinitely and I eventually went bankrupt until I was forced to forgo my enterprenuership dreams and go back to front desk jobs.

Even with my komain salary I won't be out of debt until at least about five months time. But at least the dream of finally being out of debt was there if i managed to stay employed up till then. I had no choice but to forgo my company lunch ticket to Stanley which meant I was condemned to another buffet of Garri, Sugar and Groudnuts. Yes I was almost always hungry.

I handed him my meal ticket and he reluctantly took it from me.

"God just save you because today is roasted chicken day."

"Chai!" I was pained just thinking about the beautifully crisp brown chicken lap with fried rice that I was going to miss today. I would run and hide in a closet somewhere to drink my garri and afterwards tighten my belt dangerously tight to keep my stomach from grumbling out of hunger and embarrassing me while the entire office area wafts with delicious chicken aroma.

Later on, Mr Abdulafeez waltz back into the office, slithering quietly like a snake that already knew his prey had nowhere to run from his brimming barrage of acidic insults.

He sat down calmly as if he hadn't a care but I knew he was just getting ready to pounce. 

"Hello, Genevieve. Have you sent those emails yet?" he said casually staring straight facing his monitor as if he had showed me how to perform the task he asked.

"Yes, sir. I have."

"What..?" he said shocked looking straight at me puzzled. It was obvious he had intended for me to fail at the task.

"I said yes, I have sent those emails sir and there's a reply from Ascon waiting for you already."

His brows furrowed even further before looking across to Stanley who he found had two food packs on his desk and put two and two together.

"Very well." he said finally and I went back to preparing the days activity report and holding back my hunger when he called me soon after.

"Oh, Genevieve." he called me in a slow drawl and i knew that i was in trouble.

"Ye-yes sir?"

"Come here, please."

I went over to stand beside him facing his desktop monitor as he pointed to his outlook emails.

"What date did you leave the contractors to come and fix the plumbing on the 5th floor?"

"It was...it was on the 2nd sir."

"Are you sure about that?" he said sternly and i realised the error. I had indicated the next maintenance of the plumbing of the floor to 3/6/2022 which meant 3rd of June instead of 6/3/2022 which meant 6th of March. My mouth fell open.

"Oh sir. I'm so sorry, I-I didn't...it was a mistake sir. It is the date format here...you know i am still new...I-I..." I stuttered.

"It's okay." he said and got up calmly as if he was letting it go but I knew he was just getting started.

"Tell me something. In Benin Republic that you come from are they stupid? Ehn? Tell me I am asking you?"

"N-no, sir." I said timidly. Feeling humiliated and angry but totally helpless while Stanley was busy laughing at me with my chicked lap deep in his mouth.

"Because if you are, i can gladly recommend to HR to have your IQ checked and rewired for competency. Because I don't know, I'm totally surprised as to how the month of March became June to you, I don't know!"

And that's how he went on and on about my stupidity and my nationality as a Beninoise within earshot of the entire office floor. There wasn't a time I wished more that the earth would swallow me whole.

"So, now you have to stay behind and fix all this. This is your mess, isn't it? You have to fix it. You have to call email them, each one of them. Call them if you have to but get a response from them that they will all be here on the right date at the right time to do the job. Or will we use your hair to mop the floors when all the pipes start leaking in the rooms?"

"No, sir. I-I will mail them back sir."

"Make sure you do and get a feedback before you close from here today or else!" he threatened.

And so that's what started as one of the longest workdays of my life. Me sending out emails and calls amidst doing my daily duties as well as the back log left by the former front desk officer while the rest of the office left me one after the others, even Mr Abdulafeez himself left me there in the office. With no one around except the few nightcrawlers who took advantage of the company access card to trip their friends and girlfriends  around the hotel premises without paying for much.

"Ah ha. Genevieve, you are still here?" Stanley asked coming into the office at 9pm way past closing time with a girl in hand by whose dressing i suspected was a hooker.

"Yes, I am." I said tiredly.

"Na wa o. I just came by because I forgot my access card in my drawer."

"Hey, do people usually work this late in your office?" his skimpy clad companion asked.

"Oh no, babe. Genevieve had the greatest bad luck in the world to be working directly with a mad man."

"Eh hen?"

"Yes o! Her boss, ehn? If the government should start seizing mad people in Lagos state, they will start with him."

"Wow!"

"Any way, let's go. Na she dey find work and she found it. Let me show you around the pool side."

"Oh yes babe! Pool side!"

"Yes, but we can't enter the pool o!"

"Ahn ahn, why now?"

"Oh no. Babe you will put me in trouble if you enter the water. We will just chill by the poolside and drink. Let's go."

He led her away even with the pout on her face and I marvelled at how little concerned he showed but still managed to spend on a hooker.

It was around 10:15 before i was done that day. I had to call the personal numbers of all the contractors and explain to them the error and begged most of them to show up or else I would lose my job and all of them thankfully agreed to come on the right day and time.

When I left the office that night I realised to my dismay that I also didn't have enough money for a bus fare and so as was my tradition I began walking a little way through the streets to the other bus stop as I knew the fare would be shorter that way. From whom I was going to borrow money for tomorrow's fare I didn't know. I hated to call in sick and miss work but it was starting to look like my only option. I wasn't going to be able to walk the 7km to work again. Not after the day i'd had. I was walking along Sanusi Fafunwa street when I noticed a couple of guys standing beside a car in the Chicken Republic car park and I hastened my step. I always hated meeting peopl I knew whenever I was trekking like that, when I noticed one of the guys was looking my way. I quickened my steps even further, hating to think of what might happen to me if the guys were up to no good. But the one walking towards me held out his hand and called me by name.

"Hey, hey! Genevieve!"

"Oh God, no!" this was my worst nightmare. Telling someone I knew I was trekking because of poverty was the lowest point for me.

"Genevieve! Wait!" I froze and waited for whoever it was.

It was Mr Njoku from the office.


Adeabdulsblog.

Thanks but be patient please. Remember all good things come to those who wait.

Really? I'm so glad you think so boss

efeteb:
Every piece from you is so refreshing. More ink to your pen and ideas to your Medulla.

Thanks boss. Same to you.

Infinite Love 122

WELCOME TO HELL

By the time they had reached the top of the steps to the mountain. The mountaintop had spread out into a roughly flat shape like a plain making the top of it easier to walk on or even habitable.

The ground was still hard like the steps had been but years of activity upon it had made it sandy and less hard and the air was cool too. It was wider than Michael had expected with a forest on the east side of it and three large buildings for housing.

The ground was still hard like the steps had been but years of activity upon it had made it sandy and less hard and the air was cool too. It was wider than Michael had expected with a forest on the east side of it and three large buildings for housing.

But
what they saw at the top of that mountain still gave them shivers of fear down
all of their spines.

There
was all manner of machinations out there on the plain. There were heavy logs of
wood, huge sand bags, a row of three-foot barbed wire fences for crawling
underneath, and pits, lots of muddy pits everywhere. The largest pit was
surrounded by lone bamboo fences and bamboo square roofing to cling onto in
order to get to the other side. Michael imagined only a monkey would be able to
escape that pit. There was another pit in the middle of high net ladder that
would be used to climb over the mud pit before one could get down easier down
twin logs.

There
was another pit that had a single pole on either side of it which were
connected overhead by a log and a single rope was hanging down from that log
making sure that the only to get to the other side was to swing Tarzan-style
over the pit. There were a few trees at a corner with a seemingly rickety
wooden ladders and ropes on either side of them where one had to climb the
trees using the ladders but get down by sliding down the ropes. Over all the
plain were pits, sand bags, barbed wires, logs and trees surrounded by a sandy
track that were all lined up dangerously like an obstacle course designed to
cause untold amounts of pain.

Michael,
Fubby and Zara already tired from their trek up the mountain almost fell over
their selves at the sight of their new home. Commander Datijo was standing
there motionless along with two other officers watching them as they arrived.
The rest of the candidates were all crumpled up into a heap in the shade of
nearby trees with worried looks on their faces. No doubt pondering what the
officers had in mind for them for the next few weeks.

The
only part of the plain without such machinations was the centre that seemed to
be a marching ground and had three poles for flags. Two of the poles already
the Nigerian flag and the air force flag up there while the three poles were
flag free.

Finally,
the commander motioned to the officer next to him who yelled.

“Cadets.
Attention!”

But
both from lack of experience and total exhaustion nobody seemed to move
significantly and so the commander sprang to life.

“GET
UP! YOU DIRTY STINKING COWS! GET UP AND FALL IN TO ATTENTION!” he jumped into
their faces and yelled and smacked and kicked them all until they were all
standing in rows with their hands on their sides, their weak chests puffed out
and their legs shaken.

“Where
do you think you are? At your parents’ house? This is Pyem mountain and we are
your commanding officers! We have been given the dirty job of turning you
meatheads into credible airmen. Do you know how or why we have been saddled
with this very ridiculous responsibility?”

Some
candidates shook their heads while a few murmured ‘I don’t know’ but the rest
just stayed quiet.

“ARE
YOU ALL DEAF? AM I TALKING TO DONKEYS? I asked you lazy slugs a question and
when your commanding officer asks you a question…YOU ANSWER!”

“Okay.”

“Yes.”

“Right.”

Came
the reply from the candidates and Commander Datijo shook his head and muttered…

“Ah
oozubillahi minna shaytaani rojeem” in disgust and started pacing in front of
them. I said do you know why we have been given this GOD-AWFUL RESPONSIBILITY?”

“No,
sir.” They said weakly.

“GODDAMMIT!
YOU ALWAYS ANSWER ME WITH A LOUD SIR, NO SIR!” he snapped.

“SIR,
NO SIR!!!” they yelled.

“You
people are GOATS!” he spat “Don’t you know you are now cadets of the Nigerian
Air Force?” he blared and the candidates exchanged quizzical and confused
looks.

All
they did was register to the federal aviation college, none of them registered
any air force duty.

“Are
you surprised? Some of you even looked SHOCKED! That doesn’t surprise me
because you are all exactly what you look like…a bunch of yellow-bellied
cowardly goats. A constriction into the Nigerian Air Force is one of the
highest honours of the nation and for generations many people had sacrificed a
lot to be where you are right now. But recently, with your lazy generation, the
REVERSE IS THE CASE! Since you are all mostly greedy cows who cares about money
instead of honour.”

“So,
to keep the supply of the nation’s military airmen supply the government has
made institutions like your famous provide us with auxiliary airmen in case we
the air force ever need one.”

“Oh
my God!”

“No
way!”

“Subhanallah!”

“Ya
say wetin?”

“I
don’t understand.” Michael said bewildered.

“Oh,
you don’t? Let me clarify it for you then. IN SIMPLE ENGLISH…the government has
made it mandatory to institutions like FACO to supply military trained airmen,
which you will be if you survive, to the Nigerian Air Force in case of
emergency. Which means, if ever the Air Force need pilots and you are in the
country, you will be called upon to provide air support to our troops. DO YOU
UNDERSTAND ME NOW?”

Michael
looked even more bewildered from comprehension so the commander added “Can you
imagine? After all my grammar he is still looking at me like a dunce.”

Michael
thought about all the times his father had told him about aviation school, all
the planes he would learn to operate, all the connections he would make, new
wealthy friends and all the airlines queuing up to pay him big bucks for
flying. His father made it all seem so easy, like a dream. But the reality
standing before him was more like a nightmare. A military conscription? That
was never part of the plan.

“And
look here. If you…or any one of you guys are thinking of turning tails please
GO AHEAD AND RUN! FACO has agreed not to train you unless you finish your
training here and all that huge sums of money you paid for admission…GONE!”

“What?
MAD O!” Fubby said and Michael just stared.

“But
I’m sure that judging by the cars I saw back there in Zaria you people don’t
even care about the money, do you? Your parents will only be too glad to dish
out another huge sum of money for their spoilt brats. But get one thing
straight. You will never be trained by FACO which is the number aviation school
in the country.”

“And
some of you may be wondering why FACO would ever agree to this…simple. They
have no choice when it comes to a directive from Oga at the top and it benefits
them too. They would be glad to have military trained, physically fit and
disciplined students who obey their teachers instead of the lazy spoilt brats
who go there for money. And disobey their teachers whenever training gets tough
and even threaten their teachers because their parents know the principal of
the school personally, forcing the school to produce mediocre graduates.”

“So,
this is also FACO’s way of saying ‘F**K YOU AND YOUR PARENTS’. NOBODY CARES IF
YOUR FATHER KNOWS THE PRINCIPAL. NOBODY GIVES A COWSH*T if your father knows
THE GOVERNOR!”

“Oh
my God! I am dead!” Jameelu thought he had always found it easy to get his
way once he threw around his family and his father’s connection but now, he
realized that their family may not work for him this time.

“SO,
YOU IDIOTS ARE NOW CADETS OF THE AIR FORCE. And here on Pyem mountain you will
be given the physical training of air force cadets, and if you survive this
training, you will have THE DISCIPLINE AND THE STRENGTH TO SURVIVE ANYTHING!”

“Of course, if this danger zone doesn’t kill us, nothing ever will.” Fubby
grumbled.

“Shh!” Michael shushed him.

“You will then finally go on to FACO for your flight training where you will treat your teachers with respect and take your training seriously and if you pass that, not only will you be giving the wherewithal to be successful in the aviation industry as a pilot but you will commissioned as a Wing Commander of the Nigerian Air Force.”

“Woah!”Michael said.

“Allahu akbar!” Aliyu exclaimed

“I would look good in that air force uniform!” Fubby said grinning.

All the cadets were getting their spirits high and dreaming about the benefits of starting with such a high ranking position.

"And that's not all. The top three cadets will get a sponsorship to Egypt to learn to fly the latest aircrafts in the world, making them some of the most sought after pilots in world!"

"Mad o!"

"Oh my God!"

"Wow!"

"Allahu akbar!"

"Look at them. I can see it all in their faces. You all are already dreaming of the rank and the salary and the rest of the benefits right? Well guess what...WE WON'T MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU!"

"Ah ah, why now Oga?"

"SHUT UP! YOU WILL SPEAK ONLY WHEN SPOKEN TO! Do you really think, we will allow a bunch of lazy half brains like you outrank us after only a few weeks of training? We have spent years getting to where we are and in just a few months you will all become our superiors, RUBBISH!"

"ERRANT NONSENSE. I would rather bite on hot machine gun bullets than salute and call you lots 'SIR!'. So, get it straight...we are not going to pamper you like they do in FACO and we are not going to pet you because WE ARE NOT YOUR PARENTS! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

"How do I get to the nearest bus stop, I wonder." Jameelu thought.

As if he read Jameelu's mind he added "If you don't want to be here...there are stairs across the plain at the far end. It leads to the nearest town and out of here. So, do yourself a favour and use it, anytime. No questions asked. Just walk away. QUIT!"

At that moment, all the cadets seemed to consider the possibility of leaving that dreadful mountain for some place more relaxing and stress free. Michael thought about his father's dream for him and all the sacrifices he'd made to be there and realised that quiting was not an option. Aliyu looked suspiciously towards Jameelu who seemed to be about to make a move when he glanced back at Aliyu before staying back in line. Commander Datijo gave them a few minutes and waited and after seeing that they weren't moving he continued.

"Well, since you're all very foolish enough to stick around, then gather around on the field to begin your marching training."

"Oh."

"What again."

"Ah" the cadets grumbled. Clearly expecting a good nights sleep after their ordeal up the mountain.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you people expecting a red carpet reception here? I told you. Nobody will pamper you here. You are not celebrities and we are not your parents. Now fall in onto the field to begin your marching exercises. You chose to be here and this is how we welcome you. So, welcome...TO HELL!"

Glad you like it boss

efeteb:
Thanks for this Tonic. Wishing you speed in your composition. [color=#770077][/color]

You're welcome boss

No I haven't stopped. I just slowed down a bit. Yes I am going to finish this God willing.

Jaylynn:
I started this on Behind, but then you stopped .
Anyway, I'm happy to be here. I hope I get to finish it on time

Infinite Love 121

The Mountain Path

“WHAT ARE YOU COWS WAITING FOR A BUS? GET UP HERE NOW!” the commander Datijo yelled down the new recruits still struggling to get even a quarter way up on the mountain after forty minutes of
climbing.


“This is so simple, wallahi.” He trotted
down again towards them like a mountain goat in its element. “Any goat can do this. SO STOP WASTING MY TIME AND COME ON.” He yelled at them again, waving and bounced up the mountain just as easily as he came down.

“How… does he do that?” Michaid said
breathlessly watching Commander D disappear in a flash up the mountain. He was in a group of the candidates up ahead on the mountain. After the principal handed them all to Commander D at FACO, the rest seemed like a daze of a bad dream.
They were all promptly packed onto an air force military vehicle and driving all the way down to the mountainous region of Jos. They had spent only God
knows how many hours in the van on a very bumpy ride that seemed to get them smashed into their luggage after four minutes and then they were dropped up on
the mountain base where the cool commander Datijo instantaneously transformed
his personality from a cool tolerant military personnel into the Devil’s slave
driver. No chance to rest, no food to eat, no congratulations for coming down,
just an order to scale a mountain that they couldn’t even see the top of from
the base.

“Subuhanallah…is he trying to kill us!”
Jameelu said to Aliyu. Michael was with them at the head of the group up on the
trail.

“I don’t know.” Aliyu responded. “Come on. Let’s
keep going.” He said. He was visibly the fittest of them all, tall lean and in
shape and even he was having a hard time getting up. But he was still their
unofficial leader giving it his all. Michael suspected he must have had a
military family. Probably grew up in at an army barracks or something as he had
their mannerisms.

“Wallahi, I…don’t know…how much more of
this I can do.” Mustapha said.

“Go and become a pilot, he said. Gaskiya,
it will be good for you, he said. Wallahi, Baba lied to me and in sha Allah, my
mind is made up! And I am leaving this country very soon.” Jameelu said.

Michael had half a mind to laugh about him
but he didn’t dare, because laughing would require energy and he had lost all
of his energy in the first ten minutes climbing up the mountain. Thank God he
had dressed simple today. His Polo shirt, chinos pants and plain tennis shoes
had made the climb less stressful for than for the rest of the guys. They had
on leather Italian shoes, long Guinea brocades and a heavy Atiku caps on, while
the rest wore suits, which were all ill-suited for climbing a mountain on a hot
day or in fact any day.

The first five minutes up on the mountain
some of the guys removed their caps. After about ten minutes the ones in suits
took off their suit jackets. In fifteen, most of the ones in Guinea brocades,
took off their long gowns and slung over their shoulders and began using it
like a towel to wipe away their sweats. And others even took off their shoes to
climb with only their socks on. So that by now, the group of high-class
aviation candidates who had been dropped off by their parents in posh cars
adorned in elegant attires looked a group of illegal poverty-stricken refugees
sneaking into the country by foot.

“SHWOP BANCK!” they heard a noise and
looked back to see someone falling down farther behind them. It was more like
crashing actually. Someone had crashed into the nearby tree brushes and while
the rest turned around and continued onwards, Michael noticed it was someone
wearing a colourful dress, no, a jacket due to the mix of unnatural colours
among the trees. It was Fubby. The guy he had just met who made such a grand
entrance and got snubbed by the rest of the guys. Michael had struck up a
conversation with him mostly out of pity for the little embarrassment the other
guys showed him. But ever since then, he nearly regretted it because Fubby,
won’t stop talking.

“My father’s Abu Zubair, Owner of Zubby
Foods. You know him, right?”

But Michael didn’t. “Erm…no sorry. I don’t
know him.”

“But he’s the agricultural magnate? Zubaire
rice?” he said hoping to jog Michael’s memory but nothing clicked. “Zuba
Flours? Boss, you must have heard about Zuba flours right, that’s where all the
noodle companies get their raw materials from?” he said again, staring blankly
at Michael as if he must have crawled up from under a rock not to know him or
his father’s businesses.

“You don’t know him? Where are you from
boss?”

“Lagos.”

“Oh, Lagos! I’ve been to Lagos. My brother runs
a business there. That city is INSANE!” he said with emphasis on the last word.
Michael got the impression Fubby was the type of person who could talk about
anything even the most mundane things and make them sound interesting with his
constantly emphasized words at the end of almost all his sentences.

“After one week in Lagos, I was about ready
to leave Lagos, boss. The stress of that city is CRAIZE! So, I can back to
Abuja where things are normal, boss. Since my dad won’t let me go back to
Canada anymore. He says I have to get my education here in Nigeria or he would
kick me out of the house, MAD O!”

“Okay.” Michael said politely not trying to
be rude to him especially since Fubby was the only person paying any attention
to him. The rest just kind of ignored him after sensing he wasn’t highly
connected or rich like the rest of them. He was a nobody fortunate to get a
scholarship or something in FACO. But after a while Michael grew tired of his
contant chatting and hoped he might get tired soon and give his mouth or even
him a rest. But Fubby just kept on talking his ear off. He even rapped
intermittently.

“Yes boss. I’m F to the E, M, I. Friends
call me Fubby, I know I look fly.

He told Michael all about himself and his
hobby, his family, his family and everything else Michael never asked to
know. He had been sent to study in
Canada…

“Political science and human relations can
you believe that, ME?” but had switched without his parents’ consent and
knowledge after receiving a revelation to become a Hip-hop artist.

“I’m a rapper man. That’s me! I’m an
artist. I also tried modelling for a while but all kind of crashed after my
pops found out and had me return to Nigeria, MAD O!”

Even all through their rough trip he kept
on talking.

“OUCH!” he’d complain time and time again
“Even canned sardines get better treatment than this. This is INSANE!” his
jabbering didn’t make the road trip any easier for Michael and by the time the
alighted from the van. He quietly and discreetly left his side and stood next
one of the posh Northerners who instantly ignored him which he was fine with,
because all he wanted was just some peace and quiet away from Femi, I mean
Fubby.

But now as Michael looked down at him from
his higher position on the mountain, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for the
chatterbox. The poor guy looked like totally out of place with his colourful
attire in such a merciless place. He was still hauling up his luggage while
most people seemed to have kept theirs somewhere. He was panting and struggling
so badly that Michael felt compelled to go and help him. So, he looked back at
his former unconcerned companions who had moved up ahead without him and
without a care and went down to help Fubby.

Going down was a little easier but still
slippery and so he had to watch his step, in order not slip in on the trees
lining the mountain path. On the way down he could see pieces of clothing items
that had been discarded in order to make the trek easier. Jackets, guineas,
caps, watches, shoes and he even saw a few bags that his fellow candidates had
left behind until he met Fubby, sitting on a rock on a side with jacket torn,
his sunglasses missing and flamboyant sneakers stained with sand and dust. He
sat dejectedly with one of his hands still on the broken handle of his luggage
and the other his small bag.

“Are you alright, man?”

“Oh…ME? I’m good…Fubby no…dey…tire, boss.
I’m on…FIRE!” he said and Michael couldn’t help but smile at his resilience. He
was exhausted but he was still rapping.

“Come on. Let’s get on this mountain before
nightfall.”

“Okay.” He said and immediately handed
Michael the heavy luggage making him instantly regretting coming back down for
him.

That’s how they trudged and trekked slowly
along until they barely see anyone ahead of them. They were the last of the
group. Michael had finally managed to convince him to take off his jacket and now
they were both finally down to wearing singlets. Michael had wrapped his polo
shirt on his head like a turban while Fubby tied back his jacket at the waist
and a face cap. It was just too hot a day to be fashion forward.

They trudged on slowly under the weight of
Fubby’s luggage. Michael couldn’t understand why one guy had to have such a big
load. Eery time he suggested they leave them he would adamantly refuse to go on
without his bags and Michael was afraid to leave him behind. He worried about
all the wild animals that could easily make a meal out of his chubby guts.

As they trudged on they panted more because
the air was getting thinner and more difficult to breathe but they at least had
the leverage of the temperature getting colder so the heat was less but Michael
could feel pressure in his ears until he could slightly hear some popping
sounds in them.

“Woah, my ears making music, MAD O!” Fubby
said, confirming to Michael that he was also feeling the same thing.

When they got to a corner on the path, they
saw her. The only female amongst them. The one who seemed to scowl at everyone.
Michael hadn’t seen her since the reception and he didn’t notice her when
coming down the mountain and now that he saw her, he was strangely relieved. As
if he had been worried about her without even knowing it.

“ZARA!” he yelled dropping Fubby’s big
luggage and went over to her where she seemed to be dusting sand off of her hijab
and readjusting it. He looked up at him at the mention of her name and for a
moment she seemed relieved to see and almost smiled.

“Hey, careful with my that boss, DAMN.”
Until she saw Fubby behind him and her stern look returned to her face.

“Hello.” She replied simply.

“Well, hello NURSE!” Fubby said they both
looked at him strangely trying to understand him.

“Are you alright?” Michael asked finally.

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m just resting.”

“I feel you my sister. Whoever came up with
this mountain idea, must be crazy, COMPRENDES?” He said again and she gave him
a blank look trying to understand him.

“Are you still rhyming? Aren’t you tired?”
Michael asked him bewilderedly.

“Rhyme is life, boss. You feel me? And she
understands me.” And he whispered to Michael “The ladies love Fubby, TRUST ME!”

“Oh, God!” Michael exhaled and Fubby came
forward extending a hand.

“They call me, Fubby.”

“I’m Zara.” She said visibly rolling her
eyes and ignoring his hand but she almost tripped as she stood up and so she
sat back down again.

“Ah!”

“Are you alright.” Michael asked.

“I’m…fine. It’s this shoe.” She said taking
off her shoes. They were not high heeled shoes but even their small heels would
making climbing the mountain considerably difficult for anyone to do and the
left shoe had the heel broken off while the right one’s heel was starting to
break off as well.

“Oh, I got it.” Fubby said and
instantaneously grabbing the right leg and before anyone could stop him. He
ripped off the heel and handed it back to her with a big grin as if he had done
her a huge favour.

“You broke my shoe!” she said shocked.

“Yes, I did. This way you now have flat
shoes that are better for climbing, GENIUS!”

Grudgingly, she nodded her head in tired
agreement as she put on her newly flattened shoes but she then looked down at
her bag and Michael knew she was contemplating the stress of carrying it again,
so he said.

“Don’t worry. I’ll help with your bag.”

“Oh, thank you very much, sir.”

“It’s okay. It’s nothing. Just call me
Michael.”

“Thank you, Michael.”

“You’re welcome, Zara.” And she smiled
genuinely and for the first time Michael noticed how pretty she was. She was
tall, slim with a long face and long thin nose. All beautiful features that
would make top models jealous, if only she cared enough to show it and smile.

“Fubby, I’m sorry but we’re going to have
to drop your big luggage.” Michael said and Fubby panicked.

“What? NO, NO, NO! We can’t.”

“We don’t have a choice. Zara can’t carry
her bag and I’m sure she needs it. I surely can’t carry Zara’s bag and your
luggage at the same time and you can’t carry both of your bags at the same
time.

“BUT…BUT!” he stammered.

“We don’t have time for this, let’s go.”
Zara said impatiently going up ahead.

“I need my luggage!” he protested.

“For what? Are you planning on opening a
boutique on the mountain?” he snapped at him.

“Hey, take it easy. When we get settled in
up top. We can come back for luggage, okay?”

He nodded vigorously “Yeah, boss. AWESOME!”
Michael tucked the luggage underneath a tree and marked it by wrapped one of
Fubby’s bandanas on it. Zara rolled her eyes once more and led the way

“Let’s go.”

As Michael picked up her bag and the two
started up after her.

“She likes me!” Fubby whispered in his ear.

“What..?”

“Zara. She likes me, mad RIGHT?” and
Michael nodded.

“Yeah, that is mad.

Thanks boss.

In order not to give unnecessary hope to anyone, let me just say that for now I can only update once a week and the next update will be by middle of next week.

Sorry about that. But that's just the way it is for now.

Tnx

Infinite Love 120



He entered the building and found the receptionist there who was finely clad in Hausa native attire and he stated his business and she was surprised.


“Why are you applying late? This is practically the last day that you’re coming and the slots are already full.”

“Oh, I’m very sorry ma. It is because I had trouble getting the money on time. But I have it here now.”

He could see she was hesitating. She must have already thought her job of handling recruitments were done and he was coming to bring in a whole lot of work for her again. He could see she was on the fence about whether to assist him or send him away. He thought of the note from his new friend Tessy the traditional
king of Delta and immediately handed it to her. She took one look at him and
went into the office behind her while he waited in the hall. She came back soon afterwards and asked him to follow her. She led him to a door marked “Principal” and they both went in to reveal two men. One in Nigerian Air Force military uniform while bent over the seated, more laid-back obvious principal
with glasses and long-sleeve shirt. Michael already held the principal in high regard. He was an elegant man, greying at the temples, dressed neatly but simply. He didn’t show his wealth with extravagance like the rest of the staff seemed to do. The only overly expensive thing he had on was his watch; Bretlin.
A shining all black aviator’s watch complete with a chronograph and a compass.
He was obviously wealthy. A retired pilot with a wealth of experience to teach and lead the FACO. Michael wanted so much to be where he was in a couple of years.

“So, you’re taking all of them, then?” he asked the military officer standing beside him.

“Yes, sir. All of them.”

“How long did you say, it was?”

“Hard to say exactly but it should be around three to five weeks or it could be sooner. As soon as they are ready we will let you know and bring them right back.”

“And
will you be taking it easy with them, this time?”

“We
have to do what we have to do.”

“Wow!
Will they all come back in one piece?”

“I
can’t promise that all of them will come back or that they will be in one-piece
sir.”

“Wow!
Erm…yes, Nofisah come on.” The principal motioned for his papers from the
receptionist.

“He
says he has everything with him sir.”

He
quickly skimmed Michael’s documents while the stern looking officer regarded
Michael slowly and intensely until he felt uncomfortable and adjusted his
stance.

“Hello,
young man.”

“Good
afternoon, sir.”

“You’re
quite late.”

“I’m
sorry about that sir.”

“What
do you think Commander Datijo?”

And
the stubby officer stared glaringly at Michael and simply said; “It’s fine, let
him come sir.”

“Thank
you, sir.” Michael responded but he’d looked away.

“Well,
how can we reject you when you’re just in the nick of time and you have such a
high recommendation from a highly decorated officer?”

“Thank
you, sir.”

“I
hope you have your belongings with you because you will be leaving in a few
hours.”

“Erm…wha..?”

“Nofisah,
please get him ready along with the rest for JB.”

“Yes,
sir.”

Michael
was so grateful that he nearly broke his neck from bowing so much. Back at the
reception she directed him.

“Are
you with your fees?”

“Yes,
ma.”

“Go
to the bank beside the library to get a bank draft and then come back here.”
She spent the afternoon getting him running around back and forth doing all the
registration as she attended to the other candidates who arrived with their
families and their luggage ready to begin their tuition. He was indeed grateful
for having arrived at the very last day and also seeing the others with their
families made him miss his own.

His
father would’ve loved nothing more than to be there with him but he was gone.
His mother could barely leave the house without assistance and couldn’t survive
the trip down to Zaria, his brother and grandma had to stay at home to take
care of her. Dayo would’ve been there but he was on the run from the police as
well as the local mafia in Bayelsa. His other friend Onos couldn’t leave his
young family and Angela, well…he had to keep putting his mind off of her,
otherwise he might just run back to Lagos.

After
a few hours the reception and the waiting room were nearly packed with
candidates and the car park was full of expensive visitors’ cars. It was
obvious that only the wealthy could afford to send their children there. This
was a school for either the rich or highly connected. After having just
finished the registration process he sat in the waiting room and watched the
candidates and it was obvious to him that he was the poorest of them all which
was a little intimidating. Sitting there and watching their expensive cars pull
up and drive off, their families coming and leaving them as well as their
luggage of different sizes in imported tastes while he had only his bag pack
that he was hiding from view.

Sitting
there in his old polo shirt since most of his clothing had been lost while
running from Inspector Martin. He suddenly wished he had used some of Dayo’s
money to buy some new clothes at the very least but everything happened so fast
and he wanted to use the money on absolutely the bare necessities. But compared
to the rest of the candidates in the waiting room, he certainly looked more or
less like their houseboy.

“Aliyu!
Salam aleikum.” One candidate went over to greet the tall huge one in a group
of his friends mostly in very expensive Guinea garments along with the
traditionaly Hausa cap depressed one on side of the top while the others wore
expensive suits.

“Wa
aleikum salam, Jameelu. You finally came!” the huge one obviously the leader of
them responded.

“Ee,
my flight got delayed and so we had to charter a private plane. Thank God, Baba
has a friend who runs a charter company.”

“Masha
Allah.”

“Yes,
Alhamdulillah.”

“Yes
and hopefully, by the time we’re done here, you too will be running your own
private charter very soon.” Another one of the group said the one in a suit.

“Oh,
I don’t know about that yet.”

“What
do you mean, mallam?”

“Well,
gaskiya I’m not entirely sold on the whole idea of this flight school thing,
honestly.”

“So,
is there something else that you would rather be doing?”

“Well,
I was actually set on studying abroad for a while now. This country just
doesn’t seem to suit me at the moment. And my father knows this but he wants me
to give FACO a trial before he is willing to let me go to Yale.”

“Subhanallah!
Jameelu, what is your problem with this country? Every time we see you, it is
either Europe this or Dubai that? Me kefarua ne?” a slender one in shiny green
Guinea brocade blurted and the rest laughed.

“Don’t
mind, Jameelu, aboka nayna. It is the breeze in Nigeria that is his problem.”

“Ehn?”

“Yes,
it is too dry and it is disturbing his skin wallahi!

“Oh,
so he needs snow, gaskiya?”

“Exactily!”
and the rest including the Jameelu himself began laughing. After over hearing
them all Michael felt smaller in his seat.

“Private
planes? Dubai? Yale? Where do these people come from?” he thought.

“But
seriously, who knows why the air force is here?” one asked the rest.

“I’m
not sure, Mustapha. But the last time the military were this many in FACO it
was back in the military regime.”

“Aliyu
you are a legacy, right? Have any of your brothers or even your father said
anything about this?”

“Baba
and I saw them when we came last week and he absolutely refused to say anything
besides telling me to continue the family tradition and not dishonor him.”

“Well,
I am not getting myself involved in any air force. I am simply not cut out for
military life.”

“Jameelu,
you are not cut out for any kind of Nigerian life.” Mustapha said and the rest
laughed again.

Michael
listened attentively and envied their relationship. They obviously knew their
selves well before coming there. School friends or family friends maybe? They
made his miss his own friends.

Just
then a lady walked into the building, she had on a small chest length white
Muslim hijab over her long elegant yellow gown. She handed her papers to the
receptionist before she was directed to go wait in the waiting room along with
the rest of them.

When
she got close, Michael could see that she was pretty but her face was stern
almost angry looking as if someone had upset her just before entering the
building. And he also noticed that no family member or friends had dropped her
off. No other candidates had come alone besides himself.

The
receptionist and the rest of the candidates and Michael stared at her. She was
the only female candidate among them. As she opened the glass door of the
waiting room it fell silent. She scanned the room briefly before coming in and
ignored all the rest to go to Michael.

“Excuse
me, is this the waiting room?” she asked a stunned Michael.

“Ye..yes.
This is the waiting room.”

“Thank
you” She said simply and sat down grimly and without a word to anyone else.

They
were all suddenly interrupted by the loud banging close of the door as another
candidate entered with an even louder greeting.

“SALAM
ALEIKUM, MY PEOPLE! Fubby’s in the house!” he was a smiling bright faced slightly
chubby guy in sunglasses. Just a little younger than Michael with a peculiar
punk afro in an elaborate dress. He had on a white jacket on top of a Ghanaian
dashiki and finished it off with a big bright yellow and lemon green sneakers.

“Allahu
Akbar!” Mustapha said.

“Subhan
Allah. What is that?”

He
swaggered off to the receptionist before sauntering to join the rest of them in
the waiting room.

“Hello,
my people. How’s it going guys?” he asked going over to join Aliyu’s crew.

“Hey,
look here. The circus is not in town yet. So, go and change.” Aliyu said and
afterwards they all basically snubbed him after that.

“You
all need to recognize good fashion, boss.” He said but they had already turned
their backs to him. So, he came over and sat with Michael.

“I’m
Michael.”

“Fubby!
My name’s Femi but my friends call me fubby.”

“Nice.
Cool shoes.”

“Yeah?
Thanks, boss. I like your…um your Polo shirt.”

“Thanks.”

“My
dad told me to dress low key but I thought, nah man. You either go big or you
go home, right boss?”

“Right.
Er…boss.” He basically got the courage to talk to the guy after the others made
fun of him but he genuinely did like him and his funky style.

“Alright
everybody, gather round!” the stern looking officer and the principal came into
the reception area and all the candidates gathered about them.

“Hello,”
the principal said “today you are all meant to start your session at the FACO
but there’s been a new development. Just before you start your college you are
all mandated for a physical training with the air force base at Pyom, Plateau.
Now I know this wasn’t brought to your notice prior to now but this training is
mandatory before your full acceptance to FACO. Failure to complete this
training will lead to your full and utter disqualification from your admission.
So, I urge you to do the right thing and follow commander Datijo. I wish you
all the very best. I hope to see you all after your three weeks of training.
So, take care and God bless.

If you like poetry, you can order my collection on Okadabooks.

https://okadabooks.com/book/about/silhouettes_of_love_life/45856

Infinite Love 119

THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING


“You have to get to the top of this
mountain OR YOU’RE OUT!” he said shouting.

He was a short man that barely reached Michael’s height but he was definitely the scariest man he had ever seen. He had a thick build with thick arm layered in arm hair. Michael no without a doubt that he had a bushy beard that he must shave three times a day to keep him scruff chin bare. With thick bushy eyebrows that seemed to be permanently fixed in a frown and he seemed to be frowning at Michael and the rest of the candidates all at the same time.

He was a short man that barely reached Michael’s height but he was definitely the scariest man he had ever seen. He had a thick build with thick arm layered in arm hair. Michael no without a doubt that he had a bushy beard that he must shave three times a day to keep him scruff chin bare. With thick bushy eyebrows that seemed to be permanently fixed in a frown and he seemed to be frowning at Michael and the rest of the candidates all at the same time.


“DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!” he yelled again
for the umpteenth time.

“YES SIR!”

Michael and the rest responded in the
affirmative but he still didn’t believe an ounce of what was going on. On
minute he had been in Zaria, Kaduna State registering for flight and the next
minute he was being dragged interstate to the hills of Plateau, Jos State where
some short scary man was yelling at him and the rest of the fellow candidates
to climb up a highly steep mountain or else they would be out.

“Out of what? The program?” he thought.

But he had just registered for the program
a few hours ago he had even started it yet.

“Alright, ladies. MOVE!!!” the short scary
man yelled and started leaping up on the mountain easily as if it was merely a
bouncy castle at a children’s party. In a few seconds he was already high up
and they barely saw his figure up there in the sky.

“Woah! Look at him go!” the guy with the
small afro and cool sunglasses beside him said. Michael tried to remember his
name; was it Femi or Funmi? He wasn’t sure.

“Well, boss. I’m going to be the first to
scale this rock. See you at the top!” he bounded along with the rest of the
candidates forwards and upwards after the army guy. He stood there for a moment
trying to remember the events of the last few hours before joining the rest of
his new compadres.

…

He had been so happy happier than he had
been in a very long time aside from the other thing that he was refusing to
that about, about the only person who made him feel happy or even alive. But he
was going to make something of himself. Finally! According to how his father
had wanted. He was going to make his father, who was dead, proud. He was going
to make his mother, mama and his brother John, who were very much alive, very
proud. And that was all that was really important at the moment. If he was
being honest with himself, he wanted more, but maybe in life or his life for
that matter, who don’t get it all.

He practically bounded up the stairs of the
admin hall of the spacious institution. He had never seen so much space in his
life. The Federal Aviation College, Zaria was something of a mystique. While
most federal institutions in Nigeria, like UNILAG, LASU etc, had big ginormous
pillars and banners with bold gigantic scripts announcing their name to the
world in great deference to ignorance. FACO just had a tiny banner that one
could hardly see less than a few meters away. While the gates of even the most
local or irrelevant schools had huge gates decked with all manner of Greek
designs and sometimes sculptures and pristine works of art at their entrance,
FACO had a humble gate too simple for even the fancy secondary schools in
Lagos. He was shocked. He had imagined coming here would feel like entering the
huge gates of heaven with all manner of bells and whistles and not at such a
placid reception. He was directed to the administrative building by the simply
but neatly clad security men but once he entered those gates, his mind was
blown away by what he saw.

It was a mixture of walking into an army
base, a hazard university and Aso rock. FACO’s buildings themselves were not
big, in fact, they were quite small with a few administrative quarters, lecture
halls, staff residence and student halls. All the main buildings could be
circled by a fast runner in less than ten minutes giving anyone the idea of it
like a small school. But the buildings were unlike any he had ever seen. They
were made with simple but elegant design resembling stonehenges that were
carved out of the ground by the winds after years of divine carving and not by
mortal men.

The peoples were also a sight to behold.
They were dressed from military, to pilots’ uniforms and beautiful native
attires. He saw two men; one dressed in air force pilot uniform and the other
in a commercial pilots uniform walking together towards their cars. Magnificent
cars, there were everywhere from brand new jeeps to futuristic looking
automobiles that weren’t in the market yet. The place gave the impression that
even a common gatekeeper had an awesome car there.

But what blew his mind away was neither the
spell binding buildings, the ornately dressed staff or even the expensive cars;
it was the planes.

The size of the buildings compared to the
open space allotted to the planes alone was incomparable. There acres and acres
of land allotted the mammoth beauties and even their smaller counterparts lying
in their hangars. While bounding up the admin block stairs he actually froze as
he saw a small private plane in the distant horizon approach and curve
downwards majestically before taxiing to a stop in one of the distant runways.
The feeling he had was nothing short of euphoria and he went into the building
confident of the brighter future that his father had always envisaged for him
and was finally within his grasp.

But all that changed when he entered that
building.

Infinite Love 118

Distorted Revelations

“And then everything was fine. I finallypaid my father back his money and I even helped take care of his medical bills anytime his was sick. I moved out and rented a place for myself and I was also given a promotion at work. Life was good again. Or so I thought it was, until your mother started giving me trouble.”


“Trouble? What do you mean trouble, Papa?”

“After I got my job back, I paid her
whatever it was that I owed her and I gave her all of my salary for the third
month when I got promoted as a thank you. I wanted her to use it to boost her
food business. I suggested she tried selling frozen fish on a large scale and
she seemed to appreciate it. After that, I moved on with my life and focused on
my job. I wouldn’t see her for a couple of days as I was busy and sometimes
weeks. Whenever I did see her she would complain about me forgetting all about
her and such but I always kindly brushed it off as to mean that she was missing
me and I would beg her forgiveness, blame on the job, give her some and promise
to see her again real soon.”

“But the real problem started when I
started seeing somebody after a few months; Ronke. She was a corper who was
serving at the Wharf and we were starting to get friendly. I still don’t know
how your mom found out about it then but whenever I would see her, she would
snob me and give me a bad attitude. I didn’t understand it at first. I thought
she was playing with me. And then when it started getting to much for me, I
began ignoring her totally and I thought that was the end of it. But I got the
shock of my life when my boss called me to his office to ask me why I was
dumping your mother after all she had done for me.”

“…dump..?” Angela asked.

“That’s what my reaction as well. I was
shocked!”

“So, you guys haven’t been dating?”

“No, not at all! And I tried to tell my
boss that but he wouldn’t believe mem. He said that he had seen us together
many times and he knew she was the one taking care of me when I got fired and
he knew just how close we were. But I told him that it was all plutonic. We
were just friends and there was never any dating. She helped me out in my need
but I had already repaid her for it and we were still good friends.”

“Ok…”

“But he wouldn’t listen. He told me, in
fact, he ordered me to get back to her that she was a good girl who didn’t
deserve the way I was treating her. I left his office in a daze, surely there
must be some kind of mistake? Agatha would never lie to anyone about our
relationship like that. We were friends, just friends and she knew that. I made
up my mind to talk to her about it after work to clear up the whole
misunderstanding which I thought would be easy enough, but when I met her that
evening, I found out a whole different story.”

“I got to her and she started crying almost
immediately. She accused of dating another person and leaving her after
everything we’d been through and after everything she’d done for me. She acted
like I ditched her and I just kept watching her in shock of it all.”

“Wait! I don’t understand, how do you
mean?”

“I didn’t understand it earlier dear. But I
begged your mother to stop her nonsense and start making sense. We were never a
couple we never dated. But she didn’t and I got angry with her and started
yelling at her. She needed to stop acting like a crazy person and stop lying to
people but losing my temper didn’t help at all. So, I walked away thinking that
she would come around eventually but not at all. Everyone at work started blaming
me and calling me names. Some people would meet me to shout at me to get back
to her. They all believed that I truly used her and only dumped her after I
found someone else. And Ronke the lady I was dating at the time also suffered a
lot. During that time your mother would meet her to yell at for stealing her
boyfriend and do all sorts.”

“Eventually she got tired of it all and she
broke up with me just after we were getting serious. And after it was made
clear to me at work that I would lose my job over the issue, I got tired of it
too. And I gave up. I cut all ties with Ronke and I promised my boss and
everyone else she had turned against me that everything was right between your
mom and I.”

“Wow!” she sighed.

“Yeah, I met her and promised her that she
didn’t have to worry about me anymore. I was all hers and that’s how we started
dating, officially even though everyone else thought that we had been dating
for months before then.”

“Just…wow”

“I know. It took a while but eventually I
managed to forgive her for all the lies and deceit and we got married when she
got pregnant with you. She tried everything to make me happy though, I would
give her that. She did everything she could to make me happy. But it didn’t
work. I always had that thought at the back of my mind that she wasn’t the
woman I wanted to marry. And years later after you were born I met Ronke again
and we started picking things up from where we left it. I didn’t want a broken
home for you. I tried to stop myself and your mother didn’t everything humanly
possible to please me but it just…didn’t work.”

“That’s when you left us.”

“Yes, that’s when I left you, dear. And I
am so sorry that I haven’t been there for you all these years. But the marriage
wasn’t working for me. It just wasn’t what I wanted for myself. And believe me
the only reason it lasted as long as it did, was only because of you. You were
the one who kept me here for as long as I did.”

“Oh, papa!” And she hugged her father.

“Listen to me, Angel. I am telling you all
this now because I wanted you to know that married doesn’t work by forcing a
man. And your mom tells me that you are giving up your career and even breaking
up your engagement because of some guy who has dumped you. Why, is that
Angela?”

She disengaged from him “Listen, Papa, it
wasn’t like that. I lost my job because I dumped Princewill and I dumped
Princewill because he is just not the person I want to marry. I don’t…I doubt
he even wants to marry me, he acts like a buffoon most of the time.”

“And what of this guy that you want to
marry, this…Michael that your mother told me about?”

“Well…Michael is a good friend.”

“Friend? I thought he was your boyfriend?”

“Well…”

“Did he propose to you?”

“No…but…”

“So, he didn’t propose and he is probably
not even your boyfriend? Angela, you are a smart girl but what you are doing
has no wisdom to it all. Can you explain it to me please?”

“Papa, the truth is; I love Michael. I mean
I really love him.”

“That’s wonderful, my daughter but does he
love you?”

“I…I think…so.”

“Wha…you mean you don’t know?”

“Well…I mean I think he does. I can feel
it, Papa.”

“But he hasn’t told you, has he?”

“No.”

“Can you ask him?”

“Ehn?”

“Yes, tell him somebody else has proposed
to you and you want to know how he feels about you. Call him now.”

“I can’t, Papa.”

“Why not?”

“…because he hasn’t been returning my calls
I mean my messages. His phone is switched off most times but I keep sending him
messages but he hasn’t yet replied. I think he is upset that I got engaged.”

Her father was rubbing his temples and the
confusing messages he was getting from his daughter.

“My dear, this is all so confusing to me
but let me get this straight. One man proposed to you in front of another man,
who you think might be in love with you but never declared it to you and you
broke up the engagement because you are in love with the other guy, who was
there at the engagement and left you, and has never spoken to you since despite
you calling him multiple times. Did I get that correctly, my dear?”

Angela heard the sharp condemnation in his
tone and couldn’t bring herself to respond.

“Angela, please don’t do this to yourself.
I have watched with such pride at how much you have achieved even without me
and it would break my heart to watch you throw away everything you’ve ever worked
for, for nothing.”

“But dad, what if he loves me too? I…I just
need to find out and know…”

“Angela. It’s been how long since you got
engaged? Months, right?”

“Yes sir.” She said weakly.

“If he loved you. He would have told you by
now. Men who love women don’t just sit idle and watch them get snatched up.
They stay and fight for their love.”

She could feel the tears brimming at the
edges of her eyelids. His words stung. They stung more because they were coming
from her father and because she was starting to believe what she feared all
along. Michael didn’t love her.

“Dear, he doesn’t love you.”

And the tears fell.

“You have to move on. Don’t make your
mother’s mistake by trying to force a man onto yourself. Rather, focus on the
man that you have now. He is the one who is with you. He is the one who shows
up. He is the one who comes here for you every day. He is the one who loves
you. Maybe he doesn’t show it or maybe he shows it in the wrong ways but when a
man shows up, he is showing that he cares. Please think about it.”

He said and hugged her again as she cried
until he could feel his shoulders wet with her tears.

Infinite Love 117

“It was after I graduated from school and I had been looking for work for a very long time.

A friend of mine got me a connection at the ports at Apapa. And as a young man who had been poverty stricken for a long time you have to understand getting a job like that watching consignments was everything to me. I could finally stop going hungry and stop begging my family and friends for money to eat. And dear, it was the very worst time of my life. Seeing all my friends going on to make names forthemselves while I had to beg my own father for money and hear him tell me how
much of a disappointment, I was. So, when I got that job; I thought I had
finally made it, even though it was contract work. But I was glad I finally had
something because it meant that my life was finally starting. But then
something happened.”

“Wha…what was it, papa?”

“Some consignments of from China went
missing.”

“Oh. What kind of consignments?”

“It was a container filled with old TVs and
radios, basically a bunch of scrap electronics but they were still worth money
and so the owner came for them and he was raising hell. And as one on the night
shift at the time I was called in for questioning but I didn’t know anything
about the TVs or radios. My boss wasn’t satisfied nor did he believe me but he
gave me an ultimatum to find out where those electronics were. And
unfortunately, the very next week another thing got stolen. This time it was
car parts and I was stunned. I had no idea what or how it happened. I didn’t
see anybody and nobody came in to sign the parts and this time the owners
wanted me to pay for the cars. But my dear, I was still in the process of
paying back my father for all the money I owed how was I going to pay for car
parts.”

“So, what happened papa?”

“Well, once they realized that I had no
money and I was going to get their goods back for them the owners wanted me
arrested but my boss promised to get to them with answers and instead fired me,
on the spot.”

“Oh.”

“And I was devastated. My life was just
starting and suddenly I had ended again. I had no job and my father was no
longer going to support me. He kept saying at my age he already had a family he
was taking care of and he was not going to keep wasting his time and money on
me. He didn’t even believe me. He thought I had sold the TVs and the car parts
and went out drinking with the money instead of paying him.”

“Papa, that’s terrible. I’m so sorry.”

“Yes, it was. Nobody believed me, no one.
Except, your mother.”

“Oh. Were you too dating back then?”

“No, there was nothing between us. Back
then, I couldn’t feed myself how was I going to keep a girlfriend? No, we were
friends because we had a lot in common, we both came from the same town in Imo.
And she was a food hawker back then in Apapa, Wharf. She was popular too
because her food was good and she gave us new and workers food on credit
sometimes. I couldn’t stay at home because my father was making life miserable
and so I would still hang around the port to plead and beg my boss or even
anybody to please get me my job back. I would hang around the port from morning
till night to catch a glimpse of anyone I could beg but no one would listen to
me. It was only your mother who kept encouraging to stick around and try to
prove my innocence. She kept telling me that all sorts of things happened in
the port and that the truth would eventually come out and that I would get my
job back. She would even talk to people about my case so that I wasn’t
forgotten and appealed to them on my behalf.”

“Wow!”

“Yes, that’s your mother. When she gets on
your team, she would make sure to do whatever she can to make sure you win.
Back then she would even feed me for free.”

“Nice. That’s mama, alright.”

“Almost about five weeks after I was fired,
they caught the real thieves. Some boys from one of the islands in Apapa would
park their canoe close to the barge at midnight and cut through the fence and
smuggle whatever they could. After I was fired they installed security cameras
around the wharf and that’s how they caught them.”

“Thank God!”

“I got my job back the very next day after
they were caught.”

“Oh, thank God.”

“But if your mother hadn’t been encouraging
me to keep hanging around, I wouldn’t have gotten the job back. They would have
given it to someone else. As I got to the port that day she told me the news
and stood beside me at the gate as we waited for my boss who met us there and gave me my job back.”

Sorry boss. Please be patient with me

Eddysilver:
adeabdul2, I don't mean to criticise you but I'm just saying try post update. Its been long (oct 25) since we had any.

Infinite Love 116

Prodigal

She had dried her face of tears by the
time she got home. She wasn’t interested in her mother telling her ‘I told you so’, it was the very last thing she wanted to hear. She was going to hear it eventually but not just today. Any other day but today. It was a false hope however, because as soon as she opened the door, she was accosted by her.


“My daughter, welcome. Please we need to
talk.”

“Oh, Mama. I’m begging you not today. Any
day but today please.”

“Angela, I think…”

“MAMA, I DON’T WANT TO TALK TO ANYONE
PLEASE!”

“And what about your father? Would you
please talk to me?”

She had walked in such a hurry that she
never saw the man sitting at the dinning area that her mother had just left to
meet her. It was her father. She had not seen him in years. After he left them
in her youth, she saw him only once or twice since then.

“Dad?”

“Yes, my child. I’m here.” He got up and
walked towards her. His face had grown a little sallow and his hair had streaks
of grew in them and his eyes sagged a little but surely it was her father. They
embraced. She remembered the last time she saw him. She had arrived home from
school to find him with talking with her mom.

“Papa? Good afternoon, sir.”

“Good afternoon, my child. How was
school?”

“It was fine, Papa. Shall…I get you
something to drink?” back then they hard even a little to eat.

“No, erm…that’s okay. I was just
leaving.” And he stood and embraced her.

“But, you just came…”

“Oh, I have been around for a while. It’s
time to go.”

“Won’t you stay for even a little while
longer?” she protested but her mom cut in.

“Angela? Your father needs to go. Let him
go!” her mother was visibly shaken and upset and looking like a shell of
herself and so kept quiet on moved aside for him to pass.

Later that day at dinner she’d asked...

“I hope Papa comes to visit us again
soon.”

“He will not be coming back to this house
again.”

“But…I miss him.” She’d said innocently
but her mom snapped.

“Do you also want to leave me and go live
with him and his concubine?”

Her mother made it clear that day that
she had to choose, either her mother or her father and she choose her mother
out of loyalty and sympathy.

“Are you happy to see me?” He asked. He
still smelt the same and his hug felt the same.

“Of course. How are you and your…” she
wanted to ask about his other family but nervously gazed at her mom’s face and
decided against it. “So, how are you?”

“I’ll go and check on dinner.” Her mother
said leaving them alone to talk in private and as she walked out, they both
felt instantly relieved to talk freely.

“Oh, I’m fine, old age has caught up to
me, though.”

“You’re not that old.”

“Are you sure. My back hurts all the
time.”

“Yeah, I’m sure. You’re not that old.”

“It takes me about forty-five minutes to
get out of bed in the morning. You should see me. I’m like a tortoise on its
back.” And he demonstrated it for her, making her laugh.

“I don’t believe you, Papa. You’re not
that old.” She said laughing.

“Are you sure, I tried running a race
with Rachel the other day and I nearly pulled my leg out of socket.”

“Who’s Rachel?”

“Oh, erm…sorry I forgot you two haven’t
met yet. Rachel is my second daughter. She’s your sister. She’s seventeen years
old.” A silence fell upon them. There were so many things that they hadn’t
talked about. So, many that they both didn’t know about each other’s lives and
so many issues left to iron out.

“Well, that will teach you to race with a
sixteen-year-old.” She said still leaving them unsaid. “Even I won’t dare try
that.”

“Remember, how we used to race?”

“I remember, how you used to
pretend to have an injury and let me win.”

“You were so young back then. And now
look at you, my little girl is now a famous superstar! I am so proud!”

“Thank you, Papa. But I may not be a
superstar for long. I was having some problems for a while and now…I just got
fired.”

“What? Are you serious?”

“Yes, I am, Papa.”

“Wow. Your mother told me things were bad
but I didn’t know it was that bad. I’m so sorry dear.”

“It’s not your fault, Papa. Everything is
just not making sense right now. Wait…! What did Mama tell you? Did Mama call
you?”

“Yes, she did. She’s worried about you.
She says that you’re not thinking clearly right now, dear.”

“Papa, Mama just thinks that all my problems
will just go away if I get back with Princewill.”

"So
tell me about this Princewill. Don't you like him?"

"He's a little self absorbed but, he's a hardworking actor so I respect
him."

"Respect, is good. But I wanted to know of you liked him. As a man."

"Who...Princewill?"

"Uh huh."

"He's very handsome, Papa. And it is very hard not to be attracted to him.
Especially, with that face and those eyes but...I honestly can't say that I like
him, at least not anymore."

"Really? And why not?"

"Have I told you he's self absorbed?"

"Yes, yes you have."

"Papa, I was not joking. This guy likes himself like nobody else I have
ever known. I have seen him blow kisses to himself in the mirror."

"No! You're lying!"

"Papa, I swear. I am not lying. There are people who have a big ego and
then there is Princewill who is something else entirely. He cares all about
himself."

"That can't be true. He proposed to you so he must at least care for
you?"

"Well...yes. He did propose but... I still don't understand that because
it was out of the blue and a little...strange."

"How do you mean? Didn't you two used to date?"

"Well, yes Papa. We dated but it was at the beginning of the show, it and
it ended very quickly plus it was a long time ago."

"And you don't think that he must have developed feelings for you during
that time or since then?"

"Princewill? Papa, no no no no. You don't understand. I don't believe he
can develop feelings for another person. He doesn't even see me as a person. He
treats me only as an accessory, just something pretty to match his outfit. He
only shows care to what I'll be wearing whenever we go out. If my look or
outfit doesn't match his in my little way, he throws a tantrum like a baby
until I change."

"Ha ha ha. Alright but he still proposed to you though, and you said
yes."

"Ugh, don't remind me Papa, that was actually mama's doing. Princewill
proposed to me so suddenly and in front of everyone and I was so shocked and
confused that I didn't even know what to say for a moment. That's when Mama
standing beside me said yes and everyone thought it was me.
It's...complicated."

"Uh hmm. Yeah, that sounds like something your mother would do."

"Yeah she totally gave everyone the wrong impression even ...even Michael
and now he won't call me back."

"Michael? You mean your friend from school?"

"Yes, but...how did you know about him?"

"Like I said. Your mother told me everything."

She rolled her eyes "Oh, Papa. Don't believe her. She doesn't understand
as well as she thinks she does."

"Oh believe me I know your mother and her antics well. Erm...did she ever
tell you how we met?" She shook her head, no.

Silhouettes is a collection of poetry about love, loss, life, and depression that spans twenty years. It is generally the reflection of the mind of a hopeless romantic trying to stay positive. It is available on okadabooks. link


https://okadabooks.com/book/about/silhouettes_of_love_life/45856