₦airaland Forum

FrankAkowe:
I was at the reception of the National oil company by ten thirty in the morning. I had filled the visitor’s book and was told to wait a while. The receptionist called Naomi to inform her that a guy called Ola was around to see her. The lady listened briefly and turned to me.

‘Come and wear the visitor’s tag. Go to floor five, room 007.’

I attached the tag to my well-ironed and smart looking shirt and joined the short queue waiting for the elevator. When I got to the floor, the first thing I noticed was the very cool atmosphere of the place. It was in contrast with the bakery, which was always very warm.

I knocked on the door of room 007, opened the door and stepped in. A secretary asked me to sit down. Few minutes later, sister Naomi came out with another lady.

‘Good morning, madam,’ I greeted zealously.
‘Good morning, Ola. Just a minute.’

She and the woman left the office. About ten minutes later, she was back.

‘O ya, Ola, come,’ she said as she led me to her office. ‘I hope you’re not angry that you were kept waiting.’

‘Oh no, ma’am. I can understand.’

She sat on her seat and motioned me to a chair.

She stretched her hands out. ‘Can I have the credentials?’

I had carefully stapled them and put them in an envelope inside my black folder. I handed them to her.

She put on her glasses and carefully went through the papers. She seemed to be studying them. I studied her in return. The glasses, perched on the tip of her nose fitted her well. Her white shirt was new and crisp. I thought I would see the wedding ring on her finger, but it was not there. Maybe she forgot to wear it. Her hair was stylishly parked to the back. She looked delectable.

‘Okay, Ola,’ she finally said. ‘I’ll talk to my boss and see what can be done on this. I’m not really promising, but let’s be positive about it.’

‘Thank you, ma’am.’

She looked at me critically and smiled.
‘That means you’ll have to be giving me call from time to time to find out how far.’

I smiled too. ‘That will be no problem, ma’am.’

‘If I may ask, how much do you earn now?’

I told her.

‘Hmn, that’s just like allowances,’ she said.

I nodded.

She stood up. ‘Give me one minute.’

I was left alone in the office. It was a very comfortable office. Surely working in an office like this was not a bad idea. But the bakery too was helping me out, I told myself. I thanked God for what I had already.

Five minutes later, sister Naomi was back.

‘Sorry again for keeping you waiting. I guess I’m going to be very busy today.
’
I got the hint and stood up.

‘You must keep on calling me to remind me of this,’ she said.

‘Sure, madam. Thank you.’

I moved to the door. ‘Have a nice day, Ola.’

‘And you too ma’am.’

I left the office and took the elevator to the ground floor. The warmth of the outside hit me as soon as I left the grand building.

Welcome back to the world, I told myself.