₦airaland Forum

Akpabioism:
Thanks for finding time to complete the story. I enjoyed it thoroughly n will read it over again

Thanks a lot!

I'm interested. What's the eligibility? And what is the NWC about?

llaykorn:
I think your guess is right. Thanks, bro. Are you in too?

Yes, I'm in.

llaykorn:
I don't want the story on NL; for some reasons, sir.

Hmm. I think I could hazard a guess as to why... Goodluck.

Special thanks to iamehmakute for his dedicated following.

*THE END*

I went about my job with renewed vigour, buoyed by my boss’ promise that she would reject any move to sack me on the grounds that I have worked hard, against all odds, and the company was better off with me on board. I called Ify with news of my small victory, carefully editing the part I deemed fit and only telling her I decided, on a hunch, to open up to my boss and it had worked like magic. She was happy for me and said so, but I could sense her mother’s worsening health was getting the better of her; her voice was lacking the warmth I had always known it to have. I felt bad and promised to come to Enugu to see them during the weekend. On Friday evening, while trying to book a flight to Enugu online, my phone rang. It was Ify, obviously calling to make sure I was coming as planned.


“Hello, Nne. Good evening. I was about booking a flight to Enugu now. How’s mom?”


“She’s still there, just a little improvement, but that’s not why I called.”


“OK?” There was obviously something else.


“Something interesting happened here this afternoon, a nurse just told me about it a few minutes ago.” I kept quiet, willing her to continue. She breathed out heavily.


“You won’t believe this. According to the nurse, a very sick patient had confided in her that she didn’t think she would survive the sickness and wanted to make a confession before she died. She confessed to being a secretary at a law firm who was coerced by her boss into altering the original will of a dying wealthy man to favour his best friend and confidant against his wife. She said she had typed the original will long ago, when the man was still alive and…”


“You’re serious about this, baby?”


“I’m telling you what I heard. I didn’t see the woman myself. And we can’t be sure it’s your company here.”


“Yeah, that’s true,” I said, still convinced that it had to be what I thought it was. Why would a man insert a clause like that in his will? “I’m coming to Enugu tomorrow morning, and I would love to see that woman.”


“It’s OK,” Ify said. “Take care of yourself.”


“You too.”


My flight was unusually punctual and before 9:30 am the next morning, I was sitting beside a weak, teary-eyed, middle-aged woman. My suspicions were correct. She confirmed the company in question was indeed Lima Pharmaceuticals. She was unjustly fired the same year she was forced to type that document but she made copies of the original and forged documents and still knew someone who might be willing to testify. When I mentioned it, she said it was OK to call my boss.


“Are you sure about this?” my boss asked when I called her with the news.


“Yes. I’m sitting beside her right now.”
“I’ll be there in an hour,” she said, meaning she could probably use a chattered flight.


“And get a small camcorder; I don’t know where I kept mine.”


Fifty-five minutes later, I met her downstairs and led her into the ward. The woman authorized the use of the camcorder; she obviously had nothing to lose. She finished by saying she was deeply sorry. My boss said she understood there was nothing she could have done in the circumstance. We contacted someone from her family who she told where to get copies of the documents. Before she left, my boss paid her hospital bills and offered to take her to a specialist hospital in Abuja.


“When are you coming back?” she asked as we walked out to the airport taxi waiting in the hospital’s parking lot.
“Tomorrow morning.”


“OK. We need to sue those bastards. I’ll call my lawyer to know whether the document and video recording are enough grounds for an arrest. If possible, I’m getting him arrested Monday morning, right in front of all the staff.”


The way he looked at me that Monday morning, as he was being led away by plainclothes policemen, showed he believed I had a hand in his predicament. His requests to first see his lawyer was wordlessly ignored as they led him out to the blue Toyota Hilux. I couldn’t feel sorry for him, he got what he deserved. I walked back to my office as the Hilux drove away.