Jonathan kenechukwu Andrews was seated in his living in his lush apartment in Lagos when his wife walks in caring a tray and setting it on the table in front of him.
“’Thank you honey”’ he says putting aside the newspaper and picking up the mug and taking it to his lips “’You know the reason we have maids and servants is for you to sit down, cross your legs and relax while they serve us both, i didn’t make all these money for you to keep stressing yourself for every little thing, i pay the chef a lot of money so my wife don’t have to lift a finger”’
Damilola, whom he sometimes calls Lolo smiles “’ Nonsense! i have been cooking for you from the day we got married and i will continue to cook for you even if you become the president of Nigeria, rich or not i should not neglect my duties for another. I told you i don’t need chefs to cook for my husband, as long as i have functioning hands and legs and can move, i will do a small duty as cooking, even if it’s your food, I will cook for you and for our son whenever he is around, so don’t scold me”’
‘’Lolo my love, i am not scolding you, i just want you to enjoy all that i have my dear”’ he says tapping her hand
“i have all that i need darlyn, too much luxury i might add. i just can’t sit around and do nothing when i get back from running my business and travel and all that, at least when you are around i should cook and make sure you are okay. My mother never let a maid take care of her husband, i won’t let a maid do that for me too. No oh, i can cook besides…don’t you love my cooking?”’ she teases him
‘’Mouthwatering my dear, mouthwatering “’ he says laughing putting a large chunk of meat in his mouth and covers it with a spoon of jollof rice.
“’So, how is Chukwuemeka doing?”’ she says looking at her nails. she grabs the remote and puts on the tv while they sat in the parlor “’I hope he is settled in quite nicely?’’
“’Lolo, that boy gives me headache, he refuses to be reasonable”
“’he is a child” she offers
“’Child you say? A Child would be from 0-4, toddler from 6-7, teenager is from that to 15 by, by 20 you are already a young adult, and chukweemeka is in his late twenties. He is old enough to get married, some of his mates are already running their homes and yet you call him a child? Stop it Lolo, that is why he is spoilt”’
“’But it’s also your fault, you gave him all that he wanted”’
‘’Because my father gave me all i wanted but he also taught me to be reasonable and i was eager to learn because i know what i wanted from life, but i don’t understand his laxity to all that. He is careless, irresponsible and just believes money falls from trees.
I love my boy but he needs to sit up. I hear of rich kids who become useless in life, God forbid my son would follow that trend. Okay what if something was to happen to me?”
“Don’t say that” Lolo cautions
“No Lolo , what if? how would he be able to take care of you my Lolo? he would run my companies to the ground, and within a year because he doesn’t know jack of what i do and how i do what i do, he would lose staffs, money would go just buying luxuries and travelling the world and spending , and in a few years all would be gone. He forgets that money is like a plant, you get it, you use it and you plunge back some into the earth for it to regenerate more wealth for you, but if you keep plucking the fine fruits off the plants and don’t put seeds back into the earth for it to germinate and you harvest. How do you keep getting those fruits? soon the land would become barre or deserted from lack of use. And that is what i don’t want to happen.
I have worked so hard to get here and in actual fact, all that i have and will leave one day is for him. My father was a great man Lolo you know, he was…he did all he could and passed it down to me as his father did for him, and because i harnessed my skills and put into action what he taught me and the knowldegd i acquired when he put me to work in his company, I was able to create my own niche and besides, i built on what my father passed down to me, i also made it four times better, making it my own, pushing out what it is i want and turning it into J.k induistries and what more, i expanded, i spread my tentacles ..and i know my father would have been a proud man if he were alife today.
But what happens to Chukwuemeka? Even if he doesn’t care, he should think of his future family, his children. what does he leave forr them…what? Nothing !!. Please Lolo, i dont know how to ge through to him and the reports from the office isn’t encouraging.. today it’s him refusing direct order from Mr Emeka, another day it is Ikena calling me to tell me off his humuilating scene at a club, tomorrow it would be another thing…and he insults his boss, the manager. it isn’t funny. I dont know how else to scare him, and i was hoping threatening him would work’”
’’well, he didn’t get his stubborness from me. Look he is just acting out, i mean you forced him to come back to Nigeria to work as a PA, it was a low blow”
“’which was needed”’ Jonathan Says
“’True, but still, you flog a child with one hand and you pull him together with another hand with love’’
“’i love him plenty Lolo, i just need him to do right by him, not for me, but for him, then i might relax and close my eyes and not be afraid for his present and his future. i won’t live for ever Lolo, neither will you, and he would bury us.A child is to bury his parents…what happens when we are gone, how does he manage all these, and Lolo my wealth is overwhelming…how does he manage all these”’
“’God will help him”’
Jonathen sighs “’there is a reason God gave us brains and put people in our paths to help us Lolo, chukwuemeka is just stubborn and i need to make sure he doesn’t remain soo. i love him, but f i don’t make him responsisble enough for him, i am not loving him right”’
“’Darlyn, dont worry, i am sure there would be no more complains for our son“’
“’i pray so. Please turn it to the news let me see what is going on, you know I like to see what’s happening in the world as I eat“’
“’yes husband”’ Lolo says smiling
“’Thank you wife””
They smile at each other as he takes her other free hand and kisses her knuckles..
As she turns the channel, he suddenly tenses..
“Tale it back, is that not my company’s profile on Tv?””
“’what?’’
She tunes it back, suddenly his phone is ringing
“Lolo please pass me my phone “’ he tells her as he reaches for the remote and takes it out of her hands.. he increases the tv volume when a woman appears on screen, showing a picture at the background of a prestigious company situated in Port harcourt owned by one of a Nigerian’s business tycoon by the name J.k Andrews and the controversial profile picture that had been shared over a hundred times and is making rounds on twitter amongst other social sites.
They were calling the company a joke who doesn’t realise that it is a public entity and that they should keep play times in the bedroom and not air it out in the public.
“’A woman who is half naked is seen sucking on a cock , with sagged breasts suggests a very bad public imaging from the company and for revealing this pictured lady who we believe is a work of Photoshop is a recently employed employee of the comapny and we do not understand what games she was playing or was it that she was having a fun time moment with a lover and in the bid to share funny pictures of her fantasy to her lover, but unfortunately it was posted to the company’s profile and shared it on her facebook wall and also linkedin. Whether it was a mistake done in a feat of raginging hormones or on pupose or unknowingly, But whatever the case may be, this a dent for the public image of the company.
This company is owned by one of the riches men in nigeria with other companies scattered across the country and sources reaching us is that a few clients have pulled out of the company citing the situation as childish and they have no control over their staffs and how would they be able to handle their clients and- ‘’
Jonathan mutes the tv as his wife hands him his phone
“’it is from Emka, the director at your company in Port harcourt, ‘’ she says frowning..
He takes the phone “what the hell is this i am seeing Emeka? And it isn’t even 9am yet and the whole internet and tv is buzzing with this. what the hell is going on in my company? I put you in chagre because i believed you could handle situations like this and what the hell Mr Emeka? Give me a good explanatin or hand in your resignation letter”’ He listens as Emeka speaks
“’what do you mean you have no idea?” jonatham thunders , he listens again shaking his head and raising his voice
“’how did it get online then? Pull it down right this minute, who has access into her profile and company porfolios, and her own personal handles if not her? how can you say she isnt the one?”
“’Look Emeka, i dont care what you do and how you do it , if this thing doesn’t go away and i hear of clients pulling out, you will be sorry, get it fixed now and get me a name of who this now!!”’
He cuts the call fumning, he pick up his tablet and enters twitter “”Dear Lord, look at this Lolo, look at this, there is a trending hashtag already, over a hundred shares, this is bad for my image. I will have who ever did this neck. I will fire the person and make sure they never get a job elsewhere..how dare they,what nonsense!!’’ he fumnes pacing up and down
He carries his phone again and dailing “”Patch me to my media team now “’ he waits as someone comes on line ‘’What exactly am i paying you for? To sit on your ass and don’t pay attention to things flying everywhere on the internet?”’ he listens as they attempt to give him excuses
“’look, you are supposed to make sure as my media team that things like this are seen on time and stopped before it becomes public knowledge …are you all well at all? Look, if one more client pulls out and my chart drops all of you will be fired, get to work to salvage what is left of our public image before it begins to rub off on our other companies, do it fast and do it now, override if needs and pull it down. You are a hacker for God’s sake, make the url or whatever corrupt to stop people from viewing and i dont want to see it up in the next minute, i pay you good money, do your damn jobs!!’’ he shouts cuttig the call
“’Darlyn, take it easy”’ Lolo tries to clam him down
“Take it easy? See the internet going into a happy frenzy, now they have something to talk about. It might just be one of my companys in Port Harcourt but it is bad rep, bad imaging and it could put a big dent to our internal profiling. You might see it as just a picture of a random girl photoshopped bearing all, with a witchy hat and sucking on some balls and wanting- oh dear God!! it is bad for us. When our competitors hasn’t found anything to pull us down they can eat on this, exaggerate it and next thing they would say we do sexual orgies and God knows what.
Look at that picture Lolo and the headlines, who would be stupid to do that thing? Joke or not. I will have her fired, and then i would walk up from there. Incompetent fools !!
Incompetent !!’’ he says pacing the lenght of the room
DamiLola watches him “’calm down, they are working on it””
His phone rings again “’Yes Emeka, you have better have a name for me “” he says as he picks up
He listens, then his eyes grows dim, his mouth thining, he is staring at his wife..
“’Are you sure?’’ he asks Emeka, then he closes his eyes shaking his head
‘’’Do nothing Emeka, do nothing,I will handle it. Give me a direct line to talk to her in five minutes ” he cuts the call
“’what is wrong, why are you looking at me like that?”’ Lolo asks
“’Nothing !!’’ he says turning away, one hand in his pocket as he picks up his mug of coffee turned cold and sips it
“’i dont like that “Nothing” you said, who is responsible for this ?”’
He doesn’t answer, he drops the mug, he is angry, really angry and when he gets quiet, he is making a decision .
“’Jonathan, who is repsonsible for this mess in the company?”’ she asks again, but this time, she had a feeling she already knew
“’Don’t tell me it is Brian?”’
He is silent
“’Abah Brian!!’’ she breaths “’ what have you done now”’ she talks to no one in particular
He is still silent ,..
“’Papa Brian what are you thinking? when you are quiet it is because you have made up your mind to do something, tell me, are you going to punish him?”
“’This time Lolo, you will not stop me, no more petting, no more protecting him. This is my business, my name, my company. He has gone too far Lolo, if he wants to act like a child becasuse some woman paid him back with his own coin and embarrased him in a night club and he thought the best he could do is to go and embarass her and try to ruin her carreer and at the same time ruin my company image? it’s the height of irresponsiblity, stupid act and he needs reprimanding and me talking to him Lolo. Done !!!”’ he claps his hand together
“’my husband –“she says coming close to him, how does she calm him down, how does she persuade him from taking drastic action again’t their only son. She would have to call Brian to have him beg his father. He has gone to far.
“’Lolo, i know what you want to do. But know it won’t work, not today Lolo, not today”’ he says
His phone rings again “” Yes Emeka, patch me though to Miss Adora Chime now”’
****
I am shaking, waiting for him to complete his sentence.
Today i had woken up happy, excited .
Today was going to be a good day.
when i woke up, i even bought Wilson my driver food, i smiled at him geuninely and i didn’t cuss him, no i didn’t.
so why does bad things happen to good people?
Was this happening to me because i didn’t apologise to my driver for being nasty and a goat head to him?
Well God, i will apologise to him right now if you don’t let the Boss of the boss fire me please i beg you..
Oh Brian, you are dead, you are dead!!
“’Miss Adora Chime ??’’ his voice cuts through my thoughts as I held the phone tight closing my eyes and holding my breath.
“”Yes sir?””
“’You are terribly incompetent and incapable of handling your PA and it is highly disappointing , very disappontining “’
“”i am sorry sir , but i didn’t think-‘’
“’You don’t think, you act Miss Adora Chime. This is outrageous! ! Have you seen the charts dropping, have you seen the clients pulling out? You think this is just a bad picture, a joke? like why should it ruin the buisness but little jokes like this causes a whole name to be tarnished and I am highly displeased and i will take action , you are here a day or two and this is what happens ? And i was told you are highly professional nd effective but all i see is nothing but a woman who isn’t as professinal as they say she looks on her profile picture. I am greatly displeased. Therefore i have made my decison “”
“’Sir please, i will fix it, i promise i will fix it. That PA, he is abnoxious and he had it out for me because –“
“He? A common PA? The more you talk the more my anger is rising, Miss Adora, pack up your things and-“
“’Sir , please give me second change, i beg you, i didn’t do this , i didn’t “’
“’if you can’t handle one PA , Miss Adora, how do you run team of people if you are to pick your own team of people to work with eh??’”
“’sir, i can handle him, i will handle him. Please sir, give me chance “’ i plead,my career can’t end like this, going elsewhere this would come up,
No, this isn’t happening.
“’You have just one chance Adora, one chance to correct all these, handle your PA, i don’t care how you do it and if you can’t, i would need you to tender your resgination letter , is that understood?”’
“’yes sir”’
“’i need you to take down all that went online, friends who have shared them, family i don’t care, if i still see anyting of that is still online, you are gone”’
“’Yes sir”’ i answer
The line goes dead.
“’oh maám, what did the boss of the boss say?”John asks me..
“’i have to go see Mr Emeka, please help me pull down the post and report the posts on people’s walls so they pull it down , check shared please, sponsor it as well if need be, i need to see mr Emeka “” i say leaving my office.
As i walk out, all eyes are on me, my skin grows hot with anger, embarrassment, humuilation. the whole shebang!
I see posters of me on the wall…i pull it down as i pass, staffs are muttering.and he is no where in sight..the arshole is no where in sight!
I get to his door and knock
“’Come in”’his voice sounds angry
I walk into his office..
“’you were just spoken to by Mr j.k right??’’
“’yes Mr Emeka”’
“’You do understand what he said?’’
“’Yes Mr Eemka “”
“’There is a media team working to rectify this mess that was created and i hope it doesn’t repeat it self because it is not only your job on the line but mine as well which means i would be hard on you. I have been working here for years and I won’t allow some petty banter and quarrell between two adults to jeopardize that””
“’But he would be punished, he has to be penalised , for doing this. This is also my life, my reputation and my image and all that i have worked hard to build went crumpling down in less than two hours because he was trying to do what, make a stupid statement? I want to scream and break something sir but it is apparent i won’t be able to unleash my anger and it is painful to act all composed. he has to penalised. I believe breaking and entering, invading’s one’s privacy is a crime Mr Emeka, and he has to be punished for that.
“”Oh don’t you worry about him, he would be severly punished,. But he would still be your PA, you handle him..”’
“’what does that mean.? That he does things like this and gets away with it? I mean this isn’t just my reputation , this is also the company’s, why would the management turn the other way , who the hell is Brian to have him get away wth this, who?? I am pissed, burned and i want to lash but i can’’t and it is upsetting, how does he not get penalised , sanctioned or fired for this. Why do i have to have my job on the line for sonething he did , why?”’
“’oh, he will get punished for this Miss Adora, that i assure you, but whatever his punishment is, isn’t coming from me. I just ask that you make sure nothing like this ever happens again. You were brought here for a job, do it, you were given a PA, handle him. Not incite him to do more harm””
“’how am i going to do that, smile wide when all i want to do is punch him in the face, when he does soemthing else to me I should tell him thank you when all I want to do is use my heel and punchure his skull” i say raising my voice
“”i understand how you feel, it is your face plastered everywhere with such a headline and to have people see all that isn’t so nice. I get your anger and i understand but at this moment, you have to look the other way and let the Boss handle it, Just do your job.“” he says
“fine sir, but you must understand that we are humans and i may look the other way but when someone is fetermined to get you all riled up and keep stepping on your toes eventually you would roar out in pain and lash out. And i hope Brian doesnt let me reach that breaking point because by then i wouldn’t care about the consequences “’
“’i understand Miss Adora, go and clear the mess,”’
“”yes sir”’ i step out of the office and soon as i come to where everyone is, it suddenly becomes quiet, the posters aren’t there anymore..
I don’t look at anyone, i fold my fist and walk striaght into my office and shut the door, John was still yabbing away at my computer, he had also pulled down the poster from my wall as well and helped to arrange my office
“’Ma’ám, what did they say, don’t tell me they fired you because of that bastard?’’ he asks standing up from my chair and coming to me,
I slowly sat down, trying to calm the anger wobbling inside me, the anger that i was angry at the bastard and angry that i may not be able to do what i want to do to the disgusting prick. The anger makes me shake.
“’Madam, you are shaking , oh God! Is there something you want me to do, anything please”’ he says bending to stare at me
I shake my head “’i need to clear this mess’’
“’i have managed to do what you ask””
“’yes, still i have to go out there, there would be press coming in to cash in on this, media like to chew on this for a long time, it doesn’t matter how silly the post is, it doesn’t matter, anything to get dirt they would jump at it, i will need to put up a team to handle this mess Brian has brought unpon the compnay””
“’yes, i saw the charts, a few clients pulled out, it’s ridiculious, couldn’t they just have a laugh and go?’’’
“’Competitors would aggrevate it John, it’s the business world, everyone wants you to go down and Mr j.K was very displeased, i either fix this, handle him or i resign”’
“’Blood of Zachariah!!! How do you want to handle that bastard madam, you can see he doesn’t respect or fear authority, he dared to enter your office, he dared to play with your reputation and that of the company, please tell me he is getting fired, because that is the only thing that would make sense”’
I shake my head standing up “’that’s the most painful part John, he isn’t, he isn’t ’!
“’hain madame, it doesn’t make sense, wether you be elite son or friend to big Boss’s, what the boy has done is bad, would cause oga to lose money , alot of money and all that”’
“’well, maybe whoeever is sponsoring the boy is sponsoring your Boss’s company who knows, maybe that is why they are looking the other way. But i need to know who the hell Brian is and why he can’t be touched. And by God John, i may not be able to do anything to him right now but he should best just know that i won’t forget what he has done here today, i will make sure he has a taste of his own medicine, i will”
“’Don’t worry madame, i will help you with anything you want. Infact i would start keeping tabs on him, he isn’t a ghost, i will find out for you okay Madame. So what now?”’
“’You will head the team with me John, i will run it by Mr Emeka, who in your department is good with things like this, dousing fire ?’’
“”erm, my guy peter, then Bola departmental lead from section D. And … that redhead girl is good with computer too oh what;s her name Tomiwa, and Tombra”’ John says
“Good, get them into my office within the hour, we have work”
“’Okay madame. Please take it easy okay?”’
“”thank you John, let me be alone now”’
He nods leaving me as i sink in back into my seat, facing the computer, watching the charts as another customer drops .
“DAMNIT!!!!”
I mutter .
******
Brian is in his office, watching a music channel.. he had ordered Ikechukwu whom he calls Ikena just because he wants, to go get him another round of breakfast. He had eaten, he was full now and he was happy. His phone has been ringing nonstop.
Emeka has been calling him but he ignored. “Ï already know what you want to do, shout, querry, but i am not in the mood so fxxk off piggheaded face”’ he says ignoring the call “’i know you must have told my father, so don’t call me, let him do it and if i pick and he shouts, i will just ignore him too”’ Brian laughs
Then his mind goes back to Adora’s office and the look on her face “’Epic mehn, really epic’’
She thought she could humuilate him like that yesterday and not get a huge clapback large enough to make her have hunch back? He hopes she feels crippled now.
The whole internet has been buzzing and he even shared some too on his wall. It was a good laugh to read comments about her, some had gone to her page to rain curses, some called her a slut, a witch, a couger and all sort of names..
Some told her to pull down the post and that she was working for a public company she shouldn’t bring her fantasis to the world.
Brian has been having the time of his life.
She thought ruining his image infront of those club girls was funny?
No!! Ruining her image to the world was funny. Now she wouldn’t be able to put her head up and walk around without the shame stringing along side her, now if she goes out to represent the company..someone would point and say “’Hey, cock sucking witchy girl!!’’
Brian hugs his stomach and bursts into laughter.
His phone rings again, yep, this should be the whole mighty Mr Andrews, without looking he picks the call, resting on his chair, with his legs crossed, he was going to be cool and answer and by the time his father begins to scream..he would cut the call and laugh some more.
His father would be angry for a day, maybe two and it would be back to normal.
No sweats,
“hello Father!?”’ Brian says
‘’Chukwuemeka ?”’
Hi eyes shots open, he striaghtens and seats up uncrossing his legs
Fxxk!!
“Chukwuemeka??’’
Silence
“’Chukwuemeka, how many times did i call you?’’
“three times mum”’ he says
“’what have you done, what have you done? Are you a child, do you realise the gravity of what you have done eh? do you realize the damage ?”
Tbc
