‘’God forbid!! Temi? i bind satan! if she is the only girl on planet earth, i turn gay. That girl whose busy body reaches up to the high heavens. Always on my case, i hate her, i hate her around , she always want to talk and attack me and since Miss Adora came into this company..it has become worse..she keeps blocking me to tell me nonsense about why the hell am i always with Miss Adora, why am i doing duties for her that she should give Her PA and why this is and why that and then she insults me and then insults Miss Adora, i do not know what her problem is neither do i care…that girl? Godforbid!! No be my own bad pass..Tufiakwa!! “”he snaps his fingers together, raises and throws his shoulders up and down immediately for his gesture
Peter shakes his head
‘’Maybe the girl likes you and just has a bad way of expressing it, she isn’t used to the mechanism of laws of attractions’’
‘’she should go look for someone who likes her crazy, she is crazy’’
‘’Exactly, you should also look for someone who is your own class and level, not miss Adora..she is too..too polish and high up there for you”’
John laughs
“’Nothing is too high and classy for me, i am a charmer, i am not bad..i am good looking and ..i am all man.. and i will have her’’
‘’by fire by force?’’
‘’No!! I aint that arrogant bastard who spanked her. I wouldn’t have done that…i will treat her like a queen, a princess. Speaking of that fool…can you imagine that Miss Adora is with him right now, in his house?’’
‘’Wait !! i thought they hated each other..don’t tell me..wait what if he becomes your competition?’’
John laughs hard “”My competition? First Miss Adora doesn’t even like him. Two..she doesn’t even like him and three..hell, the whole world knows she doesn’t like him, by whole world i mean everyone here though who knows they are working together knows that they are cat and dog and another revelation is that hate, the feeling is mutual between them and there is no likeness much less a competition…those two would kill each other before the project they are working on is over i swear it. My competition? Please….he can never be.‘’
‘Yeah!! The best relationships started like that”’
‘’Yeah? Tell me who you know that started like this and has an amazing relationship? And calling movie actors don’t count”’
‘’well..well…erm..pfft i don’t know but still it’s rare but it happens””
‘’See, you can’t even say one, but i can categorically state that a lover who comes subtly , like a friend would eventually win her heart and it doesn’t matter if i am below her in the office…i bet she is my age mate, she is young..she is beautiful but got started making it early in life to get the prestige and position she is in. But woman na woman…a man would always be a man…be it a 10 ten year old boy Or a 40 years old man…no difference, they can make any woman fall to their knees doesn’t matter if she is a queen. So forget matter Peter, i am being nice and all to her, i like her..and soon she will like me’’
‘’okay, keep dreaming’’
‘’See, i was saying something before you distracted me..this Brian guy…don’t you think there is something fishy about him don’t you think?’’
‘’Aside his cockiness and arrogant behaviour and his air of superiority and whatnot?’’
‘’Yeah, that and the fact that he doesn’t ever get punished the way we all get..”’’
‘’Dude we have known that out since the first day, and we already concluded that he is some elite kid, or some sponsor kid and they have to treat him nice’’
‘’At some point one of those elite kids from last year got bootlegged by the Boss of the boss’’
‘’True!’’
‘’And they were rude to us but they respected Mr Emeka,sort off””
’’True!!’’
‘’but Brian doesn’t fear no one, not even Mr Emeka and his calls the other manager’s bluff, plus no matter how much we report him for his misbehaviour he never gets queried, punished and the closest he got to any reprimanding was because he went against Miss Adora and she, well we had him arrested..see..that one was out of anybody’s hands but you see, he didn’t even get to sleep in cell‘’
‘’Because Miss Adora lied”’
‘’She didn’t lie…look she didn’t exactly lie, it was a miscommunication but he deserved being arrested for whatever he has done to her”’
‘True !! no PA has a right to talk and insult his boss like that as though they are colleagues but he does so with authority””
‘’Exactly!! That alone is suspicious “’
‘’So what do you want to do??’’
‘’what else? Investigate him, there is something that doesn’t add up about Brian and i have to find out, i told Miss Adora i would “’
‘’You want to investigate him for her or for you?”’
‘Both! Need to know why he acts like he has a right over us and if it is something shady..ama tell everyone’’
Peter sighs getting up ‘’Okay oh.”’
‘’Yes!! I would find out who the hell is he and i have a feeling he is an illegal person here, bragging with fake Rolex and whatnot, claiming they are real, signs of yahoo-ism”’
Peter laughs ‘’Please , don’t make me laugh John, let me allow you to get back to the work your Miss Adora has given you”’
‘’Yes, my Adora!! And later i will go pick her up and maybe we can have our first date, who knows”’
‘’Keep wishing’’
‘’Don’t worry I will invite you for the wedding”’ they laugh, as Peter leaves, John gets up and goes to the HR’s office. That is where they keep employee’s files right and if you want to know their profile, that would be where he would start from.
******
Emeka picks up his phone in the first ring “’Sir?’’
‘’what was that about Emeka, why did you call me and then cut the call and then refused to pick my calls all day, what the hell was that?’’
Shit!! He forgot about him.
Emeka scratches his head “”I am so sorry sir, my phone erm fell crashing to the ground while we were talking and i was trying to fix it up and i couldn’t get the pick button to work. I am so sorry Sir”’
‘’And why didn’t you return my calls?”’’
‘’i just got it back from the repairs Sir, i am so sorry’’ he lies
‘’Emeka, why do i have a feeling that you are lying to me. Did my son do anything again? because it is awfully strange that i haven’t heard any complaints since the last time?’’
He laughs silently , Mr Jonathan was an intuitive man, doesn’t miss anything, but if he tells him of his son’s recent troubles, he would lose the leverage he has over Brian now, and he was liking the leverage and the fact that he can for once bend Brian even if it was just a little, so he would keep quiet for now, not because he wants to protect him, but because he wants to be able to control the boy as he ought to, he was his Boss, the Managing acting Director of his father’s company and he deserves to be treated with respect.
“’No sir, i am not lying, you know if he as much as sneeze in the wrong place i will let you know”’’
‘’You better!! Because that boy has done nothing but go against my good wishes for him. Tell me Emeka, what is wrong with children these days’’
‘’Sir, he is an adult”’
‘’But he acts like a child. I gave him everything Emeka, everything a son would ever ask his father for, he never lacked nothing. So how would he think i would want to make him suffer eh? I only want what’s best for him, make him a better man the way my father made me, the way his father and father before him made him. This is a learning process Emeka, not a punishment, but for everytime he disobeys me it makes me feel as though me and his mother had failed to train him up properly. If i tell him the tests my father put me through he wouldn’t believe ..but i am making it easy for him,, he still gets all that he has…only work as a PA for a year, then if he does well..hell i make him the President but you cannot be a good leader without knowing how to serve first, he wouldn’t appreciate what he has unless he knows what and what is being put in place to make all that he has come through . Was i wrong Emeka, was i wrong to want my son to learn, to know, to have knowledge in all…was i?’’
So after a year he gets to be president, higher than me? What about me..i have served you Jonathan, worked for you. Why does that brat get to be President after a year when i have worked here for years.
Why not make him some assistant director of some sort, he wouldn’t mind, Brian would be below him, but President, that brat!! Really Jonathan?’’
“”Emeka! Are you there? Was i wrong?’’
‘’Yes sir””
‘’What?”’
‘’i meant no sir you are not wrong, hopefully he would learn””
‘’i pray so. But let me know..any more trouble and i will take the house and the car and everything else, once he roams around for a month like a beggar, he will sit up. He is my son and i love him, but sometimes desperate means called for desperate measure. Something can happen to me today..how will he be able to take care of all things, my affairs and my wealth home and abroad, how would he be able to take care of his mother, would he leave her to be gallivanting and spending all the more and not invest?…i won’t allow my son to be useless. Let me know if he misbehaves. From what i can hear, the debt he owes from the club? They are putting him to work..imagine, my son cleaning up disgusting things from the floor and dressed like a call boy’’ Jonathan laughs
Emeka sits up ‘’Are you serious sir? He is working in a club?’’
‘’Yes, you didn’t know…oh let me tell you”” Jonathan tells him what Ikena told him
They burst out laughing …oh, no wonder that brat had come begging him for food to eat..oh no wonder, he had wondered what broke the camel’s back for Brian’s father to freeze his accounts, he didn’t know the details until today. Oh, this might be another leverage he can hold over his head.
The brat wouldn’t want everyone to know he is a cleaner at a night club and a waitress and sometimes a stripper, so much for that air of superiority, it would be deflated like an oversized balloon.
He laughs.. President my ass. I will be president.
*******
‘’You are enjoying this aren’t you”’ Damilola comes into the room, she lays on the bed, taking off her shoes, it’s being a trying day today.
Jonathan turns dropping his phone, the smile doesn’t live his face ‘’Not quite Lolo, not quite, but you must admit it was a good laugh to find out our son is doing cleaning ..in a club just because he couldn’t pay a debt, it was funny’’
‘’Yes it was funny, but how long do you intend to keep him away from finances, he cannot be able to survive on that Jona?”’
Jonathan sighs “’ My love, Brian is an adult, he needs to take responsibility of his actions’’
‘’And you are his father, you are supposed to love him regardless of his mistakes and pardon him’’
‘’i love him, i pardon him always but this…he had gone on being childish for too long and it is only a few days, he is alife and guess what? he hasn’t called us to plead like a baby, that is a good thing’’
‘’No Jona, that is you..he is you, proud, that pride is making him not wanting to crawl and beg’’
‘’So, atleast he got something worthy of praise, which means that he would rather suffer through it. Good. Maybe it would make him a better man’’
‘’But Jona-“’
‘’But no Jona nothing Lolo, he would get married one day and have his own family, how do you want him to cope? Pretty boy and partying won’t keep a home, having so much money won’t be able to make him rich forever when you don’t know how to work and invest when you keep using, once you keep taking from your box of stones and you don’t replace, no matter how deep it is, it would become empty . Same applies here, he needs to learn to put back and how will he learn when all he wants is to be at the top chain of events and not caring to know how to put back…one day he would be alone and when he can’t handle this vast wealth of mine, he would run it to the ground and this wealth has been in my family for years..how? because every son from our lineage…didn’t just sit down and ate and enjoyed life and didn’t invest and put back. We doubled it Lolo, we made it our own, we each made it happen, made our name aside our father’s wealth..we made it happen and all we want is for him to do so too. He would be happy and proud if not wherever he goes, whatever he does..it would be that he is nothing without his father’s wealth. And if it is stripped from him he really has nothing, which is what i have proven to him and want him to see. No money, he is nothing. But if Brian can’t realise that i am giving him life lessons here then there is no hope for him. I want him to have good life, i want him to enjoy all that i have…what we have Lolo… he needs to be responsible Lolo, or …we are just going to have a rich spoilt useless son that may ruin his life and us to before we can say jump’’
Lolo sighs rubbing her feet ‘’I just hope he is okay, i worry about him. What he has eaten, is he okay, do they treat him well, i mean, he doesn’t know what to do..to keep his room neat, make breakfast, how will he manage on nothing. Jonathan you must understand my worry, he is my son, my only son…my baby Jonathan, i worry for him, …oh i wish he finds a good woman that can help straighten him up’’
Jonathan laughs taking her feet and rubbing it for her “’My Lolo, you speak about Brian as though he is a fifteen year old boy, he is a shy away from 30. And if a grown man cannot handle his issues and be responsible, you think a woman would want him?’’
‘’Oh don’t be ridiculous Jonathan, everyone loves my son, you see it. When he walks into the room the ladies swoon, all eyes on my prince’’ she smiles
‘’Yeah he got his good looks from me Lolo””
‘’No, from me’’ Lolo says and they laugh
‘’But Lolo, good looks can’t keep a woman, an immature rich brat would infuriate any good woman who loves him, but a rich responsible man who understands that his father ‘s money isn’t his money but should be used as a wings of support and that he needs to make a name for himself. Any woman would love a man who doesn’t have to slap her face with the wealth written in his father’s name but his meagre means which he earns even if it is 10 thousand naira monthly,. She would know that he isn’t one who raises his shoulders but one who despite his family’s wealth can be able to make his own even from droplets of rain, do you understand?””
She nods her head ‘’‘But i still worry”
‘’As any mother would, but don’t worry…hopefully he would learn, i pray he does. But good thing that not everyone is bending to his whims and caprices though”’
‘’Emeka? Well ofcourse he wouldn’t’’ Damilola agrees
‘’No i mean the New social manager we employed, the lady who i put as his boss, they are at logger heads and from what Emeka is telling me, she doesn’t let him have his way, and it is good. He can’t win all his battles against us. I would have fired her since the company’s profile issues but i decided against it. Brian doesn’t like her, he says she is a pain, he doesn’t like her because she infuriatingly annoying ‘’he laughs “” i think that is what he needs, someone who is annoying like him…he wouldn’t do what i ask nicely and wants to have his way..and he can’t exactly have his way in the company with someone like her and Emeka, two people to get on his nerves…it’s a good thing’’
‘’This Social Media Manager, what’s her name?’’
‘’Adora Chime, Emeka has high praises for her especially how she handled the issue taking us off the break of that alwful criticisms and regain us more clients“’
‘’hmmm’’
‘’what does hmm mean?’’
‘’it means nothing , i know my son..he would make her life unbearable which is a bad thing, don’t you think you should just out them in different departments?“’
‘’Remove him from being a PA?’’
‘’No, make someone else his Boss, a man preferably, he would be able to handle Brian, you know how our son is?’’
Jonathan laughs “’Actually, i think i want this Adora there, to bruise his ego some. “ he turns to face her ’’We are here worrying about a grown man Lolo, you don’t worry about me..am i not a grown man that needs worrying about?’’ he pouts
She looks at him and laughs “’Go jor””!! she nudges him away laughing
‘’you just worry of Brian Brian Brian alone, what about Jona, Jofor na needs that kind of worry him’’ he pulls her cheeks
‘’i worry for you too’’
‘’ Ojoro! Oya na, worry for me now”’ he eyes her
‘’what kind of worry are we talking about na Jona, the way you are looking at me is suspicious”’ she laughs
‘’oh…you know “’ he pulls her to himself ,and tickles her, she is laughing
‘HAHAHA stop Jona, hahahaha, stop making me squirm like a little girl’’
‘’’Well you are a little girl in my arms Lolo, my own Lolo, my wife, love of my life…my day one woman…’’ he nuzzles her neck, kissing her cheeks..
‘’my Jona, aren’t you too old for this playfulness?’’
“’With you, never !! Give me some sugar baby!”’ he pulls her down to the bed as she screams out a happy scream
*******
Making me sweep like it’s my fault !. Threatening me with what…Mr Emeka’s restrictions because of what? Who does he think he is? They won’t fire me, i am indispensable.
Breath Adora, this too shall pass.
I look at him from my side eyes, he was doing a lousy job cleaning the floor, doesn’t he know how to mop…
You squeeze all the water out, if not you would be making a pool.. he can’t even mop. What kind of adult can’t even mop a floor.
I was done sweeping. This place didn’t look as though it had been cleand for a few days,it was a mess. A total mess in a fine house…
I park the dirts, looking around “’where can i put this in?’’
‘’You do realise that there is a kitchen right?’’
‘’And i would know the direction because i am a –‘’
‘’You guessed right, a witch!.’’
‘’i don’t mind dumping the dirt over your head”’
He smiles , if he incites her she might actually do that and he has no intention of parking dirts on his body or her ruining the floor he just mopped, her time was coming ‘’the door behind you..”’
I turn walking to the kitchen, ít was a beautiful place to cook my favourite foods..hmm
..i put the dirts in the bin and i come back.. he was making a mess ‘’you never learnt how to actually mop?’’
‘’You never learnt to shut up?’’
I scoff shaking my head ‘’one day, you will pay for all this insults you keep throwing at me Brian?’’
‘’Till hell freezes over’’ he takes the mop and the bucket and began to leave, i frown …’’you definitely apparently don’t know nothing about domestic chores…sad bit’’ i grab it from him and finishes it up. Stupid fellow.
I didn’t see him smiling.
‘’so..shall we begin so i don’t have to tolerate your presence any longer? “’ He had the audacity to say without even bothering to say ‘’Thank you”’
‘’whatever !!’’ i don’t blame you Brian.
He puts on the board a clean cardboard paper, another blue film design he sits with pen and pencil behind his ear, he flexes his arm and then stares at the board..
I grab my bag, powder my nose, and put on lipstick..then re-arranged my cloths.. then i stand behind the camera..positioning it “’when you are ready we can go live’’
‘’Ready!!’’ he says
I nod, going infront of the camera with a file, pen and a pretty smile ‘’Hello, My name is Adora Chime and we are in the residents of one of J.K .A’s design and constructions best designers, Mr Brian Andrews and here we would be capturing the step by step process of designing from inception to the client’s desired finishe… we would be interviewing him and ofcourse the portals would be open for other designers to ask questions and those who want to learn a few new tricks…Mr Brian according to his file is good and professional and we hope to make this progress as smooth and breathtaking as possible. This is day one and we are in the formative stages, as you can see’’ i move away from the camera ‘’that he is seated, getting into his zone and he is about to perform magic..well..i present to you Brian Andrews as he makes a client’s dream come true “’ i smile moving away …
‘’say hello to the viewers Brian “’
He raises up his head and he had the most breathtaking smile ever, my throat closes for the second time “’Hello everyone, my name is Brian and watch me blow your mind away to make the dream house of a client..and after we are done here, i would take you into heart of construction, follow me while we make magic’’ he smiles
Oh look at him stealing my line, thunder.. Banana and gorilla fall on you!!!
******
A few hours of him at the board, a few questions and session with online viewers who had tapped in. My talking them through facts, making progress reports on the files and moving the camera as he moves…as he works,…capturing him as he works..
I had to admit, he was a sight to watch and when he got into that mood of his, that serious mood…he looked less annoying and very very handsome.
Hey stopppppppp it. Just stop it Adora !!
You are tired, you are hungry and you are beginning to talk and see shit.
It was late, i have to call John before he leaves the office ..’’And , that is all for Day one of Brian and designing, we would continue tomorrow, don’t forget to drop your questions and we would bring it up tomorrow..thank you all for a wonderful time ,and to our favourite client..we are making your dream come true and giving others the first class stroll from start to finish. My name is Adora Chime, have a good evening’’ i turn off the camera as we go offline
‘’hey, i didn’t get to say goodbye..”’ he gets up
‘’Not that i care”’ i am parking up
Brian suddenly checks the time and swears, it’s past 7. He leaves the room, he comes back with a bag.. he had changed into a causal jean and a white shirt, a brown jacket over it.
Oh, typical. It’s night, guys like him likes to go partying , women, drinks..sex!
Why do you care Adora? my mind pricks me
I do not!
‘’why are you looking at me?’’ he eyes me
‘’i am not”’ done parking, i pick ,my phone , sighing, it was past 7, John would have left the office already, I am dialling and he wasn’t picking.
‘’what are you doing?’’
‘’how does me calling bother you?’’
‘’it doesn’t, just curious,..who knows you might be calling an assasin to get me killed’’
‘’oh maybe i am, you should be scared, you should be very scared..”’
‘’very funny”’ Brian says hanging the bag, who the hell was she calling, he hopes it isn’t that boy toy..
‘’Oh hi John, i know it’s late and you must have gone home and- oh you haven’t ?’’
Brain frowns …oh she was calling him, and for a weird reason it upsets him, not the normal upset but like a man who was jealous…Another man was getting her nice cool demeanour and he gets her fieriness and hot temper temperaments…
“’oh really? You shouldn’t have “’i sigh in relief “’So can you find the place? okay let me send you the address so you can come pick me up..okay, cool i will be waiting, thank you John you are a life saver.. how soon can you be here? Oh in fifteen minutes? You are awesome, thank you” i sigh
Brian frowns “’wait! are you giving that dog my address. Are you high?’’
‘’No , i am giving him an address so he can come pick me’’
‘’So you sleeping with him already??’’
It was my bag i threw at him this time, but he dodges “”You will not insult me’” i flare
‘’if you fling something at me again i will throw you out the window, control your damn anger woman”’
‘’Control your disgusting mouth!!”’ i retort
‘’i don’t want that dog in my house!’’
‘”It’s not your house, it’s a house you are camping in and if i would have you know it’s because of you i don’t have a ride home, so buzz off, he is just coming to pick me,so i can find my way home and he isn’t a dog you fool, he is a person, a nice person named John but you are a he-goat!”’
Brian wanted to say something when the knock came..that fast? he folds his fists and he opens the door to find Ikena, he releases his hands “” Ready to go?’’
’Sure, i just need to get this Witch away from here first, i don’t want her turning my house into her coven’’
Ikena laughs ‘’Right!! Then why are you upset?’’ Ikena wants to know
“’I am not!!’’ he says frowning, Ikena looks at him, he definitely looks angry, why? Was Miss Adora getting to him? Hmmm interesting, Ikena muses.
I sit down, they are whispering to each other, i turn away and we wait.
******
‘’Oh great you are here, i am coming out!!’’ i say getting up as i drop the call, i didn’t need to carry anything else aside my files and my bag , the rest stays here till we are done, the driver Ikena offers to carry my bag as i walk to the door, they follow behind me as we step out to see John alighting from a taxi, he has a broad smile on his face.
‘’Miss Adora, John at your service”’ he does a bow, i am shaking my head and laughing
‘’Funny guy, thank you so much i hope it wasn’t hard to find?”’
‘’No, easy peasy but”’ John is looking at the area, he has alot of questions …who the hell was this Brain and how come he stays here, this doesn’t make sense, especially what he found out at the HR’s office too.
‘’okay, lets go”’ i say taking a step
‘’Ikena, please show Miss Adora into the car, we would drop her home”” Brian says suddenly
Ikena is surprised ‘’You told me that we weren’t going to drop her home but now you want us to do so?’’
‘’Ikena?’’ Brian snaps
I turn to look at Brian, what is this He-goat up to now?
‘’Miss Adora, we would drop you home, Sir John, please if you don’t mind!!” Ikena says to me and then to John as he turns taking my bag to his car instead.
‘’You can’t do that, i came to get her”’ john closes the door and walks to me , he faces Brian
‘’i brought her here and i will take her home, Ikena kindly take miss to the car’’
‘’You will bring out her bag right this minute Ikena or whatever you call yourself’’ John points to Ikena
‘’Ýou will do no such thing Ikena “’ Brian says pointing to Ikena
Okay, now i am speechless!
‘’How dare you want to force her to go with you?’’ John is standing face to face with him
‘’how dare you want to take a woman away from another’s man’s house, have you no shame?’’ Brian steps closer to him
Why the hell does it feel as though these two men where fighting over something else other than work related and me going home?
“’Don’t be a fool Brian, she isn’t your woman but your boss and i am taking her home”’
‘’í am taking her home”’
‘’Get your face away from me Brian before i smash it in”’
‘’You bark alot John and you don’t bite” Brian smiles
John laughs turning away touching his lips, but i know that trick, i see it enough in movies to know what’s coming next..
“’BRIAN’!!! I scream. But it was too late.
John turns in full force, his hand fisted and flying to Brian’s face..
*
TO BE CONTINUED
