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Sidi’s first dance

Late post….Apologies.  Wordpress issues still unresolved.

******
The honk of a taxi blared outside their room. “It’s time.” Rukayat clapped like an excited child. They walked out of their room and waved to the taxi driver who nodded to acknowledge them. Rukayat walked briskly to the waiting taxi while Sidikat took one step at a time. “C’mon Rukkie, wait for me.” She said to her friend. Ruka walked back and held her friend by the hand.

They arrived the venue of the party in about forty-five minutes. Music was already blasting from speakers stationed on the porch. Rukayat looked at her friend and both of them shared a smile. Four guys in their class were standing outside; each holding a glass of wine. “Oh my goodness, Musari is here already.” Sidi said feeling giddy.

Ruka paid the taxi driver and eased out of the car carefully. Musari noticed her and smiled. As Sidi eased out of the car, Musari saw her. Sidi raised her head high and flicked her hair. She locked eyes with Musari as she smiled at him. The air was cool and a light breeze blew her flowing gown. Sidi loved the way her dress danced to the tune of the wind until she stepped on it mistakenly. Before she knew it, she hit the ground as Musari and his friends rushed to help her up.

As they tried to, she realized she had twisted her ankle and she screamed as pain shot through her body. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she bit her lip.

“Sorry.” Ruka said as she turned round to attend to her friend. She removed her friend’s shoes from her feet. “Should we take you to a hospital? It looks like your ankle has been sprained.”

Sidi nodded unable to utter a word.

********

Two hours earlier

Sidikat put her feet carefully into the shoes and stood up to take a step. She wobbled a bit but regained her composure. “Are you sure you can walk in those heels?” Rukayat asked her.

“Of course, what do you mean? I’m a chic.” Sidi replied.

“Okay oh. If you say so.”

They got dressed with excitement. They had less than thirty minutes before the taxi they booked was due to arrive. They had refused to attend their last lecture in school which was slated for 5.30pm. They wanted to get back to the hostel early enough to freshen up for the night party.

Considering the distance from school to the venue, they decided to book a taxi for 7.00pm. Ten minutes after the scheduled pick up time, the taxi’s timer would start to surcharge them. It was their first party outside campus and they were both thrilled and anxious. They were both 100 level students of the Law department.

Rukayat had chosen a red floor length straight dress and wore a pair of kitten heels black pumps. She told Sidikat that since it was an all-night party, she wanted to be comfortable. Sidi, however had chosen a black flowing dress with a red 6 inch stiletto sandals.

She catwalked to and fro the room trying to maintain her balance.

******

The doctor examined Sidi’s ankle and put an ice pack on it. He bound her ankle in a stirrup splint and asked her to stay off heels for the next three months.

Sidi looked at her friend with tears in her eyes. “I should have listened to you. I was really looking forward to dancing with Musari. I guess that won’t happen any longer.”

Ruka gave her friend a sad smile. “It may happen sometime later.”

“Yeah, sometime later.” She sighed regretfully.

——

Photo Credit: http://www.dhgate.com

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Buy Market

Various food stuff lined the narrow street on the left and on the right. Starting from the beginning of the street to the end, wares were displayed barely leaving enough room for a car to drive through. The taxi driver maneuvered through the market struggling not to hit any wares. A few times, he honked for either a buyer or a seller who stood brazenly on the road ignoring the oncoming vehicle. Some insulted the driver while some simply ignored until the car was beside them before shifting their bodies a bit for the car to pass by.

All of a sudden, screams rent the air and everyone looked in the direction of the noise. A loose cow ran towards the market and a few women rushed to grab their wares off the road. The other women whose goods could not be easily grabbed in a jiffy and the shoppers ran helter skelter. The whole market was in chaos. Two young boys came running after the cow in a bid to tame it. They eventually did and got it under control.

By the time the commotion died down, tomatoes had been trampled on, garri basins had been upturned, ugwu and ewedu leaves had become mixed with mud. The women came out of their hiding places cursing the cow and its handlers.

The taxi driver who had parked when he heard the commotion looked at the women and laughed. “So you fit run when you see malu but if na car, you go dey do yanga.”

The women looked at the driver and started raining curses on him but the man drove off laughing.

——

Photo Credit: http://www.jujufilms.tv

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Road Rage

As the yellow bus maneuvered its way dangerously through the snarling Lagos traffic, the passengers shouted. “Oga driver, take am easy, abeg oh.”

The driver turned a deaf ear and continued to weave his way as he faced oncoming vehicles. He was wearing a singlet which must have been white at some point. He retrieved a dirty rag from the dashboard and wiped the sweat on his face and neck intermittently.

“Driver, no be you we dey talk to?” An elderly woman shouted from the back of the bus.

“Wetin? If you wan drive, make you come down come drive.” He shouted and sneered back at her.

“Driver, driver!!!” Another woman shouted as a trailer drove towards them from the opposite end.

The driver refused to heed the word of caution and continued to drive ahead. Screams and shouts rent the air, while other passengers cursed.

A few metres away from the trailer, the driver made a sharp turn to the right in order to make way for the trailer. As he did, he bumped into a navy blue Toyota Prado. He immediately tried to swerve back to face oncoming vehicles but the trailer was yet to have a way through. The trailer driver spew expletives at him but the driver was undeterred.

“Driver, you no see say you don jam that jeep?” The man who was seated beside the driver said.

“Go see wetin happen for dia.” The driver said to the bus conductor.

The bus conductor alighted from the bus. He shook his head as he checked the damage done to the Toyota Prado. While at it, the driver of the car came out. He was wearing a red long sleeved shirt on faded jeans trousers. The man removed the sun shades he was wearing and assessed the damage. The back door on the driver’s side had been dented and it had yellow streaks on it.

The conductor looked at the man . “Sorry sir.” He pleaded.

“Oya, oya enter bus, make we dey go.” The driver shouted at the conductor as he ignored the driver of the Toyota Prado.

“You no go look wetin happen to the car?” The man seated beside the driver asked again.

“Oga wetin be your own? Na you get the car?” The driver asked him.

“Ah…ah.” The man exclaimed as he looked at the driver in astonishment.

The trailer driver continued to curse the bus driver as they were now at a standstill. The trailer driver could not move forward as the bus was blocking his way.

The man in the Toyota Prado was quiet all through. He went towards the back of his car and opened the boot. He took out the wheel spanner from the boot and walked to the back of the bus. He swung his hand and in an instant, glass shattered. He raised his hand again, shattering the second brake light.

“Ahn…ahn…” The driver came down from the bus hurriedly. “Wetin be this nau?” He said walking towards the man.

The man moved towards the front of the bus and swung his hand shattering the right side mirror.

“Driver, sebi you say you mad. You don jam person wey mad pass you.” The elderly woman in the bus said.

The man was walking towards the other side of the bus. He was about to swing his hand again when the conductor prostrated on the floor before him. “Oga, please. E don do. Please sir. Abeg, no vex sir.”

The man looked at the conductor and nodded his head. The driver was standing at a safe distance murmuring and assessing the damage done to his bus.

The man walked back to his car and dropped the wheel spanner in the boot. He shut his boot, walked quietly to his car, eased into it and drove off while the shocked passengers, the conductor and the driver looked on.

——
Photo Credit: http://www.techcabal.com

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RUN YOUR RACE

She stared at her reflection in the mirror before her. She hardly recognized herself. The scars on her face were a constant reminder of what she had been through in the last eighteen months. She had been involved in a fatal motor accident which had claimed the lives of everyone except hers. Her survival remained a mystery to the doctors and according to them, it was medically impossible. After a series of surgeries, the doctors had made an attempt to give her a face.

 

At forty-two, she was still unmarried and she wondered if any man would desire her now with the visible scars on her face. The shrill tone of her mobile phone jolted her out of her deep thoughts. She tapped the bluetooth device attached to her left ear.

“Ronke speaking. How may I help you?”

She listened intently to the person on the other end as she nodded her head.

“Thank you very much, sir. I appreciate your patronage.” She said as she ended the call.

Her jewellery business was doing well and she lacked nothing. She had bought a house for herself and her parents from the proceeds of her business. She owned a block of twelve apartments which had been fully occupied by tenants. She also had investments in landed properties.

 

Her mind wandered to her closest friends and she sighed. Amaka had been married for five years with two beautiful kids. Within those five years, she had unsuccessfully searched for a job. She had tried her hands on various businesses but each one failed after six months. Amaka’s daily prayer to God was for a job.

Aisha was yet to have a child. Within ten years of marriage, she had had six miscarriages. Amaka and Ronke were always by her side to give her a shoulder to cry on. Even though she had a loving husband who told her incessantly that he married her for love and companionship and not for children; that did not stop Aisha from getting worried about her inability to carry a child to term. Her daily prayer to God was for a child.

 

 

Ronke took a deep breath as her grandmother’s words resonated within her. “Máa fi ago aláago sárè.” (Don’t run with another’s time). Each one of them had their own race ahead of them. She had every reason to be thankful. This time last year, she would have been dead and long buried. She was however alive and had found fulfillment in putting smiles on the faces of children who needed corrective surgery through her donations to a foundation which supported the cause.

She took one last look at herself in the mirror and smiled. She picked up her handbag from the dresser as she walked out of her house. It was another day and she was going forth to conquer the world.

——

Photo Credit: http://www.lydiamlee.wordpress.com

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If Only – Part 2

Tawakalitu groaned and panted every ten minutes. Her contractions were beginning to come in quick succession. The past twenty-four hours had been gruelling and she was already exhausted. Even in her state, she felt disgusted by her environment. She had pleaded with her husband to take her to the primary health care centre but he had refused. His reasons were that he could not afford their services. She had saved up some money from her palm oil sales in the market but her husband would have none of that. How dare she say she would pay to go to the health centre? He was the head of the house and whatever he said was final.

She looked at the traditional birth attendant and fear gripped her as she saw the sharp instrument in her hand. She began to cry as she wondered if she would survive the ordeal. She was already tired from the long hours of labour and she doubted her capability to push out her baby. The attendant asked her to bear down. She did; panting, groaning and screaming. After about forty minutes, she was delivered of her baby. The birth attendant spanked the baby on the bum but he refused to cry. She hit him again but he was still.

The birth attendant looked at Tawa and shook her head. Realization hit Tawa like a stab to her heart and she let out a long piercing cry of agony. Mukaila who had been waiting outside to hear the cry of his baby burst into the room. He looked at his wife who was hysterical and screaming. He moved towards her and tried to touch her but she pushed him with so much force that he fell back on his buttocks.

Tawa bit her forefinger as she looked at him on the floor. “If only she had refused to listen to Mukaila”. “If only she had taken out her savings to go to the primary health care centre”. “If only Mukaila had not been too proud to refuse assistance from her”. Maybe, just maybe, they would have been rejoicing over the birth of their first child.

 

To read the first part of “If Only”, click on the link below;

http://www.olubukolasthoughts.com/2016/04/22/if-only/

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Photo Credit: http://www.pinterest.com

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Love, Lies and Murder – Part 1

This Monday, Olubukola’s Thoughts serves you another African love story broken into three parts. 

Please enjoy, drop your comments and don’t forget to use the share buttons below.

Thanks 

*********

As the police led Mojirayo away from the scene of the crime, she looked at the faces of her parents. Her mother put her hand on her head as she threw herself on the floor in lamentation. Her father who she expected to be man enough to handle the situation wasn’t any better. He was crying in broad daylight. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he looked at his first daughter. His pride, the one who was meant to take them out of the depth of poverty. The one who was meant to be the shining light to her nine younger siblings. The one he had given out in marriage at the age of sixteen because he needed to provide a better life for his family.

 ******

      Mojirayo raised her head high. She wasn’t sorry for what she had done. She showed no remorse. This was not the time to be sorry. This was the time to be happy. The time to jubilate because she had finally been delivered from the hell she lived in. Yes, it was hell but her parents thought otherwise. Even though she hadn’t planned what happened, it had worked perfectly in her favour.

:

Baba Ibeji was a pain she endured the past twenty-four months. He had a pot belly that irritated her anytime he tried to hug her. He had a terrible mouth odour that nauseated her and made her puke when he kissed her. After retching, she washed her tongue with her toothbrush vigorously so that she did not also become a victim of his terrible sickness. When he visited her room to satisfy himself, he grunted like a goat during his height of ecstasy and snored like a generator that was about to knock its engine immediately after.

:

Most times, she picked up her pillow and went to the living room to sleep. When he awoke in the morning and asked if she enjoyed him, she faked a smile and nodded like an agama lizard. Her three senior wives would hiss and spit at her for the next three days. She was the intruder. The one who had come to reap where she did not sow. The one who had come to take advantage of their husband’s goodwill to better her own family. The selfish, bad-mannered girl who was old enough to be a daughter to them but was sleeping with their husband and keeping him away from their rooms for the most part of the month.

******

      Twenty-six months ago, Mojirayo was about to write her SSCE exams. Every day, she reminded her father about the payment for the exams but she got the same answer each time; he did not have the funds. Shina was an okada rider who lived in a one room face-to-face apartment with ten kids. His wife was a petty trader who sold Ugwu leaves for a living. Mojirayo once asked her mother why she had to give birth to many children when they could not afford to cater for them. She had received a resounding smack across her face as her response. She was told never to stop the flow of God’s blessings. Family planning had never been an option. To her mother, it was a sin.

:

But Mojirayo had overheard their neighbours making jest of them many times. They were the butt of the neighbours jokes in the building. They said Shina could barely feed himself but never ceased to get his wife pregnant. They said he was either trying to prove his virility or was too stupid to look for another form of recreation besides the bedroom.

:

When Mojirayo refused to allow her father rest, he decided to approach members of his okada riders association for a loan. He however received sad stories from everyone. They also had obligations to their various families that they couldn’t fulfill.

:

This denial made him take a visit to Baba Ibeji’s house which was a stone throw to theirs. Baba Ibeji was their landlord. He was a big time farmer who dealt in cassava plantation, fish farming and piggery. He had a number of employees working for him and he built the face to face apartments with the proceeds from his business. Shina had pleaded with Baba Ibeji to loan him the money for his daughter’s exams. Baba Ibeji had gladly accepted to oblige him but under a condition. Shina had promised to accept whatever condition it was. He had assumed that Baba Ibeji would probably ask for a free supply of Ugwu to his family or ask for his monthly rent to be increased to cover the cost of the loan.

:

He was however in shock when he heard Baba Ibeji’s condition. He wanted to make Mojirayo his fourth wife. Shina had stammered and asked if Baba Ibeji was serious. Baba Ibeji had gotten upset and walked him out of his house. Shina had gone home dejected. How could Baba Ibeji want to take Mojirayo who was old enough to be his own daughter as wife? What about his other three wives? Shina had been unable to sleep that night. He had tossed and turned on his tattered mattress. Even when his wife, Omowunmi had tried to touch him, he had turned his back to her. She had been surprised as Shina never refused her advances. They always practiced Proverbs 5 verse 18 – 20 and Ecclesiastes 9 verse 9 to the letter.

******

      The next morning, Mojirayo greeted her father with news. She wasn’t going to write the SSCE exams because she was yet to pay for it. She had been told in school the previous day. Shina made up his mind immediately. He went to Baba Ibeji and agreed to his conditions for the loan. Baba Ibeji smiled as Shina almost prostrated before him. He had eyed Mojirayo for a while. She was a stunning beauty and he felt she should live a happy life; away from the poverty of her parents. He gave Shina cash on the spot and asked him to bring Mojirayo to his house immediately after her exams were over. Shina nodded as he collected the cash and left Baba Ibeji’s house. Baba Ibeji smirked in a self-satisfied triumph. He touched his nether region and licked his lips. Mojirayo was going to be his trophy wife.

******

      Tears streamed down Mojirayo’s cheeks when her father told her about his agreement with Baba Ibeji after her last paper. Shina had thought it wise to allow his daughter write her exams without any distractions. Mojirayo told her father that she would have rather missed writing the exams than get married to Baba Ibeji.

:

Shina told her that she needed to look at the bright side of the situation. Baba Ibeji was rich and he would offer her a better life. She would be able to have the nicer things of life which she would never have access to under his roof. She would be able to help him send her younger ones to school which he could barely afford to do at the moment. She would make all their neighbours envious and he would have the last laugh as they would all love to be in her shoes. There was nothing Mojirayo said that made sense to her father. As far as he was concerned, this was a dream come through for them. Mojirayo was their ticket to a life out of abject poverty.

******

      Two weeks after Mojirayo’s exams, Shina was yet to take his daughter to Baba Ibeji’s house. He knew he was meant to fulfill his promise but he wanted to have his daughter for one more day. He told himself he would do it tomorrow but tomorrow never came. He noticed his daughter’s countenance had changed since he told her of his agreement with Baba Ibeji. She wore a sad face permanently and looked as if she was waiting to be taken to the slaughter house.

:

Even though, he also felt bad about the agreement, he consoled himself that it was for a better life. Once she became Baba Ibeji’s fourth wife, their fortune would change. All those neighbours who taunted him would see the other side of him. He would make sure they apologized for all the insults they had heaped on him all through the years. He would stop riding an okada because Mojirayo would urge her husband to buy him a nice Toyota camry 2001 model which he would use as a taxi cab. His other nine children would change their school and move to a private school in the area. Omowunmi would stop selling Ugwu leaves and start doing supplies like Baba Ibeji’s first wife. She would rub shoulders with the big women who tied their geles like a satellite dish every Saturday. She would supply party souvenirs, canopies and chairs and maybe even start cooking for large parties. At least, she loved to cook and the aroma of her food anytime she was cooking was the reason why she was called “Ìya Mojíráyò, Ölówö síbí” by their neighbours.

:

He had just finished a bowl of eba and edikaikong soup as his mind played around with ideas shooting them into the goal post. He smiled and picked his teeth with a broom stick as he thought about what he would do once he became rich. A hard knock on his door jolted him out of his reverie. He wondered who could be banging his door that way at this time of the night. Another bang on the door got him upset and he stood up to accost the intruder.

:

He opened the door and standing before him was Baba Ibeji. He had an angry stare on his face which highlighted the tribal marks on his cheeks. Many of the kids in the compound whispered to each other whenever they saw him that he must have fought with a tiger to have such terrible marks. Shina knew the wait was over. Baba Ibeji asked him to pack his family and wretched belongings and leave his house the next morning or fulfill his promise. He pleaded with Baba Ibeji and told him Mojirayo would arrive at his house first thing the next morning.

——
The story continues…

:

******

UPDATE: 

The concluding parts of ‘Love, Lies and Murder’ have been published with other short stories in a book titled – Tears, Blood and Death.

Tears, Blood and Death (A collection of Short Stories) can be found on Amazon kindle

Buy-on-Amazon

Do click on the link above and you would be directed to the Amazon website to purchase a copy of the book.

I hope you enjoyed the story thus far. Please share and don’t forget to send me your reviews. I would appreciate it.

Thank you.

——

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The Party

The grey Lexus jeep drove out of the expansive compound. The driver looked to the left and to the right before turning towards the express way. Just as the car was about to hit the express, a man on a power bike parked at the end of the street whipped out his mobile phone from the pocket of his pants and placed a call. He adjusted the ear piece in his left ear as he spoke. He nodded as he put the phone back into his pocket and kicked the engine. He put on his helmet and followed after the car keeping a safe distance.

The driver kept his speed limit at forty kilometres even though the road was free. The car turned into a hospital off the expressway and the driver parked the car. He got out and rushed to open the boot. He brought out a motorized wheel chair, shut the boot and rolled the chair towards the back door on the right hand side of the car. He opened the door to reveal a bulky handsome man. His eyes were tired even though he masked it with a smile. He was greying at the temple and his hair looked like a comb had just passed through it. He was wearing a blue collared T-shirt on brown corduroy pants. The pair of canvas on his feet spoke volumes about his taste.

The driver held on to the wheel chair while the bulky man hoisted himself into it. Once he was settled in, he placed his hand on the joystick and powered the chair while his driver tagged behind him.

The biker stopped a few metres away from the hospital and placed another call. “Yes, he is in.” He waited to get a response before replying. “Okay, I am waiting.” He put his right hand under his jacket, felt for what he had kept in there and smiled to himself.

 

The bulky man drove himself into the reception of Rainbow Physio centre. The receptionist seated facing the glass doors immediately looked up from the laptop in front of her when the door chimed. “Good afternoon, Mr. Giwa. How are you doing today, sir?” She asked cheerily.

“I’m fine, thank you Atinuke. I have an appointment with Dr. Okechukwu for 1.00p.m”

Atinuke’s fingers hit the keyboard of her laptop as they moved quickly. She paused as she looked up at Mr. Giwa. “1.00pm today?”

“Yes today.” Mr. Giwa replied.

“I’m sorry sir. There must have been a mistake. Your appointment is not for today. It is scheduled for 1.00pm tomorrow.”

“Oh my! Really? I thought…..” Mr. Giwa was saying before he paused. He put his right hand on his chin. “I am sure the appointment is for today.”

“It is right here sir.” Atinuke said; tapping her forefinger on the screen of her laptop. “Dr. Okechukwu’s calendar is blocked for you tomorrow, Thursday at 1.00pm.” She continued.

“Okay dear. I hope I’m not beginning to……”

Atinuke looked up from her laptop. “Sir?”

“Never mind dear. I was talking to myself. I’ll be here tomorrow then.” He said as he turned his wheel chair towards the door.

“Have a good day, sir.” Atinuke called out as the automatic doors opened.

Mr. Giwa replied with a wave of his hand.

 

The driver rushed to open the door of the car while Mr. Giwa helped himself in. The wheel chair was rolled back and lifted into the back of the SUV.

“We are going back home, Leke.” Mr. Giwa said when his driver eased into the car.

“Okay sir.”

********

“He’s leaving the hospital. Are you ready?” The biker spoke into his phone. He waited for a response.

“Yes, there is a bit of traffic. Maybe twenty minutes.” He continued.

“Okay, that is fine.” He concluded as he rubbed his gloved palms together and put his helmet back on.

 

The trip back home took longer than twenty minutes. About hundred metres away from Mr. Giwa’s residence, the biker trailing him sped up and blocked the way just as the driver was about to get to the gate.

“What is going on?” Mr. Giwa said; his voice shaky.

“I don’t know, sir.” Leke responded and tried to maneuver his way but the biker was already walking towards them.

Mr. Giwa checked the doors to see if they were locked. The biker knocked on the driver’s window. Leke shakily put his hand on the window button and rolled it down. He lifted up his hands immediately. “Please don’t kill me. I will give you whatever you want.” He shouted; his voice unsteady.

The biker looked at him. “I’m not hurting you. I want to see Mr. Giwa.”

The driver looked at the rear-view mirror to look at Mr. Giwa’s face. “Sir?”

“I have a message for him.” The biker said.

Mr. Giwa looked at the driver’s eyes which were still on the rear-view mirror. He raised his hand to signal to the driver. The driver took the cue and nodded to the back.

The biker walked to the other side of the car and Mr. Giwa wound down his window with a button. The biker put his right hand under his jacket and Mr. Giwa froze. The biker’s gloved hand revealed a tablet and he pressed on a button before he handed it over to Mr. Giwa.

Mr. Giwa hesitated but the biker pushed the tablet into his hands.

As Mr. Giwa took the tablet, he saw the faces of his grandchildren smiling at him. Someone was recording them and they all chorused “Happy 70th birthday grandpa. We love you.”

Mr. Giwa’s countenance changed instantly as a smile spread across his face and he looked at the man who had delivered the tablet.

“Happy birthday sir.” The biker said as he nodded and took a step backward. He turned to walk towards his power bike which still blocked the entrance to Mr. Giwa’s residence. He picked up the power bike, climbed on it and zoomed off while Mr. Giwa and Leke watched in amazement.

 

Leke put his hand on his chest as he took a deep breath. He put the gear in drive and moved closer to the Giwa’s residence. He honked and the gateman rolled the gate open. As the car drove in, Mr. Giwa looked around him in shock. There was a huge canopy erected inside his compound. A flurry of activities lay to the left and to the right. A band was playing at the far end of his compound singing solemn praises to God. Rows of chafing dishes lined every corner and waiters stood behind them. A different set of waiters were serving cocktails to guests; some were seated while some were standing and exchanging pleasantries. Mr. Giwa could not believe what was happening around him.

Leke parked the car and retrieved the chair from the boot as he assisted Mr. Giwa in getting settled into it.

“Hello, Mr. Giwa.” Dr. Okechukwu said as he walked towards his patient who had powered the chair and was already moving towards the activities.

“Doc? You were part of this?” Mr. Giwa asked astonished.

“Of course. I wouldn’t allow my patient miss his 70th birthday party because of an appointment, would I? The doctor said as he smiled.

The band noticed Mr. Giwa and started singing a happy birthday song for the celebrant. All the guests who were seated stood up and joined the birthday chorus.

As the chorus ended, Mr. Giwa’s grandchildren and children all hugged him one by one as they wished him a happy birthday. Mrs. Giwa stood behind her last child and as her husband got his last hug, he smiled at his wife. She looked beautifully wrinkled and her eyes twinkled with love. She walked up to her husband and bent down to plant a passionate kiss on his lips.

“I love you darling.” Mr. Giwa whispered.

“I hope I didn’t give you a scare.” Mrs. Giwa asked.

“Oh, you definitely did.” Mr. Giwa said taking a deep breath.

“I’m sorry darling. Please relax and be calm, it’s your party.”

Mr. Giwa looked at his wife as he held on to her hand and smiled.

“You deserve the best. Happy birthday, my love.” Mrs. Giwa said.

——-

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The Search

She walked into the premises where the construction of a massive building was taking place. She looked around and saw some of the construction workers passing by her with bowls of cement on their heads. They all looked dusty and their feet were caked with a mix of sand and cement. She asked where she could meet with the site manager and she was directed to his office. The office was simply furnished and the man sitting behind the desk welcomed her with a smile.

“Good afternoon sir.” She greeted.

“Good afternoon. How may I help you?”

“I want to join the workers on the site.” She said.

The man gave her a confused look. She did not look like one who could work on a construction site. She had a small stature and he figured she would not be strong enough for the tedious job.

“Why do you want to work here?” He decided to ask.

“Because I need a job. I am tired of sitting at home doing nothing.”

“But I doubt you can handle the stress of working on a construction site.”

“Please, I will do anything assigned to me. I just want to earn a living.” She pleaded.

“I’m sorry but I can’t.” He said. “I would have loved to help you; maybe with an office job but I really don’t have one to offer you now.”

She had left home with raised hopes. She had gone to the site with a mission – to get a job. She had heard that construction workers got paid daily and she had been ready to get her hands dirty to earn a living. But the man before her had dashed her hopes and she burst into tears.

“Please understand.” The man said; shocked at her tears.

 

She was still seated before him when they heard a knock on the door and a lady walked in. The lady had come to visit a friend in the vicinity and had decided to check on the site manager who was her friend. She noticed the lady who was crying and wondered what was amiss. The lady tried to compose herself as she looked away from the stare of the intruder.

“Is there a problem?” The site manager’s friend asked.

The lady looked up on hearing the voice of the site manager’s friend. Surprise registered on the face of the site manager’s friend as they looked at each other. “Sis, what are you doing here?” She asked the lady seated before her.

“She came to ask for a job on the site.” The site manager responded.

The site manager’s friend looked from her friend to the lady seated before her in confusion. “You are a graduate; why will you want to work here?”

The site manager’s jaw dropped. “A graduate?” He asked in astonishment.

The lady seated simply nodded.

“She is my friend.” The site manager’s friend said to him.

“Hmm…” The site manager sighed. “I really wish I could help.”

The lady stood up and wiped her tears. “Thank you sir.” She said to the site manager.

The site manager’s friend moved close to her friend and hugged her. “It will be okay sis. You can’t do this job under the heat and heavy weights. You may even breakdown.”

The lady nodded and smiled sadly.

 

As she got home that evening, she met a letter inviting her to a multi-national organization the next day for a chat. She could hardly sleep that night. She thought about what to wear to appear presentable. She eventually settled for an old skirt suit she had kept for occasions like this.

She left home early enough the next day, so as not to be caught in traffic. She got to the organization way before her appointment and waited in the lobby as directed by the receptionist.

An hour later, she walked out of the organization with an instruction to resume work in one of the branches of the organization the next day as a contract staff. As she sat in the public bus taking her back home, her eyes welled up with tears; but this time they were tears of joy

——

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Trouble dey sleep…..

“Hey baby girl, how you dey?”

The lady continued walking without looking back.

“Ba….bay, na you I dey talk to nau.” The guy stood up and crooned after the lady.

His friends who were sitting behind burst into laughter when they noticed that she refused to pay him any attention.

He looked back at his friends and gave them a peace sign with his fingers. He adjusted his collar and moved closer to her. He tapped her on the shoulder and she turned back; a disgusted look on her face.

“Ahn….ahn, why you come dey do shakara nau? No be you I dey call?” The guy smiled revealing a yellowed set of teeth.

“Excuse me? Please could you take your hands off me?” The lady said as she brushed his hand off her shoulder.

She turned and was about walking away. He looked back at his friends and winked as he walked ahead of her and stood in front of her blocking her way.

“What is the meaning of this?” She asked.

“I dey call you, at least you go answer person.”

She turned to take her left and the guy blocked her way again.

“Get out of my way.” She said to him in anger.

“Ahn….ahn….wetin? Because person like you, you come dey feel important, abi?”

The lady looked at him, her eyes narrowing into slits. She tried to walk around him again but he blocked her way a third time.

He raised his hand and was about to touch her again when in the twinkling of an eye, she held his hand in mid-air and twisted it towards his back. He screamed in pain as he bent half-way. He was about to look up at her when she used her right leg to kick him off his feet.

He grimaced as he hit the ground.

“Woo-hoo.” His friends who had been watching the drama between the two shouted.

The lady clapped her hands together, shook off the dust on her shoes as she looked at the guy who had stood up and broken into a run with his hand on his waist.

She looked at his friends who all raised up their hands immediately in surrender.

She turned back to go on her way as she smiled.

Her karate skills hadn’t become rusty.

——–

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Office matters

“Hey guys, did you see the email from the boss?” Temitope asked her colleagues.

“The one about working on the building project?” Seyi asked.

“Yep!” Temitope replied as they all turned away from their laptops to look at her.

“That stuff is going to take us nothing less than 2 weeks. What do you think?” Leke asked looking at his team mates with expectation.

“Yeah, 2 weeks minimum; 4 weeks max.” Temitope said matter-of-factly.

“How do we even go about it? Sincerely, I don’t understand”. Seyi exhaled.

“When are you ladies free? We need to have a meeting on this.”

“I’m free 2p.m tomorrow.” Temitope said. “What about you, Seyi?” She continued.

“2p.m tomorrow….” She hesitated; checking her calendar. “Okay by me.”

“So, 2p.m tomorrow it is.” Leke confirmed.

“You seem to have forgotten Tayo. He needs to be at the meeting as well.” Seyi said.

“I’d talk to him…..” Leke was saying as Tayo walked into the office. “Hey Tayo, we were just talking about you. Are you free 2p.m tomorrow? We need to discuss the building project.”

“Oh, that! I have started working on it already.” He sneered.

“Really, that’s nice. Can you put us through at 2p.m tomorrow then?” Seyi said excitedly.

“Sorry, I’m busy.” Tayo said as he walked to his workstation.

“At 2p.m tomorrow?” Temitope asked.

“I just told you I’m busy.” Tayo snapped.

Seeing that tension was beginning to brew in the office, Leke spoke “Ladies, he’s busy. Why don’t we talk about this tomorrow at 2p.m?”

“Okay.” They chorused.

 

2p.m the next day, the trio sat together and brainstormed on the issue. In a week, they had it all sorted without Tayo. The day prior to the presentation with the boss, Leke asked for a time out with Tayo. “Hi Tayo, we have the project sorted out and would be presenting tomorrow. Would you like to see what we have done so far?”

“Do you need to? Why don’t we all just present what we have tomorrow?” Tayo replied.

“You really don’t want to see it?” Leke asked confused.

“Nah….no need to bother yourself.”

“Okay, then.” Leke concluded.

The presentation of the trio was done by Temitope while Tayo also presented his. After the presentation, the boss asked; “Tayo, how come you got the project done in a week all by yourself?”

“I went to the internet and also reviewed books, sir.” He replied grinning from ear to ear.

“Wow, I’m impressed. Good job.” The boss congratulated.

“Thank you, sir.” He replied rubbing his palms together as Temitope, Seyi and Leke shared a glance.

“You all have done a very good job and I’m impressed. However, this project was meant to rate your competency at teamwork for your appraisals next week. Therefore, I’m sorry, Tayo, your good job couldn’t earn you marks for teamwork. I hope you would learn to work with your team in the future.”

“But, sir…I…em…” Tayo stammered.

“You can all go back to work now. No excuses, Tayo.” The boss concluded.

——

Ever had such a colleague at work? Don’t hesitate to share your experiences in the comments section below.

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