Chapter 4: No Be Who First Start, Dey Win

"Why?" Aunty Kemi just laugh. "Everybody dey work overtime, but you—na vacation you go dey do."

She talk am like say e dey funny. My body dey shake. I wan shout, but I gats compose.

"No be you talk say make I take vacation? I even fill leave form, you approve am. Now, because work come up, I run come back, you dey use this kain reason remove me?"

I talk am with pain. My mind dey replay every moment. E dey pain pass slap.

Her face no even change: "Why e no go possible? While others dey hustle, you dey rest. That one mean say you no get team spirit. Sales department no need supervisor like you. If na your type full office, we for don close shop tey-tey."

Her mouth sharp, eyes dey cold. For her mind, na normal office politics. I dey see am.

As she dey talk, door open again.

Seyi waka enter, face dey mock me.

The boy no even greet me. He bounce in, chest high. The thing vex me more.

"Baba Tunde, you don realize? If you don get am, abeg pack your load, go sit down for my old desk."

He dey use small-boy-to-elder kind tone. I just dey look am, mouth open.

"Move your things from door, e dey block my view."

See audacity. Na so new generation dey do now?

"Tunde na old staff, treat am well o. You go need am help," Aunty Kemi warn Seyi.

Seyi fit hiss, say "Na old school style, I go manage am."

She talk am like person wey dey protect me, but e sound hollow. Na form.

As I look the two of them, everything clear. HR manager name na Kemi Seyi. Dem resemble, even surname join. The way dem dey relate ehn, na family.

E sure for me. I remember say for family Christmas last year, dem post picture with same surname. For Naija, family connection strong pass CV.

Wetin remain again?

Na only lay hand and prayer remain, but for now, anger dey my head.

Anger just rush me from ground reach my head. I shout:

Voice loud, chest dey vibrate. "You think say oga know all these your package?"

She just smile: "You think say, if oga no gree, me—ordinary HR manager—fit decide who go be supervisor?"

She use sarcasm, but e pain me. E mean say dem don plan everything well.

As I just freeze, she look me again with that same yeye smile.

Her eye dey shine, like person wey win jackpot. I dey boil.

"Since you no gree say you do wrong, we go cut your chop money for these two months, make others learn."

She dey threaten me with salary. For Naija, salary na life. E pain me reach bone.

"No wahala."

I force smile. No go gree make dem see my tears. Person gats strong.

I point at them, laugh small.

I chuckle, but na pain dey inside. I dey try show say dem never finish me.

"Na so? I go ask oga make I hear wetin dey his mind."

I talk am with confidence. Na time to meet the real boss. Maybe God go touch his heart.

As I dey look oga, my mind dey swear say I no go let dem use me play again. Something must change.