Chapter 2: Aunty Morayo's Pepper and Side-Eye

2

Today as usual, I show face as intern assistant for the female CEO.

As I enter company, she just drag me go her office straight.

"Who send you make you wear this colour of suit? You wey be stand-in, you no suppose dey overdo. No try am, you hear?"

Aunty Morayo just dey blast me.

The "him" wey she dey talk about na her first love.

After her first love marry another person, Aunty Morayo heart break scatter, she just lock up for love matter.

Na so she jam me by chance.

She give me better salary, employ me as her assistant for her company in Ibadan.

But truth be say, na just stand-in I be.

She dey enjoy the emotional value wey I dey give, but she still dey shame say person like me—just stand-in—dey try please her anyhow.

So she no rate me at all.

If I go talk true, she sef fit dey see me as wahala.

The kind side-eye wey she dey give me sometimes, e fit melt ice block for Oshodi sun—sharp like pepper. E get one time sef, she tell me make I no dey stand too close to her, say e dey make her remember old wounds.

"Why you still dey stand there? You dey wait make I help you pull cloth?"

Aunty Morayo just yank my tie anyhow.

"No vex."

By now, all these ones no dey move me again.

I just smile soft, turn my hand hold Aunty Morayo own, then bend down small, blow breeze for her palm. "As you dey drag my tie, e pain your hand? No dey use your hand suffer like that. Sorry, this na the last time. I no go wear am again."

I come dey think: Na only for Naija person fit dey vex and still dey care small inside. Life sweet and bitter together.

After all, one week from now, I fit dey somewhere dey enjoy my reward.

I no talk anything again—just quietly remove my jacket, show my correct muscles.

To serve well, na so I dey train every day.

After all—

Muscle na extra.

If dem like wetin dem dey see, fit collect extra tip from the targets, join the system gold coins.

As this opportunity don show, I gats use am well.

The way I dey flex, e get as e dey do dem sometimes. If to say e no be office, dem for use style praise man pikin.

"Abeg, stop to dey pull your cloth."

Suddenly, Aunty Morayo talk stop me.

She turn face, her eye dey waka up and down.

She lick her dry lips, come mumble, "I no want make this kind thing happen again. Just sit down here, reason wetin you do."

With that one, she open door waka commot, leave me for her office alone.

Better.

I fit relax for this morning like this.

The AC for her office dey cool, so I just siddon, dey enjoy soft peace. My mind run go jollof rice and big meat wey I go chop for lunch break.

I just dey wonder if na so all Ibadan big madams dey do—vex one minute, soft the next.