Chapter 10: Power Balance & Final Lessons

But my colleague no send. He stretch body, “Meeting don finish, back to work.”

He pack bag, arrange biro, act like say e no get fear. He even dey whistle small.

Person ask am, “Why you no dey worry? You be specialist?”

The question make everybody laugh. My colleague just dey smile, dey dodge.

He laugh, “Me ke? Who go sack me? My severance pass one hundred grand, and I dey do my work well. No reason to fire me.”

He even raise hand, count imaginary money. Dey act like say he sure for everything.

I bone face.

I just dey look am. If dem know wetin I know, nobody go dey shine teeth for office again.

He no go see shishi—he never do him work for years, na student dey do am. All wey dey wait am na sack letter and court case.

If company wan make example, na him dem go use. No mercy for person wey cross line.

Suddenly, my colleague touch my shoulder. “You fit no lucky. You be new person, dem fit sack you cheap. Especially as you fight me, old staff, this morning. Your own hard.”

He dey try intimidate me, dey whisper for my ear. I just dey look am. I no fit laugh—dem never born person wey go use mouth run me mad for office.

Everybody dey look me with pity.

For their eye, I be the scapegoat. Some dey shake head. Na Naija style—people dey pity you for face, dey happy for mind.

Dem forget say as I be new, I no dey fear anybody—and e make my transfer to HQ easy.

My own mind dey strong. I sabi say God don set my own path.

Plus, as I don waka everywhere, I sabi people for every department.

I dey move like shadow—anywhere dem put me, I dey learn quick. Even the security man dey greet me well.

This job na my own since.

If dem like, make dem twist mouth, my own package dey sure. Na only God dey run person matter.

My colleague turn to HR: “Abeg, give me him address.”

He raise voice. Even HR dey confused. Other people just dey look.

I frown. “Why you need my address?”

I dey reason whether na real madness dey worry am or e just dey play.

He say, “You still owe me forty-five hundred. If dem sack you, how I go find you?”

He dey press HR, dey act as if na lawyer. Other staff dey try hide laugh.

HR dey look somehow. “Employee info na private. I no fit give you.”

HR try talk am soft, but you fit see say e dey vex small. No be today dem dey drag info for office.

My colleague dey vex, “That one no do. If he run after layoff, how I go see my money?”

He dey try open HR file, dey find address like say na NIN office. Some people dey block am.

I cold, “I no go run.”

I talk am calm. For my mind, I dey wonder when pesin turn to EFCC agent for common IOU.

He answer, “Na so all debtor dey talk before dem disappear. Your mama still dey hospital, if dem sack you, how you go pay me? No, you must give me address now.”

He point finger, dey shout. Other staff dey beg am, but e no listen. You go think say money na blood.

He waka go HR, begin open file, dey find my address.

The whole office just dey watch—some dey record for Snapchat. HR dey struggle folder with am. Scene come dey like Nollywood.

HR panic, dey drag folder, “You dey craze? You no fit touch HR file!”

HR nearly vex. Even admin woman dey come intervene. My colleague no send.

My colleague point me, “He no get money, mama dey sick, now dem fit sack am. How I go get my money?”

He dey shout loud, voice carry. E look like say dem go soon call security.

HR say, “Even if dem sack am, you go wait result.”

HR dey try reason am with sense. No be every wahala you go solve with fight.

My colleague still dey shout, “By then, e go don late.”

E dey stamp foot, dey act like say the world wan end. I just dey look am, dey shake head.

HR sigh, “If na money wahala, call police. Dem go help you. But we no fit give you info now.”

HR hand up, give up. Even cleaner dey reason say the matter pass dem.

Na so my colleague calm down, face me with pride. “No wahala. You no wan make am police matter.”

He face me, smile like say e win. For my mind, I dey plot my next step.

HR no fit hold am, “We be colleagues. No make am dirty.”

HR dey try cool temper, dey wave hand like referee for Sunday football.

My colleague sigh, “No be me cause am. He talk when he sign say nothing join us again. Who know say company go announce layoff just after? Who I go blame?”

He dey reason say na me bring bad luck. For office, na so dem dey find person to blame for every small thing.

He do am so extra, even people wey support am before begin laugh.

People dey roll eye, dey mock am. Even my friend for IT whisper, "This one pass market gist."

One person tell me, “If dem sack you, no need treat us again.”

E talk am with mischief, dey look my colleague. Small laughter dey the corner.

My colleague cut in, “He go treat us? You no hear say nothing join us again?”

He dey try form boss, but people no dey reason am again.

He face me, “No be so?”

He dey wait for me to talk make e feel like winner.

I nod. “Na so. Our own don finish.”

I talk am calm, just dey look am steady. No need drag matter.

He click tongue, “No dey form. If you for behave well from start, I for reason you. But now? For person wey nothing join me, I just talk—if you no pay on payday, na police straight.”

E roll eye, do like say na last warning. For my mind, I dey count down to when e go collect surprise.

I sigh. Na me suppose call police self.

If I reason am well, na me suppose press charge for company file matter. But I just dey pity am small—make e learn.

Na him leak company secret. If me and oga press charge, na jail sure for am.

I dey reason say na small wahala e dey drag, e no know say na big trouble dey wait am.

He shake head waka go. Everybody begin pack, dey prepare for the worst.

Office come cold. Some dey hug files, others dey make calls. Layoff na real fear for Naija office.

Me, I no rush. I carry layoff list, open am slowly.

I dey take my time. I wan see who go run, who go wait. Power dey sweet person once in a while.

Nobody notice wetin I dey do. I clear throat, “Next, I go call some names. If I call you, stay. Others, abeg, make una dey go.”

The voice carry weight. For Lagos office, anybody wey call name after layoff meeting na boss o.

Na there everybody shock, dey look me.

Some dey open mouth, others dey hold chest. My own colleague even nearly fall from chair.

My colleague own shock pass—eye wide, face pale.

E dey sweat for face, mouth dey shake. I dey enjoy the moment small.

He stammer, “Wait, whose names you dey call?”

He dey try form bold, but voice dey shake. Everybody dey wait answer.

I talk, “Layoff list. Na me dey run this round. Abeg, quiet.”

My voice steady, I dey command. For office, na so you show your level.

In one second, him face white like chalk.

You go think say he see masquerade. I just keep face strong.

People wey support am before, fear catch dem.

Nobody wan hear say e dey inside layoff. You go see even managers dey humble.

He ask, “You be the specialist?”

E still dey reason am, dey hope say e go escape.

I no answer am. I talk, “Past one month, I work with every department, check una work well. Make una no fear, we get fair plan for everybody.”

I dey calm people down. Na so you handle layoff for Naija office—no let panic spoil process.

I call junior staff names, make dem stay.

I dey call names slow slow, dey maintain small smile. Some dey thank me, others dey pray.

When I finish, I talk, “Compensation for una dey same, so I go talk to una together. The rest, abeg, make una go. I go call senior staff one by one.”

I dey organize am, no want wahala. Everybody dey try behave, dey hope say e no reach dem.

Room just cold.

You fit hear pin drop. Even AC slow down. Everybody dey look floor, dey avoid eye contact.

People wey dey drag me before, now dey look their shoe.

You go think say shoe na TV. Nobody wan make eye meet with me again.

Now dem understand wetin oga mean by ‘ungrateful wolf.’

The office gist don reach new level. Everybody dey reason say life fit turn at any time.

My colleague face don change. He ask, “Oga mean me? Dem dey sack me, you try save me?”

Voice low, eye dey watery. He dey try reason whether to beg me or beg oga.

I say, “Your name never reach. Abeg, go out.”

I dey maintain control. For my mind, I dey think say na so life be—today boss, tomorrow beggar.

He rush come look my list. “My name dey there? I don mess up—I go tear the IOU now!”

He dey panic. Na so e pull paper, dey scatter everywhere. Some dey pick am up, dey watch show.

He bring out the IOU, tear am scatter. Paper scatter for floor, cleaner just waka pass, dey shake head, "Na wah o."

He try form say e no care again, but e too late. Everybody just dey watch.

I pack my list, talk low, “Abeg, make we dey professional. We talk am—nothing join us again. Na you talk am. You no go change mouth now, abi?”

I keep voice soft but strong. For my mind, I know say lesson don enter. For this Lagos, na experience dey teach best lesson. Tomorrow, when I see help, I go look twice before I jump.