Chapter 2: Office Palava Begin

E come be like say the thing shock everybody for office as he just carry chest dey announce am, dey shine teeth as if na him be true owner of the money. Even the receptionist wey dey chop gala pause, dey look us with corner eye. Some people even dey whisper, dey try understand how compensation wey dem no see dey cause wahala for office like this. Even cleaner pause broom, dey look like say na Big Brother eviction.

I just look am, mouth open. This guy get mind o.

My guy no even send. He stand gidigba, hand for waist like market woman, dey talk with boldness. You go think say na movie scene. One of our senior staff just dey shake head, dey smile. For inside me, I just dey reason whether na jazz or na true shamelessness dey worry am.

He even dey wave hand like say he dey correct: “If no be say na me ask you make you treat me for Mama Kemi, how you for take get that kind luck? You suppose dey thank me!”

He even waka come near my desk, dey gesticulate as if na Parliament dem dey. I almost burst laugh because the whole office just dey watch am, some dey form busy but ear still dey our gist.

True true, na him first ask me for treat.

No lie inside am, the guy na correct person to find awoof. My mind flash back to that afternoon—him eye dey shine when he mention say make we go Mama Kemi, as if he don dream the compensation before we even go.

My mama dey sick, she need money. I beg everybody for loan. Na him lend me two thousand, but he talk say make I carry am go chop as thank you. That pepper soup waka chop my five hundred, and he still dey yarn say make I remember pay am back the two thousand once salary drop.

As I dey recall the matter, my chest tight like wrapper for harmattan morning. I remember the way I kneel for my neighbour compound that night, dey beg for small small loan. Even the two thousand wey I collect from this my colleague, e dey use style take am as ticket for food, instead of just do am from heart. This life no balance at all.

Wetn he no know be say, I don already plan pay am back.

E never even reach two days since I dey calculate how to run pay am sharp sharp once my salary land. I no be bad person—my conscience dey always press me. But na so e dey when you dey jam people wey get coconut head.

Oga for office talk say make I do layoff, and na him name dey the list. I been dey reason say make I remove him name.

That morning, as I dey type layoff list, my hand dey shake small. I look him name, dey reason whether to risk am for his sake. In my mind, I just dey pity am small, say maybe I go fit save person wey don show me small kindness—no matter how e get as e be.