Chapter 4: The Table Scatter

As I dey come out from boss office, HR Ngozi Okafor dey enter.

Na so I jam Ngozi for corridor. Her eyes dey sharp, e be like say she fit read my mind. She just look me, then look boss door. I fit see say she don suspect.

She see me, face change.

Her face turn like person wey see winch for market. I greet her, she no even answer well. Na so she waka inside.

She fit guess why I come.

I dey sure say news go soon spread for back channel. Dem sabi gossip for this office pass Wazobia FM.

I linger small for outside door.

I no wan go back desk yet. I just dey wait, dey hear as dem dey talk inside.

“…Na my mistake, boss, I dey sorry…”

Ngozi dey beg Oga, voice low. I no need soothsayer to know say na payslip matter dem dey discuss.

“She dey ask for raise? She sabi company management or salary structure? No be how long person stay dey count.”

Oga dey rant. I dey hear am clear. E pain me say dem dey talk about me like I be extra luggage.

“And self, Morayo overtime don drop for last six months. Maybe she don dey get issue with company since…”

As I hear this, I just clench my fist.

The thing wey pain me pass be say dem dey twist story. I get health wahala, na why I reduce overtime. But I still dey work pass normal time. I no slack, but dem no dey see am. Dem dey count my tiredness as weakness.

This HR dey blind?

Ngozi just dey look for any excuse to side management. Na so dem dey do here, always play office politics.

Before, my workload heavy. I dey do overtime anyhow—others dey do 7 to 7, me I dey do 7 to midnight.

Na me dey close office every day, even security dey call me 'Oga'. If not for my effort, many deadlines for don miss.

This year, as company expand, dem carry many small small tasks comot from me.

E mean say my own stress still plenty, but dem no dey see am. Na only new blood dem dey praise.

Plus, my health don dey fail, so I no fit kill myself again.

Since doctor say make I slow down, I try reason with life. But dem no dey see that side.

Even at that, I still dey work pass most people.

I fit count the things wey I dey do, but dem go say na complain.

Ngozi, you dey blind?

Abeg, dem no dey see am. Na people wey dey make noise, dem dey favour.

“Boss, if she really comot nko?”

Ngozi dey ask Oga like say e no pain her if I leave. Loyalty for this office no dey mean anything.

“Make she go. She think say company go collapse if she go? At worst, I go spend small more hire new people. Newcomers dey sharp, no be all these old people wey just dey relax.”

Oga voice dey loud now. So na so dem see me—old cargo, deadweight. E pain me well.

No wahala, no wahala, no wahala.

I repeat am again. At this point, na mantra. If I no talk am, my heart go burst.

So all that talk about keeping me na just to save money.

Na clear. E no be because dem value me. Na to save cost, dem dey package story.

I give everything to company, company no send me.

I dey reason all my late nights, all my effort. Na waste.

Na me be the real mumu.

I laugh small. Na true, na me be mumu, dey do pass myself for work wey no appreciate me.

Pass Halima Musa desk, she no dey.

I waka reach my desk, pass her side. She don go toilet or gist, as usual.

I just peep her screen small.

As I look, I see WhatsApp web dey open, messages dey roll. E confirm wetin I dey think.

New message pop up: “Hahahahahaha, abeg. So as you dey do like mumu, your supervisor wey no even dey collect eighty thousand dey do your work everyday? Na real table you don scatter.”

She dey drop all those laughing stickers for her girls’ group—emoji everywhere, the kain one wey dey show rolling for ground. Omo, my chest seize. Dem dey laugh me for back. All this while, I think say I dey help person, I no know say dem dey use me shine.