Chapter 6: Company No Be Family

“Ehn?”

Aunty Kemi jump up from chair.

She open mouth, hand touch her chest. E be like say she wan faint. This kain shock, na only company wahala fit cause am.

“Wetin happen? Why you dey go like that?”

She run come meet me, dey hold my arm. Na real concern dey her eye. I just dey look down, no fit meet her eye.

“Aunty Kemi, my head dey hot now, I go explain later.”

My voice low. I no wan cry for front of people. I just dey hold myself.

That night, I put my phone for silent, sleep well for the first time in years.

I reach house, just bath, eat yam and egg, sleep like pikin. For first time, I no hear email alert, no alarm, no boss call. My body rest.

Next morning, my WhatsApp and phone dey ring nonstop.

I wake see over forty missed calls. My heart skip. Na so company wahala fit make phone turn to police siren.

Femi Lawal: “To use resignation threaten company na the lowest level. You get some achievements, but no forget, na because you dey Radiance. No go think say na your power reach like that. You don play yourself; your resignation don approve. No come tomorrow.”

I read the message, laugh small. Boss think say e dey do me strong thing. But na peace I dey find.

Better, I dey fear say e go wan delay am.

I no wan story. At least, e no give me wahala.

Ngozi Okafor: “You ‘work’ five days this month, but you spoil one chair, two keyboards, and three potted plants die for your table. After we minus five days pay, you still dey owe company ₦872. See settlement sheet, boss don sign am.”

I almost laugh reach ground. Na so dem dey do? I break plant, chair, keyboard—who dey count all this one? Company just dey find any means to do strong head.

I shock.

Na true. I shock say company fit drag matter reach like this. Na only God know how dem take count all those things.

I never hear say normal wear and tear dey charge staff before.

Na Naija I dey, but this one pass me. Who dey pay for old chair?

I no get strength to argue, I just send her one thousand naira by mobile transfer.

Na small thing remain, make I add jara join. No be by force. I no wan wahala.

Note: ‘Keep the change.’

I add small note. Let dem see say I no send again.

Halima Musa: “Mentor, you go always be my mentor o. I fit still dey disturb you to help me revise copy? 🙄”

I just look the message, hiss. Person wey dey mock me for back, now dey beg me for help. Life no balance.

She dey dream.

If I fit block her for office, I for do am. But make she dey try her luck.

Just then, Aunty Kemi call.

Na her voice I need hear this morning. I dey happy say she call.

“Morayo, how you dey?”

Her voice soft. I feel say na only her get sense for this company.

“I sleep well, I dey shine.”

I laugh. E be like say sleep cure my stress.

I never sleep this sweet for years.

I no remember last time I sleep reach morning. Na company wahala dey make me old before my time.

Since I join Radiance, even weekend and public holiday I dey busy pass.

Public holiday, I dey inside office dey edit video, dey run last minute errand. Even Christmas, dem go still call me.

Every day, I dey sleep later than dog, wake earlier than cock.

My neighbour dey joke say I be ghost. Na so work dey use me.

Never even reach thirty, but my body old pass people wey don reach sixty.

My back dey pain me, my eye dey red. But na so e be when you dey hustle for Lagos.

“Boss call company-wide meeting this morning, dey drop all those shade. Dey talk say, ‘No go think say because you dey long, you fit challenge company, or say past achievement mean you fit do anyhow.’”

I shake head. Na so company go dey warn people. Even after person don go, dem go still dey find way cover up their own fault.

“Morayo, why you just resign like that?”

Aunty Kemi voice get real pain inside. She dey feel my wahala.