Chapter 3: The Sack and the Scapegoat

She never even finish talk, she don hand me termination letter.

Na so dem dey do am for here—no long story, just paper for hand. My body cold small.

I shock.

Omo, na like dream! I look paper, look her. My hand dey shake small. I dey reason, is this real?

“Wait, wetin you talk? Retrenchment? Na me you wan lay off?”

I voice calm but inside my chest dey drum like talking drum. My mind dey replay all the sleepless nights. All those nights wey I dey wake by 4am, dey pray make project no fall my hand—e just dey flash for my head.

She just dey apologize soft-soft, say na top management decision, na only paperwork she dey do.

Na that HR voice wey dey always beg, "No vex o, na order from above." She dey dodge, no wan carry personal beef.

I come begin understand. Facing Aunty Sade—wey even dey shake pass me—I just hold my anger, ask her gently:

I swallow my vex, dey reason say if I para, I no go gain anything. My papa always talk say make man dey calm even for fire.

“Who decide this one? Na Director Chijioke or Old Jin?”

I gats know who pull this wire. If na Chijioke, at least e get sense of business. If na Old Jin, e mean say matter serious.

“I no know. Na just the memo dem give me.”

Her mouth dey twist as she talk. That memo matter, e strong. For Naija, if dem say memo, e mean wahala don land.

“Make Director Chijioke see me. You no fit decide this kind thing.”

I no dey gree accept am from HR level. E no make sense. I dey expect make oga come explain face-to-face.

Aunty Sade voice low, but she still siddon.

She dey look ground, dey tap pen for table. That tension just dey loud for room.

“Director Chijioke busy, im no dey. Im say I get full authority to handle this matter for company.”

Na so. When matter dey hot, all the big people go disappear. I no surprised. Na Naija way.

I narrow my eye. The HR director dey dodge me. As dem leave everything for Aunty Sade, e mean say company don already settle—nothing to negotiate.

For my mind, I dey calculate next step. If HR dey front, e mean decision don final.

I pick the agreement, glance through am. Na all those legal grammar, nothing serious.

Lawyer yarn dey full paper. My eye dey run line to line, I no see anything for my benefit.

So I sit up ask her:

I draw chair come front. "Make we reason as business people," I tell her.

“Okay, if company wan lay me off, no wahala. But how una wan handle my year-end bonus and dividends?”

I dey talk am gently, but inside me, e dey pain me well. After all the promise, e reach time to collect, dem dey do as if dem no sabi math.

She don prepare for this question.

Her face tighten small, like person wey dey ready for fight. She don rehearse answer for mirror.

“Mr. Tunde, year-end bonus na benefit wey depend on company performance. As you sabi, this year group no too balance—even if you still dey, you fit no see bonus.”

That "company performance" line na their favorite defense. I almost burst laugh.

“As for dividends, your project never recover total investment, so no dividend dey.”

Na so! The goalpost don shift. Before, dem dey shout "profit," now dem dey talk "investment recovery."

“Abeg, abeg! Na nonsense be that!” I no fit hold myself again, just blast the puppet for my front.

I para small. "No try am! If na joke, abeg stop." My body language don change.

“When I join, Old Jin promise me fifty million base salary.”

Even my lawyer dey hear this one—no be small promise o.

“Before I sign, una talk say na only base salary go enter contract to dodge tax—the rest go show as year-end bonus.”

Dem dey form sharp guys. Even me sef reason say e make sense, but now I see say e get as e be.

“My project turn cash-flow positive in seven months. Later repayments na dividend. I even do year-end dividend budget myself. Now you dey talk say nothing dey?”

I dey roll out fact, dey expect she go feel shame. But for Naija, HR no dey get shame for this kind matter.

Aunty Sade face don red, she come dey give me one kind innocent look.

Her face soft. E be like say she wan cry join me. But na pretence, I know.

“I no too sabi the business part.”

She dey push responsibility go another place. Classic move.

She pause.

The silence long. I dey look her, she dey look her file. Nobody wan talk first.

“But all those things wey you talk, dem no dey your labour contract, abi?”

Na there e pain me pass. My own mouth no fit close. I dey remember how dem take persuade me that time.

I look her well. Na that time I realize say I don underrate both her and the company.

I dey think say na soft HR, but e get level. For business, dem go always protect their own.

When I join, Old Jin promise at least fifty million, but for contract, e write only two million per year.

E shock me that day, but I gree based on trust. Trust for Naija ehn... if e break, wahala dey.

I ask about am, Director Chijioke explain say my full pay get three parts: base salary, year-end, and dividend. To dodge tax, all executives dey collect 60% as base salary, the rest no dey contract—na year-end bonus. Na the group’s normal way.

E sound normal that time. Everybody dey do am. I for know say, where dem dey dodge tax, dem fit dodge person too.

I reason say, as long as project succeed, I go see my money, so I no argue.

Na so I reason. Na that time I suppose shine eye pass. Lesson learnt.

Now I see say I too dull.

If my papa see me, e for shake head. Man suppose wise up!

Wetin Aunty Sade just talk mean say dem ready to deny everything.

She don get memo, no be by pity. I gats accept am.

Suddenly, she put on fake smile.

That smile wey dey come out when dem wan rob you but still dey yarn 'God bless you.'

“Oh, yes, company no go cheat you. According to labour law, we go pay you N+1 compensation.”

I dey look am like, abeg, no talk that one again. N+1 na for small staff. For this level, na insult.

“Mr. Tunde, person like you go find new job sharp-sharp.”

Dem dey try package am like say e go benefit me. "You be hot cake," she talk. Na lie.

“With the compensation, and the company go talk well about you for your record, no be better for both sides?”

That "good reference" talk na their last card. As if na reference person dey chop.

“You dey threaten me?”

My voice low, but my mind dey vex. I gats make am know say, I no be mumu.

Aunty Sade just keep quiet. I just give am the breakdown.

I begin count numbers for her like say na market woman.

“Compensation?”

“You people just poach me last year. I never even complete one year, so N+1 na just two months salary, abi?”

“And I sabi una style—una go cap am for the legal monthly wage ceiling.”

“Three times social average wage, abi? Just pass eight hundred thousand per month.”

“So I go get just above one point six million? E no even reach one-tenth of my bonus.”

“Una sabi calculate well.”

I even add, "If na Sabo market, dem for beat una for this kind calculation."

After I talk am like that, Aunty Sade just dey look ground.

Her eye no fit meet my own. She know say I talk true.

“Na true, the social average wage cap na wetin group dey use, as law talk.”

Her voice low like person wey dey confess. She dey try soft-pedal, but I don see finish.

“Mr. Tunde, as I talk, year-end bonus na just your own expectation.”

Na so. Na my dream, na im she dey call 'expectation.' If to say I dey dream, by now I go wake up.

“To get over one point six million for nothing, na better thing. Na half year salary…”

She dey try form like say na gift. If to say I be rookie, maybe e go pain less.

“Abeg, keep that talk. I no gree.”

I no let her finish. No be today dem start this kind game.

I no get time to argue, just waka straight to Old Jin office.

I stand up, chest out, waka like area boy wey no fear anybody. For my mind, if I see Old Jin face, e go answer me direct.

Im secretary no stop me, but office empty.

The girl just dey pack file, dey look me with small pity.

I ask where Old Jin dey.

She say, "Oga travel since last week. E never come back." Her face serious, she no even fit look me well.

Secretary talk say he travel for business, no go show face for some days.

You know Naija, once oga travel, e fit mean anything. I dey sense say dem no wan make I see am.

I carry my phone, call Old Jin direct, but im no pick. Na on the sixth try, person even cut my call.

My hand dey shake, but I still dey hope say maybe na network. But when dem cut call, e clear.

I still dey hope say na office politics carry me enter wahala, but that hope just die.

As I stand for corridor, I just dey look ceiling. All my hope just dey drop one by one, like rain from leaky roof.