Chapter 2: The Office Angel

The first time I saw Ifunanya, my body just freeze. Na so I take fall for her.

You know that kain moment when you see person, everywhere just stop—na so e be. My heart catch. If say I be old woman, I for don talk say na love at first sight, but you know say men no dey too admit that kain thing.

That time, I dey work as department manager for our company in Aba. She just finish university, just start work.

Aba hustle no dey easy, but I dey chop life small as manager. Ifunanya just land—fresh babe, you fit see say she never taste wahala of real life. Her face still soft, her voice dey gentle, her smile pure like early morning sun. Her perfume na small, like fresh soap after rain—no be all those loud scent.

Young, fine—and most importantly, I fit smell that pure, untouched aura from her.

The thing dey my body like fresh agbalumo wey never touch ground. Her presence dey different, e dey wake one kain hunger for my chest wey I never feel since I small. Even ordinary handshake, I go dey tremble.

As her direct boss, e no hard me to arrange make she dey work close to me.

I play my card well. Arrange shift, adjust roster, form say na for better team work. You know as Naija office politics be. Na me be boss, who go talk?

She no fall my hand: hardworking, sharp, always serious with her work. That one give me plenty chance to dey near her.

Ifunanya no dey joke. Omo, she dey make sure say all her work clean, no give anybody chance talk rubbish. Even when others dey slack, she dey put in her best. E make me respect her join.

Person like Ifunanya, abeg, na normal say many men dey rush her for the company.

You go think say as she dey fresh, men go dey fear. Lai lai! All those our office boys, even some oga, dey throw eye. Na so e be for Naija. Beautiful woman na hot cake.

Just few days after she start, I see flowers land on top her desk.

E shock me. Some people dey try form oyibo style. Who send dem? We dey Naija, flower no dey move babe, unless na special girl.

For company canteen, boys from other departments go dey buy her malt anyhow. One even buy gala and La Casera join—if dem see am, dem go think say na birthday.

You go see boys dey do as if them be philanthropist, but na only Ifunanya dem dey eye. Some go even package Indomie and egg as surprise lunch. If you see competition, e go make you laugh.

I even catch one guy wait for her outside company gate with big keke.

That one na Sodiq from Logistics. Him buy new yellow Keke Napep, go park for gate like say na limousine. Still, Ifunanya no send am. The babe get sense, e shock me.

But she reject all of them.

She dey waka jejely, mind her business. Na so all their shakara just dey fall on top sand. She fit just smile small, but no dey collect any number.

Those ones too small. With those their tired tricks, how dem wan win her heart?

I dey laugh inside. All those boys dey play primary school game. They never sabi say person like Ifunanya no dey fall for cheap runs.

I study Ifunanya well and see say she different from most university girls.

She get her own style. No dey make noise, no dey follow crowd. If party dey happen, she go quietly pack her bag go house. Even on Fridays, when the rest dey plan where to chop suya, she go talk say she get housework.

Her clothes always simple, she no dey follow people go enjoy, and many times I go see sadness for her face.

She dey wear ordinary gown, nothing too showy. The kain sadness wey I see sometimes for her eye, e dey make me reason say e get wetin dey bite am for inside. She dey try hide am, but I sabi that kind pain.

I reason say her family no too get.

Na so I begin ask around small small. Some people talk say she no dey talk about family. Even Christmas, she no dey show off like others. From her vibe, you go know say she dey use her head survive.

A fine girl from poor background—if na money dey move her, this world for don swallow her since.

If na another babe, by now, she for don dey chop boys left and right. But Ifunanya just dey on her lane. E mean say her mind strong pass temptation.

How she still fit keep that pure vibe?

Sometimes I dey wonder, abeg. For this Naija, e hard to see person wey never see street. But this babe still dey shine like first rain after dry season.

Ifunanya don suffer, dem don wound her, but her mind strong, she no dey depend on anybody.

I dey respect am for that. E no easy to survive alone, especially as woman for this our side. You need mind wey be like iron. Ifunanya get am.

Of course, all this one na to my advantage.

Inside me, I dey thank God. All her wahala na benefit for me—na so I dey reason. Because if she don see street, she for no pure again.

I always keep our distance just right—no too close, no too far.

I dey use sense. I go show say I care, but I no dey make am look like I dey too desperate. You know as women dey observe.

I dey show concern, but I no dey cross line.

I go ask if she chop, help am with work sometimes, but I no go dey too touchy. I dey wait make she dey relax around me.

Always dey her side, but not too obvious.

Sometimes, I go just drop compliment, or gist her small office wahala, make she feel safe. But I no dey overdo. Na strategy.

I dey wait for the right time, so I fit enter once and break her wall down.

Na patience be the key. I dey gather all my wisdom, dey count day for my mind, dey plan how everything go take fall into place.

Luckily, the chance come quick.

E be like say my ancestors dey my side. Opportunity show faster than I expect. E shock me, but I ready. But for Aba, every sharp guy dey learn—because street get surprise for who no dey look back.