The Black Sheep. II

The training went on smoothly and work proper started the following week.
Some of us new members of staff were sent to Port-Harcourt.
By now, I had gotten to know Williams a bit more. I also met other colleagues.
But Williams was the one who I found myself asking questions while tuning in to the new office life. He seemed to know things.

Day after day, the first week crawled past and weeks rolled into the first month.
It had been smooth. My first salary came and I made sure to get myself three T.M Lewin shirts, a Promador silver chain wristwatch and a pair of shoes by Firetrap.
And of course, I had a bottle of wine and suya. Suya is a local grilled flat piece of meat garnished with pepper, raw diced tomatoes and raw onions. Grilled steak. Suya and red wine is an awesome combination! In fact tales have been told of how people bought Suya as gifts to their lovers on Valentine's Day.
But less enjoyable was the fact that there was no one to share it with me. Presently, the only thing that beats the taste is the thoughts of Ada.

My mind drifted to Ada. I wished she was here with me now, talking over wine and suya.

Over the past one month, I had not seen much of her. Save, at the car park when we arrive in the morning or when we are leaving after work. Sometimes when she comes down to 2nd floor. A few other times was at the canteen. The canteen was too public to attempt to chat her up to avoid embarrassing myself, or even her. Most times, I just greet
"Good morning ma"
"Good morning" she would reply curtly.

I liked this lady and I wanted to get to know a bit more about her but I had never even succeeded in catching her eye for once.
One day I devised a means to get closer to talking with her and immediately put the plan to work after considering her possibly reactions.
I didn't know what part of Lagos she stays but I had noticed she drives towards Ikeja bus-stop. So, on this day I had gone to work without the car. After work, I chilled somewhere at the far end of the corridor on the 3rd floor, acting like I was busy punching away at my phone. Soon as I saw her exit the office, I followed. At a distance though. I was two flight of stairs behind her. That gave enough time for her to get to her car.
As she was fumbling with the keys to open her door, I came up to her
"Excuse me ma"
She turned round
"Oh! Stag how're you doing?"
"I'm good. Please which way are you going. But if its okay with you, I'd like to join you till I get to Ikeja main busstop, around the bridge."
"Ermmm... Okay"
She opened and we got in. The first moment inside the car together was awkward. I was tongue-tied, I didn't know what to say. A good thing she did was to tune the car radio to Rythm FM as she backed out and headed into the road. The traffic was slow moving through Toyin Street and joining Mobalaji Bank-Anthony Way beside the customs office. Though it became a relatively short journey when she spoke up as the traffic crawled.
"So how was the day"
"Oh, it was fine"
"And how have you found the company so far"
"Better than I had thought" I replied.
Like she took a moment to digest my reply, she asked
"So what were your initial thoughts"
I made a short laugh
"You don't want to say?
"Not that. If I'm sure I'm talking off records"
Now it was her turn to give a short laugh.
"Office hours are over."
Hmmm...
"So what did you have in mind?" She continued
"Well, going by your first attack at me for coming in late for the training, I would have thought the company quite high-handed."
"In other words, I am high-handed"
"I guess, its not about you as a person. You acted in the capacity of a facilitator representing the company, like my boss that you are"
"So you do not think I'm obnoxious?"
Wow!
Somehow, I was getting a bit uncomfortable at the turn of the conversation so I was silent at the question. A second too long, enough to make her get the point.
"You have been kind to me"
I could tell she wasn't expecting that.
She didn't say any thing again.


Continue reading at The Short Novella