Some people start out to life relatively early. And so, some other factor influence their quick and steady rise in their career.
Ada
isn't very old. Actually she's young. And indeed when I got to know
she's 30-something, I couldn't help but wonder how a lady in her 30s had
risen to head a department, not even a mushroom company but in a
company that's doing so well.
As it turns out, Ada was born in the
UK. And her parents being well educated themselves had her started out
very early. She too must have been exceptionally bright. She finished
secondary education and proceeded to university there in the UK,
occasionally coming on holidays to Nigeria. She had finished and had
come home to serve. After completing the mandatory one year programme
with the National Youth Service Corps, she had started work almost
immediately. So, at 24, she had began her life. And over the next ten
years, Ada had risen steadily in her career to head where she is now.
Such
story of a young hard-working and relatively successful lady would not
go unnoticed by many. Yet, while many would love her more for it, a few
would think differently. And perhaps, fewer still are those prone to
Jealousy and Envy.
Among these small, Mercy pledge her allegiance.
When women work together, a thing as petty as a new shoe can cause envy to go a very distasteful level.
And in matters of positions in the workplace, Mercy seemed to loathe the idea that Ada should be her boss.
Like an ember smouldering underneath, Mercy nursed her hatred for Ada, waiting like a viper to strike.
And Ada and I had been walking into a net, unknown to us.
Over the months that followed since my start of work here, I had tried to conceal my affection for Ada.
But
there's no how one can perfectly mask such love. Platonic friendship
isn't always a perfect cover. A careful watching eye will see beneath.
Williams has seen beneath the 'platonic friendship' and even though he
never asked, he always tried to caution me by some stories he told. But
the thing with love is this, the more risky it is, the more it pulls all
your senses on. Same as lust.
One day after work at the office,
Efe called me aside. He desperately needed a favour. A new company
policy had restricted the sites staff could visit because a particular
system was always plagued with trojans, worms and viruses. Yes, you
guessed right: Efe's system!
Even when they had to change his system,
the computer pests would return. And his addiction to pornographic
contents would not let him be.
Now, he wants me to help him work
around the policy. If there was anything Efe knew, he argued, was that
there were always ways to get around things with computers. And even
when I told him I didn't know how to do it, he would have none of that.
He continued to pester me.
Yes, there were things I could try. Like
changing the proxy, or checking with 'Exceptions' or 'Restricted Sites'.
Generally, the restrictions might be browser based. But if I did help
him, it could backfire when any IT guy notices the new policy had been
bypassed. If he mentioned me, there could be sanctions.
This I
mentioned to him. Then Efe in his desperate attempt to get porn sites to
open on his system, told me he had something to tell me!
Huh?!
And
as he claims, could save me my job!!! I was shocked at such claim. What
could that be, I instantly became curious. Efe said I had to help him
first.
"Efe, if you try to blackmail me in the slightest possible way, I'd show you the kind of a beast I am"
"Stag, you be my guy na. Which kain talk be that nau. Na as you dey take help me, I suppose get your back nau"
"So what is it?"
"Shhhhhh. Bring your ear"
I moved closer to him, Efe went on to tell me how Mercy had been snooping around trying to get information on me and Ada.
She had come to secretly ask him what was going on between me and Ada.
"But why was she comfortable talking about it with you?" I asked
At that point a broad smile spread out evenly on his face.
He stared at me blankly, smiling like there was something I didn't know...
Then gradually I begin to reason Efe out. What other thing would draw Efe closer to any woman asides beer? Hmmmm
Oh sh*t!
"No no Efe, its not true..." I was saying as I shook my head in disbelief.
Efe was screwing Mercy?! The holier than thou married woman?!
Most
of the staff in the company were young and mostly unmarried. Mercy is
one of the very few married ones and she wouldn't hesitate to push her
fourth finger in your face if you didn't notice the ring there.
And so in characteristic Efe's style, he had laid her to give her intel.
But.
Efe wasn't telling me because of me. But because of Ada. Ada had been
good to him. She had been among the panel that asked him questions on
the day of his interview and although he had flopped several times with
answers, Ada was like Frank Edoho in 'who wants to be a millionaire'. If
Frank naturally likes a person, he would give signs and try to shield
you and even give you 'expo' on a question so you would not lose.
Ever
since he saw the text that informed him that he had been successful at
the interview, he simply knew that woman had been the Angel God had used
to get him the job. He'd never said anything about it but he'd always
be grateful to her.
On the other hand, Efe said
"Whoever wants to
damage her boss just to get same seat? Eh? Who does that? Stag these
hoes aint loyal..." He shook his head in disappointment.
"So why you come dey waylay am?" I asked.
"Free
womanliness my guy, if na you nko? She who seeks another's fall can't
have my heart. Instead, I go dey flog am. And she sabi do am like Lisa
Ann" he winked and laughed out loud.
I wondered who that was.
"Stag, abeg na. Help me with that thing. Jenna Haze get new pictures wey I wan view, abeg"
"Okay, but after two days, I'd turn it off"
"Make am three nah" he said in a carefree manner. Funny guy.
"Okay. Three days max"
"My correct guy! Nothing fit do you for this office, I swear!"
But
the revelation jolted me down to my bones. I was shaken. Could I trust
Efe? For porn, he told me a secret, can he not tell another. But
somehow, deep inside I knew I could trust Efe. Efe had ears everywhere,
he knew things around and behind walls. Efe, however, always said
something that always impressed me
'There is honour even among thieves'.
Like he made it clear, I'm not top on priority as to why he told me, neither am I top priority target of Mercy.
Ironically,
he was protecting the very person whom his office fvckmate sought to
harm. By proxy. So I could do something about it yet, not tell Ada. Like
men, we had reasoned together. And I could sense something solid in
this guy. A confirmed guy. To get access to porn wasn't really why he
told me of it. Something deeper than that was.
His undeclared loyalty to the ever lovable Ada was.
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