Baban walked over to Dongo and stood a few inches from him. He stood almost a full one feet above his henchman. The man put up a very strong front and he respected him for it but he could see the fear in his eyes and the slight tremble of his lips.
“Do you know how much a dollar exchanges for in naira right now?” Baban asked. “I don’t care how much you get in naira. I want my money in dollars.”
“Dollars?” Dongo asked through clenched teeth and broken lips.
“Dollars, yes dollars.”
“But they…” Dongo started to say but he silenced him with a cold stare.
He really wasn’t particular about the dollars. It did not matter to him what currency his money came in. When you needed to transfer a large amount of money but didn’t want a large volume of money, currency begins to matter. It also mattered that his men did exactly what they were told. He knew how dangerous his business was.
“15 million naira,” Baban said. “How much did you send to the doctor?”
Dongo hesitated then said. “We sent everything.”
“Everything?”
“You said that was the most important thing right now.”
Baban nodded, he was right. Maybe his lash out at Dongo wasn’t totally called for.
“And when did he say we will get the Kulunix?”
“In two weeks.”
“Two weeks?” Baban grabbed a cup and threw it against the wall. “He told me two weeks a month ago.”
Dongo looked pleased he was no longer the subject of Baban’s anger. “He has delayed too long boss. Do you want me to take of it?”
Baban shook his head. “No, I will do it myself.”
He needed to do the big things himself and dealing with Doctor Coker was big. A lot of money had gone into the project, it was time to see results. Maybe the doctor needed a little motivation.
“Dongo,” Baban called. “On a second thought… do you know where the good doctor’s family live?”
“You want me to hold his wife till he delivers?”
“Hold? No, shoot one his children.”
“Sir?”
Baban looked up at Dongo and smiled. “What? You have suddenly grown a heart?”
“His children? The child didn’t…”
“It’s business Dongo. If you can’t do it, I can ask someone else.”
Dongo frowned, he didn’t seem to like the implication of his statement.
“Okay then, the Doctor loses a child once every week till I get my Kulunix.”
***
Jumai!
He felt deep joy like he had won the lottery. Better still, like she had just agreed to marry him. All he had was a name. It probably won’t do him any good but at least he had something.
“Mark!”
He knew that voice, it was his boss.
“Yes sir.” He looked in the direction the voice came from.
“I thought I told you to meet me.”
“Yes sir, I already got to the car but I was told…”
“Yeah, I had to see somebody.”
Mark looked in the direction Jumai walked in and saw her talking on the phone. If he knew he would get a response maybe he should have asked for her phone number.
“Is your phone with you?” His voice’s boss brought him back from his reverie.
“Yes sir, I do.”
“Do you have the list of benefactors I told you we had to thank for their partnerships?”
“Yes sir.”
“Okay, good. It’s time to start making calls.”
Mark sighed. “I was planning to make the calls from the office sir.”
“Are you busy now?”
Mark wanted to respond but he was not sure what he would say would be smart. He brought out his phone and dialled the first number. His boss didn’t care much for laziness but he didn’t care much for tiredness either.
“Hello Alhaji.” He said, with a huge smile, like his boss had taught him. “This is Mark Ademola from WAAP foundation…”
He knew who he wished he was talking to, he could only hope that would ever happen.
***
“Once we have the Kulunix we move it to Yobe immediately. The UNICEF has a group coming in in two weeks. If we are not in Yobe before then, everything we have done will be wasted.”
The men nodded. They had heard this so many times. A lot of money was at stake, they needed hear it a million times.
A phone rang on his table. He waved his hand and Dongo and his boys left his office.
He reached for the phone.
“Hello.” He said.
“This is Mark Ademola from WAAP foundation. I just want to say I am very glad to make your acquaintance and I look forward to relating with you more.”
“Oh yeah, Mr Ademola, I believe we can do a lot of great things together.”
“Thank you very much sir.”
“Take care, I’ll talk to you very soon.”
He ended the call and dropped the phone on the table.
He rubbed his sore knuckles and smiled. It was great to have gullible people he could use to achieve his goals. Well, until he was done with them. When the time was right, they would all die. Dongo, Doctor Coker, this Mark Ademola, everyone one of them.
Mark hurried up the stairs of the WAAP building. He hated being late for meetings, especially because he would get an earful from his boss. He looked at his reflection in the mirrored stairway. Lateness wasn’t tolerated at WAAP, neither was raggedness. He straightened his tie and smiled; he looked good. He shook his head, he was admiring himself when his boss was probably typing his sack letter in his office. He got to conference room door and stopped. He took a deep breath and opened the door.
His eyes widened in surprise; the room was empty.
Was the meeting over? He checked his phone, he was just ten minutes late. He saw the ‘new mail’ icon blinking and he clicked on it. The mail was from his boss; the meeting had been postponed by two hours. He sighed. At least now he could go over his presentation again before the meeting. He turned around and headed for his office. He slowed down as he approached his office. There was someone standing in front of his door. He could not tell who it was. Was she lost?
“Excuse me?” Mark said.
She turned around.
Jumai!
He looked behind him, he was still inside WAAP. What was she doing here? Was it really her?
“I’m looking for Doctor Aderoju.” She said.
It was really her. “That’s my boss.” He said with a huge smile.
“Okay…” She said. He stood and waited for her to say something else. “He’s your boss?”
“Yeah.” Mark replied, his smile still steady.
“So will you show me to his office?”
Oh crap! “Oh sure, please come with me.” He said.
He wanted to walk with her, maybe talk with her but she was busy doing something on her phone. What was she doing in his office? Was this fate or what?
“It’s crazy that we meet again, don’t you think?” Mark said.
She looked up from her phone. “What?”
“I said, isn’t it…?”
Doctor Aderoju’s door opened and he stepped out of it. He saw Jumai and beamed his ‘you are special’ smile.
“Doctor Jumai.” Doctor Aderoju said.
Doctor? She was a doctor? Mark smiled, her worth just rose by a thousand points.
“Did you get my mail about the postponement?” Doctor Aderoju asked.
She was here for the meeting he was attending, wonderful!
“Yes sir, I did.” Jumai said. “I hope you don’t mind that I came so early.”
“Are you kidding me? I love people who come early.”
They were ignoring him, he didn’t like it.
“Sir…” Mark started to say.
“Oh, pardon me. Doctor Jumai, meet our Project Manager; Mark Ademola.”
“We already met sir.” Mark said with a smile. If only he could tell his boss the airport story.
“Yes,” Jumai said. “He was actually bringing me to your office. At least now, he knows my name and I know his.”
Mark frowned. He knew her name way before he met her today.
“I really have to do some things before the meeting.” Doctor Aderoju said. Finally!
“It’s no problem.”
“Mark, please show her to the conference room.” Doctor Aderoju said to him. He turned to Jumai and added. “I hope you don’t mind staying alone while we wait for the meeting.”
“Not at all.” Jumai said.
Mark bit back a chuckle. Like he was going to let her be by herself. Some sort of fate had brought him across her again, he was ready to take over and make things happen now.
“Okay.” Doctor Aderoju said and walked away.
“This way please.” Mark said.
He was about to talk when he saw her attention was once again locked on her phone. Damn ‘em phone addicts.
“So Jumai,” He started. “I was saying that it’s kind of crazy that we meet again. Right?”
She looks up at him and smiles. “Again? We’ve met before?”
His heart sank. She didn’t remember him! “You don’t remember?”
“I’m so sorry. This happens a lot. Did we meet in Kaduna?”
“No we met here in Lagos.”
“I’ve only been in Lagos for…”
“We met at the airport. Just two days ago actually.”
“At the airport…”
“You were with two friends… I made a fool of myself…”
“Oh yeah. You’re Joey Tribbiani.” She said with a huge smile.
“What?”
“I’m sorry, one of my friends said you reminded her of… Never mind.” She said with a wave of her hand. “Mark, right?”
“Yeah, Mark.”
“At least now, I know your real name.” She said and returned to her phone.
Mark could not believe what just happened. He had kept this girl in his mind for about forty eight hours without a break and she did not even remember him? Joey Tribbiani? Wasn’t he the dumb actor guy in ‘Friends’?
So much for fate bringing her to him.
“Here’s the conference room.” He opened the door and she entered. “If you need anything, I will be inside my office.”
“I don’t know where your office is.” He heard her say as he closed the door.
He walked away from the door. She could call Joey Tribbiani if she needed something.
No comments:
Post a Comment