Mark looked up with weary eyes at the projector screen, the words were beginning to blur. It was early in the morning, he couldn’t be caught dozing. It wasn’t his fault though; he had been working with barely any sleep for three days. The UNICEF team came in early and were doing some ground work which meant he was doing some ground work. Today’s meeting was supposed to be the final one before everyone moved to Yobe. If it was this tough in Lagos, he was not looking forward to going to Yobe.
“I read in my report that as much as sixty people died at a point, what happened?” Kirk Helink asked.
Kirk Helink was the head of the UNICEF team and he was a lot like Dr Aderoju. He wanted results, the means as long as it was legal was none of his business.
“Mark, do you want to take this?” Dr Aderoju.
“Yes sir.” Mark said, hoping his drowsy face was not giving him away. “A few months ago after a major relief exercise, people started to get sick. We brought in several medical teams but they did not find anything wrong with the sick people. Unfortunately a lot of them died.”
“I see here all of them were men.” Kirk said.
“I was just about to say that. All of them were men which was strange.”
“Do you know why?”
“No sir, we don’t. Eventually we found it had something to do with their food.”
“Only the men ate the food?”
“We did not share any food exclusively to the men. We are not so sure why it affected the men.”
“This is true Tobi?” Kirk asked, turning to Dr Aderoju.
“Yes Kirk. That is why the government has banned any sharing of food items except by registered organizations.”
“Okay.”
Mark rubbed his forehead and hoped his boss would close the meeting now. He needed sleep and he needed it now.
“I think we should take a break.” Dr Aderoju said.
Mark could not believe his luck, finally he could get some well-deserved sleep. He picked his iPad and rose from his chair. He could not wait to get to his office.
“Mark, come with me please.” Dr Aderoju said.
Mark gasped and everyone in the room turned in his direction. He cleared his throat and followed his boss out of the conference room. What was his offense that made nothing go well for him? All he asked for was a little shut eye.
He entered Dr Aderoju’s office and slammed the door behind him. Dr Aderoju looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
“Sorry sir.” Mark said.
“I want you to go to Ikeja with the driver.”
“Ikeja?” Mark asked.
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
Yes! I want to sleep! “No sir.”
“Good. You looked distracted in the meeting. We are expecting a special guest at the airport, I want you to go with the driver. You know, show our guest they are important.”
“Okay sir.”
Mark waited for more information but his boss said nothing. He turned around and left the office. Sometimes he wished he had someone he could boss around and send on this kinds of errands too. Why did he have to go with the driver anyway?
“Oga, oya let’s go.” Mr Kazim, the driver was already waiting for him.
He sighed and followed him out of the building. He was sure he would be asleep in the car before they hit the road. His phone rang as they approached the car. It was Dr Aderoju.
“Hello sir.” Mark said.
“Please tell Kazim to come back. I just remembered that I need him to go to and pick Damilare. Take your car, okay?”
No, it was not okay. Come on! He managed to confine his frustrations to a grunt.
“Please hurry up. Thank you Mark.”
At other times getting a ‘thank you’ from his boss would have made his day but not today. There was no chance of sleeping now.
“Mr Kazim, Oga said you should come back.” Mark said.
“I no dey go again?”
“Yes, he wants you to go… Just go and see him.”
Mark entered his car, started the engine and slid the gear into drive. He wanted to sleep.
Two hours later he arrived at the airport. It was a miracle he had arrived at the airport without incidence. He had dozed off twice in traffic and had to endured some insults from rightly impatient danfo drivers. He was here now and he hoped the flight would arrive on time.
His phone rang and he answered the call.
It was his boss. “Hello sir.”
“Where are you Mark?”
“I’m at the airport.”
“Where exactly? Doctor Jumai has been waiting.”
“Jumai is the one I’m picking?” He said his thoughts aloud.
“That is what I just said. Are you listening to me?”
“Sorry sir. I will go to the arrival lounge now.”
“Please do.”
Maybe he owed his boss an apology and a ‘thank you’ after all. He had no idea he was coming to pick Jumai. He probably would have been more enthusiastic about the trip. This was good; he had a two hour trip back to Island to look forward to. For the first time he wished for traffic.
He saw her as he entered the arrival lounge. It was almost the same as the first time he had met her here. Except now he knew her name and she was smiling and waving at him.
“Welcome back to Lagos Doctor Jumai.” Mark said.
“Thank you, Mr Joey Tribbiani.”
“What?”
Jumai laughed. “I’m joking. Come on Mark.”
“I see.”
“I don’t understand why that name gets to you that much. Joey was a fine boy and he got all the girls.”
“He also believed getting a rating of ‘abysmal’ was a good thing.” Mark said, collecting her bag.
Jumai laughed again. “So you’d rather be Chandler or Ross then?”
“How about we totally forget about ‘Friends’, Miss Rachel Greene.”
“Rachel? I think I’d rather you called me Phoebe.”
Mark looked at her with wide eyes. “Phoebe was crazy.”
“Exactly.”
Mark shook his head and smiled. They walked the rest of the way to the car in silence; Mark pondering what good luck he had and Jumai typing and scrolling and reading on her phone.
“Can I drive?” Jumai asked.
“What?” Mark smiled. “Have you ever driven in Lagos?”
“Yeah. Just from VGC to Lekki though.”
Mark shook his head. “I don’t think you can drive here.”
“Really? Do cars move on two tyres here? Or you steer with your legs?”
Mark laughed. “Sometimes we do.”
“Give me your keys.” She said snapping her fingers
“Okay boss.” Mark said and entered the car. Her dad was rich, she could afford to get into some trouble.
“Fasten your seatbelt Mister Joey…” She laughed. “Sorry, sorry. Mister Mark, fasten your seatbelt please and get ready for the ride of your life.”
Mark smiled and fastened his seatbelt. God is good!
...TO BE CONTINUED
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