(final episode): The JOB story

Abolore stood and took his leave, not caring to look behind. Jerry threw the papers close to him faraway from himself in annoyance. He couldn’t bear it all longer. “Jesus, he called, please give me wisdom in tackling this, I have no idea on what to do.’ He knew he was out of time: by tomorrow he should have made his decision at the final meeting with their Chinese partners who were looking to invest in the company’s initiatives.

This deal was no different; Jerry was just to inflate the prices again or agree with the fraudulent members of the board. He had nowhere to go, even the cousin of the CEO of KPMG was involved in the E1 000 000 deal. E1 000 000 was no small money. It was pounds, not dollars, cents or Yen. Not even Naira, the devil tried to mess with his head while he lay in bed, ruminating his next step as his beautiful Kemi laid her head on his hairless chest and their bodies lay close interlocked. She was tired, he was really disturbed.

He succeeded in hiding it from her while she served him dinner that night with his numerous teases directed to her. One look at the wedding pictures littered around his room reminded him of his fruitful marriage. With her, things worked the better for him so he fulfilled his promise of getting married to her even after a year and half of being engaged and three years of knowing her. Whatelse does a man need? She had been confirmed by God as his missing rib and he was yet to regret any minute spent with her. It was in those momentsat night she spent laying on his chest that he thought fast and well. Funny enough, that was the perfection of his marriage; she was truly indeed blessed. So he wasn’t surprised, that on their wedding night, she would be meeting a man for the first time. He loved her the more as she was more energetic, and full of life than ever.

As he pondered on what his response tomorrow will be at the final deal making, he ran a finger through Kemi’s hair and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. She smiled in her sleep as she turned over, adjusting the pillow, to continue her sleep. He left her as his face suddenly brightened up. He knew his answer already, so he switched off the bed side lamp and went back to sleep.

This morning the sun shone brightly. He dreamt that he was at a board meeting where he was about to receive a gift but as he stretched his hand for that gift, at a board meeting. A sharp light, so hot and bright, gleaming like the sun came over him and nearly cost him his sight. He yawned loudly as he raised his hands to cover his face.

“Wake upjare, sleepy head.” He saw Kemi smile at him as she opened the curtains brighter to wake him up from sleep.

“What is the time please?”

“Just seven thirty”

“Just seven thirty? It quickly occurred to him that he had an important meeting as he jumped out of bed. His wife beckoned to him to help her hook her brassiere and zip her jump suit. He immediately obliged and dashed for the bathroom

“Honey, take it easy o. I hope you don’t crash to the ground”

“Your breakfast is ready, should I serve it?”

“No, just help me pack it and please don’t wait for me, I might be late and I don’t want you answering queries on my behalf,” he replied with his brush and white foam pouring out of his mouth from the glass sealed bathroom; partly open. Before she left, she came to announce that his breakfast was ready. She got into the bathroom and kissed him goodbye.

“You look good; have a nice day, Princess”

“And you too, my Prince” she gracefully took her steps in order to avoid falling with the little water her shoes got in the bathroom. She was downstairs and was out with her hyundrai 2014 edition in no time. Jerry got her that car during her last birthday in the year. The car looked so new. Jerry jumped out of the bathroom as he heard his wife’s last honk leaving the compound. He rushed his dressing and picked up his files, car keys and food flask. He laid his head on the steering rim as he said a silent word of prayer, his phone had 10 missed calls already, all from work. He called Paul immediately.

“Paul whatsup?”

“I dey o. where are you, this guys will start soon”

“Are they there?”

“Yes na.Waiting for you.”

“Paul can you stall for me or start the deal, please just stall, I am just arriving the third mainland bridge was a bit too sleepy today.”

“No probs bro. God’s got you bro” that was Paul’s usual slang.

Jerry walked in and took the lift. He met Paul at the important stage of the meeting, the point where the prices were being raised for the deal to take place. Jerry had already made up his mind. He was immediately asked the price by the Chinese personnel- there were about three of them. Only one talked while they all deliberated in their Mandarin languages.

Abolore and Femi looked up for the signal.

“Mr Jerry, what is the price? I learnt earlier on, that the project will cost two million dollars. What then is to be our agreed price? You know how important this is and how quick we are expecting your company to follow through with this,” Mr Rivioneria said as a matter of factly. He starred into Jerry’s eyes as he pulled his ray-ban glasses off his face. Jerry looked round all the faces waiting for him to speak; he glanced at Abolore and his cohorts. He took a deep breath and stood up, pacing the conference room as he spoke.

“First things first, Mr Rivioneria, I have to apologise for attending this meeting late and I am sorry. This deal is important not just for us here at KPMG but for you, our multinational business powerhouse. The goal of business is profit and proceeds and every business step is a prospect ahead. This project is the deal breaker for us while the success spells out more investment for you.” Jerry paused as he got to the head of the table facing the large projecting slide that kept showing the developmental stages of the project. He turned to face them, laying his perfectly manicured hands on the table with a glittering ring on his finger. He leaned in, totally enjoying himself and savouring the wind; he asked them. “The question is:“how much are you willing to give?” Paul beamed at the other end of the table winking excitedly to him.

“Like we said earlier, we heard you needed two million but we can only offer between 1 mill and 1.5” Mr Rivioneria responded after a short consultation with his other business partners.

“Fine. The price we are asking is a million dollars for the project”

“That’s a good bargain;won’t you rather have eight hundred thousand? You know deals aren’t always their prices in business as things could get a bit cheaper.”

“Mr Rivioneira, if you were from here, in Nigeria; I would say you are an Igbo man. Those are the men that deal assiduously in the game of business and pricing of services and goods in the local markets. But you are definitely not one of them, are you? Our price is one mill for the asking. You have the money: Why don’t you just bring it?”

“Mr Jerry, you have a knack for business and figures and even a good speech. Your skill at bargaining is a really nice one with those catch phrases. I guess we just have to close the deal at your price, I couldn’t help but let the figures out carelessly.”

“There is nothing, you can do. But as we all say: in the name of business, in the name of profit and the gains. There is nothing to regret. Your money, your profit.” They stood to shake hands and tap each other on their backs. Paul clapped the loudest as the cheering attracted other workers in the office.

“Jerry, I can see you developed cold feet and didn’t carry out our deal and you call us friends. A chance to make real money; you blew away, swayed by sentiment. I hope you regret this.”

Abolorepushed past him angrily as he went to the lift, others followed suit, pointing fingers at him. Paul came around joyously as other workers came to sweep Jerry off his feet. Paul went about as the praise singer, singing and announcing from office to office: “here comes the deal breaker, orator and deal sealer. You did good brother.” After all the gyrations were over, Paul walked him to his door before going back to his own office to carry on some paperwork.

He put a call through to his wife but she replied him back how busy she was. He texted her back that he had a surprise for her back home.  She replied that she would be waiting and urged him to be home early, lamenting her enormous work load emanating from the law suit filed against her client. She promised to see him soon at home. Jerry was elated as he looked out of his window, muttering thanks to God under his breath with a low voice. He heard a knock after which his boss came in.

“Sir, you are welcome, have your sit sir,” he pulled out the sit for his boss as he attempted sitting on the desk, diagonally opposite.” Dr OlatunjiAsikomo declined.

“Come here and give me a hug, son. You did well.” They embraced lightly.

“You remember when I asked if you were still a Christian,” Dr Olatunji asked, hoping Jerry would remember as he cleaned the dust from his gold rolled glasses.

“Yes sir,” Jerry responded as he replied.

“You just passed your first test,” Olatunji announced. “That deal between my Cousin, Abolore and the others were a setup. I set you up after you narrated that story that cost you your former job, I spoke to my colleagues to set you up and I rumoured an inflated price to Mr Rivioneira. However, Mr Rivioneira never knew. I cast my bet on you, Abolore and my cousin cast the bet on themselves but a plan was hatched and you passed. You truly have changed, son; a true follower of the word.”

“Sir that was a big temptation.” A shocked Jerry responded.

“Yes but it had to be done. You passed quite well, CCTV Cameras were employed at every juncture. Dr Asikomo pointed to a small like glass bulb that worked as a spy camera.”

“Sirrrrrr…” Jerry stammered

“You better keep that stammer son because you have just been promoted to Director, you arenow a boss. No one has closed a deal with so much money like that before here. You spoke well and got us a well-deserved deal. That part was entirely real and I want to congratulate you son, with this.”

He handed him a car key. Jerry trembled. ‘That is for you, son. Faithful in little yields faithful in more. Keep doing well, shunning evil and doing good. Feel good to cruise the gift and have the rest of the week off, son. You didn’t commit the same mistake a second time even under pressure. Have a nice day.” Dr Olatunji went out. Jerry crashed to his knees holding the new keys in his hands. He screamed and sprang to his feet.

“I must hurry to tell my wife.”

The END



#Authorcredit :JOSEHP MUYIWA.