CHAPTER SIX
As expected, it was yet another very stressful day at work, going through all the files and reports the representatives had brought from the different companies and institutions across the continent; I would have employed someone to do this job, but in Nigeria, in short the world at large, no one can be trusted. You can keep someone in charge and he will divert most of your money to build his own companies until yours is all dried up then the criminal runs away. You get the blame for mismanagement. Besides, a food cooked by you taste best because you know just the taste you want.
It was time for company thirty-five to come and present its reports to me and the rest board of directors. I was so tired, I needed rest at that moment, but procrastination was just not the right thing to do at this moment because I had to do a two-day job in one day. Being a rich man isn’t as easy as many would think. Most poor men are found sleeping by 9pm or 10pm but rich men rarely have time to, except if they are tired of acquiring more wealth, which was impossible. There is that insatiable desire in us that want us to do more and more so as to acquire more and besides even spending sleepless nights to acquire more, you also have to preserve the one at hand. I had studied life and discovered it’s only the poor ones that are satisfied with their current situation. H’m poverty, then all Baba’s goal was to get what to put into his mouth for that day. He never thought of how to build his own house, even his N20 house rent, its until he is reminded before he goes to work for it, he was satisfied with his situation until he died, poverty did killed him. He died of cold, a rich man would have bought a blanket and go to the hospital to get drugs, but Baba when drugs was mention to him as an option he would ask whether he would sell his head to get one.
“Next!” Ndoka shouted. I had made him the chief director among my board of directors. Ndoka is one man that has found favor in my sight since the day he came into my company to apply for the position of a clerk. He was quite honest, a quiet and reserved person who knows a lot about how to keep secrets, he had full grown mustache which he refused to shave; like the adage will say ‘ a man with mustache has something hidden in his nose, because of him I believed the adage.
“Company’s name” he asked the representative that just entered.
“Paragon hotel and suites, Johannesburg, south Africa” the representative, replied in a loud, sharp and fast tone.
“So in naira, what is the total profit of the last week?” I asked. I was only concerned about the profits, anytime the profit decreases I make sure I go there to confirm the problems. Even though I know in businesses, we don’t always make profits, sometimes losses too are experienced but I make sure every loss is properly investigated.
“Except I calculate sir, the values here are in rand” he said.
“Calculate and make it fast, we don’t have the whole day” I said as he immediately pulled out a pen from the file he came along with and started calculating, it took him about two minutes to complete his calculation, he stopped and took in a deep breath. “How much is it?” I asked again.
“3.2 million naira sir” he replied.
“Good, good, so is there any problem the company is currently facing?”
“None I could find out about before I left,” he said “profit was much this week because of the UNESCO awards” he continued. I knew he was trying to cover for the future stolen money, so that next week when he comes with a far lesser profit, he would be able to justify himself.
The day moved slowly and I kept praying it would just end. Companies after companies came and it was time for the forty-seventh company; the last one, or rather, the second to the last I usually call it the last because the real last one is the only with the board of directors not more than one man which I named ‘the company’. Soon we finished at the office, I was so happy with myself but there was one more company left, the biggest of them all although with the smallest structure but generates the largest profit. The meeting for that company usually holds in the company itself, it had just seventy workers but one unique feature that made it defer from the others; only the workers, its customers and the owner knows that the company exist. Could I make it there today? I thought. Its 6:30pm already, I will go there tomorrow instead. I walked out of the building to my car and went straight home; I couldn’t buy any usual ‘goodies’ for the kids. What I needed at that moment was a cool shower, a good food and then sleep.
On reaching home, I met everyone seated in the sitting room, happily watching a soap opera, as I walked in, they all knelt down to greet me meanwhile Jessinta and Michael came over to hug me and Bisola followed behind.
“Daddy welcome, how was work?” they said
“Work was fine, my children but really stressful”
“That’s always your excuse when you didn’t buy any ‘goodies’ for us” Jessinta said in a low sad tone.
“Honey, it’s not like that”
“Okay you said so, did you bring any ‘goodies’?”
“Err… err” I stammered.
“You see,” she quickly yelled.
“Leave your daddy alone, can’t you see he is tired, he needs to rest” Bisola told Jessinta. As soon as Jessinta left me, Bisola came to take her place, folded her hand around my waist and dropped a soft kiss on my cheek. It almost seemed like a mother and daughter competition to me, fighting for the love of their dear husband and father.
“But mummy you just said he needed to rest” Jessinta said smiling shyly.
“Yes I did and this is where he gets rest, in my arms. When you get your own husband go and give him his own rest,” she said jokingly and we all laughed. It was indeed my place of rest; I never got tired of such cuddles from Bisola, when her soft plump bosoms press against my chest, even if I was angry that cools me down almost forever.
“Honey, some politicians came looking for you today, I think it’s… about five of them” she said as she release herself. Even if I wished, she never left me I was still addled by the fact that those politicians came to look for me. What is it that they need this time?
“Which politicians?” I asked her.
“Err... Senator … they dropped a number that you should call so that you can tell them when you would be free so they would come. Where could I have dropped it?” she said as she walked towards the dining table.
“You brought the message so you will call them to give them my reply. Tell them to come 8am tomorrow morning and tell them that’s the only time I could spare so they should come quickly” I said and walked down to my room then the bathroom to take my bath forgetting that dinner was a general meal we all ate dinner at the same time except when we travel. I showered for less than three minutes and I felt fresh, wore a casual cloth and went to the dining just to realize they were all waiting for me to come and eat. I apologized and then we ate and cheered.
As usual, at 7:30pm, Jessinta was at the garden waiting for me to come so that we can sing together, though I felt s little bit feverish but I had to keep my words. Immediately I reached I started off.