Banjo stared at his phone in confusion as the call was dropped for the fifth time that morning. He held out the cell phone as if to better peer at its screen or as if he could decipher by looking at it again, why Alero had not picked any of his calls that day or even deigned to return them.
He picked up the phone on his desk and began to dial out the number for her desk phone at work. He usually would not call her desk phone except he had some official issue or the pretext of it to discuss with her but desperation was eating away slowly at him. It was odd for Alero to not pick multiple calls and then to not return them hours after.
Her desk phone began to ring and after it had rang awhile without her answering he started to settle the receiver back into its cradle when he heard the click of the call connecting. He snatched the receiver back up to his ear.
“Hello? Alero?” he said sharply into the phone. There was no immediate response and he began to wonder if the call had really connected when he heard a subdued response.
“Hey Banjo. Yes it’s me.”
His worry and upset mood erupted at the quiet response.
“Great God! You had me worried! Why haven’t you been picking your calls?!” he fairly bellowed into the receiver.
He fathomed that he could see her cringe at his tone but he had past caring at about the third call of the morning.
“Alero? Are you still there?”
“Yes, I am.” was her even quieter response.
“Is everything alright?” he asked as worry began to sneak back in on him.
He heard her sigh over the phone. “I suppose so.” She answered.
Now the worry kicked into high gear for him. “What’s wrong?” he asked as the ire in his voice was replaced by his re-burgeoning worry.
“I’m not sure I can explain it properly yet. I’m…still trying to sort…trying to figure stuff.” She finished. Her voice sounded tense and stressed.
“Can we see this evening?” he asked worriedly.
“Okay.” She acquiesced. For some reason, that worried him even more.
“Ally?”
“Yes?”
“Are you... take care of you alright? See you this evening.”
She mumbled something he did not quite catch and the connection was abruptly cut. He looked at the receiver he was holding like it had committed some unforgivable offense and then made to slam it on its cradle but gentled his hand at the last minute to settle it quietly in its place.
He looked up to see his mother standing by the door to his office and watching him intently. He had not even noticed when she had slipped in. So intent had he been on his conversation with Alero.
“Is everything okay?” His mother inquired as she came up to his desk. At his blank stare, she continued. “I did knock but when you did not respond and I could hear you were agitated from the hallway…What’s the matter?”
Banjo shook his head as if shaking off a fog on his brain. “I don’t know. Something is up with Alero though.”
“She didn’t mention what was wrong?” his mother asked as she took a seat opposite him.
Banjo spread his hands to indicate his confusion. “She said as much but she did not mention anything in particular.” His voice showed his angst so clearly.
Chief Mrs. Adeniran studied her son’s features with a considering look on her face. “You really do like this girl. Are you falling for her?” she asked.
Banjo returned his mother’s considering look. “It feels like it.” He responded simply.
His mother reached across the desk to pat his hand. “Try not to worry so much. It should all work out well. Who knows, by evening, whatever had her worried might be all sorted out.”
Banjo nodded as he shuffled some papers on his desk.
“Did you come to have a look at the projections we talked about?” he said going into business mode.
“No. Actually, I came to talk about something else entirely.” His mother said as she adjusted herself on her seat.
“Oh?” Banjo asked with a bit of surprise.
“Yes!” His mother retorted.
“Mum?” Banjo prodded.
“What would you say if I told you that I wanted to hand over the reins of Adeniran Holdings to you?”
Banjo heard his harsh gasp leave his mouth. He stared at his mother in shock.
“Mum?! Are you okay?”
“Hold that thought!” his mother rebuked. “I am not ill and I do not have some midlife crisis thing going on. I just…I have been thinking about it for a while now. Yes, I am officially the CEO but the truth is you’ve been running this business for the last couple of years really. I just look over your shoulder.” She cocked her head to one side as she studied the emotions rushing through her son’s seemingly stoic face. She was his mother though and she knew what to see when she looked at him.
“You must have known that the day would come Banjo. It can’t be this much of a shock to you.” She chided.
Banjo sighed and rubbed a hand over his face as he leaned back on his seat.
“I guess I did. It still is surprising though.” He answered quietly.
“So?” His mother asked.
Banjo gave a long look and then nodded. “Okay mum.”
His mother beamed at him and stood from her seat, going around the desk with her arms outstretched to give him a hug. Banjo enveloped his mother in a hug of his own and they clung to each other for a heartfelt moment. After they had both settled back into their respective seats, she continued.
“As much as I am loath to admit it, your father would be so proud of you.” She smiled wryly.
Banjo felt the lump in his throat as memories of his late father blazed through his mind.
“What are you going to do with yourself?” he asked his mother both out of concern for her and in a bid to cover up the depth of his surging emotions.
“I…” his mother began and then she smiled diffidently, almost like a shy teenager. She cleared her throat and seemed to get some grip on herself before she continued.
“I would love to…I want to donate some of my time, more of my time…to charity.” She finished.
Banjo who had been nodding along with her meandering talk finally hung his head in surprise.
“What?!” his mother exclaimed in exaggerated affront. “I have been donating more and more of my time to such matters if you had only but taken notice of it!”
Banjo inclined his head thoughtfully and then shook it.
“I can’t say I have noticed.” He commented and then looked closely again at his mother. “I have always admired your knowing of your own mind.” He said.
“It’s something that has been pressing on my mind for some time.”
“Don’t tell me you found religion and we didn’t notice.” Banjo said in a voice that was oddly mixed with chiding and alarm.
“What if I did?” His mother challenged and when Banjo held her stare with a hard one of his, she sighed.
“My son, my precious, precious boy now a man!” she smiled dreamily at him. “Perhaps, I have done you and your sister a great disservice. Maybe the time has come for me to tell you a bit more of what went on between your father and I.”
“Are you saying that there was more to it than met the eye?” Banjo asked.
His mother sighed deeply again. “It’s such a simple but then convoluted tale. I have wanted to bring it up especially in the last few years but I never knew how to tell it without making us seem foolish or villainous. We both made horrific and simply ridiculous mistakes, your father and I. Perhaps in the telling of it, I could learn to come to terms with it all. It has robbed me of my peace for long enough.”
There was a knock on his door as one of the managers poked his head around the door and almost broke his neck snapping it back swiftly on sighting mother and son together.
“Mr. Bams!” Banjo called out. The destabilized man answered from behind the door.
“Please wait. I’ll be with you shortly
.” He instructed.
“Yes Sir.” was the response as the door clicked shut.
Mrs. Adeniran stood up from her seat and smiled a small sad looking smile at her son.
“Come for dinner soon.” She cajoled. “There’s a lot we should talk about before you step into your new role.”
Banjo stood to walk her to the door. “Certainly mum, certainly.” He said and as he held the door open for her, he continued with a small smile of his own. “Enjoy your day.”
“You too.” She said as she stepped smartly into the corridor waving slightly at his very surprised secretary who was returning to her seat from the rest room just off to the side from her office.
He then motioned the stupefied Mr. Bams into his office and shut the door behind them.