Hello there, remember those movie scenes you'd watched where a character's alarm rings and they snooze it for the umpteenth time or even turn it off totally before going back to sleep and then bagan bagan something else rings their head, a brain alarm, I love to call it.
One that resets their brain and they realise it's workday and they've snoozed their time away and they have just twenty minutes left to bath, get dressed, to eat. Well, well strike that last part. Latey latey no chop breakfast especially if they live in Lagos, on the mainland and their workplace is on the island. They would probably take a lunch bag along but that is not the day. There's barely any time left to do anything.
That is everything that is happening to me at the moment as I put my shoes on and realised I haven’t seen my babies. I begin to panic. My whole situation overwhelms me.
I have taken them to school. My husband calls out.
Oh, I didn’t even realise he is seated in the dining space. On days he's home, he usually uses his home office and today is one of those days. Only that he's not seated in his office but in the dining.
Good morning love, thank you. I say in a rush and hurry towards the door. Then I remember our usual ritual and trace my steps back to the dining area to hug and kiss him. I want to scream and ask him why he’d not woke me up but I know I’m a heavy sleeper and he probably had tried waking me up like always.
As I rush towards the door, I remember I dropped my car keys somewhere around the house. Where? I don’t know.
I called you a ride. He's outside. Stay safe!
Relieved and feeling so loved, I blow him kisses as I open the door. I hear him chuckle and say I love you too.
The drive to my workplace isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I take one at the interior of the car as I step out to be sure that I don’t leave anything behind.
Writeworthy
The company I work for. The building stands magnificently as I admire the exterior. Like I haven’t been working here for two years. In truth, it still feels like a dream to work for such a big company with the best talents worldwide.
Writeworthy international is a
Company like no other. A company specialising in all kinds of writing. Eighty-five per cent of its workforce are all writers. I take another minute to calm my nerves before walking into the building. I take the lift to the second floor. The stairs are a no go area for me unless the elevator is faulty. I exhale a breath I don’t know I was holding as the elevator door opens. Silence, the first thing that welcomes me to the floor speeds up my heartbeat.
Department meeting. The meetings are only held on Wednesday and the only reason the whole floor would be dead silent but it’s a Tuesday which is why it is surprising for me except...
Oh my God! It’s an emergency meeting. And in my two years of working here, these out of the blues meetings are hardly good.
I rush towards the conference dreading with every step I take, what lies in wait for me.
Talatu...
Someone whispers my name from behind. Gbemisola, my colleague and friend catches up with me.
You are late...again.
So are you.
No, I'm not. I just excused myself to use the loo.
Oh.
So, what’s happening? I quickly ask. It’s always good to be prepared before going into a slaughterhouse. Yes, that’s how serious emergency meetings here are.
There's a new boss.
Which of the bosses? I ask, hoping and praying it's the snake that was changed.
HOD
Before I can react or utter anything else, Gbemi has already pulled me to the door of the room.
There she is. Says a voice I have come to detest so much because of the owner.
Serpent. I murmur as my eyes roam the room, searching for a vacant seat.
So kind of you to join us, your royal highness.
Someone else says and the hall erupts in laughter.
I look toward the head of the table expecting to find Mrs Smith, with a disapproving look on her face but in her stead is Mr... and then I realise it's the first time I'm seeing this person. We locked eyes briefly before he says
Find a seat mademoiselle. Will you?
Just in time, I see Gbemi waving me over to an empty chair beside her. All through the meeting, I keep having this nagging feeling that something is amidst. Like most of the people in the room are in on something I don’t know. What it is, I wouldn't know.
When the meeting finally ended, I heave a sigh. I gather the sheets I have been jotting down important points on and put them in my bag and stand up to follow Gbemi who's already out of her seat.
Ms Banks? The man I have come to know during the meeting as the new Head of the department, Andre Jacques calls out before I can exit the hall.
I turn to face him.
Sir?
Please, wait behind.
And for the second time that day, another alarm starts to ring in my head.
Bagan bagan bagan.
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