Oga Martins - Season 1 - Episode 2

5 years ago

Oga Martins - Season 1 - Episode 2

☆☆

Martins glanced at his wristwatch.

8:45 a.m.!
He was late!

Alarm raced through him as he half-ran half-walked into the building that housed his new office. The thought brought a smile to his face. He now had an office he could resume to, not the menial jobs he had done for years now. As an HND holder, getting a job in the saturated labor market was next to impossible especially with so many B.Sc graduates but by some stroke of favor, he had been picked for this job. He couldn’t remember doing or saying anything exceptional. After going for numerous interviews and writing various tests, you get to the point where you just go through the motions, where you do it because you don’t want to be accused of inaction, where you do it because you don’t want to feel like a failure incapable of making your dreams a reality but all of that had changed the moment he got the call to resume. There was a new spring to his legs and he felt a light-headedness he had not felt in a long time. He wouldn’t call himself a religious man who believed in prophecies but he knew his life had changed forever. Although the pay wasn’t breathtaking, it would solve some of his problems and if he planned his life well, he might find himself living the way he had always dreamed.

But before then, there was work to be done. He adjusted his tie, took a deep breath and opened the door to Realty Point Limited . He stopped short when he saw the reception empty. Today was not the day for the receptionist to be absent. He needed somebody to usher him to his department so he could settle in fast. He was late enough already and further delays wouldn’t help his case. He couldn’t afford to lose this job because of his tardiness. Of course, it wasn’t his fault considering his housing situation and the gigantic traffic he encountered on his way there but employers didn’t care about that. They were not interested in your personal problems, just your ability to deliver on the job assigned to you.

He stood, debating whether to go in or wait for someone to come out when a smartly dressed lady with a lovely smile delivered him out of his dilemma. “Good morning. How may I help you?”

“Errr…. Good morning. My name is Martins. I’m the new…”
“Business and Marketing Executive,” she finished with a smile. “Ada already asked of you this morning. Second door to your left.”

“Thank you,” Martins murmured as he moved, heaving a deep sigh. He didn’t know who Ada was but hoped she would be as friendly as the lady he just finished talking to.

She wasn’t! The moment he walked in and introduced himself, she attacked him.

“Why are you late?” she queried, unsmiling
“There… there was traffic,” he stammered, intimidated by her stare.

“There’s traffic everywhere, that’s why you leave home early.”

Martins stared at her, incapable of giving a proper and adequate response. He had a feeling it would be pointless to explain he had been up as early as 5:30 a.m. and had done everything within his power to get there before 8:00 a.m. Her attitude gave credence to what he already knew: employers didn’t care about your problems, just get your job done.

“I’m sorry,” he found himself saying. Of course he didn’t mean it but instinct told him it was better to show remorse to the small, slim looking woman with the oval face, big round eyes and full curvy lips than to justify his actions. And he trusted his instincts when it came to women. He had his own share of women, and with five sisters, he could safely trust his instinct.

“Don’t be sorry, don’t come late again.”
“Yes ma”

“You are expected to be here before eight. By eight o’clock we do our morning confession and it’s compulsory”

“Yes ma” he replied, wondering what ‘confession’ meant.

“And don’t call me ma, my name is Ada,” she stated as she picked some papers from her table and stood up from her seat. ”We are all on first name basis.”

“Including the MD?”
For the life of him, he didn’t know why he had asked that. It seemed the question had just popped out of his mouth and the look she gave him told him he shouldn’t have asked. He was surprised when she replied.

“No! To all of us, he is Mr Debo. We have a departmental meeting now.”

Martins nodded as he watched her walk out of her office to the outer area where the other executives sat. The woman was a classic! His first day at work and she had succeeded in making him feel stupid. He wondered what the remaining days of the month would look like. He sure hoped it would be better.

He settled for a nearby seat as he drew a huge breath of relief. The air-conditioned office gave him a soothing welcome to a new life – one which he hopes will be better than the hell he faces in his house with co-tenants.

As the daydream continued to flow in his head, Martins began to tilt his head slightly towards his shoulder, eyes closing slowly till he fell asleep.
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