Must Read: Taking Chances

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: Taking Chances

The grapevine had it that she, whatever her name was, had been Mama’s assistant overseas. And every hand pointed to mama as the brain behind the marriage. Her boss had not been very pleased to be married then and even now, she could bet he still wasn’t pleased. Oh well, it was the life of the rich, and they had funny ways of living it. Her boss wasn’t the type to give in to gossip and frivolous talk, she sure stood at a risk of running into problems with
him if he knew she had been supplying the grapevine tiny details about him. since she didn’t want to lose her job, the best thing to do now, was to provide food for him and then start minding her own business.
‘where are you headed with your head in the clouds?’ Ade asked startling her. He was eyeing her with a flirtatious grin now.
‘goodmorning Mr. Ade, am off to get…’
‘Its okay, i trust you know where you’re going’ Ade said uninterested.
‘sure’ Dorothy replied and made to leave.
‘and is he around, your boss?’ he asked.
‘yeah’ she replied making to leave again, but Ade held her hand now.
‘you are yet to give me a suitable feedback on my proposal’ he said
softly.
‘with all due respect sir, this is an office and…’ she was saying,
gently pulling her arms from his hold.
‘that’s okay’ Ade said, slightly irritated and loosen his hold. He
didn’t care much for low class chicks anyways, he had class and they came in only as alternative.
Soon he was waltzing away, not a glance back at her.
Dorothy looked scornfully at the retreating figure of Ade, hissed and rolled eye.
‘ashawo lo omo’ she cursed under her breath and continued her journey.
******
‘hey man, whats up!’ Ade said soon as he stepped into Jide’s office.
Jide didn’t look up from the document he was perusing, and didn’t act like he’d heard someone speak.
‘come on, don’t give me that, i only came to say hi’ Ade pushed further.
Jide hit his desk in anger then. ‘I would count it a favor if you just
left’ he said between clenched teeth.
‘calm down dude, am not here for a fight or something’
‘your presence alone is repulsive, it makes me feel like hitting the
life out of you, so please just leave my office’ jide shouted angrily.
‘was there something i did?’ Ade asked feigning innocence ‘i just came to ask if we should expect you at the club tomorrow, or like last week that you…’
‘clubbing is the last thing on my mind now!’ Jide screamed in
exasperation. How was he going to shake Ade off! He wondered in anger.
‘relax man, the boys put me to it, i don’t feel like seeing you either’
Ade replied in disgust.
‘good! Then be gone’ Jide shouted pointing at the door.
‘not after you calm down man!’ Ade retorted. What was wrong with the f.ool of man, he thought. He wasn’t the only one with dislike issues here!
Jide stood up and made for the door, there was no reasoning with the irritating animal. The day when he would get his was so around the corner! he thought angrily.
Ade sighed at the retreating figure of Jide and grinned as he b@nged the door. He was not the least shaken or remorseful, anything he could to get back at Jide was perfect.
Their feud dated back to their university days, and even though Ade was sure Jide wasn’t aware of it, he still held the grudges nonetheless. He hated Jide’s gut, hated the fact that the he was arrogant and yet got away with it. Acting like a spoilt brat everytime, because he was rich and famous in the business scene. While people like him had to struggle
for everything – money, status, position, attention and even love. Yes love! That was the bane of contention here. Jide had gotten the girl Ade had loved back then in school, even though now, everyone had splitted ways and moved on, Ade still nursed his defeat. The girl had been
attracted to his jide’s wealth, and Jide had capitalized on it even
though he had known that he (Ade) was interested.



It shouldn’t matter anymore to him because he was not unto the girl anymore, he bedded more classy chicks now. It was simply a matter of hitting Jide with a dose of his own medicine.



He’d totally forgotten about the pretty woman whose wedding he had immensely contributed in. The woman he had had no qualms whatsoever, if she had been forced upon him, and the woman who he’d pleaded with Jide to pretend liking at the wedding then.
But now he had realised that she was the perfect bait. Yes, he hadn’t given it much thought then because Jide hadn’t accepted her, but now, judging by his sudden jealous and protective tendency towards her, he was sure Jide was finally falling. Therefore What Grace had been shrewd enough to notice and wave when he had made advances towards her then, he hoped Daisy would gladly play into. Grace was more like a buddy to him now, too bad, she hadn’t made it down the aisle with Jide, not that he cared who married who anyways, It was just a game of little revenge, nothing more
‘nothing more’ Ade said aloud now, standing up from Jide’s desk where he had unconsciously sat during all that musing down memory lane.
‘watch out, am coming for you’ Ade said to the thin air, looked around the moderately furnished office, adjusted his tie and blew off the imaginary dust from his shoulders, then waltzed out of Jide’s office.
When Jide left his office, he headed straight to his father’s. It was better to get all the blows today had to offer, he thought.
After that wedding incidence, things became far from being cordial between him and his dad, infact it wasn’t only their relationship that had been affected, everyone in his family steered clear from him, and if Jide had glowed in it before, he didn’t anymore, infact it added to his pains. Because ever since he started craving for a family with Daisy, the cravings for his
natural family doubled too.
As he walked down to his father’s office, which he had rarely entered
the past few months, he longed for forgiveness from him for he too was willing to forgive and let go even his grandmother for their interfering acts.
‘goodmorning dad’ Jide said soon as he stepped into his father’s office.
‘morning’ his father said without taking his attention from the
newspaper he was reading.
‘you sent for me’ Jide said when his father didn’t say more.
‘yeah’ he replied, flipping to another page of the paper ‘your grandma sent in some items, am sure you know what else to do’ he completed, his attention still on the paper.
‘and she couldn’t call me herself’ Jide replied, a hint of rejection in
his tone.



That made his father raise his brows in surprise and peer at Jide from the top of the paper he held. But it happened in a flash, even Jide hadn’t noticed.
‘okay’ Jide sighed and headed out, stopping momentarily when he got to the door and glanced back at the still nonchalant stance of his father.


When the door to his office closed, Mr. Olukoya dropped the paper he had so much been engrossed with and stared at the door which his son had just shut.



It hurt him that his first son had drifted away from him, now he understood why Jide had reacted the way he did and he no longer felt anger towards him.


If anything, he wanted to get back to their former mutual relationship. Even though they hadn’t been on a very close level then, atleast they weren’t this distanced.
Right now, he could only wish for his son’s love and forgiveness, but he wasn’t going to push it, if there was anybody who had pride, arrogance and ego in one make up, then that person was Jide, the very child who had taken after him in these traits. Worst still, his was of a modern dimension, they didn’t bend easily.
Sighing once more in resignation, Mr. Olukoya went into the business of the day.