Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 8
The Breadwinner Episode Eight
John was happy with himself. If not for anything, at least, he now has a lot of money in his bank account. He started laughing out loud all alone in the living room when his wife was yet to come into the house after seeing off her boyfriend.
"I'm surprised at myself. I didn't know I was capable of all the things I did today. It was like a bad spirit took over my brain. But I love it. The only person I'm sorry for is the landlord who came and took the pepper that doesn't belong to him. As for my wife and her boyfriend, I'm just starting. I will show them the difference between egbe and egbe." John bursts out laughing again. His phone rang and he picked up.
John was surprised when he saw the person who was calling him. It was Mr Igne, the general manager of the company where he used to work before he was sacked. John quickly remembered that since he left the company, no one has called him, not even his closest colleagues. He wondered why Mr Igne was calling him at that time of the day. The time was around 7pm.
"Hello. Good evening sir. It's a surprise to see your call sir. How is work going?" John said excitedly.
"I know you will be surprised. How is life treating you John? It has been a while. How are you doing? How is your family?" Mr Igne asked jovially. He already knew the answer he was going to get, but he asked anyway.
"It has been hell on earth for me sir. Loosing my job turned me into a pauper and made me a laughing stock in my neighborhood and even in my family. I have been suffering since then sir." John remarked.
"I understand and I sympathize with you. However, the good news is that your suffering is about to end." Mr Igne said. John became more interested in the conversation and even stood up from the chair and started pacing around the room, eager to hear the next thing the company manager was going to say. John's heart was beating very fast as if he had run several kilometers of marathon race.
"When you say my suffering is about to end, what do you mean sir? I want to hear it because I'm confused." John said. The company I'm confused." John said. The company manager took a deep breath and continued what he was saying.
"I mean the company is calling you back John. We are sorry. You were not supposed to be sacked. It was an error. Your name was included on the list of those to be sacked by error. We are so sorry. But you can resume work first thing tomorrow morning. The error has been rectified." Mr Igne, the company manager said to John. John was happy but at same time,
he was sad.
"So all the suffering and humiliation I have gone through for the past several months was not supposed to happen? I'm happy, but I'm still heartbroken to hear this." John said to the manager.
"I'm so sorry John. But the company has made arrangements to compensate you for all the inconveniences you have suffered during this period. I ordered the accountant earlier in the day to pay all your salaries for 10 months, from the month you were erroneously sacked to this month. And you have also been promoted to the position of deputy general manager." Mr Igne said to John. John was almost in tears when he heard all the manager was saying. He could not believe his ears.
"Please, check your bank account, I'm sure the money is there now. I expect to see you at work tomorrow. Please, once again, we are sorry. I insisted on making this call myself because I wanted to personally apologize to you." Mr Igne said.
"Yes sir. Everything that happened is now in the past. I will be at work tomorrow sir." John replied as he hung up.
John's face was looking sad. Despite the good news he had heard, he still had a mixed feelings of sadness and joy. In fact, he was actually weeping, knowing that he was not supposed to be sacked. He was so sad when he remembered all he had gone through during the time he was Jobless. John sat on the sofa in the living room and burried his face in his two palms. After a while, his phone beeped. When he looked at the phone screen, he saw that all his salaries had been paid just as his manager promised. The money was N9 million.
John started sobbing when he saw the huge amount of money in his bank account. From John started sobbing when he saw the huge amount of money in his bank account. From sobbing, he entered laughter and from laughter, he entered shouting. He was so happy that all the secret tears in his eyes had been wiped.
"Is this real or am I dreaming?" John asked himself.
"Yes! You are dreaming, but what I'm going to do to you will make you wake up from that dream. You will wake up from that malaria and typhoid dream. You think you have the power to chase away my boyfriend? You think you can threaten him and force him to dump me? Where do you think I got all the money I have been using to feed you? Jobless man. Remember, you are still idle and that man you were threatening is the only reason you still have food to eat. So, you can't chase him away. And the money you collected from him, I want you to give it to me. Jobless fool who sits idly and eat free food." Miriam said to her husband. John did not respond.
"If I finish dealing with you, you will know that I'm the one who paid your bride price and brought you into my house. I will show you that I'm the man of the house." John said in his heart as he silently walked away after a hard look at his wife. The money in his account had made him to regain his confidence.
Later that night, John sat down and wrote a resignation letter addressed to his wife's school. He wanted to make his wife to lose her job. The next more while going to drop his children in school, he branched off to his wife's school and submitted the resignation letter on her behalf.
"My wife is not feeling well. She is so sick and the doctors have said she must take a bed rest for six months. She asked me to submit this resignation letter on her behalf. She said I should thank you for giving her the opportunity to serve." John said to the proprietor of the school who collected the letter and filed it. The proprietor said he would look for another teacher to replace Miriam. John left the office satisfied and happy.
Miriam prepared herself and went to work that morning without knowing what John had done.
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