Bitch

Episode 22

Zainab got to the office of the commissioner as she was directed and knocked before walking into the office only to see a full room, filled with five men.

She looked at them all clearly, she identified the one on suit to be Boniface.

The fat one wearing the custom black and black police uniform to be the commissioner. She saw Richard at one end of the room looking at her with surprise but what really caught her attention where the two men who looked like they had just survived a bomb blast. The both wore just boxers and had huge scars and injury all over their body.

Zainab needed some explanations. She turned to Boniface and asked, “What the hell is going on her?”
Boniface smiled, “oh, it took you more than an hour to get here but its good you are here anyway.”

“That’s not what I asked you,” Zainab retorted, “who are all these people?” she was really curious.

Boniface sighed, “I wonder why you are always this up tight and can’t take a joke.

Anyway, if you must know.

That man over there is your Husband and the person who would soon go to prison for a long time” Boniface pointed at Richard, “at my front here, is the commissioner of police, in person of Mr Ajibade. And those two gentle men over are the men who stole your car.”

Boniface concluded.

Zainab was surprised, she hadn’t told Boniface about her missing car and here he was, showing her the people who stole it, “stolen car? But I didn’t tell you anything about that…”

“No you didn’t, and we are going to talk about that later. But as for now, all you need to know is that your car is presently within this premises and in perfect condition,” Boniface paused and recalled the car has a slight scratch on the bonnet, “or at least its still exactly how you left it.” He added and smiled.

Zainab wasn’t still satisfied and just couldn’t get why Boniface always loved sounding smart, “so these two men stole my car and that’s why they are here, noted. So what is Richard doing here, I thought we didn’t have enough reasons to get an arrest warrant,” Zainab replied purposely avoiding Richard stare.

“Have enough reasons? What does that mean? You already have some reasons?…

I’ve done nothing wrong and I can assure you that I’ll sue all of you once my lawyer gets here,” Richard said, he had already called Tony, his supposed lawyer.

“Oh! That’s what you think,” Boniface replied Richard and then turned to face the two shirt-less men and asked, “gentlemen, can you kindly tell the whole room who hired you both services to steal Mrs Anderson’s car?”
The men both looked at each other as if contemplating on wiether the should speak or not, then without said a word to each other the turned the Richard and said, “him,” in unison.

Richard face went read and he clenched his fist, he had paid them a really insane fee to keep their mouth shut no matter what happened, “me? I have never seen these men in my life!” Richard denied.

“Well, we would leave that for the judge to decide, it would be your word against mine, and mind you, I have a copy of all your bank transactions in the past one week and from what I saw, you transferred one million naira each, to two accounts that co-incedentially bears the name of this two men here, so maybe you should start working on your guilty plea, because that might reduce your sentence,” Boniface gave a contended smile.

He loved when he does stuffs like this, he liked out smarting others just as Zainab had thought.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” was all Richard could say.

As all this happened, Zainab had been staring at Richard with hate, she just couldn’t believed her ears, “Richard, did you ever love me at all?” She asked, already at the verge of crying, even with all that had happened, she still felt something for Richard.

Richard couldn’t answer the question, “Zainab, I… I…” He stuttered.

“I thought as much,” Zainab said and wiped her tears, she turned to Boniface and asked, “how long would it take before this b—–d is thrown behind bars?”
“Well, it depends on how fast the trial goes, I expect a very fast one since we have tonnes of proof to look him up for life. So maybe in a week or two,” Boniface replied.

“Good, can I have my car keys now? I have somewhere I need to be now, and I can’t stand the presence of this arse hole!” Zainab literally yelled.

“You can’t leave yet, you have to sign some papers first and we might need you for one thing or the other,” Boniface replied.

“I trust that you can handle everything yourself, after all, you are the best lawyer there is. Now where are the papers I’m meant to sign?”
Boniface smiled, at last,
Zainab admitted he was smart. He brought out the papers and served it to Zainab who signed it.

“So where are my car keys?” Zainab asked.

“Pick it up from sergeant Yemi at the front desk, I supposed you have met him already?” The commissioner replied.

“Yes, I think so, thanks,” Zainab walked towards the door and opened it, before she stepped out, “and one more thing, don’t contact me until the court date has been fixed, I want to be there when he is sentenced,” she added.

Boniface nodded in response.

Zainab glared at Richard for a bit and then finally walked out. She picked her keys from.

Sergeant Yemi as instructed and went to her car.

She smiled as she saw her car, neatly parked beside a couple of police vans, she entered the car and drove E.A house. She had missed E.A endless phone calls and BBM chat, it was time to make up, she needed her friend back.

Ever since she was a kid, Jummy had been in a position of power only once and that was when she was appointed as the class captain of primary two in Kalac Nursery and Primary school. Back then, just as she is now, Jummy was outspoken and bold – two important criteria of a leader. So when her class teacher stood her at the front of the class one faithful monday and informed the whole class the Jummy was now the new class captain, it came as no surprise to her.

Well, she was only class captain for just a term as the most brilliant boy in the class took the position from her the next term.

Anyway, all of that was history as she she looked at the name tag on her table: “MISS OLUKOYA JUMOKE.” Below the name, “Assistant manager” was Bodly written.

She couldn’t wait to have a little fun with her newly found authority so she stood up from her desk and headed out of the office, she intended on going to make some people regret she was now their boss. She smiled at this thought.

She stood at her door post for a while, looking round the big hall filled with cubicles and customer care agents, she was looking for who to disturb.

Her search was short as she spotted a female staff who instead of picking the call that was probably from a grieved customer, was busy filing her nails and at the same time gisting with another male staff who was sitting on her desk.

“Perfect!” Jummy exclaimed in joy and then straightened her face almost immediately, she knew she can’t smile and go there if she wanted to be taken seriously.

In less than twenty steps, she was an arms length close to the two staffs, she had a quick glance at their I’d cards, the female name was Rita and the male Richard.

The male name reminded her of Zainab’s husband and she made a mental note to call Zainab later on to as for an update of her husband case.

“Hi guys,” she said with a grin, a sinister grin, I might say.

“Hey girl, what’s up,” Rita replied, still filing her nails.

“I’m fine oh, I’m just wondering if you are being paid to flirt with the male staffs and file your nails..” Jummy replied, the grin was no more.

Rita paused with the filing and slowly turned to look at Jummy, “I beg your pardon?” She said.

“Oh! You don’t understand english? Or are you just deaf?” Jummy replied.

“Wait oh! When last I checked, you are the one who left your desk and come here, aren’t you guilty too? See if you don’t have anything useful to do with your time, you can pick a broom and sweep the whole office.”

Jummy bursted out in laughter, Mrs Ogbonaya hadn’t informed other staffs of Jummy’s promotion yet.

“Do you know who I am?” Jummy asked.
“Yes I do, you are the person that’s about to leave my presence,” Rita replied with a tint of sarcasm.

“Rita, shut up first,” Richard cut in. “Please tell me you are not the new assistant manager, the rumour has been flowing all morning,” he added, referring to Jummy.

Jummy smiled, “first of all, its not a rumour, and secondly, I am as a matter of fact.”

Rita immediately dropped the file and stood up, “am so sorry ma, I didn’t know you were…”

“Oh! So you are sorry now?” Jummy cut in.
Richard stood up from the desk, “its just an innocent mistake na, you were once like us, just let this slide, I can assure you it won’t happen again.”

The confidence and politeness in Richard tone made Jummy smile, “okay, its all right, you guys should return back to your work immediately before the main manager see you guys.”

“Thanks,” Richard replied and walked away.

Rita just smiled and picked the call that has been ringing all along, “hello, welcome to GNP customer services, how may I help you?”
Jummy sighed and walked back to her office disappointed, she had hoped for more action.

She got to her office only to see the least person she had expected to see.

Why was she receiving strange guests today? First it was Stephen and now this one? She wondered.

“Hello Jummy, how are you doing?”
It was John.

---

The truth of the issue, even though Zainab would never had accepted it was, she liked E.A very much, but she didn’t fancy office dating so she kept on ignoring his moves.

This time, she made up her mind that she needed a new man in her life that would help her forget Richard more quickly, and the only one she had on her mind was E.A. She concluded that she might eventually give him a trial if he forgives her this time.

Zainab cruised into “Rasaki” street in Ajegunle at exactly 4:30PM. The street was tarred and fairly neat thanks to the new governor but like most normal Ajegunle street, it was noisy and filled with people: touts, pregnant girls, kids wearing only pant and pushing “okada” tyres.

Zainab wondered why E.A still lived here, he had the money to move out and rent a comfortable apartment in FESTAC or any better place but he just wouldn’t move.

Zainab had thought about suggesting it to him several times but she feared he might take it the wrong way and assume she was insulting him, so she kept quiet and rarely visited him.

She parked at the front of NO 5: a wine coloured five story building with E.A two bedroom flat on the third floor. She had purposely not called E.A before coming because she expected him to ignore her call so she decided to surprise him, hoping he would be home.

She stepped out of the car and looked around, she noticed the group of young “area boy” that were sitted at a corner close by were all looking at her without even blinking.

She sighed, she knew she was beautiful and curvy and like when people stare at her but she didn’t like this particular stare, she just hoped that all the boys would do is just stare from a distance.

She walked into the building, the gate was rickety and at the verge of falling down.

The landlord had in the past been warned by his wife to change the gate before it injured someone, but he ignored her.

Zainab walked to the stair way at the side of the building and without pausing for once, she climbed all the way to the third floor and stopped at E.A’s door, a door made of metal.

She wasn’t expecting a door bell so she knocked directly.

After knocking for a few minutes with no response, she finally assumed E.A wasn’t home, so she sighed and was about to go when she heard some noise from the door as if someone was trying to open it, she smiled and murmured a “thank God he’s home.

”The door swung open and a lady who wore one of E.A’s shirt, she obviously had nothing under it as the contour of her nippl3 was obvious through the shirt.

“Who are you looking for?” The lady asked with a suspicious tone.

Zainab was surprised, she was already wondering if she was at the wrong flat. But that was E.A shirt, she had seen it on E.A a couple of times, but then again, there are probably over a million of that same type of shirt in the world.

She was still debating on what she was going to do next when she heard a voice say, “babes! Who is at the door?”
“I don’t know, think the person is either deaf or dumb!” The lady replied back.

The person who spoke first walked to the door and looked outside at Zainab.

“Zainab! What are you doing here?”
It was E.A.

---

Jummy was shocked as she saw John sitting on her seat in her office, when did he pass her? And how did he even know where she worked to start with? She wondered.

“John!” She exclaimed, she was overwhelmed by his presence.

“Jummy!” John exclaimed in response in a mocking tone.

“What are you doing here?” She asked.

“I get that I’m supposed to book an appointment to see you but I didn’t know who to book the appointment with since you have no secretary or P.A,” John replied. He seemed to be enjoying the moment.

Jummy sighed, “I don’t mean it that way, as in, how did you know where I work? How did you enter without me knowing? And on a more serious note, what are you doing here?” Jummy asked.

“I would have thought you didn’t like as I’m here but you are smiling,” John replied grinning. Jummy didn’t even know she was smiling.

“Oh! John! Am glad you are here, am just curious that’s all,” Jummy replied and sat on one of the visitor’s seat opposite her seat in which John was sitted.

“Okay, well, let’s just say I know a few people and have a few friends almost everywhere,” John replied. “And I think this is weird, you are supposed to be sitting here and I.. There,” John added.

“That doesn’t matter. What are you doing here anyway?” She asked.

“Well, I know we are supposed to go for dinner tonight or maybe tomorrow night but I just couldn’t wait to see your face, so I came to take you out for lunch.” John replied.

“Lunch? Its just 11PM and lunch is by 2PM,” Jummy replied.

“Oh! You are the assistant manager now, am sure you can leave for an early lunch without anyone complaining,” John replied.

“Err.. I don’t know if…” Jummy was about to say.

“Oh! I’ll advice you to not to say no because If you say no, I’ll probably just have to drag you and I’m sure you wouldn’t want your staffs to see me dragging their boss out of the building,” John replied.

Jummy smiled, she was already blushing, “you don’t give up easily, do you?”
John shook his head and hummed a NO.

“Okay, if you insist, I’ll go out with you but I can spare only one hour,” she replied.

“I need only one hour,” John replied and picked up Jummy’s handbag for her.

“You not going to carry that for me, are you?” Jummy asked grinning sheepishly.
“I am, I wouldn’t want my lady to stress herself.” John replied and stood up.

Jummy cheek turned tomato red. She hadn’t seen any guy that’s more romantic than John.

John walked towards her and held her hand, “shall we?” He asked.

“Of course, we shall,” Jummy replied and couldn’t believe her luck. She somehow felt they might be out for more than an hour.