HADASSAH (Episode 5)

Hank was in his office when he got a message notification on his computer. He was busy with some documents on his desk. His face lit up as he read the content of the message, and he dropped his pen and stood from his seat. It was a big privilege asked to a get-together by the boss. Even as the MD, he had his limits. He couldn’t just approach the boss for no seemingly important reason. 

               It wasn’t just a meeting, but a get-together. He was going to be eating and drinking with just his boss and his assistant. The thought alone sparked excitement in him. He opened his window blinds and looked out. He saw some of the junior staff trying to move some products into the store. Among them was Michael, who happened to look up at the time Hank was looking out his window. Hank kept a straight face as their eyes met, while Michael frowned and looked away.

               He closed his window blinds, picked up his phone, and dialled his wife’s number. As soon as she picked up, he asked her to hold on that he wants them to have a conference call with some of his friends.

               “Hankooo… How you dey? (How’re you?)” Said one of his friends.

               “Ah, why you dey do conference call? (Why did you choose to have a conference call?)” another asked.

               “Zara baby, you sef dey here (you are here as well), how far na (How are you?)” said another.

Zara let out a laugh but didn’t reply.

               “Guy, how many times do I have to tell you not to refer to my wife as baby? Zara is okay.” Hank said all smiles as he sat in his chair.

               “Forget! Your wife is our baby,”

               “I am one man’s baby please” Zara replied with a sarcastic tone.

               “Jokes apart guys, guess what?”

               “What?”

               “Wetin happen? (What happened?)”

               “What’s up?”

               “I am having a get-together with my boss tomorrow. I mean Mr Adrien- almighty Mr Adrien. Can you imagine? The sweet part is that it’s just him, his assistant and I. He said we’d be having discussions on how to…”

               “What’s special in that? Is he not your boss, and isn’t that supposed to be normal?” his wife asked.

               “Darling, don’t you get it? I’m not the only administrative personnel here. I’m not even a partner in the company, yet Mr Adrien wants to have a meeting with me on how to better the company. I mean, others that are even in higher positions than myself wouldn’t be in attendance, not even the company’s partners or heads of department… We’d not just have the discussions as a business meeting, but over coffee or tea,” Hank explained with all excitement.

               “Wait, you mean to say he wants to get advice from you on how to run his company over tea?”

               “Yes…, but that’s not all”

               “That means just one thing,” his wife screeched with happiness. “That he is getting more comfortable with you, and he might even be considering making you partner,” she added.

               “Bingo! My point exactly!”

               “Then you can have all of the powers you want and do what you like in the company,” one of his friends stated.

               “Never have I heard a truer statement” he replied with pride. “You guys remember that Michael guy I do talk about?”

               “Which Michael?”

               “Who’s that?”

               “C’mon guys! That rude junior staff I said can’t stand me; talk more of greeting me or acknowledging my presence?”

               “Oh, him,” they chorused.

               ”Yeah, I just saw him. I was thinking that just making him lose his job wouldn’t be enough. I am thinking of what else I can do to him that can break him and make him respect his elders”

               “You can frame him for some kind of offence. Say some squandering of the company’s funds, or hoarding of company’s goods, and make sure he goes to jail, so next time, he’d learn to respect his elders,” Zara said in a carefree tone.

               ”Hey!!! Zara baaabyy! Big mummy!” his friends hailed as Zara and Hank laughed.

               “Yes now. That man has zero respect for his elders. He treats my husband like he’s mates with him or something. He needs to be taught how to treat people in a higher position than he is” she added.

               “From now on, you’re Big Mummy Zara! Like, I give it to you ma!” one of his friends said in such a tone that threw everyone into rounds of laughter.

               “What would I do without you?” Hank said obviously impressed by his wife’s idea.

*****

                “Hello sir,” Hadassah said over the phone while scratching her sleepy eyes.

               “You can’t sleep, sir? Must be jetlag,” she added, yawning.

               “I’m not sure I can say the same for you.” Mr Adrien replied wide-awake.

Hadassah yawned loudly once more.

               “You think you can keep that down and not rub it in my face that I cannot find sleep?” He asked, a little irritated. They landed at the airport late in the evening, and they both proceeded to their houses to prepare for the next day. Hadassah had slept off immediately she hit the bed, while her boss couldn’t sleep. He kept turning and turning, and his mind was here and there. He kept recollecting the issue with Big Ben and Terrence. Including the mystery man who found out their plot and reported it. He decided to call up his personal assistant when it seemed like the matter wasn’t going to get out of his head.

               “I’m sorry sir,” she replied, half awake.

               “I know it’s late and past working hours, but could you please get me the MD and all heads of department on a zoom meeting? Tell them I said it’s urgent, and it’s going to be very brief. If not all, do make sure I have a reasonable number of people in the meeting. Also, set up the meeting room”

               “Right away sir. I’m on it.” She answered as she dragged herself from the bed to her table. Immediately she dropped the call, she started calling up the people in question while she simultaneously tried to set up a zoom meeting.

               “Hello, good evening. Apologies for cutting your sleep short, but Mr Adrien would like to have a zoom meeting with all HODs. It’s urgent, and he promises to be very brief. I already sent the meeting link and password to your WhatsApp.” She repeated these words to every one of them who picked up, and she made sure they were very awake before she tendered the reason for her call at that ungodly hour.

               She joined in the meeting ten minutes later and discovered that more than half of those she called were present in the meeting which had already commenced.

               “Err Hadassah, thank you for your help. You can leave and retire to bed. You do not have to be here. Thanks for your help once again.” Mr Adrien announced as soon as he sighted her in the meeting.