Chapter 4: Coworker Confessions and Tension

"Why you suddenly change your mind again?"

Mr. Jide face strong, e voice serious.

"Normally, all of una dey play for work, I no dey mind, una fit joke with me, but when e reach work..."

He pause: "No suppose think well before you act, see am finish?"

I know say he don lower him voice, maybe make I no fear.

See as this boss fine reach, still get good mind.

E touch me: "Oga, na true, but I no wan leave you like that."

E finger wey dey desk shake small.

I add:

"And the rest people too."

"Like Uche wey dey always give me coffee—even when e bitter like agbo—Amina wey dey buy zobo for the girls, Tolu wey sabi computer pass mechanic..."

"All of them, I no fit just leave dem."

Mr. Jide eye squeeze:

"You get plenty men for your mind o."

"Na all of dem you like?"

No be so.

Na the boss sure pass—none of them get yansh reach you.

I answer:

"Women dey too."

"I like everybody for here."

He just hiss: "I no know how all those people concern the thing wey you send me."

"But as you talk, you get plenty options, so you suppose think am well, abi?"

"Na so."

I talk am with seriousness: "I no fit just carry all my eggs put for one basket."

"But I no go just leave this tree like that, so I still dey think am."

Mr. Jide no talk again, but e hand don form fist, knuckle white like paper.

E be like say I touch am for where e dey pain.

After all, na boss he be, get plenty people wey dey depend on am.

He no fit just waka like me.

Rich people get their own wahala.

"I see say you no even wan stay with me, every word dey enter my bone."

Mr. Jide remove him glasses.

Come go back to him normal cold, distant face.

"Oya, go out."

"So..."

"I know say you no mean am, I no go put am for mind."

Even as I dey waka commot, I fit feel say tension dey hang for air like NEPA wire. The corridor smell like indomie and printer ink. I swallow spit, carry myself out with small dignity, even though my leg dey wobble.