Chapter three

Uju wasn't quite sure she had seen this one before. His dark nose, pale appearance and smart english left no doubt in her that he was a poor educated man. His shirt looked washed to its best but unironed. Probably he had laid it under his bed for a possible ironing, but it seemed his effort ended furtile because some areas of the dress appeared a little straightened while other areas looked squeezed. His trousers had a colour Uju couldn't name. It seemed lighter than ox blood colour, and mind you it wasn't the original colour of the trouser. Too much of washing with low quality soap had made the original black trouser fade into ox blood and into its present colour. "What's your name again" She seemed to have forgotten his name.

"Benson" the man said out a little louder. Uju said nothing for few minutes. One could imagine she was dumb due to her silence and expression. Benson was thinking of what to say to her when her fairly soft voice was heard.

"Hello sir" she began

"Sir there's one..." she put down the phone and blocked the speakers

"What's your name again?" she asked in a whisper.

Benson was a little bit disappointed.

"Benson" he responded with a voice softer than a whisper. Uju gestured with her hand for him to repeat himself. Benson now had an unhappy expression on his face.

"Benson" he said to her reluctantly.

"Benson sir, Mr Benson sir" Uju said to her boss on the phone without noticing Benson reaction.

"He came to see you for an employment"she added.

"Okay sir"she said finally and hung up.

"Maybe he said I should wait"Benson thought within.

"Emm young man"she called Benson and he turned to look at her.

"My boss said you should wait"

"You can seat there" she pointed to where he was sitting while facing her laptop.

Benson looked around

"Here?" he asked her and for the first time she raised her head from her laptop.

"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?"she sounded firm. Benson said nothing and remained in his sitting position. He was annoyed that she paid little or no attention to him. Does she know who he is? he thought within. His anger was becoming so visible on his face and he didn't know when he was starring at her with that angry face.

With the corner of her eyes, Uju could see a bulging eye gazing at her. She could make nothing of the face because it was hazy. She raised up her head and found Benson face masked with anger and starring at her. Immediately there was an eye contact, he turned away.

"What's it?"she asked him a little suprised Benson pretended not to hear the question as he focused on something Uju could not see.

"Young man what's it?"she repeated with an uncertain expression in her face. Benson turned and pointed at himself.

"Yes you"she said

"I don't get you"Benson pretended

Uju said nothing but have him a hard stare, shook her head and continued with her work.

Five minutes later, the phone rang. Uju picked it up and ended the conversation with; "Okay sir"

She dropped the phone and continued with what she was doing. In no distant time, Alice, the Secretary came to Benson and requested him to come with her. Benson then went with her and in a few minutes he was out. Meanwhile, Uju was still working in her laptop.

"Thank you" he said as he walked out.

"You're welcome" she said with her head still bent to her laptop. Benson then walked out.

*****************************************

Uju loved her sauce hot and each time it was cold she'll reheat it again. It made more sense to her. Now she was in her kitchen reflecting over the discussions she had with her pastor after work today.

"It's a breakthrough"Pastor Wisdom had commented on the church building.

Uju had a close relationship with Pastor Wisdom family. She was like a family member to them.

She cut her onions carefully and placed her pot on fire. One by one she placed her ingredients in the heated oil. After few minutes of stirring she left the mixture to boil. It was a double faced gas cooker. She checked her spag. She tasted it and saw it was cooked. Turning it off, she moved towards her sauce and heard a knock on the door. This was a little suprising because Uju wasn't expecting anyone especially at such time of the day.

"Maybe it's a neighbour" she muttered.

"Coming"she said out but the person seemed not to hear as the knocking persisted. She dried her hands on a kitchen cloth and walked out of the kitchen.

"I said I'm coming" she said rather stressed.

She walked up to the door and opened it.

What a sight! A young man, frail and wet. Probably from falling into the deluge. The rain was lazily drizzling, but the poor drainage system of the surrounding areas might have created a flood thar this frail man must have fell into. Uju stared at him mouth agape. His shirt clung to his body and his trousers had a hole beneath the knee area. Uju tried to get herself, who was this? she thought within. On noticing her state, the man spoke up

"Please can i come in" he said with a shaky voice. Uju said nothing and kept on staring at him. The man continued

"Please I've not eaten for the past two days, please" he was going on his knees with tears in his eyes

"Two days?" Uju shouted with Pity in her voice.

"Yes" tears was still in his eyes as his knees approached the floor.

"No no no no, don't do this" Uju said as reached forward to pull him up. She quickly made room for him and rushed to check her sauce on the fire. She switched off the cooker and quickly served the meal for both of them. On getting to the sitting room, Uju saw him shivering. Thank God the meal was hot. Upon seeing a meal, the man wiped his eyes and settled down to eat the meal. Uju watched him. This one was certainly not a scam, she could see it in him. In few minutes he was done with the food and he seemed to regain himself.