CHAPTER FIVE

Of a truth me of all people, needed help. But he of all people needed the most help.

“Hasn’t it even occurred to him that we were too audacious to be normal people?” maggie asked also watching him storm down the hallway towards the stair case.

“Probably not. He must be too stressed and freaked out about the interview to be thinking in his right mind.” I said rubbing my fingers together, “he’ll come to when he comes to work come Monday.”

Maggie’s head snapped to me. “no way! Don’t tell me you’re gambling him getting the job? That’s like gambling with failure.”

“If he was ever failure and he somehow got on my team, he’ll get purged. Being on my side is enough to set anybody straight.”

Maggie scowled at me.

“you’re beginning to be audacious around me.” I snapped

She turned back to the hallway at his retreating figure, “I can’t wait to see the look on his face if he gets lucky”

Damn right, I thought.

“so what are you going to tell them in your three minutes. You can tell me now.”

“a few things including the live footage of the ongoing interview.”

Maggie narrowed her eyes in thought, “how is that going to be of any help?”

“I made sure all the best of the best in this country got to submit applications. We can just give them a few minutes to watch the future of the company in war of wits.”

“again I failed to get into your head. But of course it won’t be at the head of your thoughts if it wasn’t a brilliant idea.” She said. Maggie swirled around suddenly to reveal lulu standing in the doorway.

“Lulu?”I heard maggie mutter. “how long have you been standing there for?” she demanded.

“I just got here.”

She was breathing fast.

“what is it this time?”

“where have you guys been?” she asked.

“we’ve been in here, why?”

“I’ve been looking all over for you.”

I sat back in my chair and crossed my hands.

“why?” maggie asked.

“the meeting is about to start…”

“the meeting is about to start?!” maggie yelled.

“yes! Everyone is gathered except for us.”

My gaze shifted to the phone in lulu’s hand. It was lit. To the surveillance camera at the corner, the red light was still blinking.

“but it’s not supposed to hold until an hour’s time!”

“we don’t have time for this.” I said getting and arranging my skirt, “first we attend the meeting, then after we emerge victorious---” I raised my head to look at lulu, “ we can investigate why the time for the meeting was shifted up and why we were the only ones who didn’t know about this on time.”

She nodded and started walking away.

“something about lulu keeps smelling fishing.” Maggie muttered through gritted.

“something doesn’t smell fishy..” I said causing maggie to turn to me.

“what do you..”

“something is fishy and it’s just not just anything. I know what is in particular.” I said staring at lulu’s retreating figure.

The automatic sliding doors were sliding shut when i stomped my heeled foot in between causing the whole room to turn to me. I stood there for a minute before lifting the corners of my mouth in a sneer like smirk.

“What’s going on?” I asked my gaze wandering from one person to the next and finally stopping at my foster family; particularly at Anna.

I didn’t know what to expect but the plain expression was sure out of my mind.

I looked around again. My brother wasn’t present. That would be a big problem if it was time for the elections. Where was he? I really needed him right now. I contemplated stalling at the door to wait until he came running in but maggie asked lulu,

“where is jason?”

“Don’t worry he’s in the inner room,” lulu said.

I heaved a sigh of relief and walked into the room.

“what do you think you guys are doing?” I demanded dropping ever gracefully on the chair at the head of the table.

“miss snow…” someone was already saying but I cut them short.

“hold up.” I said raising a hand. “can I guess?”

Everyone exchanged confused glances.

“don’t tell me….” I paused and then bursted into a giggle.

“…is this a tea party?”

The place was quiet for a fraction of a second before the room erupted in laughter and light talk.

I took the time of the commotion to turn to the director sitting in my brother’s usual seat, “what are you doing there?”

“I uh…”

“have you lost it or have you forgotten the sitting arrangement around here?”

“it’s just…”

“get up and out of my sight before I lose it.”

The director got up and scurried away. I heaved a sigh of content and leaned back in my chair. It was a good thing that she wasn’t a major director.

“where are you going?” I heard someone demand behind me.

I turned around and there was my brother at the door with a cup of coffee. I traced his glare to the director who I sent off.

“jason!” I exclaimed clasping my hands. The whole room had gone silent.

He as much as ignored me.

“I made space for you,” I parted the seat beside me, “sit.”

“I asked you were you’re going.” He said to the director still ignoring me.

I scoffed to myself in disbelief.

“i…uhm..i want to change seats.”

“to which?” he demanded.

“jason…” I said through gritteed teeth.

The director pointed to the one beside my foster family.

“I wouldn’t mind you change seats if only it wasn’t that one.”

“jason that’s enough. Take a seat now.” I said swirling the seat around for him.

He started walking. I angled the seat even more to him. But when he got to me….he walked past without sparing me a glance.

I bit my lips trying to process what had just happened.

Maggie came to me and bent down to whisper to me. “ it seems jason has already picked a side. What should we do now?”

“stop spewing rubbish. Just because he decided to sit beside them doesn’t change anything. His loyalties lie with me.” I looked her in the eye, “we share the same blood and the same pain. He’s just freaked about having a complete family…”

“That’s the point. If he decides to give his votes to Anna then all the other directors must give you theirs and you know that’s going to be really hard…”

“Jason!” I raised my voice a notch causing the room to turn to us. I willed my mind to concentrate and blow the haze, “…loyalties lie with me- Me and me alone. You know why? Because I’ll be there for him through thick and thin and you know what? That’s because we are family and family sticks together…”

“That’s the problem here. Jason thinks that’s his family! I give up,” she said and moved to her seat slouching in it.

I turned away from her and faced Jason on the other end of the table. Anna had gotten up to make space for him all smiles and jokes. Her mother took the coffee from Jason and blew on it for him. Her father patted his back muttering things to him.

I felt a sharp pain in my hand. I looked down at it. It was balled into a fist and I was bleeding. I opened it up. I never knew they were that lethal, I thought checking out my talons. The wound hurts. If it hurt then why was I still squeezing it shut, the blood kept flowing.

I was staring blindly at it when I jerked to reality as Maggie dropped a kerchief on the bleeding fist and dapped. I took it from her and continued the dapping.

“We are opening the meeting now.” Lulu said speaking into the mic at the podium.

I looked up and locked eyes with Anna who was smiling widely at me.

Impudent b*tch.

“…for the past five years that other companies have been suffering plummeting profit, we have the luxury to say that we have been at the top of the charts. This report is therefore saying in summary that the executive chosen by the board have been effective…”

“How long will that last?” Anna spoke up.

Really?

“…forever if you ask me.” I retorted. She must have been taken aback. She probably was thinking taking my brother over there was going to incapacitate me. What a joke!

“That sounds very conceited if you ask me too.” She said.

“If that is being conceited and the company is doing well then that’s what the company needs now.” I shrugged.

She slammed her mouth shut as her jaws ticked. So unlady-like.

“Another thing the company needs is confidence in the face of opposition is courage.” Lulu spoke up causing everyone to turn to her. I leaned into my chair and Maggie came up to me. “Was there any other strategic meeting that I knew nothing about?” I asked

“If there was a fourth person then I would say, probably.” Maggie replied. I grunted. “But I don’t see any reason to feel suspicious. This looks like it’s in your favor,” she commented.

I had a feeling it wasn’t but I couldn’t tell for sure.

“What do you mean by that?” Anna demanded.

Lulu took out her phone, “this recording.”

What recording? Don’t tell me…

“Miss Snow.”

I put my hand to my forehead. “Tell her to turn it off.”

“I can’t. It’s already started playing out. What is she thinking?” Maggie muttered in dismay.

“I like people who defy orders.”

I groaned.

She was giving me even more reasons to suspect her what the hell was she thinking

“Your grandfather passed away may his soul rest in peace. According to rumors he signed all his shares and your grandma’s to your name and very soon the new CEO will be named. In your opinion, who do you think is going to be the next?”

“That’s an absurd question. Who is the present CEO? Me. Who will be the next? Most certainly me.”

“There will be a due process to appoint the CEO, how are you so sure about it being you again?”

“Because this is my specialty; kicking ass was what I was born to do.”

The recording cut off and Maggie let out a sigh of relief, “at least she cut out the nasty part. It’s not like any them here have time to listen to a stupid radio program.” She said the last part with a quivering voice.

I took one look at the sneering Anna.

“I guess you’re wrong.”

“That is an example…”

“Hold on a minute.” Anna said into her mic.

Lulu hesitated before urging her to go ahead.

“I don’t know if it’s some feeling of déjà vu but I feel I’ve heard this from somewhere and it’s not complete.”

“Of course it’s not complete.” Maggie spoke up, “we brought out the important part of it so we won’t waste our time here. The main aim of this gathering was to carry out the elections and we haven’t even gotten to that yet. I’m sure no one would want to spend an extra hour for something irrelevant.”

“Irrelevant?” Anna scoffed, “now that word brought back my misplaced thoughts. I think I remember where I heard that recording and I can’t exactly agree with the irrelevant part. I mean how can you say that when you were there live?” she gestured at Maggie.

The directors began to mummer among themselves.

“What are you talking about?” a director asked.

“Where does your loyalty lie Margaret? It should be with the company right?”

“What do you mean live?” one of the directors asked.

Anna held my gaze, “for quite the composed CEO you sure have a way of making a scene.”

I made sure not to glare.

“Can you cut to the chase. We are in the dark and it is not funny.” Another director bellowed.

“We don’t have time for family squabble…”

I wanted to yell that she’s not my family when Maggie gripped my arm hard. I looked up at her and she shook her head slightly at me.

I shut my eyes for a minute and then opened them up again. For a moment I was going to yell for lulu to go ahead with the meeting without adhering to the pleas of the board to fully understand what Anna was saying.

But

Something was weird. This was unlike Anna. I raised my eyes to her. She was smiling. Why was she smiling? The Anna I know will play the recording even before I could raise a finger. Why was she sitting there patient and everything as she was yelled at to enlighten everyone.

“snow.” Maggie whispered to me. “Say something!” she whispered harshly.

“What do you suggest I do?” I asked still holding Anna’s unwavering stare.

“What kind of question is that? Do the obvious! Stop her from playing that recording!”

“exactly.” I said feeling a light bulb light up in my head. “Of course.”

“Huh? What are you saying?” Maggie demanded.

“She’s expecting the obvious. And we can’t give her that.”

“What does that even mean?”

I turned to her, “have I done stupid things before?”

She scowled at me.

“Okay scratch that. How does it end?” I asked instead. She rolled her eyes in thought.

“Why not take a seat and watch me handle this. Maybe it’ll remind you of how the other situations ended. If you never trusted me guess you will after this.” I said and turned to face Anna whose smirk was still in place. From the corner of my eye, Maggie stood for a while before finally dropping into her chair. My gaze shifted to lulu at the podium. It was so ironic that Anna was sitting closer to her.

I clasped my hand and turned my attention to Anna who was watching my every move.

“What?” I demanded causing her smirk to falter a little bit.

“What is going on here?” the director closest to me demanded.

I turned to him, “what do you think?”

“I think the lots of you are holding back from telling something you feel we directors shouldn’t know?”

“What would that make us?”

The director didn’t let me finish, “traitors! Traitors if you were actually planning on doing that.”

He looked at Anna and then me, “I think that will be left with you and your entourage since by the looks of it Anna is ready to spill but you are stopping her!”

I turned to Anna who was finding it had to keep the smirk on her face. “Is that true?”I asked wide eyed.

I looked down and tapped my chin. “That will be so un-CEO of me.” I said into the speaker still tapping my chin.

After a while, I slammed my hand on the desk causing everyone to turn to me, “one rule of democracy… the masses have the freedom to state their worries if the government is going sideways and unlike they expected and it is the place of the government to decide to…. The rest of it doesn’t make any sense right now. But what I’m trying to say is,” I took a breather and looked at anna who was as much as glaring at me, “Anna, feel free to state your worries.”

Her eyes were seething with rage and I couldn’t careless, she just made things a little bit easier for me.

“What are you waiting for?” I asked, “You don’t have the remainder of the recording?”

I turned to lulu, “from what I noticed, that recording you gave was the full one but you cut it off for some sick reason that should be enough to fire you.”

She set her lips in a thin line.

“You can go ahead and play the rest.”

She gave this nod that felt like she was saying, with pleasure.

The recording began from where it stopped and I noticed something as the directors ‘ehed’ and ‘ahed’. This wasn’t the recording of someone who was listening to the radio but….it was one like it was recorded from within the confines of the studio. My gaze shifted to lulu who was looking straight at me.

Just too many reasons to suspect you.

I averted my attention to the recording again and waited patiently for it to come to an end.

When it finally did, all eyes were on me. All and sundry were too overwhelmed to utter a word.

“I know, I know.”I said looking at all of them.

“How could she? how dare she? Why would she? Blah blah blah…”

The director beside me sucked in a deep breath. “How brazen of you…”

I turned to him and snapped my fingers at him making him flinch and fall back in his seat, “that’s right! That’s the right word right there.” I said getting up.

“I’m brazen. It’s my nature! I can’t help it neither can I change it. But you know what?” I asked stepping away from my seat and moving to the slide at the side.

“This brazen b*tch… that’s right I’m being brazen right now.” I chuckled amidst their gasp and horror at my choice of words. “…has saved this company many, many…many times from going underneath. After the accident my poor grandparents had. The affairs of the company were automatically handed over to their only daughter and of course you all remembered the hell this company went through for over two years.” My foster mother glared daggers at me….as well as Jason.

But then again I could care less.

“The funny thing was that, she was everything the image of this company needed…the opposite of me but she was the opposite of everything which wasn’t what this company wanted…me.”

“She’s brazen indeed.” The director muttered.

“And just as I’m brazen and have always been, making equivalent brazen decision, I’ve made another one yet.”

Anna slammed her hands on the table and got up from her chair, “we have spent quite some time here today and we haven’t even achieved what we came here for. I suggest we go ahead according to the lineup of activities and quit derailing. The election is up next.”

“Oi!”I called out. “What are you doing?” I demanded.

“Uh, making sure everyone here doesn’t waste their time over uncalled-fors?”

“Uncalled for?”

“You heard me”

“I thought your obstruction was uncalled for…but I gave heed to the masses for fair hearing and it turns out it was…still uncalled for but then I could only decide that after I heard you out.”

“What….”

I faced the rest of the directors, “I heeded to your plea to be brought out of the dark. So I think it won’t be asking you too much to hear me out.”

Silent reigned.

“After that, I will fully accept your decision.” I prodded, this time looking at the directors I met with.

After what felt like forever, “okay.”One of them said. She rose up three fingers, “just three minutes.” She said smiling

The others chorused and grunted at the same time. I turned to Anna. She looked like an enraged wild animal that was about to pounce on anything…and not me of course. It was her mother that pulled her down into the seat.

“Make it quick.” A director said.

“With pleasure.” I said and signaled the tech in charge of the slides.

The word conglomerate came up in large letters.

“Conglomerate?” a director read out loud.

“Yes.”

“Are you proposing for a company handling activities different from our usual line of business?” another asked.

It took me all the will power in the world to not say duh? Instead of saying that I folded my arms and said, “You’re damn right.”

“What would this other company be doing?”

“It’s going to be a start up, a technologically based start up.”

The room erupted in mumbles and whispers.

Anna chuckled into her microphone, “let me get something straight. You are thinking of a start-up not just any startup but a technologically based start-up?”

“I can see your ears are still intact.”

She busted into laughter.

“Come on snow.” She said still laughing. “So you mean to tell me that after alll this commotion you caused…”

“…that you caused.” I interjected.

“…it was just about a start-up? A technology based start-up?” she laughed louder again. She swallowed and raised her hand, “I apologize for being this weird. This isn’t really me. But then snow you have to get your head out of the clouds and realize that you’re in Nigeria.”

“I agree,” another director said. “It’s a great idea but then what are you planning to go into exactly. Start-ups don’t really thrive here. I’m not proud to say it but it’s our country and it’s the truth.”

“I don’t have to worry about thriving when I have Gill corp.” I said spreading my hands to gesture at them.

Anna scoffed, “you missed the most important question. What?”

“I don’t have a concrete plan.”

She snorted.

“But the interviewees in this building do.”

“Interviewees?” a director asked.

“Yes. The screening process is ongoing as we speak.”

“Isn’t that too hasty?” another asked.

“It wasn’t. It’s one of the brazen things I do.”

“Another brazen thing is proposing a business plan that doesn’t have a concrete plan…”

“It has…a concrete plan.” I interjected.

“Which is?”

“The minds of those bright ones.”

Anna leaned into her chair and flung her hands in exasperation, “what’s the difference?”

“...it’s in how you said it.” I retorted.

I turned to the director from before

“this could be a path to the proud Nigeria you’ve been wishing for.”

She smiled this sad smile.

I turned to the rest, “I carefully gave out instructions that the best of the best with creative minds be chosen in this exercise. Believe me if I say this is not a dream of mine but one of people which I hold at high esteem than myself so you have every guarantee that this operation will be a success.”

I paused to look at their faces one after the other. They weren’t that satisfied with my little speech it seems. So I had no other choice but to play my last card.

“I know it’s very hard to not be the doubting Thomas of our time so I prepared a little something in advance. Of course all of us can’t go down right now to the interviewing venue to witness the brains clashing the brains so I decided…to bring the interview to you.” I gestured at the tech guy which was his cue to bring up the footage. My hand got suspended in air as I awaited the sound of the footage to start playing.

When it wasn’t fort coming, I cleared my throat and brought down my hands.

“Let’s try that again.”I chuckled lightly.

I rubbed my hands together. “…to bring the interview to you!” I pointed at the tech guy again.

A few seconds later, still no sound.

I dropped my hands to my sides with a thud and sharply turned to the tech guy who was squirming in his seat.

From the corner of my eye I could see the glint in Anna’s eyes.

I took a deep breath, walked up to the techie and bent to his level on his seat, “why is this circus being halted? What seems to be the goddamn problem,” I spelt out trying my best to keep my composure.

“I…I…I don’t know.” He stuttered. “I think the security system broke down.”

I leaned back, closed my eyes and smirked to myself. Slowly, I exhaled through my mouth and gradually opened my eyes to glare at Anna.”

She gave me a cheerful smile, grinning from ear to ear.

“what’s the wait?” her father asked and gestured to the blank slide, “have I finally gone blind?”

“that would be too soon.” I smiled tightly at him.

“I’m afraid your three minutes is up now” he said carefully checking his time.

How could any of this be happening? I thought. Obviously it was only Maggie I told my plans to and no one else. Who could have done this? Maggie would never do that and there was no other person in sight except…

“Lulu?” “how long have you been standing there for?”

“what is the problem?”I heard someone say beside me.

I turned around to find lulu standing beside the tech guy.

“I think the security footage went down.” He muttured.

“no way.” She said bitting her finger in anticipation.

“the sly bitch!” maggie whispered harshly beside me.

“hold on.” Lulu said getting up and dialing a number on her phone. She walked into the inner room talking inaudibly.

“I will squeeze her to tiny little molecules of nothing if we lose. I feel I’m beginning to lose my touch since no one takes me seriously nowadays.”

“huh?” the techie exclaimed making me look back to the computer, “it came up. It actually came up.”he said with his hands to his head. “what is going on?” maggie asked going to stand beside him.

The sound came on almost immediately startling everyone in the room. I turned to the slide to see that the footage has come up.

I stared at the small room that lulu had entered and looked back at the slide that was showing moving pictures.

“what is the problem with that girl?” maggie muttered coming to stand beside me.

“I wonder.” I said deep in thought.

“just when everything was turning out well,” maggie cursed silently looking at the slide.

I turned around also to check it out and almost sweared.

“how many misfortunes do we have to encounter in just one day.” I said putting a hand to my temple.”

“unbelievable!” maggie exclaimed. Then pointing at the screen she whispered, “isn’t that the confused guy that was following you around this morning? We are doomed.”

Why did it have to be now?

I couldn’t witness it.

I couldn’t witness my well thought out plan go down the drain. I couldn’t stand the face of my foster family when the plan flops.

I couldn’t stand anything thing right now.

I picked up my bag and slipped out of the room ever so quietly without anyone noticing.

I locked the VIP convenience door behind me and rushed over to the sink. I dropped my bag and rummaged through it for my meds. I pooped two pills in my mouth and chugged it down with some water. I went ahead to splash water on my face several times until I felt relieved.

After a while, I gripped the sides of the sink and stared into the mirror and accessed my appearance. I looked like a lunatic on the loose.

I cackled at the accuracy.

The cackling turned into full blown yells and screams as I went ahead to pull the fire extinguisher close to me and start to bash into the mirror, the stall doors and the sink.

I let the fire extinguisher fall to the ground as I slipped down slowly.

I desperately wanted to cry… but I couldn’t find the voice to so I bit my finger as hard as I could till I was sure I was going to rip it off if I went further.

I resorted to curling in a ball and sitting at a corner to reflect my life.

A few minutes later, I unlocked the door and walked out heading to the elevator. I pushed the button and waited patiently.

The doors opened.

When I was about entering, the doors began to close again and I jumped back.

I looked up at the floor readings… it was a dash.

What was it this time?

I tried pushing the button again and it didn’t budge. I did a couple times and finally slammed my fist into the door.

Was this another plot to try to kill me again?

If it was, then bring it on.

My grandparents may be disappointed that I would try to take my life but they’d understand if someone tried to.

I turned in the direction of the stair case and walked down.

I closed the door of the stair case behind me as hard as I could to make sure who ever was waiting for me would be alerted that I was in the trap.

Nothing happened for a good minute so I began to tentatively took a step at a time descending the stair case. I was two floors down when a door opened and then closed behind me. I stopped in my tracks as my legs began to shake.

I shook my head and began going down again.

Suddenly, they put their hand to my shoulder and flipped me around pinning me to the railing.

When did they get to me so quickly? I thought in hysterics.

It was no good seeing his face because even if I didn’t end up dead after getting pushed of at this height a well masked face won’t do much in finding me.

I shut my eyes and got ready to be pushed off into oblivion when he suddenly let go of my shoulder and I struggled to keep my composure, bending over and taking deep breathes.

I swallowed and looked up.

The masked man was in a choke hold with…

I gasped in surprise. “dumb interviewee?!” I exclaimed.

That got his attention and eventually caused him to lose focus as the masked man pushed him off and ran down the stairs with the speed of light.

“you again?!” he yelled.

“what are you doing down here?” I demanded.

“what do you mean what am I doing down here?”

“aren’t you supposed to be in the interviewing room?”

“I was there a couple of minutes ago. I only got back to get my flash.” He said waving something at me.

“you have the nerve…” I began painfully slow, “…to stand there and act cool when you just messed up my plans!”

“your plans? What has your plans got to do with me?” he demanded.

“you just had to be there at that time to flop and make a big fool of me.”

“if you’re talking about my interview which I don’t see how it affects your plans. Then I aced it.”

“you what?”

“they were so impressed that they sent me a notification right away to begin work on Monday.”

“ wait what?” I exclaimed.

My phone buzzed and I hastily took it out of my bag. It was maggie.

“what ?”

“where are you?” she demanded.

“the elections how did it go?” I demanded.

“it was successful…”

“what!” I exclaimed in disbelieve and lost my footing falling back into the railing. I yelped in surprise.

Maybe I was really destined to die today.

My arms were flaring and my eyes snapped shut.

Just when I thought it was over, a pair of hands gripped me hard and pulled me into them. I pulled away from the railing and landed flushed against something sturdy.

I stayed there for a few seconds before slowly raising eyes to the same pairs that saved me a little while back.

I hiccupped.

*******