A beautiful thorn episode 5

A BEAUTIFUL THORN”
*Episode 5*
N.B: Like before u read
*************************************
I arrived Benin Republic with mixed feelings. I missed my parents greatly because I’ve been with them all my life.
I quickly settled down with a family friend (Mr Ibeh) and his family (wife and 2 grown up girls).
They were glad to have me and the next week, I resumed work as a Pedicurist in “Frontal Beauty Salon”.
I resume by 7am and close by 7pm
I worked very hærd because I wanted a different life from the one I had in Nigeria.
But trouble started again after a month and few weeks of my stay in B.R
I arrived work that morning whilsting as I cleaned my seat and table getting set for the day’s work.
“Boy J, u don arrive?” A Nigerian lady who worked as the Manager of the org-nization asked all smiles. Her name’s Cici.written by Adindu Presh
“Good morning MA” I greeted
I was surprised she came in so early. She usually comes to work not later than 9am.
She nodded and went into her office while I continued arranging my space.
Soon, my other colleagues arrived.
Total of 8 workers with the Manager inclusive.
Few minutes past 10am, I was attending to a customer when Cici marched into the Salon from her office fuming
“There’d be no break for today! We have a meeting!!” She said with an air of authority and marched back in
.
Written by Adindu Presh
.
We all stared at ourselves in confusion
Kathalina the salon chief gossip moved closer to me and asked
“Wetin dey do madam Cici?”
I looked her over and hissed loudly
“shey no be me and u dey here? Which kind useless question be that? I resemble her P.A??”
Kathalina hissed loud and straightened up moving towards Koko and Best who were busy with their work
“I hear say her new bobo break her heart sha” Kathalina said smacking gum in her mouth to draw our attention which she got
I looked up and so did others.
“u mean am?”Koko asked
“yes na..that new bobo wey dey bring her come office every morning”
Best hissed
“Kathalina, na talk talk, gossip gossip and amebo go kill u one day!!”
“na u e go first kill”Kathalina shouted back
“u go just dey talk wetin pass ur mouth.. How heart break take concern meeting? She say we get meeting, u conclude say dem break her heart.. U too mumu.. Ur sense don travel”Koko fired her
There was a hot exchange of words between the two girls and customers started complaining
Cici obviously heard the noise from her office and came out
“What’s all these noise for ehh?”
Everywhere became calm
A customer who came to make her hair stood up and left
Cici eyed Kathalina and Koko with anger
“where’s Joy, Emma and Brundi??”she thundered
Joy and Brundi stood up
“MA, Emma called in sick this morning” Brundi said. His a tall dark Benelese guy
“called in sick? Sick every week?? He shouldn’t worry.. Tell him I said his fired.. He now has all the time in the world to be sick and stay home..”
Everyone was quiet
I was still busy with my customer
Kathalina and Koko were pretending as if they were so serious with their work
“Joy, take over Koko’s work.. Kathalina, I can see u are as jobless as always.. Both of u, follow me”
She started walking away
Koko and Kathalina stood confused
Cici turned and saw them standing
“Koko and Kathalina, u too fools should follow me!!!”she shouted and they scrambled in fear and slowly followed her to her office.
I was busy wondering what must have gone wrong with Cici. Wasn’t she the one that smiled at me this morning?
She’s a strict person but not Harsh at all..
*************************************
12pm(Break time)
We all sat down waiting for Cici.
Soon, she came out and stared at each of us for a while before she proceeded
She said her phone and new jewellery has been stolen from her Office
according to her, she forgot her small purse in her office the previous day when she was hurrying to pick her daughter up from Lessons and since that morning, she has been searching for them but couldn’t find her purse that contained her new jewelry, phone and few cash
We all looked at her in silence
She pleaded that the phone was a birthday gift from her husband on her last birthday which was like 3months ago.. She said she cherished the phone just like she cherished her husband
We all kept mute and nobody admitted to have been close to her office since yesterday talk less of seeing the lost purse
Suddenly she asked “Who was the last person to leave the Office yesterday?”
“I and Kathalina were the first to leave MA” Joy said and Kathalina supported
“I left J and Emma behind” Brundi said
“Me I left very early o” Koko intercepted
Best too admitted she left me behind
Cici looked at me
“John, u were the last to leave yesterday and first to come today?”
I looked at her in anger.. What was she implying??
“Yes I left last yesterday but I didn’t take anything from your office if that’s what u think”
“Will u shut up??!!!”she barked in anger
I was taken aback
“ahahn so because I left last and came early today? I am the person that stole ur things??? U people are funny o” I said in anger
“so u still have the mouth to talk?”Cici scre-med
“noo..i should keep quiet so you will accuse me falsely.. What’s all these sef? Do I even know the colour of ur phone?”I fired back and my colleagues were taken aback.. Even Cici was shocked because since I started working there, I had maintained my cool
“OK then, wait until the police arrive” she said heading for the door
Nobody told me to run away.. I ran away and took a bus back home where I explained everything to Mr Ibeh and his wife
“You shouldn’thave run since u know u ain’t guilty.. U just implicated yourself!!”Mr Ibeh cried
I was speechless
Few hours later, the Benelese police arrived in company of Kathalina and Cici and I was arrested.
They found me guilty and was asked to pay for the missing items.
I had no money on me so I was asked to work for 4months without pay as my salary would be given to Cici to make up for her phone and jewelry
That was how I toiled for 4months without salary
After the 4months elapsed, I resigned and told my guardian that I didn’t want to stay in B.R anymore
They helped me with money and I returned back to Nigeria.
I stayed in Benin Republic for 6months and came home with nothing..
Na bad luck be this abi na curse??
TO BE CONTINUED..
Adindu Presh