As though the tension from the utter Absurdity that was the topic was not enough the actual melon came to complain about the taste of the melon soup. The room could be said to have been hot and cold at this very moment. The sheer thought that they should not be there and the very will to resist the urge to leave gripped the entire two marketing teams. Yet the anticipation of how sweet the groundnut would be while watching the show that was sure to take place, burned hot. The staff could be said to have been frozen in place by the sudden appearance of the marketing director at this very meeting, but their burning breath that scorched through the air-conditioned room like a bull at the edge of a charge betrayed them.
"Why is no one answering me? Replace who?" Director Ikanke asked as she stepped into the room, allowing the glass door to shut behind her.
"We have been ordered to come up with companies to take over the cent ad contract." Miss Ekanem answered.
"They have yet to sign any contract," Assistant Director Ifanga corrected.
"Forgive me," Miss Ekanem nodded in agreement.
"I thought you said that their proposal was perfect?" Director Ikanke asked.
"I wish to replace them. Do you seem to have any problem with this?" Assistant director Ifanga asked.
"You have to at least state the reason," she said and his frown deepened.
"The reason is that may suspect that they gained this contract through unfair means, by sleeping with the marketing director," he said and she looked livid. She was not the only one. The entire team felt their ears set in flames. Of all the things they had cooked up in their head, they had never thought he would actually say it out loud. At this point, they could almost hear someone opening a nylon of groundnut.
"What?" Director Ikanke asked.
"Are you going to claim you are not aware of this?" he asked and the scent of ground nuts filled the air.
"Director Ikanke, your personal life is your concern. But I advise that you do not involve your private life with work, lest a person thinks you immoral," he said and the others realized Miss Ekanem was actually eating groundnut. At this point, she noticed the rest of the team looking her way as though asking her to pass some groundnut to them too.
"You are my husband! Why would you say..." Director Ikanke started to say.
"Sir, I think we should return first. After lunch, we will look into the other companies," Miss Ekanem said as she got up and gathered her things. As though on cue, the rest shot her a look and did the same. Soon the meeting room had been emptied out, safe the couple who did not bother to register what the other had said as they continued their stare down. One eyes filled with incredulity and the other filled with anger.
"What is this about?" Director Ikanke moved to hold his arm only to realize he avoided her as though avoiding dirt.
"Figure it out and come back with an explanation," Assistant Director Ifanga spat and stepped out. When he dashed out, he did not notice Miss Ekanem standing a bit away. The moment Assistant DIrecot Ifanga left eh meeting room, she stepped in through the second door.
"You don't seem to know," she said to the frozen Director Ikanke, who looked up at her in confusion.
"The entire company is talking about it, they are calling it the case of Director Ikanke's pant," she said and pulled out her phone to open the forum. Director Ikanke walked up to her and took the phone she offered. His facial muscles seemed to fall the more she read. She had noticed several people give her looks since the meeting that morning but thought it was all in her head. No, she was too busy since morning to even bother to find out. This has always been her character. She looked up at the woman before her, feeling grateful.
"That is why you dismissed the meeting so that the staff does not watch my embarrassment, thank you." Director Ikanke said and sat heavily on one of the chairs. To this, Miss Ekanem cleared her throat. Actually, she did not think that the stupid air conditioning would spread the smell of the groundnut that much when she opened it. She knew that when they finished arguing, they would notice it too, just like the others had. She had dismissed the meeting early for one reason alone; she did not want to be caught with the groundnuts.
"How could you not know? Did your secretary not tell you?" she asked and the woman not older than her by five years gripped tight her pleated skirt.
"We were so busy this morning..." she sighed as her head fell into her hands. To this, Mis Ekanem raised a brow.
"They are even saying that you did not wear any pant this morning. This is going too far." Miss Ekanem said and director Ikanke looked up.
"What?" she exclaimed. She had not read the discussion that far. "I did not wear one because I had mistakenly sat on an oil lamp when I was in my village last week to finalize my wedding matters. I had not worn it for a week. My husband knows this, my secretary knows this. Even the nurse in the clinic on the first floor knows this, I got a new cream for my burn this morning." she said.
"So, you mean to say a lot of people in this company know that you have not been wearing any pant, then." Miss Ekanem said.
"One of them has to say something," she answered,
"You want someone to confirm the reason you are not wearing pant?" Miss Ekanem asked.
"The company forum is locked but maybe they can help explain, and why do you keep calling it pant?" Director Ikanke asked in frustration. To this, Miss Ekanem paused, completely ignoring her last question, she wondered, It was not that she felt a lot of people knew. She knew that the clinic nurses would not tell someone even by mistake. There is nothing to discuss about a director of a company that is healing a wound. But that secretary of hers? She did not dare say it.
"How did that man get your pant? From the way he took it out, I am not sure he knew what it was." Miss Ekanem asked.
"I keep underwear in the office," Director Ikanke said and Miss Ekanem nodded. This was not odd, a lot of women did. This was so that they could change any time they wanted to. Going out with spare undies was not odd. It was also not odd that her secretary knew this, but she did not dare say it.
"My secretary knows this." Director Ikanke said solemnly.