"Dylan!!! Dylan!!!"
"Get your ass over here."
As soon as I heard my name being screamed I already knew who it was,
I rushed to her office from my work desk.
Immediately I opened the door her voice came ringing
"Dylan can't you just do your job, I mean you are being paid to do it aren't you ?"
"Am sorry miss fidelis, the request came in late yesterday and it was already closing time so I had to postpone it to today."
"Is that a good enough reason" she replied immediately, "do you know how important this client is?"
I knew she was going to keep screaming so I just zoned out because I knew the endpoint would be having me work overtime without pay.
I worked in a PR company and while It wasn't the best option for a 29 year old, It wasn't that bad either.
"Make sure you finish it up even if you have to work overtime,"
Yes ma'am I answered without much of a choice really.
"You can leave my office and go finish your job,"
"yes ma'am" I replied
and left her office, Back to my work desk I dropped my head on the desk as I just kept saying to myself, you just have to get through today and tomorrow is another day.
…....
"Hey Dylan", raising my head I saw my only friend at my workplace
"Hey Michael" I greeted him too
"aren't you done for the day ?"
I looked at him and gave him a wry smile
"Nah man I have to work overtime today,"
"Again ?? ,
man you do have it bad, well good luck am out."
"Sure, goodbye"
I replied before turning to continue working.
By the time I was done working, looking at the time it was already about 8pm
I decided to climb the roof for some air before going home
Looking from the top of that roof at the Lagos night life that was just beginning for some people I began thinking about my life,
Thinking back I had always wanted to be a footballer and though I didn't really know how much talent I had compared to a genius of International level, At the local Pepsi Football academy I attended they did hail me as a genius.
But I guess fate had other plans for me.
I got involved in an accident when I was 15 years old, A car knocked me down on my way back from the academy and my right knee was broken from that accident, since the emergency health care transport system of Nigeria was never really the best, when I got sent to the hospital I was treated after which the doctor called my Mom and Dad to the office and told them that my legs would heal but I would never be able to play football ball again.
Well I guess my parents knew how devastating those words were, as they had kept telling me to get better so I could play Football again and now they had to deliver such news to me, I initially didn't believe them , I allowed myself to heal for a year before I started going to the academy trying to get myself back in a condition to start training but the pain was always there whenever I tried running or kicking the ball the pain just came back, I tried enduring the pain but I couldn't, even the coaches had told me to just give up, As I had started falling behind in the academy, so after a year by the time I was 17 I decided to give up and focus on my education if I was offered Admission in to the university, so I dropped from the academy and since then I never kicked a football again, I guess I kinda developed a trauma for football and now I just watch football matches nothing more nothing less.
Snapping out of my trip down memory lane I turned to see the security man calling out to me,
"Hey aren't you leaving yet?"
I want to lock up the building.
"Sorry sir"
I apologized to the man and went down to get my things before leaving.
Even though It was 2021, the transport system in Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole was still a bit fucked up so by the time I got home It was already 9:30 pm.
Opening the door to my two room apartment I went inside, dropped my stuff and decided to warm up the food in the fridge, when I was done I carried my food to the computer in my room.
Today was the 14th of September 2021 and I just happened to be one of those people who loved both Cristiano Ronaldo and Leonel Messi so I just had to watch the Manchester United vs Young boys Football club in the first round of the 2021 champions league group stage matches even though I already knew the result.
Watching the referee bring the match to a close I was happy Ronaldo scored even though they lost the match thinking about this I was looking forward to PSG's match tomorrow. With that in mind I decided to get myself some sleep without realizing the socket was not switched off and some water had dropped on it,
While in dreamland I started perceiving smoke but I didn't really care, few seconds later l felt volts of electricity pass through my body and that was it, I stopped feeling anything else.