"Jeez!" I was petrified as the loud sound of a drop at my desk side
"These are all the files that need to be input into the staff database" Mr Kingsley dropped the heap of files on my desk
I turned to see the files as I was still trying to catch my breath, I saw the files and they were nothing less than fifty files, I looked up to Mr. Kingsley who was on my left with my eyes wide open and my mouth short of word. I was about to express myself when words failed me, I closed my mouth, closed my eyes, and swallowed hard
"Mr Kingsley" I paused "Are… all… these… files… for…me alone?" I stammered
He turned to Anita who was concentrating on her Laptop as she had a stick sweet in her mouth as always
"You join her as well" he walked away without expecting any reply from her, she looked at me, smirked, and offered a new sweet, I shook my head in rejection as we went to back to our business
Hours later, I was exhausted, I checked on Anita and she had her forehead on the desk with her hands guarding her head, I walked to her desk, bent over to move my mouth closer to her ear
"Wakie, wakie sleeping beauty" as I knocked on her desk
She raised her head quickly like she wasn't fast asleep as she laid her head on the desk while she faced me, her eyes were red and puffy, she realized it was me then she smiled
"Let's go for lunch, I want to eat real food and not snacks," I said as I stood straight and placed my hand on my waist
"Where are going?" she said sluggish with her eyes forcing themselves to stay open
"I don't know" I scratched my brain while moving my eyeballs left and right
"What do you want to eat?" she questioned seriously as she sat right while rubbing her eyes
"I want to eat ofada rice, being craving it for a while now and…"
"And now that you have gotten your pay, you want to eat it " she cut in. I smiled and affirmed what she said "So where should we go?" she added
I shrugged with a smile on my face "You know better"
"The restaurant that has the best ofada rice would be…"she paused to look at the time "Let's take the risk but I doubt they would have rice remaining, their ofada rice sells fast" she added
"Okay, let's take the risk," I said and she stood immediately and reached for her bag, she looked at me with her eyes almost closing, and I gave her the look back as I took a step backward
"Where is your bag?" she whispered
"I am not going with it, I will make a transfer"
"Better be kidding!! Weren't you here when that Public relations intern lady came to report to Me in the absence of Mr Kingsley that some of her stuffs were stolen in the office while she went for lunch"
"I am aware but there is nothing worth stealing from my bag and you know well I hate having to carry big bags, especially that one" I pointed to my bag on the desk
"Regardless…"
"We might miss the food" I cut in
She stood looking at me for a while, I sighed and left her standing, she followed me as we both made our way to the reception. At the reception, Farid was sitting on the couch pressing his phone with Mrs Joan the receptionist talking with Farid
"Good afternoon Mrs Joan, " Anita said to her
"Good afternoon my baby" She replied
I ignored her as I had lasted spoken to her since my first day here
"Babe let's go," Anita said to Farid
" I have been waiting here for the past five minutes for you both," Farid said
"We are sorry, we were busy," she said
"We are not sorry, she is the one sorry. Your babe was busy sleeping " I said to him jokingly
"You should have called though," she said sheepishly
" This fire of love of you both will quench when I don't get to eat this rice today," I said as I left them both.
That was my first time coming to this restaurant but Anita and Farid were regular, right from the entrance to the point of making our orders they were extremely welcomed and joked with and they returned the same energy. We joined the queue at the point of making order, Anita was at my front and Farid at my back and there were about 5 people at Anita's front, I tapped Anita
"Is this how the queue is always long " I whispered
She nodded as gave me the sign to look around and looked around and I doubted we would have an empty table and chairs for ourselves, I sighed. The queue went too fast and Anita was ready to make her order
"Ask if there is ofada rice," I told her
"Yes, we have five wraps left" the attendant replied
"Five wraps are more than enough for me, I will buy just 3 wraps," I said to myself, I heard my ringtone and reached for my phone, the caller was saved with Only One, I wanted to ignore the call to make my order but my brother only calls when need be and it has been a while we spoke, I turned to Farid and noticed a very tall man with very shinning dark skin and full beards behind him
" Farid, I will be right back," I said to him
"Kareem! Kareem! I have told you" he pouted his mouth
"Thank you, I prefer Farid," I said as I smiled and walked past both Farid and the man behind him and made my way out of the restaurant, I tried picking up as I looked for a suitable spot to stay but my broken screen wanted me to put more effort. I stood under a shade and finally was able to pick up
"Good afternoon Dee" I greeted
"How are you doing?" the caller asked
" I am doing fine, thank God and how is your business "
"We are managing, I just called because Kiara asked me to tell you she is prepared to join in Lagos, so when are you expecting her?"
"Hmm, the thing is I am still house hunting and I can't let her join me while I am still scouting with Ifeoma" For about thirty seconds, I didn't hear my brother speak "Dee, are you there?"
"Yes"
"Did you hear what I said ?"
"I did, I was just thinking about what to tell her, she would be down and you know she regularly falls sick when you are both distanced"
I sighed "Okay, Tell her not to unpack that she will be here in a month, I will hasten the house hunt "
"Have you eaten?"
"I have, thank you "
"Alright, be Good and take care of yourself"
Before I could reply, he ended the call, I took an extreme inhale and went back to join the queue but as I got there I saw Farid wasn't longer in the queue and it was the man behind Farid's turn to make his order
"I want four wraps of rice," he said
" okay and what?" the attendant responded
I remember the other attendant mentioned it there were just five remaining and one wrap of five wouldn't be sufficient for me
"Excuse me, sir, I was in the queue before you, I just… like.. stepped out for a minute," I said politely
The man looked at me, he smiled and looked at me like someone lost in thought with his mouth widely opened
"Sir" in my most irritated voice, I saw the attendant kept on dishing his order, I became impatient "Can you please tell buy three wraps?"
"Why?" he said slowly with his eyes still fixated on me in a way that was not pleasing to me, I saw the attendant put sauce on the rice and at that point, I knew I couldn't do anything and I became angry
"I am disappointed in the foolishness and nasty behavior you have displayed," I said outrageously as I locked eyes with an arrogant fool
He smiled at me "Nice meeting you, I am Adedeji"
"Are you crazy? How it is nice meeting you, IT IS NOT NICE MEETING YOU!!" I shouted in anger
Before I knew it, Anita and Farid were here, Anita came to me and held me by my arm while Farid straight to the man
"Gini, calm down," Anita said while rubbing my arm
"I was even talking to him like a reasonable person I thought he was"
"Sir, kindly tender your apology to her," Farid told the man, the man coughed, looked away from me, and faced Farid with a very arrogant face
"Why should I?" he asked Farid
"What do you mean by why, obviously you are at fault, just be a gentleman and dead the issue, or would you prefer to exchange words with a lady over food?"
"She is the poverty-stricken girl who is ready to die for food"
"What?! What sort of weapon is this fashioned against me" I thought to myself, before I could speak, Farid's fingers were clenched tightly around the man's cloth, his other fist raised in the air…