3RD OCTOBER 1997
EP 10
BEICO CONSTRUCTION was growing steadily at maintainable pace. workers were been fairly treated as profits were been added to their pays once in awhile. The truth was that chairman Jege and his son been at the Zenith of the company produced great results for everyone but for his greediness, he never wanted anyone else, except his family to owns the company. Considering his health status, Mr Jege was becoming too worried about the fate of his son becoming the chairman of the BEICO CONSTRUCTION LIMITED, it has always been his dream and he had programmed Donald’s mentality too. Donald grew up with the sole ambition of becoming the owner of the BEICO CONSTRUCTION LIMITED, now that he had already acquainted himself with knowledge of the company and his father had become frail and old. It was time for him to become the chairman, probably the youngest man ever at such position in such a big conglomerate company.
Though the company was doing well and Donald have a great reputation among the workers and some directors, they was something that bothered Mr Jege daily without limit. It was the woman buying the company’s shares in large quantities, from his investigations, several shareholders were already cajoled by monetary gains and have sold their shares to the woman. The last he traveled down to the woman to have a colloquial jawjaw with her, he wasn’t too bothered after their meeting but became worried when the surveillance he mounted on her tipped him that the woman disappeared without traces.
One morning, Mr Jege woke up very early than usual, he was been unnecessarily disturbed by the reoccurring thoughts of Mr Idoko’s son. “What if he is alive and behind all the scheming of buying shares anonymously?” He asked himself rhetorically as he picked up his phone with trembled hand and dialled director Alenmus. Director Alenmus was his most trusted allies in the company, because of how many biscuits he had bought for him, director Alenmus was ready to bark if Mr Jege so wanted. “I think it’s time to make him the chairman, he’s not so young again and considering his achievements so far, people already trusts him” he said over the phone and “yes sir, at your command sir ” was heard from the other side of the telephone.
“I’m sorry but madam, you have to stay here for a while until I’m done with the whole situation. I know that old bastarrd, he won’t let you live a day more if he didcovers your alliance with me” Samuel told the woman in the middle of the night when he brought him to an unknown location. since Samuel came to Nigeria, he had secretly monitored every single move of Mr Jege, director Alenmus, Donald and Richard.
When Mr Jege visited the woman last time, one of his men immediately informed Samuel. Samuel waited patiently hoping that Rose would informed him too but she never did, because Samuel wasn’t in the country then, he decided to believe it was just a mistake or maybe she didn’t know about it. Now that Samuel was back for three months and had slowly studied Rose and her antics, he became suspicious of her. with all Samuel’s harsh experiences right from his childhood, he never trusted anyone wholeheartedly, aside his father, Mr fidelis, Samuel always take double precautions against everyone around him.
“I want you to put more efforts in discharging your duty at the office, i know you have tried so far but i want you to win the heart of more directors. If the wind blows at the direction the tree faces, it dances effortlessly but if the wind decide to never blow at the right direction, the tree will also be forced to break rules. If after romancing their egos and they still remain unmoved, i will have no choice but to be ruthless” Mr Jege said after advising his son. He was making plans for the enthronement of his son to the position of the chairmanships within the next six months maximum.
Mr Jege was quite aware of the silent opposition party against him at the office, especially from those who knew his beginnings. Those men who actually started the company with the formal chairman, the real founder of the BEICO CONSTRUCTION LIMITED. They found the presence of Mr Jege disgustingg but silently walked about answering to him, they also knew the level at which his ruthlessness could go. Now that it was time to elevate the second generation of the Jege’s to the position of chairmanships, he knew he either had to pet them like a pet dog or gnawed at them like a helpless prey. He decide to try the formal first until it proved fruitless then he can adopt the ruthlesss choice.
“Sir, i know you think less of me because of my previous behaviours, my nonchalance attitudes towards the company which led to my father not trusting me enough to manage the company. I’m sorry for my misbehaviours but sir, right now, i want to make my father proud in his grave. I want him to look down at me from the heavens and smiled that he adopted me” director Cornelius smiled sheepishly as he listened to Richard speaks. He was excessively glad, director Cornelius was one of the foremost employee’s of the BEICO CONSTRUCTION LIMITED. The day he got employed, he had a great encounter with the owner of the company which made him forever royal to him. That day was on a Friday afternoon, the young Cornelius was dressed in a white and black dresses with an almost tore shoe. His heart panted heavily as he waited with tens of young other graduates dressed in flashy shoes and ties. He felt little among them but he choose to stay and see what the ends would look like though he personally didn’t believe luck would be crazy enough to look at him. “Cornelius Adenja!! ” The voice came from inside inviting him to the interview hall. He took in a deep breath and adjusted his dress once again. He matched into the hall with all his courage but became speechless when he was welcomed by the chairman himself immediately he opened the door. It was never in his weirdest imagination that he would meet the chairman himself. He had once seen him on the television, he was a tall bold man with visible charismatic aura. “I’m the chairman, the owner of this company. What can you tell me about yourself!” The chairman asked with a serious facial expressions. His introduction did great damage to Cornelius’ courage, he lost himself immediately. “I—- i—- my na—- I’m Cornelius” he stammered pathetically as the chairman stared unblinkingly at him. what does a man who wore a worn out clothes, looking hungry, graduated from a no name University have to tell about himself! Before a chairman of a big company. Cornelius became dejected and could not say anything.
“I believe your parents, friends and yourself have expectations when you prepared this morning for this interview. Don’t be broken because you see a big name before you. Don’t disappoint yourself and those who trusted you” the chairman uttered and like a magic, Cornelius swallowed his saliva and looked around the hall. He drew courage from everyone staring at him. Like a prerecorded audio, Cornelius spoke and caught the attention of the chairman. He was employed as the company’s first surveyor. That was a long, long time ago. Now director Cornelius is old and closer to his grave but as he listened to Richard speaking about his intentions to take ownership of the BEICO CONSTRUCTION LIMITED, he was overjoyed. “Go ahead and make your plans, i will go around and convinced strong men to support you” he assured Richard. Though he was retired when Mr Jege came to power, he still hold a strong opinions on the direction of the company’s decision.
Samuel no longer trusted Rose but he tried to hide his doubt until he finds a great evidence to back up his hunch. Last time when he took Rose to a restaurant, she continually declined a certain call suspiciously. “Answer your call” Samuel told her but she lied and said it was one of her friends who was disturbing her to lend her some money. One of Samuel’s boy had already told Samuel that Rose’s movement with Donald was suspicious. Samuel needed to test her, he needed to know what exactly was going on so, he forged a plan. Two days ahead of his outing with Rose, he had contracted a spytech company to install one of their tiniest video recording device on a particular bag he planned buying for Rose as a thank you gift. “Let’s go to D&D bag house, i have a surprise for you” Samuel said and they walked to the car. Since when Rose was in Canada, they was a particular brand of bag she had always wanted to own.
“Take it, it’s all yours” Samuel said pointing at the dark brown bag beautifully hanging at the hanger. Rose’s eyes widened, her heart pumped and she couldn’t contained her happiness as she jumped on Samuel’s neck thanking him. What Rose didn’t know was that, the rope they gave her as a beautiful belt would be the same rope that would be used to hang her. She picked it and with that excitement they headed back home. “I have a work for you” Samuel said as they drove home. “I want you to find out about a particular file from Donald. From a reliable source, the file is always place at the last shelf in his room. Try get into his room when you visit the father for the daily briefing next time” Samuel told Rose. She promised to not fail him.
It was 5pm and it was a little drizzling when Rose reached Jege’s house. Donald was home, actually, they both had talked already. He waited patiently for her in his room. The family already knew Rose as the family future daughter in-law of the house. When she was done with briefing the chairman, she went to Donald’s room. She scanned the room and found the envelope. Thousand thoughts invaded her minds. “I have missed you my beauty queen” Donald said as he kissed Rose lightly on the forehead. As time went on, they both were on the bed.
TBC
***
Mountains are meant to be high and daunting, mountains are meant to overwhelmed your strength. Mountains are also meant to be a higher ground on which you can stand to look down on all your struggles. When you meet a mountain on your way in life, don’t get tired climbing, don’t loose hope, on that mountain we shall announce our glories.
