Shoot Your Shot, Ladies! - Part 3

Please like, comment and share... Part 4 coming on Monday, June 8

AYOOLA

Thank God It’s Friday. This week has been quite busy for me. I had to travel to Abuja on Sunday morning to commence a building project for the Federal government, got back on Tuesday, travelled to Port Harcourt for a conference on Wednesday and got back yesterday. You can call me Ajala traveller. I’m sure my employees already call me that behind my back anyway. It’s been about three weeks since I met Korede and I truly cannot stop thinking about how to help her. A few days last week, I told Adesua to buy her suya toasties and coffee, when she ordered mine. I remember Adesua saying Korede was behind on rent at home so I decided to give her a 20% bonus for her hard work, at least that should cover something. She has been pulling her weight at work and deserves the extra money anyway.

A few times I’ve caught a glance at her here and there and noticed she was still wearing her wedding ring. We’ve engaged in small talk as well but haven’t had a proper conversation since the first day and I really want to talk to her, get to know her. So the plan is to arrive early today and ‘coincidentally’ meet her in the elevator. To put this coincidence in motion, I decide to arrive at work at 7.00 am and then wait in my car till 7.28 am just in time to see if she would be arriving at the same time, so I can coincidentally be arriving at the same time too. No, I’m not a stalker. This is the best I can come up with if we are ever going to talk properly without me calling her to my office. While I’m waiting and checking the security gate every few seconds, I play the sermon Pastor Poju preached last Sunday on Man proposes, God disposes, as I was not able to attend church. It’s 7.30 am now and she is still a no show. That’s odd. She is usually at work by this time. I decide to call Adesua in the office to ask if Korede is in. “Hello Mr C. Good morning. I hope all is well?” she says as she picks on the first ring. “Good morning Adesua. Yes, all is well. Is Korede in today?” I ask

“No, she’s not. She called in sick this morning. I was hoping to visit her after work this evening. Is there anything I can help you with?” she replies “That’s fine, Adesua. I should be up in 5 minutes. Please have my coffee ready. Thank you.” God truly has a funny sense of humour. This is a classic case of the sermon I was just listening to on man proposes, God disposes. So, not only do I not have to coincidentally run into her, I actually now have the opportunity to visit her at home. **** Throughout today I could not stop thinking about her. This is the first time she’s missing work and I keep wondering if she’s okay. I was tempted to go straight to her house this morning after my call with Adesua but thought better of it. It would be safer and more appropriate to go with Adesua instead. Moreover, this is a woman who lost her husband a year ago. It does not make sense to be over the top and look a fool if she’s not in that headspace yet. It’s 5.30 pm now and I’ve just finished up with work. I was supposed to go over to my parents for dinner tonight but I’m not sure if I would be able to get there in time anymore with the news that Korede isn’t feeling well, so I call my mum to explain. “Mr Ayoola Craig, boss man, ku ojo meta o…O ti e yoju si wa…Oga oo… Looking forward to seeing you tonight love” That is how my mum greets me. She will call out my full name when she’s trying to call me out for not visiting her ever so often. I know since I got back from my London trip I haven’t been to theirs and that’s why she’s guilt-tripping me. “Mum, you know how it is now. I’ve missed you. Is Dad with you?”, I reply, wondering if she would take this news lightly.

“No, he’s not back from the hospital. He said he had a VIP patient coming in today, so he won’t be home in time. Ki lo shele?”, she replies. Thank God, Dad is running late too, the news would land softly then.

“I won’t be able to make it in time too. One of my employees is not feeling well, so I’m going with Adesua to her place to see her.” I say

“Ehn hen… That’s okay. What time do you think you might be coming then?” “Maybe 8? But if I run into traffic or anything else, I would call you beforehand.” “Okay. No problem love. I’ll let your Dad know as well. See you soon.”

As soon as I get off the phone I call Adesua into my office to let her know I would be going with her to see Korede. She seemed surprised at first, I could tell with the way her eyebrows went up, but I think she eventually caught on to it. She has been my PA for 4 years now, so she kind of knows me more than I know myself if I’m being honest.

We get into my Range Rover Velar, branch at KFC to get some comfort food in the form of Jollof rice and bucket chicken and then head to Korede’s house in Lekki Phase

1. I am silently hoping there is no traffic from Victoria Island to Lekki, especially on the Lekki-Ikoyi bridge because I need to get to her house in time and still drive from Lekki back to Ikoyi to see my parents at 8 pm.

Thankfully, there is not much traffic as we get to her house 45 mins later, a trip that was originally 20 minutes. That is Lagos for you. As soon as we arrive at her gate, the heart palpitations start again. Now I’m wondering if I should get my heart checked for arrhythmia or Korede actually makes me nervous. Before I can gather my thoughts, Adesua is at her doorstep, pressing the doorbell.

Please like, comment and share... Part 4 coming on Monday, June 8