Thane
"Congratulations sir! We were able to secure a deal with the growing but popular company: GREEN FOODS"
I was in a meeting with some of the head of deepartments .They bursted into smiles and hugs when they heard that the grocery store was able to secure the vegetable, fruit and ornamental part of the store with the start up company. I knew that everyone would be so happy, I could imagine grandma walking up to me and patting me on the back gently , aunt Anita hosting everyone with her Jollof rice that claimed to be better than the Ghanaian jollof rice, and grace would be hovering over me everywhere as her way of congratulating me.
" Green foods is not up to five years but they have been able to win the trust of the locals. Some elderlies in some part of Abuja don't buy food if it is not their brand." My sales manager; wale spoke.
" The company's year of start up is similar to ours, I researched it up online. They must have a brilliant advertising manager and crew as myself and my crew."
Wanda said, packing up her files on the desk. She had the habit of calling things hers when they weren't hers for possession. It was a habit I brushed over. After all she was very competent when it came to the first months of the grocery's store public awareness. Most of the times, her methods were strange and i would be non complacent at first but soon I learned to trust her with her bizarre strategies and her ability to pull the team together.
" Well, I went to negotiate the terms with the. I told them how much cartons the transporting team could handle. All the staff from the gateman down to the boss herself. They were all so polite and sweet. It overwhelmed me. I bruised my arm on one of the equipments and the boss panicked and called for a first aid kit with a nurse. I was attended to ASAP . Thier unity and togetherness cannot be expressed in words. I will do my best to instill compassion into individuals entering the company as new recruits. We need staff like they haveoo. I don't think the staff were more than fifteen. I gave an precursory look." Joshua said. He was so involved in people. It made his eyes twinkle and he loved measuring the growth of our company based on the well being and motivation of the employees. He was our personnel manger.
I had other managers but this three were my ride or die. They were the first three who started up th company with me.
I was still recovering from my wife leaving me. I decided to quite my job and use the savings I had been keeping up if we were to hav children. I used it all up to build a grocery store.
It all started when we barely had more than three sections. As a matter of fact. I used the building to sell flowers only. They reminded me so much of Peace. Coming to work created that environment of Peace and I desperately hoped that she would come and get flowers from my shop since she loved them so much. I deliberately set up three branches all over places she was most likely to be in . Even though the shops weren't stable in capital, I set up cameras and monitored the going in and out of the customers. Hoping that I would see peace at the counting machine or see her perching her hands on the flower like a beautiful butterfly she is. I could not sleep during that period. I cross checkeed footages upon footages. I wanted to find her and apologize for the way I treated her. Soon I launched more shops and more shops at places she was most likely to be found. Her home town, where she graduated from school, her work place.
Her parents did not want to tell me where she was. They were disappointed in me end felt that our separation was for thee best.
Each time I lay down on my bed, guilt would accompany me for th night. My restive movements on the bed each night unfolded my bed shits I took so much time to fold. I was tormented with nightmares, I would watch Peace's eyes swell and become so big that they pop and splash out blood. I was in a mess.
It was till I met wanda, Joshua and wale.
It was a Sunday. Church had dismissed and the people had gone home. For six months, ever since Peace left home. I had been spending my money unnecessarily and had not been able to go to church. I did not want God to kill me for disobeying him, for doing what I did to his wonderful daughter peace.
I waited for everyone else in the church building to leave. Some people knew me and I was afraid that they would identify me and start asking where peace was. I wore a black face mask and a black face cap. I climbed up slowly to the alter, I removed my face cap as I climbed one step and I yanked the face mask away slowly as I took another.
I felt like a refugee, an escapade that had run away from home and was coming back home wearily and tiredly. I was tired. As I reached the final step, I just collapsed to the floor. And I started crying, I could not imagine how much of these feelings I had suppressed for a whole six months. I was all alone, ashamed that I did not give peace a chance to explain, scared and I was tired.
I felt like I had taken up a demon, I knew that only God could deliver me.
" lord you said we sh..shou…." my lips quivered and I lt my head down.
"I am sorry I did that to my other half. I am sorry I let her suffer in pain. Lord help me. I know that I don't fellowship with you everyday like she does. I know that I don't love you like she does but please help meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeoooo" I groaned.
" you say that if we are tired that we should come to you for rest. Lord I need rest. Please come and give me rest."
The door flew open and the creaking sound of the hinged complained about how rusty it was with a prolonged 'squuuuuuuuuueeeeeee'