Binta

Chapter Ten

My boss sent for me, Lara and Idris. He offered us to seat down. He had that serious expression on his face and I knew he meant business.

"I would not tolerate any level of indiscipline or insubordination from any staff henceforth..." His gazed was fixed on Lara.

"If you know you are not comfortable with anybody or whatever that is happening around the office you can quietly resign." He said firmly.

Lara I cannot hide the fact that I am highly disappointed in you and I doubt I can continue working with you as my PA. From now henceforth you would be working as the receptionist, Idris would take your place as my PA with immediate effect."

"Sir please I'm sorry" she pleaded with tears rolling down her cheeks but my boss was adamant to her plea I felt sorry for her.

"Either it or you resign Lara" he was so blunt.

"And for you Binta..."my heart started racing.

"Don't you ever leave the office that way again, and when I ask you a question you answer me. Learn to control your emotions. He admonished me.

Memory of that day came back to my mind and I hastened to push it away.

"I'm so sorry about that" I said but he didn't say anything.

"On Friday we are all going to our head office in Abuja. The chairman had organized a dinner/award night for new and old employees, and you must all be present and properly dressed in anything glamorous but decent. I would deposit some money in each of your accounts so you can use it to prepare for the dinner"

"Thank you sir" we all said happily.

"I need to make some investigations about this firm and my generous boss." I murmured to myself.

"If you don't have any question(s) you can all leave" he discharged us.

"Sir...what time are we leaving on Friday?" Idris inquired.

"We are all leaving together after jumma't prayers (Friday prayers)" he replied with that we stood up and left.

"Binta!" the way he called my name was so sexual that I shuddered.

"The driver would take you home" I turned quickly to look at him.

"No sir" I protested.

"It's absolute Binta! You went shopping today, have you forgotten?" I didn't know what to say anymore, I whispered a silent thank you and he smiled.

I guess I need get him the "best boss ever award" .I smiled to my thought.

*********

I just can't stop thinking about her. Most times I try so hard to control my emotions towards her and act as professional as possible. She taunted me for reasons I made myself believe I understood. I wanted to believe that the feelings I harbored for her was controllable.

When she left the office that fateful day in tears a wave of sadness washed over me. I feared she might never come back I called her severally but she wouldn't pick my calls, at some point I got irritated but I just couldn't bring myself to ignore her. No woman had ever made me feel this way in a while.

God! Couldn't she see it, couldn't she feel my yearning for her, couldn't she sense how much I was fighting myself to conceal how what she makes me feel. The fear of her knowing how she made me feel broke the trance. I didn't want to scare her away. I need her around to care for her, and watch her smile.

I observed her suits were worn out and her white shirt seems faded though they always look neat and perfect on her but I wanted her to look expensive so I came up with a plan to take her shopping in my boutique "just suits".

"Just suits" belongs to me, I have a thing for fashion and which made me stand out. I studied law because my father wanted me to and I was good, but my major passion was fashion and I'm best in it. I decided to combine the two professions and opened a boutique where I sell and design corporate wears, shoes and other accessories majorly for lawyers. Many top lawyers patronize my boutique. Although a lot of people have no idea who the actual owner of "just suits" is. I prefer to keep my identity discreet.

I had wanted to take Binta shopping there sometimes back but I couldn't think of a better way to make it look very formal until the idea of wardrobe allowance came up. We don't take our employee out shopping we just give them the wardrobe allowance which is N250, 000:00 Naira only. But in every general rule there is an exception and she is my exception. It's just so funny how I wanted to do everything for her.

Am I falling in love with her? I have vowed never to fall in love with any girl since my wife died at child birth. But I am getting attached to this girl and I just can't help it.

********

"You seem distracted is everything okay." My mother asked.

I was thinking about Barr Musa my boss, his generosity and special concern towards me I just can't explain it. I have gone through the condition and terms of employment severally but in no way was it stated your Boss would take you for shopping as part of your wardrobe allowance.

"Everything is fine mom" I lied.

I thought about him every day, almost all the time like I was trying to understand something I just can't comprehend. Why can't I just stop thinking about him? Is he in love with me? Why else would he do the things he does for me? Why would he go out of his way to take me shopping in such an expensive boutique? Why would he be so soft towards me?

Sometimes I wish I had this free relationship with my mother to be able to discuss my feelings without her over reacting or judging me. I just needed someone to talk to. The only friend I trusted with my feelings was Maryam and Rukayat but we had not spoken for a while, guess I need to call them.

I picked up my phone and behold there was an alert of 20,000 Naira from my boss for the dinner prep.

"Isn't he amazing?" I blushed, immediately I sent him a thank you message.

"Binta!"

"Naam(yes)" I answered my mom who was staring at me with astonishment.

"You have been smiling to yourself" She said softly.

"Oh! My boss just sent me N20, 000:00 Naira in preparation for the dinner we are attending in Abuja on Friday" I explained.

"Why is he so extravagant" my mom demanded.

"I am not really comfortable with the way his spending on you even though I respect him" I was not surprised about my mom proclamation am rather suspicious why she didn't raise dagger about the whole thing.

"Mom you should understand most of the spending is my entitlement as a staff of the company, he gives each of his staff equal treatment, I'm not an exception. It's all about the job" I tried to explain something I doubted its authenticity.

"Promise me you won't ever put me to shame?" my mom pleaded.

"I promise mom" I said confidently.

"I thank God I didn't give you out" my mother whispered as she fought back tears leaving me wondering what she actually meant by she didn't give me out.

Did she regret having me at one point and wanted to give me out for adoption? Does she hate me sometimes? Am I a curse or a blessing to her?

One day I will make her tell me everything about that incident of which I'm the fruit and I would do everything to find my biological father dead or alive and make sure he faces the Law and if his dead I would spit on his grave.