A Silver Lining (#Wattys2018)

Chapter 20|Pros and Cons

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Song: Roar by Katy perry

Quote: "The lyrics hit different, when you can relate".

Dedicated to Khreamhe
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Three days.

The rebranding and branding ideas, were submitted today with no hassle. Immediately, Pamela turned the ideas in, the meeting commenced. This is the second meeting, we will be have with him.

There were so many of them, it was a wonder, that Pamela was able to collate them in such a short time. We spent hours reviewing each design, including two others from Asiwaju.

It was a difficult task, the designs had their various appeal, each appeared to be the best for the task ahead. We settled on seven stunning  ideas, in which Asiwaju immediately turned down four, he didn't see the appeal that we though they had.

On the remaining three, one of which was his designs, he placed it in front of Mr Phil, and made a suggestion that we could use more than one, but not three. Mr Phil did not supply an immediate response to his suggestion, and it was understandable. However, Asiwaju placed a duration to Mr Phil's reply, he needed it by the end of today.

The main crux of today's meeting, was on our decision on the idea of extensions, and advertising in our grey areas. Three days ago, when Asiwaju had dropped the bomb on us and ended it with a strange story, we organized another meeting without him and questioned the idea.

How accurate was his idea? What was the possibility that we won't end up losing so much profit, by making extensions in our weakest chains.  Asiwaju is human afterall; his ideas may fall through.

What assurance, did we have on our grey areas? How will advertising and rebranding appeal to them?  How ready was the company, to incur expenses that will arise from transportation of our goods to those places?
What if they don't buy our goods?
What if the profit we get from there, is not up to the budgeted profit?  Wouldn't it be total mismanagement on part, where we used money to develop an unprofitable place, instead of further investment in our biggest and smallest chains? 

The questions, were in abundance that day. Everybody had something to say, about the extensions and further advertisement in our grey areas. Others  voiced, their opinions about why the rebranding and advertisement is the wrong step to take.

We made a vote, regarding the extensions and further advertisement into our grey areas. The result was in the favour of majority. There will be, no  extensions into our weakest chains and there will be no further advertisement in our grey areas.

If our decision had unsettled Asiwaju, he did not show. He sat down and made scribbling in an exercise book, as Mr Phil, gently analyzed our fears and our decision.

His dimples popped out, when he flashed a smile at us. He stood and explained that though his idea and option will not change, he was very much part of the second option or decision we have taken.

He drew another analysis, on the board regarding other strategy, possible reaction of our competitors and consumers.

Will they immediately abandon the shiny new products for our rebranded ones?  How possible is it that, our competitors will not copy our move or lower their own prices?

He wrote the answers on the board, giving us a ten and a hundred reason for each answer. Later on, he gave a period in which we were suppose to see the result of the decisions we have made so far, and how critical the next stock exchange update, will be to us.

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Mr Phil enlightened us on his final decisions regarding the three designs he had to pick. He picked  one from Asiwaju and the other from the company.

When he made concluding remarks and the meeting ended, he invited Asiwaju into his office and tried patronizing him, into moving into the company's estate for the entirety of his stay with us.

Asiwaju declined his kind gestures, stating that the hotel he lodged in was nice enough and he had no problem staying their for the coming months, he didn't want to burden the company. This did not sit well with Mr Phil, he argued that the company estate was fair enough, the houses weren't much and the houses were large enough. And that this particular estate that the company owned was built solely for accommodating its partners if there was a need to, and for senior staff of the company.

Williams was suppose to take him to the company's estate but he bolted out of the state, immediately the meeting ended. Pamela relayed to me that it was for personal reasons. Pamela wasn't an option.

After Asiwaju begrudgingly accepted to, at least check the estate, I found my self seated in the front seat of his car, directing him on the road to take. I did not bring my car to office, and so I planned on entering a taxi to pick Jason up from school after showing him the place.

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We were still on the road, and a reasonable distance from the company's estate. We hadn't spoken a word since we started the journey. Not one single word from me or him. The whole time, I tried to stir my mind away from the fact that I was riding with him, he still showed no signs of recognize me. I was bitter about it.

My phone rang and I brought it out of my purse to pick it, but I hesitated when I saw that it was from an unknown caller. I was shaken by the text, I received some days ago, I tired ignoring it and made sure that I wasn't picking calls from unknown numbers.

"Aren't you going to pick your call?" His eyes left the road and landed on me for a moment. He sighed, when the call stopped immediately.

He looked more handsome, with his hair cut low, and the checkered purple and white suit, that accentuated his body build.

I nodded, and my phone started ringing. I swallowed hard, and stared outside through the window as I pressed receive. I decided, I wasn't going to speak first.

"Hello...  miss—,  is this Jason's mother?" A voice, I vaguely recognized demanded with panic.

"Hello, is it you.... Ma.... Its Miss Ann his class teacher"

"Miss Ann?" I tightened my grasp on the receiver.

"Thank goodness, its me" She cried into the receiver,  "I am in Maryland hospital, Jason has been admitted".

Sidelines
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