My brother's girl

Iyore

           July 20,2018.
In a construction company.
I just came into my office, wondering how I can come up with another project since the last one, every time I bring an idea,every one sees it as irrelevant, impossible, I just don't know what to do. I put my suit jacket on my chair and sat on my chair and thought, it was as if the thinking was choking me so I went towards the windows,they I thought of the beauty of having an office that can show you outside view,the birds that fly the air and the cars that move,the people who chat,it's all so beautiful, wait a meeting Iyore,I just saw Iyore,what is she doing here?,I should go down stairs to find out. As I came out from the elevator I saw her talking to a young man,she was now inside the building.
    Iyore a young girl of 20years old,she is the second born in her family,the Obasuyi family,dark in complexion but has red libs,and dark short hair,some times I think if she was the reason why they made that phrase"black is beautiful ".
" Iyore ",
" huemwenmwen wow",
As she greeted me the young man walked away.
"What are you doing here?",
" I should be asking you that",
"Me,I work here",
" really, oh of course,how could I have forgotten, Ella made mention of it",
"So what are you doing here?",
" I am here for a interview ",
" interview ?",
"Yes for the internship",
" but you haven't graduated yet,I don't think they would hire you without credentials ",
" oh no I am not here for a interview, I mean internship, I mean I am here...",
"Iyore calm down and speak",
" I am graduating next year,so my school sent all of us who are graduating next year to go on I T you know industrial training,so we can go to any company in relation to our field all over the world,so I sent a letter to this company and I was asked to come today for my interview, so you see I am here for my interview as an intern",
"Yes you have explained it well enough, I understand, so a word of advise for you,make sure you have confidence in what ever you say in there because they are all correct, don't ever have doubt concerning what ever you say",
" thanks",
"So, who was that boy,I was speaking to a moment ago?",
" you were the one speaking to him,why are you asking me?",
"Because he is your colleague, you two work in the same place,I was only asking him for where the interview was taking place",
" well I don't know him,he should be one of the lower staff",
"So where am I to go for the interview?",
" how should I know? ",
" because you work here",
"Because I work here doesn't mean I should know everyone and every thing",
" you let the guy go and he was about to tell me where the place was,how am I to locate it now",
"Calm down I will ask around".
I went to ask a secretary close by and she told me,so I told Iyore and she went for the interview as I wished her success. So I went back to my office.
      Few minutes later,Iyore opened the door of my office.
" ola señor ",she said as she came in.
" you haven't finished learning your language, you are already speaking another ",
" speaking two words in a language doesn't mean you know how to speak the language ",
" you are right Iyore, so how was the interview?",
"It's ore",
" what the difference between Iyore and ore",
"Why is this sounding familiar"?",
" OK I would not question you on how you pick your acronym,but don't you think that Iyore is already short and doesn't need an acronym ",
" we are in Nigeria, Nigerians want to be like the whites,that's why we try to speak like them,act like them and even shapen our names so it's would sound like theirs. So if some one is called Osaigbovo,he would shorten his name to Bov,or Eghosaela to Ella ",
"If Ella hears you",
" but it's the truth,and trust me it is even more sweeter to hear,imagine you allow us call you Hue,easier to pronounce and nicer to hear",
"But then it's lost it's meaning",
" who the meaning help?",she spoke in a slag.
"The meaning helps a lot,that the reason you were given the name, look take my name for instance it's Osahuemwenmwen which means God loves me,and it was shorten to Huemwenmwen which means loves me, the meaning is still there but when you shorten it to Hue which means nothing, then why do I answer a name when it's means nothing?",
" look it just the same as when people answer Osas,Osas doesn't mean anything but people answer it because it a short version of calling the name",
"I don't even like that name Osas because it doesn't have meaning,it all the same",
" if we keep on talking about this, we would never end this ",
" you are right, how did you know where to find my office? ",
" well I just asked around and trust me it wasn't hard finding you,being the only Benin guy in this company, that exactly what we are saying in Benin city, other natives take our jobs and every thing we have and leave us who are indigenes as beggars,and we can't do that in their states ",
" so how was your interview? ",
" my interview was great, they ask me to go,that they would get back to me",
My face got dull.
"What?",
" nothing ",
" that's a good thing right? ",
" well most cases when they tell you that, they never call back,but your case would be different ",
" why don't they call back? ",
" if they want to give you the job they would give you at the spot not tell you to go first, but as I said before your case would be different ",
" so I didn't get the job",
"I said your...",
" I heard what you said loud and clear and don't try to give me hope when there is no hope,how could I have thought I would get a job here, this company is one of the biggest company in Edo state",
"I can get you the job?",
" really ",
" but I need to get my project done first,I made a proposal, that we sell our goods to new clients instead of our old clients so our rivals can't make us fail but they don't want that,they want us to continue with our previous clients ",
Iyore didn't say anything but just starred at me.
" what am I thinking, of course you wouldn't understand a thing I say",
"No that's not it I do understand, I am not going to business school for nothing, why don't you do as your boss said",
" you want me to surrender, if I wanted to I would have done that a long time ago",
"Make a project exactly like what your boss want and after he has approved and given you the go a heard you go to the client you want and make a deal,you are sure that this deal  would bring more income than your previous clients right",
" 98% sure",
"Then do it,make the money and I bet you when you show your boss,he would forgive you immediately, but first you have to be sure or else this would be the risk you have to take,losing your job or gaining praises",
" you are brilliant, I can't believe I never thought of that",
So the both of us worked on the project and I got it ready in no time,I went to my manager and we had our meeting, I presented exactly what he wanted and he said.
"Marvellous it is what I have been waiting for, leave this with me,I will go and read it and I will give it to my secretary to give it to you", he took the file from the table and left and the others followed him.
I was so happy that I danced into my office.
" with the way you are happy, I can see he agreed ",
" yes my project have been approved ",
" well don't dance yet,until your client sign the paper ",
" you are right again ",
I took Iyore home and few days later I received the file signed and I was ready to go to my client, so I went to a new French client.
   July 23,2018.
                     At sun set.
At uyi grand hostel and suit, we were at the bar.
" these are good we are giving 40%",
"Is that for the babies to play with",
" 50% last nothing more",
"Sir is this a joke,I left my previous clients not because they pay less but because I want you to experience the same favour, you must have learnt about us before coming here,you know our clients enjoy a lot in our hands and they don't even pay us what you are offering, tell me why I would want to leave them and come to you",
" 70%,it's all I have ",
" I think we are done here,bye",I took my files ready to go, all in the act.
"OK 90%",
" we are going to have a good business together ",I stressed my hand and he shook me.