When Pago was told by his secretary that she had gotten a call from his father's secretary summoning him, he had known the old man was displeased with him. His dad always had a dramatic way of showing his displeasure and one of them was by going professional on him. He easily could have called him directly, but he had chosen to go through the bureaucratic channel.
Pago knew better than to keep his old man waiting, so he had abandoned all he was doing, rushed from his office and took the elevator to the topmost floor. As he waited in the secretary's office, he wondered how annoyed his dad could be.
---it was because of the lost contract at the university--- he thought to himself. He himself had been so annoyed last night when he had been told that the bid had been won by another company, and to add insult to injury, it had gone to a smaller company that had just came into the industry. Winning the contract was to be a huge turning point for him, he intended to use it to prove to his dad that he could handle the reins of the company. So he had pursued the contract with all his zeal, bribing and blackmailing where necessary. And he had been so sure it was his, his contacts at the university and at the ministry had assured him that it was all his. Then the devastating phone call he had received as he was about to go home the previous night had shattered his plans. He was yet to recover from it, 24 hours after
"You can go in now Mr. Adebantu." The secretary said rousing him from his thoughts.
He entered the massive office and saw his dad sitting behind his desk like an emperor about to pass a judgement on an unfortunate subject. He felt intimidated but he covered it well as he smiled up at his dad's impassive face and greeted.
"Good evening dad." ---that should remind you that I'm your son not your subject--- he added silently
"Evening." Victor replied gruffly, then said. "Sit down."
Pago sat on the chair facing his dad across the table and he had to look up at his dad who was looking down on him for his chair was lower. Victor had made it that way, he liked being at an advantage.
"What is this I'm hearing?" Victor began immediately Pago sat down
"I know dad, and I'm sorry we lost the contract, you can't be as pissed about it as I am, but I promise I'll...."
"Who is talking about the goddamn contract you lost?"
"You aren't? So what is it then?"
To answer him, his dad flung the magazine at him. Pago caught the magazine against his chest and read the headline
---goddamn busybodies, why can't they mind their businesses?--- He thought as he looked at the pictures of himself with several women.
"Where is your wife and daughter?"
"I don't know where they are. She packed some of her stuffs this morning and left with Rose."
"Jeez! You are so irresponsible. And you call yourself a father. Did you hit Ese again?"
Pago was silent and Victor continued. "When will it sink into your thick skull that it's only weak men that hit women?"
"Daddy she provoked me... I......I didn't want to, but I was in a bad mood last night because of the contract and I got home and I....I didn't know what happened...I was drunk."
"Is she filing for divorce?"
"She hasn't made it official, but she has been telling me for a while now that she wants a divorce."
"And?"
"And what?"
"And what are you going to do about it?"
"I'll give her what she wants."
"Bullshit! You are doing no such thing. The only way you can succeed me is if you stay married."
"I can always get another wife dad."
"I don't want another wife, I want Ese, I won't have you be a divorcee. If you really want this company to be yours someday, you will go find your wife and daughter and bring them back and try to convince her not to go through with the divorce."
"But dad...."
"Don't daddy me. It's time you started leading a responsible life. I don't care how you do it but I want Ese and Rose back in your house."
"Yes sir"
"Good, you may leave now." he said dismissively.
Before Pago could reach the door Victor called out again "One more thing, I don't care how many women you sleep with, but I have had enough of these scandals. The next time I see you on the covers of a magazine or tabloid with any woman other than your wife, you will be demoted to a lower office, great positions come with great responsibilities.
Pago knew better than to keep his old man waiting, so he had abandoned all he was doing, rushed from his office and took the elevator to the topmost floor. As he waited in the secretary's office, he wondered how annoyed his dad could be.
---it was because of the lost contract at the university--- he thought to himself. He himself had been so annoyed last night when he had been told that the bid had been won by another company, and to add insult to injury, it had gone to a smaller company that had just came into the industry. Winning the contract was to be a huge turning point for him, he intended to use it to prove to his dad that he could handle the reins of the company. So he had pursued the contract with all his zeal, bribing and blackmailing where necessary. And he had been so sure it was his, his contacts at the university and at the ministry had assured him that it was all his. Then the devastating phone call he had received as he was about to go home the previous night had shattered his plans. He was yet to recover from it, 24 hours after
"You can go in now Mr. Adebantu." The secretary said rousing him from his thoughts.
He entered the massive office and saw his dad sitting behind his desk like an emperor about to pass a judgement on an unfortunate subject. He felt intimidated but he covered it well as he smiled up at his dad's impassive face and greeted.
"Good evening dad." ---that should remind you that I'm your son not your subject--- he added silently
"Evening." Victor replied gruffly, then said. "Sit down."
Pago sat on the chair facing his dad across the table and he had to look up at his dad who was looking down on him for his chair was lower. Victor had made it that way, he liked being at an advantage.
"What is this I'm hearing?" Victor began immediately Pago sat down
"I know dad, and I'm sorry we lost the contract, you can't be as pissed about it as I am, but I promise I'll...."
"Who is talking about the goddamn contract you lost?"
"You aren't? So what is it then?"
To answer him, his dad flung the magazine at him. Pago caught the magazine against his chest and read the headline
---goddamn busybodies, why can't they mind their businesses?--- He thought as he looked at the pictures of himself with several women.
"Where is your wife and daughter?"
"I don't know where they are. She packed some of her stuffs this morning and left with Rose."
"Jeez! You are so irresponsible. And you call yourself a father. Did you hit Ese again?"
Pago was silent and Victor continued. "When will it sink into your thick skull that it's only weak men that hit women?"
"Daddy she provoked me... I......I didn't want to, but I was in a bad mood last night because of the contract and I got home and I....I didn't know what happened...I was drunk."
"Is she filing for divorce?"
"She hasn't made it official, but she has been telling me for a while now that she wants a divorce."
"And?"
"And what?"
"And what are you going to do about it?"
"I'll give her what she wants."
"Bullshit! You are doing no such thing. The only way you can succeed me is if you stay married."
"I can always get another wife dad."
"I don't want another wife, I want Ese, I won't have you be a divorcee. If you really want this company to be yours someday, you will go find your wife and daughter and bring them back and try to convince her not to go through with the divorce."
"But dad...."
"Don't daddy me. It's time you started leading a responsible life. I don't care how you do it but I want Ese and Rose back in your house."
"Yes sir"
"Good, you may leave now." he said dismissively.
Before Pago could reach the door Victor called out again "One more thing, I don't care how many women you sleep with, but I have had enough of these scandals. The next time I see you on the covers of a magazine or tabloid with any woman other than your wife, you will be demoted to a lower office, great positions come with great responsibilities.
★★★
"You should have listened to me and not call back your scripts for remarking, then it wouldn't have gotten to this point."
"Why Pago? Was it because of Ese?"
"Oh! I had it all planned out before Ese came into the picture, but I was considering not carrying it out until you snatched her from under my nose."
"But you were not dating her, you only wanted to......."
"Yes, I only wanted to f**k her which I did at last, and news flash bro, she isn't as innocent as you think, at least someone was there before me, I wasn't her first but even at that she was a great lay." He said with a wicked glint in his eyes
"You bastard, I'll....."
Easy!... easy bro, now you are not in a position to make threats, are you? You are a cultist remember?
"You won't get away with this, I swear."
"I already have amigo. From that first day at the MTH 101 tutorial class, I knew you'd be a threat and I learnt a long time ago to keep my enemies closer."
"You should have listened to me and not call back your scripts for remarking, then it wouldn't have gotten to this point."
"Why Pago? Was it because of Ese?"
"Oh! I had it all planned out before Ese came into the picture, but I was considering not carrying it out until you snatched her from under my nose."
"But you were not dating her, you only wanted to......."
"Yes, I only wanted to f**k her which I did at last, and news flash bro, she isn't as innocent as you think, at least someone was there before me, I wasn't her first but even at that she was a great lay." He said with a wicked glint in his eyes
"You bastard, I'll....."
Easy!... easy bro, now you are not in a position to make threats, are you? You are a cultist remember?
"You won't get away with this, I swear."
"I already have amigo. From that first day at the MTH 101 tutorial class, I knew you'd be a threat and I learnt a long time ago to keep my enemies closer."
Siji stood in front of the Students' Union Building and replayed the scene. Though it has been eight years, he could still replay their conversion in the building's tiny room where he had been held, word for word. He had replayed it countless times and each time he did, his resolve to pay back to those who had hurt him, in their own coins was strengthened. Jasper had told him to let bygones be bygones but he could not. The two people he had loved and trusted the most after Ma'ami had stabbed him in the back. It was pay back time. Snatching the contract from Pago was just the beginning. He won't rest until he crushed him. Ese would not be spared either. They both would get their fair share of rewards.
He turned, walked to his sports car and zoomed down road 1 towards the school gate. The game had begun and it was time to up the ante.
He turned, walked to his sports car and zoomed down road 1 towards the school gate. The game had begun and it was time to up the ante.
About the Author
Soji Adeola Ayanleke was born about 3 decades ago in Kano.
He studied Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo
University, Ile-Ife, he speaks Yoruba and Hausa fluently and he is
trying to learn Igbo and Spanish. His hobbies are reading, writing and
playing some indoor games.
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