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Martins walked into the MD’s office looking as pale as death. One glance towards the MD’s desk and his hands quaked like aspen leaves in expectation of what he was to receive soon. The white envelope that would seal his fate was lying confidently on the desk with aplomb. Martins was downtrodden.
Martins evasiveness etched out the MD’S curiousity. The middle aged man looked up at him like he was an object of virtu.
“Martins are you okay?”
“Definitely not sir. I thought after my accomplishments in this company, a decision as big and devastating as this should have been brought to my notice before final Judgement was passed. This only just happened and no one even called me to hear my side of the story.” His voice trembled like a violin string as he spoke.
The MD stared on like an onlooker who a lunatic was taking for a ride. “Rufus what is he talking about?”
“I have no idea sir. Martins, what are you up to?” Rufus spoke in low tones
“You didn’t tell me you guys had decided my fate even before the matter was to be brought to my knowledge.”
“What fate Martins? What are you talking about?” Martins’ tirades confused him further
“Why were they acting like what he was talking about wasn’t common knowledge?”Martins started to get wrong vibes. Something seemed amiss. His eyes went to the envelope on the MD’s desk yet again. Rufus eyes followed his and instantly knew what the whole drama had been about
“Oh! My God! Martins! Don’t tell you thought that was for you?” Rufus laughed hysterically.
“Its not?”
“You don’t say…Really?”
Martins could not feel himself anymore. He nearly jumped out of his skin at the discovery. He had been wrong . None of the discussion that transpired between the MD and Rufus was about him
“Martins, the letter is for Talabi” Rufus concluded.
“I’m sorry sir”
The MD still did not understand the situation. “Is there something you guys are not telling me?”
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That was some weeks back, everything had now returned to normalcy. Talabi, one of the company’s driver had been relieved of his duty for beating the living daylights out of the gate man. Talabi a former motor boy and street urchin was beginning to show traces of his past time after spending a near flawless year in the company. He was the favourite driver among the marketers and only just won the driver of the year award.
However fortune frowned at him when his tempers suddenly became frayed at every slight provocation, and the company didn’t have to wait too long before Talabi started throwing blows at co-workers that stood up to him like he was gunning for a WBO title belt. Shehu was the last of his victims before his short-lived makeshift boxing career was brought to an end after being served several queries. Martins was also served a query the day Talabi was booted out of the company.
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As Martins sat down in the dingy small office that was carved out for him in the residential rental property he oversees as caretaker, he imagined how easy men reshape their destinies with their own hands. His utterances would have come out worse if Rufus hadn’t placed him on the alert when he did. That he had nothing to do with the situation on ground. He thanked God that he didn’t vent his spleen immediately he stepped into the MD’s office. He would have ended up regretting his actions.
Martins took a quick glance at his wrist watch. It was 4:05 pm.
“Where are these people now?”
Martins was waiting for an agent who he had fixed an appointment with for 3 pm. The agent was to come with a tenant who was desperate to occupy the only vacant flat at 5, Otolorin Street, Lawanson, Lagos.
An earlier meeting between the duo had ended in a stalemate. Martins and the client had fallen out because he couldn’t produce any evidence of his job history or what he was doing at the moment. Martins was not satisfied with the man’s half-baked story about how he was unlawfully deported from South Africa. The dude even said he was a film maker yet could not produce an Id card, neither could he show any of his previous work as a producer.
“Mr. Jamui, there is no way I’m going to admit you into this property. I have record of every tenant here and I can vouch for them.”
“Congratulations! Look Mr. Martins, I am willing to pay twice the original amount as rent. I just need a place to lay my head that’s all”
“I can refer you to another property around sir! I’m sure you will like it there”
Martins’ suggestion incited Jamui’s fury. “Wait a minute! Who the hell do you think you are? Na you get the house? Make una see me see wahala oh! Common caretaker they gallivant. Why am I even talking to you sef? Let me go speak to my agent. At least he has direct access to the landlord.”
“Mr. Jamui you don’t need to get worked up, I’m only doing my duty. I don’t want any tenant palaver here. In fact I haven’t had an issue with any tenant here, you can ask around. You’ve not moved in and you are already proving to me that you will constitute a nuisance if I erroneously admit you into this property. This your deportation story doesn’t click .I am not going to let one bad apple spoil the whole barrel.”
That was a week ago but all that had been swept under the carpet. Jamui’s agent had put a call through to the landlord to explain his client’s predicament in the hands of Martins. Mr. Okafor on hearing that the client was willing to pay double the original amount as rent had silenced Martins and ordered him to lease the flat to him. Martins had no choice but to do his boss’s bidding.
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“Good day Oga Martins” Jamui’s agent greeted him as he stepped into the office with his client. “Sorry we are late.”
“Its fine!”
“Did you get the alert”
“Yes I did.”
Martins handed a copy of the tenancy agreement to Jamui. “That’s your copy of the tenancy agreement. I will advise you read through before putting pen to paper.”
“No its fine. I’m good” Jamiu responded quickly
“Mr. Jamiu are you kidding me? You won’t bother to read through” Martins said in utter disbelief.
“Please, who is this wannabe landlord that is trying to make life unbearable for himself not me” Jamiu exploded.
“Mr. Jamiu are we at this again? Haba relax naa” The agent interjected.
Oga Martins was fed up, he picked his phone and other documents on his desk as he rose from his seat.
“Oga Martins how far? Where you they go?” The agent appeared worried.
“Home”
“But we are not through here.” Martins starts to leave
“Well, as far as I’m concerned we are done.” The agent rose from his seat.
“Oga Martins, two wrongs don’t make a right oh. My client wants to move in this evening”
“You know who you called when I had a problem with your client right? Just conclude the transactions with him. Here is the padlock to the office. Just help me lock up when you are done here. I’m out!”
“Oga martins!”
Martins walked out of the office leaving both men to their devices.