Oga Martins & His Kettle Of Fishes – Episode 12

Martins was finally back on his feet after taking the fall for Aisha. It had taken him an additional two months to fully recover and he was really glad that he could again get back to his work and his life’s affairs. He couldn’t deny the fact that he had missed work a great deal. Albeit after the long wait to resume work, Martins woke up feeling sick. He suddenly didn’t feel like resuming anymore.

Aisha and her husband had put behind the events of April 12 behind them. However, it took a knife stab and a coma to rekindle their love for each other. For them, it felt they had been married anew.

Aisha was preparing to leave the house for work. She walked into the bedroom she shared with her husband to find Martins still in bed.

“Sweetie what’s up with you? Why are you still in bed? You ain’t resuming today anymore?”

“I kuku dey resume oh. I just can’t feel myself” Martins laid on the bed like a log of wood

“What do you mean you can’t feel yourself? You’ve been looking forward to this day, remember? Please you need to get your ass out of that bed now, it’s almost 7?” Aisha drew close to the bedside to pick her handbag. One close look at her husband and she could see weariness written all over his face

“Baby you sure you are okay?”

“That’s the problem, I don’t even know what’s wrong with me and I wasn’t feeling like this last night abi which kain devil be this”

“You should call in sick then”

“No, that will mean the second time I’m doing that this week. Realty Point has really tried for me. I don’t want to be seen as taking advantage of their benevolence”

“Oh please! I’m sure they won’t look at it that way. You are highly respected in that company. You should know you are now an integral part of the company and taking another day off shouldn’t be such a big deal”

“Don’t worry dear, I’m sure I will be fine”

“Certain?”

“As death”

“Death kwa!”

“Aisha don’t start joor! You know exactly what I mean”

“Of course darl!” Aisha kisses him slightly on the lips. “So you will be going to work”

“By god’s grace”

“Gonna drive?”

“Sure.”

“Please be careful” Aisha starts to leave the room

“You heading for work already?”

“You mean I’m late for work already. Have a nice day love” She waves him goodbye.

“You too dear”

“Baby your food is in the cooler. You can also take the smoothies I prepared for you, it’s in your favourite spot in the kitchen” Aisha voiced out loudly from the living room on her way out

“Alright love. Let me rest for a while before I go take a shower” Martins spoke under his breath as he resumed his fitful sleep

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“So because Martins is not around we become less productive. What is wrong with all of you? Look guys, the only reason you were employed is to make sales for the company and probably make money for yourselves week in, week out. At least you all knew what you were in for before you signed up with the company” The MD spoke sternly to the marketers of Realty Point Limited for the first time in a long while. The company had not been meeting up with her targets lately and it was telling on their finances.

“Can someone tell me what exactly is going on? We are in a meeting not a funeral”The MD added when all the marketers seemed to be acting like destitutes who could neither speak nor hear.

Yetunde, the head of the marketing department spoke up after a bit of hesitation “Sir we are doing the best we can, it’s just that we are in a time and period when the economy is in a standstill. Even our President is not making sales for the country” There were mild giggles from some of the marketers following Yetunde’s tinge of sarcasm

“Yetunde you think we are joking here right or was it you that told our economy to stand still?”

“Sir, I think Yetunde was only referring to the economy depression we seem to be facing at the moment to be responsible for the decline in sales.” Fidelis added.

“Oh so now the economy is no more standing still, it’s just depressed. You guys should keep giving me excuses for your failures. It won’t be long before you get depressed yourself when some persons lose their job.

“There will be no more excuses again sir, only results” It was Lanre’s turn to lend his voice.

“And you that calls yourself head of marketing, you think because you made outright sales on two plots of land in Ibeju last month everyone should go to hell? Your boss Martins did far more than that when he was head of department, and no one has been able to beat his record sales except he’s the one beating his own record. Yetunde, old things are passed away. Let me have your sales report for the outgoing month before you start speaking gibberish. You guys really need to get your acts together in this department. Our competitors are making sales you are here talking about economic depression. You are marketers not onlookers. Stop watching things happen, make them happen!” The MD expressed his displeasure wholeheartedly.

“Yahne, what’s been up with you lately? You’ve not made any sales since June, that’s like 2 months ago. Why?” The Md turned his searchlights on the youngest of the lot

“I’m sorry sir; it’s just been hard convincing my clients. This new change is really affecting everyone”

“Which change is that again oh?” The MD’s tone was laden with confusion.

“The one Buhari preached about before he became President”

Madam I can see you are tired of your stint with the marketing department. I should probably transfer Thelma here then we throw you to the customer service unit. At least she’s has made more sales this month than any marketer, yet she’s just a customer service rep…”

Yahne’s phone rings. One look at the screen of her phone and her eyes shone like a sky full of comets. She begged for permission to answer the call. The MD gave his OK

“Hello sir….Ok sir….yes sir…oh thank you sir…God bless you…You too sir. Yahne was almost kneeling down to thank the man she was speaking with on phone. She ended the call beaming with pride as she turned to the MD

“Sir, my client just made outright payment for 2 plots of land in  Ibeju Lekki”

“Wow! See as God dey work” Lanre could not hide his excitement.

“Yes! There is none like him. Good work Yahne.” The MD was talking calmly this time, with a friendlier disposition” So where did we stop?”

“You were saying something about Yahne moving to the customer service unit”

Yetunde you must be going bananas. How could that have been where I stopped? Which boss does that? Yahne is going no where, right Yahne?

The young marketer was so shocked by the MD’s response that she lost her tongue temporarily.

 

Oga Martins and His Kettle of Fishes continues next week…