(Dear friends. this is my debut story. Your comments are highly welcome.
Enjoy)


I took the last seat in the cab from Dugbe. A fat woman occupied the center seat and had taken a great deal of space. I just had to bear with her. In the next ten minutes or so, I should be at Idi-Ishin quarters, my destination. I finally got down and sighed a relief. I gave the driver money, but he complained he didn’t have change. When it was obvious he was wasting my time, I decided to forgo the change and moved on.

Our home was a white storey building that needed repainting. It used to be a very beautiful duplex, but the peelings on the wall had done some damage to its aesthetic values. I unlocked the pedestrian side of the gate and made for the entrance door. It was locked from inside. I pressed the bell and waited patiently.

From inside, a curtain was moved aside as two eyes peered to see who the intruder was.

‘It’s me, Simi,’ I called out, in case the person had some doubts.

Quickly, the door was unlocked and thrown open.

‘Welcome, aunty,’ Titi said, coming to hug me, and to relieve me of my handbag.

Titi would not stop amazing me. Just about nine hours ago, she had seen me off to work. Now she was greeting like someone who hadn’t seen
me for months!

‘Thank you,’ I mumbled and entered the house. She knew where to take my bag to. We went straight to my bedroom which was the first by the
right on the first floor.

‘How was work?’ Titi asked.

I smiled. ‘Fine.’

She lingered a bit. I opened my bag, brought out a roll sausage and handed it to her.

She smiled. ‘Many thanks, aunty,’ she said.

I nodded. ‘You’re welcome.’

She left my room. I sighed, sat on the bed and removed my shoes. Then I changed from my office wears to a t-shirt and shorts. I lay on the bed, thinking of Daniel. The guy was becoming erratic and I was getting fed up with the relationship. I had complained to mummy about him, but she said I should be patient. How long would I continue to condone his childish – almost foolish – behavior?

There was the hooting of car at the gate. Titi went to see who it was. Soon, the wide gates were opened and a car drove into the compound.
That must be mummy. She was on afternoon duty and anytime she was, she came in about this time. I could hear the voice of Titi welcoming her. Moments later, I could hear footsteps coming up the stair case.

‘Has Simi come back?’ Mummy was asking.

‘Yes, mummy,’ Titi answered.

Mummy raised her voice. ‘Simi! Come o! There’s news.’

I sighed, wondering what could be the news. The greatest news I would have loved to hear was that my father, the late Brigadier-General Michael Akolade, had come back to life. Since daddy died about two years ago in a ghastly road accident, I believed I was the one that missed him most. Not even his wife, my mother, missed him the way I did. I believed he was the most loving father in the world, even if his wife did not think so.

But I knew his resurrection would not likely be among mummy’s news items. I got up from the bed and left my room. Mummy was removing her uniform when I entered her bedroom.

‘Welcome, mummy,’ I greeted.

‘Simi, my dear. How’re you?’

Mummy was in good mood. There must be good news she wanted to pass.

‘Fine. How’s work today?’

‘Hectic, as usual.’

She removed her stockings and white gown. I had always known mummy to be a nurse, ever since I could remember. She was once a slim and beautiful woman and I took after her. Even now that she was fat and not so young again, she still looked beautiful. Months ago, I and my only sibling, Deola had teased her about re-marrying.

‘You girls are not serious,’ mummy had said.

‘But we’re serious, mummy,’ Deola had said. ‘I’m sure you’re still getting toasters.’

‘Plus micro-wave ovens,’ Mummy added.

We had all laughed.

I sat on her bed. She was not in a hurry to tell me the good news, so I waited. Mummy changed into a long house gown.

She turned to me. ‘Yes, I suppose you’re eager to hear the good news.’

I nodded.

(to be continued)


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Interesting.

I sat on her bed. She was not in a hurry to tell me the good news, so I waited. Mummy changed into a long house gown.

She turned to me. ‘Yes, I suppose you’re eager to hear the good news.’

I nodded.

She came to sit by my side on the bed. ‘Mrs. Shitta is commissioning her hotel in Lagos next week.’

‘Oh? Congrats to her.’

Mrs. Maria Shitta was mummy’s good friend. She was also a nurse at the teaching hospital in Ibadan years ago before she relocated to London.

She wanted mummy too to change her place of work, but mummy chose to remain in Nigeria. After ten years in London, Mrs. Shitta was coming back home with an investment. She had built a hotel, as she said she was passionate about hospitality business.

But was the opening of the hotel the good news mummy wanted to tell me? I waited.

‘Well, you know her three children are all abroad,’ mummy continued.

‘Hmn hmn.’ I nodded.

‘Her children would have supported her in running the place, but for the fact that they’re not around. She wants a very trusted and capable person to handle the business for her. She wants a reliable person to be her Business Manager. She wants you work for her.’

I opened my mouth in astonishment. ‘What! Me?’

‘Yes, you, Simi,’ my mother said. ‘You can do it and you will do it.’

‘I read Pharmacy, for God’s sake! What has that got to do with running hotel business?’

‘Studying Pharmacy does not mean you can only be limited to that line. With commitment, you can succeed as Business Manager, my dear.’

Presently, I worked at Dravos Foods, a company that was into the production of biscuits and confectionery. The pay wasn’t that good, but it was still better than being idle at home. Daddy’ ex friends who had promised better jobs were yet to fulfill their promises.

I was thoughtful for a while. At twenty-seven, I had graduated over five years ago and had completed my national youth service over fours ago, now. I had taken the job at Dravos, after I could not secure a job at the pharmaceutical industry. Mummy herself promised to get me employed by the UCH, but it wasn’t easy succeeding in that.

Now, the offer from Mrs. Maria Shitta had become the news flash.

‘But that would mean my leaving Ibadan for Lagos,’ I pointed out.

‘Yes.’

I frowned slightly. ‘Why didn’t Mrs. Shitta set up the business here in Ibadan? Why did she have to set it in Lagos?’

Mummy chuckled. ‘She has her good reasons for doing that, my dear.’

I nodded. Just then, there was another blaring of horn at the gate. ‘Goodness,’ mum said. ‘That must be Mrs. Shitta. She said she would be visiting.’



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Interesting.

I nodded. Just then, there was another blaring of horn at the gate. ‘Goodness,’ mum said. ‘That must be Mrs. Shitta. She said she would be visiting.’

She stood up from the bed and moved to the door. I followed her.

‘Maria has a lot of confidence in you for inviting you for this job, Simi. You must not disappoint her.’

I sighed. Mummy was always zealous about things she was interested in. I had not even affirmed that I would accept the job offer, but she was already taking about not disappointing her friend.

She went downstairs while I went back to my room. I played some music on my small sound system and reclined on my bed.

Many minutes later, there was a knock on my door. The person that knocked didn’t wait for an answer when the knob was turned and the door was pushed in.

Titi gave a grin. ‘Mummy said you should come downstairs,’ she informed.

I knew that would be her message. ‘Okay, I’ll be coming.’

I got down from the bed and went to the staircase. Here, I could hear the excited voices of mum and her guest. I descended the case slowly. The voices grew louder as I got to the large living-room.

‘Good evening, ma,’ I greeted Mrs. Shitta.

‘Ah, Simi, my daughter, come and give me a hug.’

I gave her a hug, the strong whiff of her perfume assailing my nose.

She looked at me all over. ‘Only God knows what is wrong with the young men in Ibadan. How could they leave a beautiful damsel like you alone all this while?’ she smiled.

I wasn’t surprised at her sarcasm. This woman could talk!

‘Don’t worry,’ she went on. ‘Lagos men are smarter. Before you spend months there, you’ll see how they will rush you. They know good things.’

Mummy smiled while I grinned. But, who told Madam Maria that I didn’t have a man in my life? I had, even though he was an unserious fellow.

‘O ya, sit down and let’s discuss,’ Mrs. Shitta went on. ‘Bimbola must have told you about the Lagos job I’m offering you, right?’

I nodded and took a seat beside her. ‘Yes, ma.’

‘So, what d’you think?’

‘She’s going to do well on the job,’ mummy intervened. ‘I trust my daughter.’

I nodded in support of what my mother said.

‘Yes,’ Mrs. Shitta continued. ‘I want you to be smart and sharp. I want you to be my eyes and ears there. I want you to grow the place. And of course, the remuneration is mouth-watering. I know you’ll not disappoint.’

I resigned myself to fate. ‘No, I’ll not disappoint,’ I answered.

I stayed with the two women for several more minutes before I excused myself. The following day was Wednesday, I was on my way to work when mummy called me.

‘Maria just called me now. She advised that you should resign from your current place of work with immediate effect.’

Just like that? I sighed. ‘Okay, mummy.’

‘She also advises that you’ll get set and follow her to Lagos on Sunday.’

‘So fast?’

‘Yes. She wants you to be on ground, familiarize yourself with the place and be part of the team that will kick off the operations of the place.’

I sighed. ‘Okay, mum.’



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Interesting story.

Kudos, @WuraSerano

Interesting story.

Cool

I stayed with the two women for several more minutes before I excused myself. The following day was Wednesday, I was on my way to work when mummy called me.

‘Maria just called me now. She advised that you should resign from your current place of work with immediate effect.’

Just like that? I sighed. ‘Okay, mummy.’

‘She also advises that you’ll get set and follow her to Lagos on Sunday.’

‘So fast?’

‘Yes. She wants you to be on ground, familiarize yourself with the place and be part of the team that will kick off the operations of the place.’

I sighed. ‘Okay, mum.’

As I soon as I got to my office, I wrote a short letter to notify the management that I had resigned my appointment with immediate effect. I thanked them for the opportunity they had given me to work there. Moji, my colleague and good friend was shocked by my sudden decision. I explained to her why I had to do what I did.

I packed my few personal belongings, bade them farewell and left. I was back home before mid-day. Mum advised that I should get some books and read about hospitality business. I went on Google to do so.

I called my friends to inform them about my imminent relocation to Lagos. I also called Deola, my sister to intimate her. She was a Medical student at the University of Ibadan and she stayed on campus.

‘Are you going to be working at NAFDAC in Lagos, or what?’ Deola asked.

‘Mrs. Shitta is opening a hotel. I’ll be working there.’

‘What? Hotel? Do they prescribe and dispense drugs in hotel?’

I chuckled. ‘Don’t be cheeky, Deola. I’ll be working as Business Manager.’

‘Business what? What d’you know about business?’

‘Don’t under estimate my potentials, sister.’

She laughed over the line. ‘Well, best of luck, Simi.’

‘Yeah. And best of luck to you too.’

Last but not the least, I called Daniel.

‘I’ll be going to Lagos,’ I said. ‘There’s a job waiting for me there.’

‘What!’ he sounded astonished. ‘How could you do that?’

‘The job is better than what I have now and mum advises that I should take it.’

‘And you didn’t discuss it with me before you decided,’ he accused. ‘What if I say no?’

Now, that was Daniel for you. How could he say no?




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Interesting story.

Nice one.

Nice work.

Last but not the least, I called Daniel.

‘I’ll be going to Lagos,’ I said. ‘There’s a job waiting for me there.’

‘What!’ he sounded astonished. ‘How could you do that?’

‘The job is better than what I have now and mum advises that I should take it.’

‘And you didn’t discuss it with me before you decided,’ he accused. ‘What if I say no?’
Now, that was Daniel for you. How could he say no?

‘The job is from a family friend and …’ I was explaining.

‘Alright, alright. What kind of job is it, anyway?’

I sighed. ‘I’m to be a hotel Business Manager.’

‘What? You want to work in hotel?’ His tone sounded like it was the most disgusting job I could ever take.

I breathed in deeply but said nothing.

‘Listen, Simi,’ he said. ‘No baby of mine will work in hotel. You’re not to take that job.’

‘You don’t mean that, Daniel,’ I said, getting agitated.

‘I mean it. Don’t accept it. If you do, then kiss our relationship goodbye.’

‘Daniel!’

‘I mean it. Take up that job, and then forget about me.’

He went on to cut the line. Can you imagine that? Daniel cut the line. I sighed and shook my head. I was not totally surprised by his behavior, for he always had that propensity to be domineering.

I continued to prepare for my departure. Mum kept drumming it in my ears that I must be a good gal and prove myself worthy, and I kept replying her that she had no reason to be apprehensive.


‘I’m twenty-seven and I know what I should do,’ I said.


On the Sunday that I would leave Ibadan, Mrs. Shitta’s driver came to our house about three o’clock to ‘pick’ me. I had already packed the clothes and other things I would be taking to Lagos in two suitcases. I went on to hug my mum to say goodbye. I was surprised to see drops of tears fall from her eyes.

‘Oh, mum, if you’re doing this because I’m traveling to Lagos, what will you do if I’m departing for Canada, or Australia?’

She smiled wryly. ‘Don’t mind me, Simi. Make sure you’re very careful there.’

‘I will, mum.’

Titi too was shedding tears. Now, wait a minute. I was only travelling to Lagos, a place less than 190 kilometers away, for God’s sake!

But then I knew I must not get angry with my sixteen years old niece.

‘Come, Titi, I’ll always be coming back home.’ I gave her a thousand naira note.

‘Hey, get something for yourself.’

I was surprised she refused my offer.
‘I’m going to miss you,’ she said.

I was moved, so I hugged her. She calmed down.

Interesting story.

Interesting and captivating

Nice one.

Nice one.

Nice one.

Nice one.

More updates ....

The story continues ...


But then, I knew I must not get angry with my sixteen years old niece.

‘Come, Titi, I’ll always be coming back home.’ I gave her a thousand naira note. ‘Hey, get something for yourself.’

I was surprised she refused my offer.

‘I’m going to miss you,’ she said.

I was moved, so I hugged her. She calmed down.

Titi and mum waved at me as the driver moved the jeep out of our compound. I felt like shedding tears too, and I almost did; but the presence of the driver who would imagine that I was probably destined for a trip as far as Papua New Guinea, prevented me from doing so..

We were soon at Mrs. Shitta’s residence at Bodija. We didn’t stay there for long. Her suitcase was soon added to mine in the booth and we set out for Lagos. I sat with her at the back seat.

‘Simi, my daughter’, she said. ‘I’m glad you and Bimbola accepted this offer. Just do your best and see how you will be rewarded.’

I nodded. ‘I’ll do my best, ma.’

‘That is good.’

She did most of the talking, and she would caution the driver from time to time to cut the speed.

‘Hey, I’m not in a hurry o. Even in London where their roads are better, I never liked speeding.’

About an hour later, we got to Berger. The jeep veered off the expressway. I supposed in minutes, we would get to our destination.

‘The hotel is like a complex building,’ she explained. ‘The main building houses the lodging rooms, restaurant, a bar, a conference hall and a club. Behind the main building is a storey building. There’s a kind of suite on the first floor and that’s where I stay. On the ground floor, there’re four rooms. You’ll be occupying one of them for now. The problem of accommodation and transportation is solved.’

I nodded. We soon got to the hotel, the Comely Hotel. It was a two-storey building with a side drive that led us to the building at the back. The driver, whose name I had learnt was Gideon, stopped the car and grinned.

We got down from the vehicle. Mrs. Shitta stretched her legs. ‘To think that some people will travel by road from Lagos to Kano!’ she exclaimed.

A young lady came from the house.

‘Welcome, ma,’ she greeted her.

‘Yes, Bimpe. How’re you?’

Fine, ma. How was your trip?’

‘Fine.’

I removed my suitcases while Bimpe struggled with madam’s big luggage. Madam faced Bimpe.

‘Simi here is the daughter of my good friend, and that means she’s my daughter too. She’ll be working with me. Take her to the first room downstairs to drop her luggage. That’s where she’ll be staying. Then bring her up. We still have some talks to do.’

Interesting.

‘Simi here is the daughter of my good friend, and that means she’s my daughter too. She’ll be working with me. Take her to the first room downstairs to drop her luggage. That’s where she’ll be staying. Then bring her up. We still have some talks to do.’

We entered the building. It was a new building that looked and smelt new. I followed Bimpe to the room allocated to me. It was a modest room,
a little smaller than my room in Ibadan, but still comfortable enough. It had a single bed, a desk and a plastic chair, plus a stool. With the chair and desk, I could do some reading and writing. There was an in-built wardrobe. Everything smelt new.

‘This is your room,’ Bimpe said. She pointed at an adjoining door. ‘In there, there’s a toilet and a bathroom. You don’t have to use the other main bathroom and toilet at the end of the corridor. I occupy the next room.’
I nodded. Bimpe, at a guess shouldn’t be more than twenty-four. She looked friendly and I hoped we would get along well.

‘Thank you,’ I said.

‘You’re welcome.’

I opened the wardrobe and piled my suitcases inside. Later, I would arrange my things there.

‘Now, let me take you upstairs,’ Bimpe said.

I nodded. She pointed at a bunch of three keys hanging in the key hole.

‘Those are the keys to your room. I’ll advise that when you’re not in, always lock the door.’

I nodded. We stepped out of the room. I removed the bunch and locked the door. We climbed the tiled floor up to the first floor. Immediately
we got to the top, next to the stair case by the right, was a large room that served as the living-room.

The black leather seats looked exquisite. Mrs. Shitta was obviously a woman of taste. There was a flat screen on, and it was showing a food and drinks channel. I watched and was impressed with the sumptuous meals they showcased. Comely Hotel must strive to excel if it must be at par
with providing the kind of quality food shown.

Madam came to meet me. She chose a sofa not far from my seat.

'Yes, Simi. Let me give you some briefings on your work,’ she stated in earnest. ‘You're actually to be the Deputy Business Manager. Yes, for now, I've brought a lady that will be the substantive manager. She has working experience in hotel business. You will be her deputy and you're to understudy her. The moment you've learnt the ropes, you'll take over. I trust that you will learn fast.'

I nodded.

'Any time you want to relax, you can come up here. Meanwhile, I will tell Bimpe to get us something for dinner.'

She stood up and went downstairs. I sat back relaxingly on my seat. Then, I remembered I had not called mummy to let her know we had safely arrived Lagos. Promptly, I brought out my phone and called her


I woke up early the following morning, took my bath and dressed up for work. The black skirt, white shirt and black jacket I wore fitted me well, without doubt. I was to go to the living-room upstairs and wait for Mrs. Shitta. By few minutes after seven, I was waiting for her. I stood up to greet her as soon as she stepped inside the room.

'Good morning, ma,' I greeted.

'Good morning, Simi. You’re looking good. I like your outfit. That's the spirit.'

I smiled coyly. 'Thank you, ma. Your dressing is super, too.'

She seemed pleased. Indeed, her dressing, though 'iro' and 'buba' looked good on her.

'Bimpe!' she called out. Bimpe answered from her room and soon came up.'

Mrs. Shitta handed her bag to her and turned to face me. 'Alright, let's go.'

I followed them downstairs and outside to the waiting car. Mr. Gideon had washed the jeep and it looked sparkling. Once again, I sat beside
madam in the jeep. In less than fifteen seconds we got to the front of the hotel. In the absence of Bimpe, I assisted madam with her bag. I could see the hotel edifice clearly now. In its modesty, it looked attractive from the outside.

We entered it and went to the lobby. I could see the members of staff eagerly greeting Mrs. Shitta.

The interior was very grand. Mrs. Shitta must have spent fortune to put that building in place. By the lobby was a corridor to the right. We followed it to the last door by the right. Madam took her bag from me, opened it and brought a bunch of keys out. She went through the keys and finally decided on one to open the door. She stepped inside the cool room. Her portrait was on the wall and a small Nigerian flag was on her desk. This was Mrs. Maria Shitta's office.

She motioned me to a seat while she went to sit behind the desk.

She opened her handbag again and brought out her cell phone. Then, she put her eye glasses on, scrolled through the saved numbers on the
phone and called a number.

'Hello,' she said into the mouth piece and passed briefly. 'Yeah, good morning. Are you in the office? Come over to my office.'

She cut the connection and put the phone on her big desk.
'I've just called the Business Manager that you will be working directly with. Don't forget: you're my eyes and ears in this place. You must always brief me about things that are going on.'

'Yes, ma,' I answered.

The door opened and a lady stepped in.

'Good morning, madam,' she greeted.

'Good morning, Tina. Sit down.'

'Thank you, ma'am.'

She sat down and regarded me briefly.

'Yes, Tina,' madam said. 'This is Miss Simi Akolade, the lady I told you will be your assistant as Deputy Business Manager. Simi, meet Miss

Augustina Kadiri, the Business Manager. The two of you will be working together. I want maximum cooperation and high productivity.'

I nodded.

'Hello, Simi,' Tina said.

'Good morning, madam,' I replied.

'Yes,' Mrs. Shitta went on, turning to Tina. 'You will show Simi her office. You will also put her through our operations here. Explain everything to her.' Mrs. Shitta extended her right hand to me for a hand shake.

'Thank you, ma'am,' I said.

'You will get your letter of employment later today.'

Again, I nodded. 'Thank you, ma. I’m grateful.'

Tina and I stood up and left the office. Down the corridor, about three rooms from Mrs. Shitta's office, was Tina's own. Her office was small but cool, neat and well-arranged.

Thanks for the update.

Tina and I stood up and left the office. Down the corridor, about three rooms from Mrs. Shitta's office, was Tina's own. Her office was small but cool, neat and well-arranged.

'Sit down,' she said.

'Thank you, madam.'

'Hey, just Tina is okay,' she protested.

I smiled. 'Okay, Tina. Thank you.'

She stared at me briefly and studied me. I studied her too. She couldn't be less than thirty-two. Almost the same height with me, but she was a bit plump and busty. She looked pretty and confident. She certainly looked like a lady who was not a push-over.

'I've seen your c.v, and I'm impressed,’ she said. ‘Having a Second Class Upper in Pharmacy is no joke. But this is a complete different terrain.

This place is not about being erudite. It's about smartness and astuteness. Baby, you're in Lagos now, and you've got to be smart. Some guys will want to take you for a ride, and some ladies too. But that’s if you allow them.’

She paused to gauge my attentiveness. I was all ears.

‘In hotel business, you meet all sorts of characters. You’ll meet the educated, the illiterate, the successful business people, and those that that are still struggling.’

I was in for a pep lecture. I waited.

‘You’ll meet honest ones and those that are unscrupulous and fraudulent. Hey, you must always be on your guard. People always want to take advantage of weak or soft ones.’

I nodded in agreement.

‘Simi, I don’t just want to be your boss or colleague. I want to be your friend. Do you accept my offer?’

I smiled. ‘Sure. It’s better we’re friends than we’re rivals.’

She nodded and smiled too. ‘Good. That will make this our job much easier. This hotel will be opened to the public and business after its commissioning on Wednesday. Now, let me tell you how the place will operate.’

I nodded. ‘Okay, Tina.’

She told me how she had and Mrs. Shitta had mapped out how to make things work. I listened to her carefully. I must say Tina was brilliant.

She combined beauty with brain and it was not difficult to see why Mrs. Shitta had picked her for the job. I definitely had a lot to learn from her, but I would learn fast.

After the talks, she took me round the hotel. From the offices, we went to the lobby, the club, the restaurant and the rooms. We also went to the kitchen and the store house. Expectedly, the staffers would all start work on Wednesday. She also took me to the special rooms upstairs regarded as suites. I was impressed with everything. Mrs. Shitta had done well.

Within such a short time, Tina and I were chatting as if we had been friends for years. After taking me round the hotel complex, I was shown (last, but not the least) the small office I would be using. It was the next room to hers, except that it was smaller and had only a chair for I visitor.

It was cozy, sort of, and i liked the place as it was. She sat on the visitor's seat while I sat on my leather, swivel chair.

Interesting piece.

Nice update.

Nice write up, please don’t keep us waiting for long with updates and don’t be like other Niralanders that don’t complete their stories☺️

This is a lovely write up, kudos. Waiting for the next chapter.

Within such a short time, Tina and I were chatting as if we had been friends for years. After taking me round the hotel complex, I was shown (last, but not the least) the small office I would be using. It was the next room to hers, except that it was smaller and had only a chair for visitor. It was cozy, sort of, and i liked the place as it was. She sat on the visitor's seat while I sat on my leather, swivel chair.

'It means you can only receive a visitor at a time,' Tina said and smiled.

Later, towards evening, I decided to call Daniel.

'Hello, Daniel,' I said. 'You did not even call to ask after me or about my trip.'

'What trip?' he asked, almost in a snappy tone.

'My trip to Lagos, of course.'

'Wait a minute. Are you saying you left Ibadan, despite asking you not to do so?'

I breathed in deeply. 'Daniel, since yesterday evening, I've been in Lagos.'

'So, you decided to please yourself, right?'

'It's not about pleasing myself,' I told hm. 'It's about doing something that is exigent.'

There was no response from him again. Seconds later he disconnected the line. I sighed in exasperation. Going by the sign he had been giving
me in the last few weeks, he was most likely fed up with the relationship.

We didn't do much at the hotel the next day other than to prepare for the commissioning. On Wednesday, by nine in the morning, guests had started arriving for the occasion which was billed to commence by ten o'clock. The Chairman of the occasion, a serving female senator, was there. There were short speeches and the place was declared open. Work started in earnest.

My work was not just to sit in the office. I had to always go round and see that things were working the ways they should. I soon got to understand the pattern of patronage from customers. There was usually a lull in business in the morning till late afternoon. Apart from taking care of the needs of lodgers, much was not done in the morning time.

But by early evening, business boomed. The bar was usually filled to capacity by seven-thirty p.m., till it closed at ten o'clock. Tina would stay late before she would leave for her. It was a good thing that she lived at Ojodu, not far away.

On Friday, business was so good there was no lull until about eleven. It was our first weekend. Tina decided she would sleep in her office. I usually stayed around till about that time before going to my one-room apartment in the adjunct building.

'You can sleep in my room, Tina,' I offered.

She looked at me briefly. 'Are you sure about that?'

'Of course. The bed is quite small, but we can manage it.'

She smiled and brightened up. 'Well, thanks a lot, Simi.'

After ensuring that everything was in order, we left for my place. As usual, I had a shower and changed into a night wear. Tina too went for a shower. I gave her one of my shorts and t-shirts to wear. It was few minutes to midnight when we lay on the bed to sleep.