Make it Work

At the Office

At the Golden Entertainment Company (Fire in the house)

It has been a gruelling period away from my first child and company! And the atmosphere as I grace the land is very pleasant and I feel my soul dancing with excitement. The heart drumming a good beat and my mind flooding with creative ideas but sadly the reason why I am here being completely different.

Hopefully I will not be habituating again to the eyes and creepiness of my employees and I walk into the building looking bold but inside my nervous system is about to break down with anxiety.

Hazy thinking about the type of reception I will receive from them. Or maybe that is just my idiosyncrasy and I just need to keep calm and make this a walk over.

One of my employees jumps over screaming boss at this moment out of nowhere. My legs are weak and I cannot run. Has my cloak of invisibility abandoned me? Even my boldness is about to leave.

I place my hands in the pocket and look around at the crowd gathering around me. This is one of those blessed moments in life when you see a lot of eyes expressing relief that they are seeing you alive. I will cherish this. But speaking is going to be a pain with them speaking over each other and I cannot perceive a meaningful sentence from anyone.

“Thank you all, for this very warm welcome! I am touched by this show of love and I am very grateful I have such wonderful employees like you all!”

“Congratulations on your marriage, boss!” one of the employees shouts from the back.

“Thank you, Tawanda! It was a great achievement!”

“No sweat, you are the man!” Tawanda shouts again.

“Thank you! To all of you again!” I show appreciation both in words and a smile, “Can anyone tell me where Fungai is? I would Like to see her at the moment!”

“I am here sir!” she responds on her own from within the crowd raising her hand.

“Okay, found her! Everyone, thank you for the warm welcome. We will have plenty of time, next-time! You can all return to your work posts now. Thank you again!”

Make my way through to Fungai. She seems delighted to see me! Wow, this is a relief because at times at felt like she hates me for some reason. Maybe I have to stop assuming so much.

“How are you sir?” she asks with a relieved smile on her face.

“I am quite well and I hope you are good also?”

“Yes, I am sir!” she answers lively.

I look at her for a moment and she seem to be very happy somehow, “That is good. Can you bring me those contract documents that I left unfinished? Put them in a drive for me please, I would like to go home and finish them.”

“Actually, all that has been done sir!”

I pause for a second after hearing this, wondering who it is that has done the work for me.

“By who?”

“Ummm, by your wife sir.”

“What do you mean, ‘by your wife, sir’?”

“Mrs Zimuto came in everyday to cover for you and she did everything, including meetings and paper work and kept us on our toes!” her smile broadens again, “She is like you though, gentle with the employees and listens too.”

“Ohh, really!” hearing this is giving thoughts to ponder on.

She did not mention anything about coming here and filling in for me or was I too angry that I did not allow her time to speak. A frail heart leads a man to be imprudent when facing a situation.

“I am guessing she did not tell you?”

“Yes, she might have skipped that part.”

“Awe, but you must not worry, everything was done great, the company was in good hands. She actually did a great job!”

“I see!”

Fungai rushes over to the door, closes it after clarifying that no one is close enough to listen.

“I have no idea if I am the one to tell you this, but your friend Steve and this other weird looking guy, thin and dark harassed the young Mrs Zimuto, at one point I walked in and he was about to slap her and she always said I should not go far away from her. She was terrified but still she came to fill in for you knowing what might happen.”

In my head I am still laughing at the thin and dark the way she contorts her face in disgust while saying it. I guess at times not even having money can make one pleasant for the eyes of a woman. Nhamo, still having trouble with women. At high school and Varsity, he would mistreat women, maybe karma caught to him!

“You know sir, Steve would assault her and harass her and he did not even seem to have any ounce of shame.” She continues.

Grab my chin, change and lock my fingers, “So, she came here and all that happens and that is why she did not come to the hospital much to visit?”

“That she did, she would visit before she comes here, at lunch, at times in between in the morning she would cut the morning work to just come and see you and after work she would also drop by for a long-time. At times cry like at times I wondered how such a strong woman would cry!”

Giggle a little and walk to the window in my office, “Tears help a person cope with the pain, the cry helps them alleviate the weight of sadness that is on them and at the end, you see those that cry the most smile without holding back!”

But lately her smile has disappeared from what it used to be and she is trying to make it work but I just remain adamant to everything. If I had not been so hard-headed she could have welcomed me home or back to the land of the living with one of those enchanting smiles!

“That is not making any sense at all though! The tears and the cries!”

“I know, but one day it will!” I place myself in my chair, “Please, call in Steve for me!”

Her face gradually changes and she seems to be terrified, “Are you going to ask him about what I told you sir? “

“No, do not worry about it! Me and him have some issues to discuss and that is why I came into the office today, please do call him in!”

“Okay sir.”

“Wait, before you go. You said you went with her to the hospital, right?”

“Yes sir!”

“Can I ask you something, it just hit my thoughts right now?”

“Of course,” she is attending to me fully again.

“When I woke up at the hospital, the doctor said she came with her brother and from what I know she has no brother. Can you share with me information on that?”

“Ohh yes, it was Steve. The doctor had some sort of grudge against him so she did not want him to come in and so he lied to the doctor when Mrs Zimuto was inside the room with you. He gave a convincing argument about it too!”

This is not adding up though, because she could have told Tendai that this man is not my brother afterward or when they got into the room. So, what really happened?

“And sir,” I look at her again thoughtful to what she had said and opening my ears to her, “He threatened her a lot of times and that is why she wanted me around her. Steve is not a good person at all sir and honestly, I wonder how the two of you became friends in the first place.”

She is right though, even I am starting to think how and why I became friends with him. Even when people around me tried to tell me so, I still did not listen. I am starting to think they left because of this.

Put a side smile on my face, “Me too, but the universe is filled with a lot of unanswered mysteries and some are better off left unanswered! Thank you, please call him in now.”

“Okay sir!”

I wait anxiously, thinking of how I am going to introduce the topic, am I going to just shoot straight to the point or circle around a bit. Even the board will not have an issue with me doing anything to him now. It should be piece of cake to just do this.

I sit in my chair after thinking for a while, looking around my office which has also been redecorated and wow, she did a great job like she did to my home office.

Fungai returns with Steve into the office, “Here he is sir!”

“Thank you Fungai, you can leave us now!”

She turns and leaves the office. Me and Steve we stare at each other for a while without saying a word. I have to say, I feel like jumping on him and strangling him to death right now looking at him. His presence alone is annoying me greatly what if he speaks? That will irritate me to the last point, I cannot believe I that I befriended such a nuisance.

“I have to say man, I am glad to see you alive and well!” he says with a smile on his face.

“Thank you! Really, I appreciate it.” I show my gratitude, interlocking my fingers.

“You do not seem to be excited to be back man. What is going on brother?”

Get up from my chair and turn my back on him to look outside the window. Thinking on how to say what I would like to say. At this moment it does not matter whether it hurts him or not because a person like him does not deserve emotional consideration.

“Let me dive into why I am here, Steve, you are fired!”

He freezes for a while, smiles and changes to being serious, “Why man? What did I do?”

This is highly personal but too bad the guy is bad at work and has no talent whatsoever and I have only kept him here because her is my friend and the board has always asked me to let him go. Guess he dug his own grave. I do not understand how someone who has been working a job can still remain bad at it. At least that will give me an easier passage and not oust myself on this being personal.

I look up in the sky through the window, put my hands on my back, “You have no presence at the company.” I keep calm as I say it.

“What do you mean man!? All this time you have had no issues with anything, all of a sudden you just come back from the dead and say this crap!” he raises his voice in anger at me and I turn to look and his eyes are slowly turning red and are becoming watery.

“I have said what I wanted to say and if you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to.”

I take a sit grab the telephone, called in Fungai. Steve just stands there looking at me with murderous eyes. I guess, I need to upgrade my life, just in case, a person like him is capable of almost anything really.

Fungai comes in, “You called for me sir?”

“Yes, did you get what I asked for?”

“I did, sir, let me get it for you!”

“Good!”

She leaves the office again and I return my concentration on my desk. Steve is still looking at me with murderous intend. The glare can almost shatter a weak-willed human.

“So, it seems she finally found the courage and told you! Damn, she should have not done that!”

I ignore and continue giving my desk attention.

“This is what it is about right? You are firing me over a loose woman!” he smiles and scoffs, “It is not my fault she came to me for an opening now is it?

I cannot stand him disrespect her, after everything he has done to her and to me. Has he not done in enough already! Violently jump out of my chair and head of him.

“Ohh, there he is! The person who would rather listen to a woman rather than his friend. Thought you were a man but I see you are one of those under petticoat governance!”

Lay my hand behind his head, “Do not strain my mercy, it will break and you will not like what will replace it!”

I did not say a thing about her telling me but he became impulsive about being fired and said it why? He appears to have the same impulsive behaviour like Nhamo though, why have I never noticed this before?

“I might not be as cunning or have a heart that is as cold as yours that can easily do harm to others, but you of all people have seen me at my worst on a lot of occasions. So, before you think of doing anything to my wife, “Simper scanning his body from head to toe.

“What can a softy like you do!?” he says mockingly with a threatening tone.

I move to the door, open it up, “Well, I guess you will have to find out! Till then, the door is open for you to leave.”

There is the smile, it is a smile of embarrassment and hidden anger. And his eyes look cold, wonder why I did not notice or was it that I did not want to notice what a snake he is. The way he is walking now is even bothersome in my mind, hopefully I will not see his face ever again. I do not know if that will be possible but hopefully it will happen that way and that he will not bother Vimbai.

“Sir, here is the drive with the documents you asked for!” Fungai hands over the drive to me, “Is there anything else you would like?”

“No, that would be all! And notify the security that after Steve leaves he is no longer allowed inside the premises.”

“Okay sir!”

“Thank you! Well then I will be on my way. Notify me if anything happens and I will trust you with a task to give instructions to scout for the types of actors I would like to have for the next film!”

“Yes sir, you can count on me!”

“Good!”

I leave the offices after thanking my employees one more time for the warm welcome back.

Driving back home, I see the Pick n Pay supermarket, park the car and rush inside to buy something. Well, I already know where I am headed, to get some ice-cream and maybe grab some for those at home but the big box is mine! I circle around looking at the flavours and the brands to pick the best one for myself and the rest just random. When it comes to me buying ice-cream it is all about me anyway.

“Guess I cannot be picky with the brands, just the flavours!” reason with myself looking at the lunch boxes in the deep freeze.

“It seems like you still have a hard time picking a flavour and if I recall, it always ends with you taking all the flavours available!” a woman’s voice originates from behind me and it sounds familiar.

Freeze looking in the deep for a moment, “It seems like this is the only thing I like in life that I have never picked wrong and it never disappoints no matter what flavour it is or what brand it is!”

“I did not think you are one to hold grudges!” she continues to respond.

“Ohh, I do not hold grudges, I just remember the disappointment.” I continue exploring over and over again my options, “What can I help you with?”

“You are being so rude! I just wanted to say hello.”

“Recalling stories of my past and linking them with my present is hardly a hello!”

“Well I can see that you have changed!”

“Thank you, if you will excuse me I have to get home! I cannot say nice seeing you really, Charmaine! Enjoy the rest of your day!”

Grab four big lunch boxes and head straight for the till to purchase them. And there she is again right behind me on the line.

“Look, Michael, I know we left things on a bad note. What I did was unacceptable and I just want talk and apologise for everything.”

“I have nothing to say to you Charmaine!” I reply focused looking in front.

“I have something to say! So, I will ……”

“You will what? Speak?”

“Guess you really hate me that much, huh?” there is that sadness in her tone like she is trying to get me to say no.

“I do not hate you, but I do not like you either.”

The line is a bit long, I guess I should have grabbed my earphones when I left home, but I was in a hurry. What was I to do? If I had delayed a second more I would have been prevented from leaving.

“You know that day at the OK supermarket it was nice to see you and that young lady with you! Your wife, what was her name again?”

“Thought you talked!?”

“We did but I did not catch her name.”

“Good for you!”

“She is really nice, you really out did yourself!”

“Thank you!”

“You are welcome. Hopefully next time we meet you will be refreshed and able to talk to me nicely!”

Hopefully, that time will not come,” whisper in a low voice.

It is my turn! Finally, I can escape from here before she says anything else to continue the conversation.

I can feel her eyes on me behind me. But I shall not look back at her. The cashier is serving me now so I will not be here for too long now.

Take the ice cream lunch boxes and pack them into a plastic bag with haste and hurry to the car. Drive back home with an uneasy mind.