The Forbidden Love

Chapter Three

When Nalishebo walked out of the CEO's Office, she was escorted with the eyes of her fellow workmates such that she barely walked because of the way they all looked at her, her legs felt heavy as though they were filled up with steel. They looked at her until she disappeared from their presence. When she entered her office, she found Tamara waiting for her with the packs of lunch that she had bought from the cafeteria across the road.

Tamara asked her curiously,” Nalishebo please tell me, how did it go?”

“I was scared at first, though I didn’t even know where the courage came from while I was asking for forgiveness and….”

“And….then what? Say it go on, did he accept your apology?”

“He forgave me quicker than I thought, except the forgiveness package came with conditions.”

“Which are?”

“He said that from now onwards I’ll be his as Secretary and that, I have to vacate in that office next to his.”Nalishebo retorted wryly.

“Hmm…… now that’s quite strange, aren’t you a little scared of……urrr how can I call it? A sudden promotion I guess?”

“Scared? No, curious? Yes, I don’t know what people will say behind my back cause we all know how those other secretaries can be like when it comes to gossiping.”

“Forget about what they will say, in the meantime let’s eat our lunch before it gets cold, and focus on how you’re going to work with the man that you shouted at just this morning, remember nothing comes that easily, it all comes with a price,” Tamara replied jokingly.

“I guess you’re right but stop frightening me, besides he is not bad looking, he is handsome to work along with,” Nalishebo smirked.

“I can’t believe that you’re falling for him remember looks are deceptive,” Tamara smirked back.

“My goodness, Tamara how can you even think like that? I’m just admiring God’s creation or is it wrong to do so?” Nalishebo retorted shyly.

“No it’s not wrong, but be careful with the way you admire,” Tamara answered warningly.

Though Nalishebo sounded delighted about the dilemma, a part of her was scared because she never knew what Mark’s intentions were towards her especially when he said that he wanted her to vacate from her current office and move in the one next to his? For all she knew was she can still work in her current office and do her best to please him until she was completely forgiven. In the end, she concluded that Tamara was right nothing comes without a price.

While the two ladies enjoyed their lunch in silence, Tamara broke it by asking Nalishebo a question,” By the way Nana I forgot to ask you, so when are you going to revolve?”

“Today, I was in a process of asking you to help me pack up my stuff that’s if you’re not engaged with work.”

“Humph…. I see, you have to shift out from here today, what’s the rush? Why not move out tomorrow?”

“I can’t move out tomorrow? That’s not possible! I was told that I should do it today.”

“Well, what are we waiting for? let’s start packing all your stuff.”

“That means you’re going to help me ugh..?”

“Let’s do it before I change my mind!” Tamara replied jokingly.

Nalishebo never thought twice to pull the empty cartons from her desk. Tamara was packing while Nalishebo was bringing them to the other vacant office that she was going to be working from.

All Nalishebo’s stuff was taken to her new office next to the CEO’s.

“Nana I guess I have to leave now.”

“Tamara, are you going to leave me here alone to pack all this stuff by myself?”

“Nana I have helped you enough I need to go back and finish putting the documents in order, just in case our new boss inquires for them remember I can not be lucky as you were,” Tamara answered teasingly.

“Tamara don’t talk like that, anyway thanks for helping me I wouldn't have managed to do this all by myself, but please make sure to pass by when it’s time to knock off maybe by then I’ll be done.”

“Okay, I will, enjoy tidying up your new office,” Tamara smirked while vacating Nalishebo’s office.

Nalishebo just smiled without saying anything. She looked at the place and how messy it was, she hardly knew where to start from. She stood for some minutes trying to figure out which part she will tuckle first.

Nalishebo dusted and cleared up the office, swept away all the dirt thereafter, she mopped the floor. When she was done with all the cleaning, she placed all her stuff in place, her office smelled fresh and clean she was happy to see that it looked like an office.

She sat on her seat tired and worn out, she brushed the documents that she was supposed to have worked on aside and said to herself,” I'm tired, I'm done for today, I’ll go through these documents tomorrow.”

While she sat down, with her head bent down over the desk, she heard a knock on the door, she answered in a low tone,” Please come in.”

The door swung open when she heard a male voice greeting her. Nalishebo was startled when she saw who it was, she jumped up quickly and cleaned her face using the back of her palms and said,” Si……sir afternoon.”

“Afternoon thanks Miss Nalumino.”

“Is there anything you would like me to help you with Sir can Sir?”

“Yes, I brought these documents that need to be worked on and please bring them back to me for approval today.”

Before she responded Mark was already gone, Nalishebo felt like crying when she looked at the paperwork that was bunched up on her desk, the first thing that she did was to grab a phone from her bag and call her mother.

“Hello?” The voice on the other end of the line answered.

“Hello Mama, I wanted to let you know that I won’t be home early.”

“May I ask why?” The voice on the other end of the line asked.

“Mama, my new boss has piled me up with a lot of work and I don't think I’ll finish anytime soon, I know today is my duty to cook dinner, please ask Mubita to cover the duty for me.”

“Okay, I will pass the message to your brother, do you need anything?”

“No Mama that’s all I wanted to tell you,”

While she was talking on the phone Tamara walked in, Nalishebo lifted her hand to give her a sign telling her that she was almost done with the call.

“Bye Mama I will let you know when am through with work.”

“Alright baby, I love you.”

“I love you too Mama, see you in the evening.” And she cut the line.

“Nalishebo aren’t you knocking off today? Tamara asked surprisingly.

“Tamara I don’t have an answer for that question you’ve asked, all I know is that am being punished for shouting at the boss and l if like quitting. Look at it this way, just this afternoon I was shifting from my current office to a new one when I was about to knock off to go home and have a good rest. Your boss shows up with these documents in his hands and says he wants them done today what can I do? He is the boss after all.”

“That’s what happens when a new promotion comes your way on a silver platter without being earned for, what do you expect? duty calls, I won’t even waste much of your time see you tomorrow.” Tamara smirked.

“Tamara you’re supposed to be on my side, now it’s like you’re adding salt to the wounds. If you have nothing nice to say please leave and let me finish working on this.” Nalishebo replied angrily.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt your emotions please forgive me,” Tamara answered and left without waiting for Nalishebo's reply cause she knew that she had hurt her friend with her comment.

Nalishebo toiled the entire evening, she felt her fingers become sore, she had a backache and her legs were also numb because of sitting too long in place without any movements. Apart from she was the only secretary and Mark who were left in the building. She scanned her wristwatch, she got surprised at how flown so fast and that it was 7:30 pm already. Her phone rang, she checked who the caller was. It was her mother. she never paused to pick the call because she knew how worried her mother was because she has never been this late before.

“Hello, Mama.”

“Hello, dear are you still working?” The voice on the other end of the line asked.

“Yes Mama, but am almost done.”

“How are you going to get home? cause it’s dark outside now, can I tell your father to come for you?”

“No Mama, don’t trouble Papa he will be tired from work as well. Don’t worry Mama, I’ll book a cab back home, thanks for your concern though.”

“Alright, please be careful and take care uhmm?”

“I will Mama, bye.”

She hung up and stood up from her seat to stretch herself, and took the documents that she was told to work on to her boss's office for approval before she knocked, she strengthened her dress she only knocked once, the voice inside the room already invited her in.

“Good evening Sir, I am here to inform you that I'm done working on the documents that you proposed me to work on this afternoon and have brought them for your approval, where can I put them, Sir?”

“Please put them right here on my desk miss Nalumino, I’ll check on them later,” Mark answered without lifting his head, his eyes remained focused on a computer screen.

She placed them where she was told to put them and asked,” Is there anything else you need me to do for you, Sir?”

“No that is all for today, you may take your leave miss Nalumino.”

“Thank you, Sir, please excuse me.” She answered in a low voice and walked out closing the door behind. Luckily, she took everything out of her office. She paced out of the building and stood at the roadside waiting for a cab to pass her way.