THE BILLIONAIRE PRINCE : PRINCE OF LAGOS

CHAPTER 4: THE JOB INTERVIEW THAT WAS NOT A JOB INTERVIEW

Tobi arrived at Imperial Trust Bank at 7:19 AM. He was wearing the same burnt shirt, but he had washed it and ironed it again.

The bank was at 12B Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island. It was a glass building that reflected the sun.

He entered the reception. The receptionist was a beautiful lady with long eyelashes.

"Good morning, I have an appointment with the MD at 8 AM," Tobi said.

The receptionist looked at him from head to toe. "Your name?"

"Tobi Adeyemi."

She typed on her computer. "Oh, you are the Banana Island boy. The MD said you will come at 8 AM. It is 7:19 AM. You are early. Sit down."

Tobi sat down. The reception chairs were soft and cold.

At 8:00 AM, Nneka did not come out. At 8:30 AM, she did not come out. At 9:00 AM, she did not come out. At 9:30 AM, a man in a suit came out and said, "MD is in a meeting with CBN."

At 10:00 AM, the receptionist said, "MD is still in meeting."

At 10:15 AM, a secretary, a woman in her forties with glasses, came out.

"The MD will see you now. You have five minutes. Not six minutes. Five minutes. Don't waste her time."

Tobi stood up. His legs were stiff because he had sat for three hours.

Nneka's office was bigger than his mother's entire flat in Ikeja. It had a glass table, a black chair, and a view of the lagoon. On the wall, there were pictures of Nneka shaking hands with governors.

Nneka was wearing a black suit. She was typing on a laptop.

"Sit," she said without looking up.

Tobi sat.

She closed her laptop. She looked at him.

"What will you do to pay the remaining one point three billion naira that your father owes my bank?"

Tobi had practiced this answer last night in his room in Yaba. He had practiced in front of a mirror.

"Ma, I will start a real estate business in Epe. Land is cheap there. Ten hectares is two million naira. I will buy ten hectares for eight million and sell plots for profit. I will use profit to pay debt small."

"How will you get eight million when you have forty-seven thousand?" Nneka asked. Her voice was calm.

"I will borrow, Ma."

"From whom? Your father is in EFCC cell. Your mother is in Ikeja living with her sister. Your younger sister is in Canada washing plates. Your father's friends have run away. Who will lend you eight million?"

"I don't know, Ma," Tobi said.

Nneka smiled for the first time that day.

"Good," she said. "'I don't know' is better than a lie. The boys who come to my office say, 'I have investors from Dubai.' They are liars. You said 'I don't know.' That is honest."

She opened a drawer and brought out a file. _BANANA ISLAND LOT 7 — DEMOLITION PLAN._

"My bank now owns your father's house. I bought it yesterday for one billion. I will demolish it next week and build three duplexes there. Each duplex will be sold for one point two billion. Total three point six billion. Profit two point six billion."

She looked at Tobi.

"I need someone to supervise the demolition. I need a small boy who will not steal cement and rods from the demolition. That boy is you. Because that house was your house, you will not allow thieves to steal it. You will guard it like your father's house."

She wrote something on a paper.

"I will pay you two hundred thousand naira per month for three months. You will start tomorrow at 6 AM. You will wear boots, not this shoe with a hole. You will supervise demolition from 6 AM to 6 PM. You will bring daily report with pictures."

Tobi was shocked. Two hundred thousand per month was small compared to one point three billion debt, but it was big compared to forty-seven thousand in his account.

"Thank you, Ma," he said.

"Don't thank me yet," Nneka said. "Demolition is not easy. You will see your childhood house being broken by hammer. Many boys cry when they see that. If you cry, I will sack you."

"I will not cry," Tobi said.

"You will cry," Nneka said. "Everybody cries when their house is demolished."

She stood up. Meeting was over. Five minutes finished.

Outside the bank, Tobi's phone rang. It was Simi. Her voice was angry.

"Tobi, where are you? You were supposed to come to the studio yesterday! You said you would come at 10 AM and you did not come! I waited for two hours!"

"Sorry, Simi, I was in—"

Before he could finish, another call entered. A strange number. Tobi picked it.

"Are you Tobi Adeyemi?" a man's voice said. The voice was old and deep, with Epe accent.

"Yes, Sir."

"I am Baale of Eleranigbe, in Epe. Zainab Coker gave me your number. She said you want to buy ten hectares. Come tomorrow with two million naira deposit. If you don't come tomorrow, I will sell to another person. Many people want this land."

The line cut.

Tobi stood on Adeola Odeku Street with two calls. Simi angry in Engineering studio. Baale demanding two million in Epe.

He had forty-seven thousand. Baale wanted two million.

He looked back at the glass building. Inside that building was Nneka, who just offered him two hundred thousand per month to demolish his own house.

He looked at his phone. Inside his phone was Simi, who drew his house so he would not forget, and Zainab, who offered him ten hectares of water.

He had three hours to find two million naira.

He called Zainab. She did not pick. He called again. She did not pick.

He called Simi.

"Simi, Baale called. He wants two million tomorrow."

Simi said, "Two million? Where will you get two million? You have forty-seven thousand."

"I don't know," Tobi said.

"Good," Simi said, copying Nneka's words without knowing. "'I don't know' is better than stealing. Come to studio now. I have idea."

Idea. Every time Simi said "I have idea," a house was drawn. Every time Zainab said "My mother said," money came out. Every time Nneka said "Come at 8 AM," trouble came.

Tobi entered a bus going to Yaba. The bus conductor shouted, "Yaba, Yaba, enter with your change!"

Tobi entered with his forty-seven thousand, his demolition job, his two million debt for tomorrow, and his father's house that would be demolished tomorrow at 6 AM by his own supervision.

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