OMOMO

Sarah Isong ran down the stairs two at a time, rushing to get her bag and keys. She checked the time, only to find out she was thirty minutes late. Her boss: Mojisola Adams is going to have her throat this morning. This is the fourth time this week. She interns at a production company: WHITE STUDIOS; as the assistant to the production manager, working there for a month now since school vacated.     Wondering where all the time went. “Well, it disappears when you’re skyping with friends at odd hours,” she says to herself. She walks to the kitchen to meet her mother: Elizabeth, who was making pancakes. “Mom, I cannot wait for breakfast. I am running really late,” Sarah said, dropping a kiss on Elizabeth’s left cheek, “I love you, mom. See you later,” Elizabeth replied just as Sarah went out the kitchen door: “Bye baby.”      Walking as fast as her legs could carry her, Sarah stepped out of the house into the street; walking down the road; trying to flag down for a taxi. Choosing the lazy route out. She couldn’t think of a less stressful way to get to the studio. Seems a lot of people were in a hurry as well. She couldn’t understand the long queue and physical struggle for a rickety commercial bus. That’s actually Lagos for you, you have to awaken your inner tout or you will be brushed aside. Sarah decided to take an okada, which seemed like the fastest option. The okada-man requested a rather outrageous price; she was late- no time to bargain. Off they went zooming into the streets of Lagos.                                                                                  ***** “Sarah, I really don’t want to know your excuse today. Drop your bags and get into the studio: Oscar is waiting on you, “Mojisola calmly said handing her the schedule board. Sarah dropped her bags by the staircase and went in. The live studio session was just about ended. “Thanks folks. See you next week! Same time! Same station! Good bye for now,” Oscar says to the overhead camera on the left-hand side of the studio. “And that’s a wrap,” Idowu remarked: the overzealous production manager. “Good work Oscar,” he adds. “Sarah its nice for you to join us” he says sarcastically has Sarah walks in. She responds with a nod.      Oscar notices Sarah coming in “hey girly,” he pouts, “I have been looking everywhere for you.” “I’m sorry I came in late,” she couldn’t come-up with an excuse right now. “Your next shoot is by 10:30am; have you had breakfast?” she asked perusing the schedule board. “Nope. Waiting on you, boss,” he teased, typing away at his phone. “Come on, let’s get you changed and we will go up to the cafeteria, see what they have for breakfast,” Sarah said walking out the door of the studio.                                                                                                                                       *****                       “Urrgghhh” princely groaned outwardly at his computer screen. “What’s wrong?” his work colleague Adam asked. “Been trying to cut out the unnecessary walk-in, there is these one studio personnel who keeps appearing during live studio session, they are so many, it is slowing down my work,” He exasperated. “Yeah that seems to happen a lot boss sorry,” Adam chuckles. Working since the early hours of the morning, his stomach grumbles loudly to confirm he hasn’t eaten anything. “Going up to the cafeteria to get breakfast,” he says then stands up and walks out of the office.  Princely Kalu is the chief editor at WHITE STUDIO, in the post-production department. Climbing the stairs wondering who the beautiful annoying damsel was, who is actually making his work very hard at the moment and why he hasn’t run into her yet but on his screen. Irritated by his thoughts he continued his way.                Sarah made sure Oscar is being fed and taken care of, looking at her schedule board and making her way to the door of the cafeteria, she noticed a mistake has been made concerning Oscar schedule, it shows here that he doesn’t have another shoot until 2pm in the afternoon rather a photo shoot at 10:30am this morning. she must have been distracted while writing the schedule great, more work for her. “BANG!!!” she hits her head on the cafeteria door while someone tries to open it and lands on her butt. “Ouch!! Could today get any worse” she says aggravatingly. “Are you okay? I didn’t see you there am sorry, does anything hurt?” princely asked softly. “Except my bruised ego, other than that am okay,” Sarah said while searching for her schedule board and biro on the floor, too embarrassed to look up, wishing the ground could open up and swallow her at this moment. She finally looked up only to find this handsome concern face staring down at her.  “I must have hit my head really hard cause you’re cute.” She says dreamily.” Did I say that out loud?” she says embarrassingly.  Princely smiles, “I will take that has a compliment, hi am Princely Kalu.” he stretched out his hand to help her up. She takes his hand and stands “hey am Sarah, Sarah Isong.” “Sorry I didn’t see you there.” he apologizes softly again. “It’s okay, I wasn’t looking at where I was going,” she dusts her jeans trying not to look at him. “It’s nice to meet you though.” Rushing out of the cafeteria. Princely smiled never had a girl walk out on him before, he shakes his head and proceeds into the cafeteria.