Chapter 9: The Cost Of Victor’s Absence
1706 Words
Chapter 9: The Cost of Victor’s Absence
Victor woke up at the same time he normally did.
For a few seconds, he lay quietly on his bed, staring at the ceiling before remembering that he had nowhere to go.
Then it came back to him.
His suspension.
One full week away from work.
Victor sighed and reached for his phone. He checked the time before opening his contacts. His eyes stopped on Mercy’s name.
He stared at it for a while.
Since their second meeting, he had been thinking about her more than he wanted to admit. He had saved her number properly now, so there was no more guessing or incomplete digits.
He opened their chat.
He typed:
Victor: Hi Mercy, how are you doing?
He sent it.
Victor put the phone down, but picked it up again almost immediately.
No reply.
He waited.
Nothing.
He dropped the phone beside him and got out of bed.
At the office, Victor’s absence was already being felt.
Daniel sat at his desk, staring at a document on his computer.
“I don’t understand this thing,” he said.
John looked at him.
“What exactly don’t you understand?”
“This part.”
John moved closer and looked at the screen.
He stared at it for a few seconds before shaking his head.
“I’m not sure either.”
Daniel leaned back.
“Hadn’t Vee been here, he would have helped us do this.”
John nodded.
“That guy knows almost everything here.”
A few desks away, Samuel was trying to work on something else when one of the workers called his name.
“Samuel, can you assist me on this?”
Samuel stood up and walked over.
He looked at what the person was doing.
He studied it for a while before shaking his head.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know about this.”
The worker looked disappointed.
“Vee is always helping me to do this.”
Samuel simply returned to his desk.
Another colleague overheard them.
“Damn, we will really miss him.”
“For one week, how can we cope?”
Nobody answered.
The room became unusually quiet.
Even though Victor’s behavior had frustrated almost everyone at one point or another, his absence was making them realize just how much he had been doing.
A little later, Sandra walked over to David.
“Have you heard from Victor?”
David looked up.
“No. Why?”
“I was just asking. I hope he’s fine?”
“He should be fine. He was suspended for one week.”
Sandra nodded slowly.
“I know. I just wanted to know if he’s okay.”
She returned to her desk.
Favor was close enough to hear the conversation.
She didn’t turn around.
She kept her eyes on her computer as though Victor’s name had never been mentioned.
She refused to look at the empty space where he normally sat.
She told herself she didn’t care.
She had no reason to care.
If he wanted to stay away, he could stay away.
David noticed Samuel sitting quietly.
After a while, he walked over to him.
“Samuel.”
Samuel looked up.
“Yes?”
“Can you go and check on Victor?”
Samuel frowned.
“Me?”
“Yes. Just go and see how he’s doing.”
Samuel shook his head.
“No. I’m not going.”
“Why?”
“I’m not going to his house.”
David sighed.
“He’s our colleague.”
“And?”
“Samuel.”
“I said I’m not going.”
David stared at him for a moment before walking away.
Meanwhile, Victor was at home.
He had checked his phone several times.
Mercy still hadn’t replied.
He wondered if he had said something wrong.
Maybe she was busy.
Maybe she hadn’t seen the message.
He opened their chat again.
Still nothing.
Victor locked the phone and placed it beside him.
A few minutes later, it vibrated.
His heart lifted immediately.
But it wasn’t Mercy.
It was David.
David: How are you?
Victor replied.
Victor: I’m fine.
A few seconds later, another message came in.
David: Work is difficult without you.
Victor smiled slightly.
Victor: Seriously?
David: Yes. People are already complaining.
Victor stared at the message.
David: But Vee, you need to work on your attitude.
Victor sighed before replying.
Victor: I know.
David: I’m telling you as your friend. Don’t let your behavior cost you your job.
Victor looked at the screen for a while.
Victor: I’m trying to.
David didn’t reply immediately.
He simply put his phone away.
At the salon, Mercy was busy trying to attend to a customer when her phone suddenly went off.
She tried to check it, but the screen froze.
She pressed the power button.
Nothing happened.
She tried again.
The phone remained stuck.
“Not again,” she muttered.
She put it aside and continued working.
She had been expecting Victor to message her.
She had checked her phone earlier that morning, wondering why he hadn’t said anything.
She didn’t know that he had already sent a message.
Hours later, when she finally managed to get the phone working, she saw Victor’s message.
She smiled.
“So he actually texted me.”
She tried to reply.
The phone froze again.
Mercy sighed.
“What is wrong with this phone?”
She tried several times, but nothing worked properly.
She eventually gave up and continued with her work.
She had no idea Victor was already wondering why she hadn’t replied.
Back at the office, the situation was getting worse.
The manager stood in the middle of the office, looking at the unfinished work.
He rubbed his forehead.
“Why is this thing still not done?”
Nobody answered.
He looked around.
“Are you all done with your work?”
Silence.
He raised his voice.
“Can’t you hear me?”
Everyone looked at him.
The manager walked closer to one of the desks and looked at the work.
“This is not correct.”
He moved to another desk.
“This one too.”
He shook his head.
“So because Victor is not here, you people have decided not to work?”
Nobody wanted to answer.
The manager sighed deeply.
“May God help me.”
He walked back toward his office.
As he sat down, he thought about everything.
Victor was troublesome.
He was rude.
He didn’t always take correction.
But he knew the work better than anyone else.
The manager leaned back in his chair.
“That guy is so proud of himself,” he muttered.
“He will be feeling special now.”
He paused.
“But I have no choice right now.”
He looked at the unfinished work outside his office.
The manager picked up his phone.
For several seconds, he stared at Victor’s contact.
He knew what he had said to Victor the previous day.
He had suspended him for one week.
He had made it clear that Victor would not return until the suspension was over.
But now the office was struggling.
The manager sighed and finally pressed Victor’s number.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Victor looked at his phone.
The manager was calling.
He hesitated before picking up.
“Hello?”
“Victor.”
“Yes?”
There was silence for a moment.
Then the manager spoke.
“Please, I need you to listen to me.”
Victor sat up.
“Okay.”
“I know what I said yesterday.”
Victor remained quiet.
“I know I suspended you for one week, and I meant it when I said it.”
Victor didn’t interrupt him.
“But things are not going the way I expected.”
Victor raised his eyebrows.
The manager continued.
“Victor, I’m asking you to please come back.”
Victor was surprised.
“Come back?”
“Yes.”
“But you suspended me for one week.”
“I know.”
“You said I wouldn’t return until the week was over.”
“I know what I said.”
The manager sighed.
“But Victor, please. I need you.”
Victor was silent.
The manager continued.
“I’m not calling to fight with you. I’m calling because I need your help. The work is already piling up, and some of the things you normally handle are not getting done properly.”
Victor looked down.
The manager’s voice became softer.
“Please, Vee. I’m begging you. Come back tomorrow.”
Victor didn’t respond immediately.
The manager continued.
“I will remove the suspension tomorrow. You can resume work.”
Victor looked at his phone.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. I’m serious.”
“But yesterday you said—”
“I know what I said yesterday.”
The manager sighed.
“Sometimes, as a manager, you have to make difficult decisions. Right now, I’m making another one.”
Victor remained quiet.
The manager added, “I still want you to work on your attitude. I’m not taking back what I told you about your behavior. You need to change that part of yourself.”
Victor nodded even though the manager couldn’t see him.
“I understand.”
“I know you’re very good at what you do. That is why I’m calling you.”
Victor swallowed.
“Okay.”
“Will you come tomorrow?”
Victor thought for a moment.
“Yes. I’ll come.”
The manager exhaled in relief.
“Thank you.”
Victor almost smiled.
“Alright.”
“Be here early.”
“I will.”
The manager paused before ending the call.
“And Victor?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t make me regret calling you back.”
Victor smiled faintly.
“I won’t.”
The call ended.
Victor placed his phone beside him and stared ahead.
For the first time since his suspension began, he felt a strange mixture of relief and responsibility.
He had been given another chance.
But this time, he knew he could not behave as if there would always be another one.
The next morning, he would return to work.
And this time, things had to be different.
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