CAMOUFLAGED SECRETS

GUV’NOR

ARLENE OKJA: This must only stay between us.

A woman nods in affirmation, a phone rings and it is answered.

LAURA: Have you settled?

LOI JA: Positive Boss.

LAURA: Remember, no one must get to know about this

LOI JA: Well understood, Boss.

The call ends.

In a Beautiful Country named Seronski, a 23 years old gorgeous lady, Holoi Okja, has just been transferred to one of its maleficent state, Malthaway, on official duties by her bosses.

Holoi Okja is a fierce, tall, endowed, extremely beautiful lady. A perfect example of "beauty without makeup". She has a shiny black long hair that almost reaches her waist. She fears no one and is always ready to put every ill-mannered person in their place.

Unknown to people rather than her family and criminals she had encountered, she is a fearless, Brainy, clever undercover agent whose brain works faster than a robot. She is being really feared by all criminals and law breakers who have come across her. At the sound of her name, law breakers, criminals and offenders tremble. As an undercover agent, she is nicknamed LOI JA.

She, her Agency team, together, they are a group of petit-bourgeois intellectuals who cerebrate in a chronically metaphysical and intellectually unsustained manner.

The story opens in a company's reception. Holoi resumes work dressed in a purple floral pattered office mini gown in Malthaway today. As directed by the receptionist on the first floor, she heads up in an elevator to meet with the secretary of the company, Evie Sash, a polite, petite, fearful, nerd looking middle class lady in her late 20's.

HOLOI: (Faint smile) Hi. I am Holoi Okja. The newly employed Personal Assistant of Mr Cristov

EVIE: (Busy with her laptop without looking up) Welcome to Cristov Group of Companies, I am the Secretary, how many I be of help?

She looks up with a bright smile then jumps out of her chair in admiration

EVIE: (In admiration) Oh my gosh! You're even prettier in person

HOLOI: (Faint Smile) Thank you.

EVIE: But you are 3 minutes late.

HOLOI: (Smiles) Sorry about that.

EVIE: (Smiles) It's no problem

HOLOI: (Brings out a letter from her bag) So, here's my appointment letter (She pushes the letter towards Evie)

EVIE: (Softly) You are not to submit to me, you will submit to.... (Stutter) Uhm.... Boss himself (She pushes the letter back to Holoi)

HOLOI: (Indifferent) The way to his office, please?

EVIE: (Whispers fearfully) Boss isn't one easygoing man. He is very strict and likes things to be done in order

Holoi wonders as to why Evie is giving her lectures on her new boss

EVIE: (Whispers fearfully) He is really arrogant and respects no one, no staff here dares look him in his eye when he's talking. He isn't at all close to being jovial, all he does is frown all day!

Holoi out of lack of interest tries to speak but Evie keeps bombarding her with speeches on their boss

EVIE: Mr Drinaye Cristov is a company czar who is said to be able to make or break a career

Evie being conscious of the surroundings, keeps quiet from her rant as she sighted the boss. Holoi notice her sudden silence and calmness as she looks sideways as though she had seen a monster.

Holoi then looks sideways and sees a neatly, well dressed, 6.4 fts tall man in navy blue tuxedo and a shining black shoe close to his 30's walking straight to her side. He is accompanied by a young guy, apparently another staff of his who hurriedly and fearfully takes his boss's black suitcase to his boss's office. As he passes, all staff in the area stand fearfully to greet him and he passes them all by without saying a word. He is Drinaye Cristov, the arrogant guv'nor and boss Evie had ranted about.

EVIE: (Whispers) Boss is here

Drinaye pauses when Holoi refuses to greet him first. He stands sideways in opposite directions beside her and they tilt their heads to stare at eachother. Still without a greeting from Holoi he faces Evie and speaks rudely

EVIE: (Nervous) Good Morning, Sir

DRINAYE: (Rude) Meet me in my office

EVIE: (Stutter) Okay boss

He takes a glance at Holoi and walks out disrespectfully and Holoi remains unbothered.

EVIE: (Rushes to meet Drinaye) I will be right back

Holoi: (Soliloquy) Why is she acting like a chicken?

Holoi looks away by looking at her phone. Few minutes later, Evie comes out and ushers Holoi to his office.

EVIE: (Fearfully) Please let what I said stay with us

Holoi smiles and together they get to his office. Drinaye's office is a glass office with expensive, sophisticated, gold plated interior. Drinaye is majestically seated on his chair and before him is a glass plate embroidered with his name, DRINAYE CRISTOV and the position he holds in the company, C.E.O. Holoi with an attitude didn't wait to be offered a seat before offering herself one

DRINAYE: (Pissed) I never asked you to seat

HOLOI: (Unbothered) I never asked. Here is my appointment letter, my name is Holoi Okja, name pronounced , Alloy, and I got the job as your new Personal Assistant

Drinaye frowns and the atmosphere gets tense. Evie fearfully whispers

EVIE: (Fearfully whispers) Holoi please stand before him or I might loose my job

Out of Evie's plea, Holoi stands arrogantly. After several minutes of silence and bitter stares, Evie breaks the silence

EVIE: (Nervous) Sir

Drinaye still has his eyes fixed on Holoi

DRINAYE: (Pissed without looking at Evie) Speak

EVIE: (Scared) You have a staff meeting in 10, Sir.

Drinaye looks away in style, adjusting his tie

DRINAYE: (Indifferent) You may leave my office

Holoi and Drinaye lock eyes again and she sassily takes her appointment letter off the table, she then leaves with Evie who chickens out.

10 MINUTES LATER AT THE CONFERENCE ROOM:

Drinaye had gotten to the conference room 2 minutes earlier than 10. Majority of the staff are seated nervously, they all know Drinaye's 10 must be 10, a minute late, earns them query. Evie asks a time conscious Drinaye whether to start when time reaches

EVIE: (Nervous) Shall we start, Sir?

Drinaye looks round and doesn't see Holoi. In the nick of time, Holoi majestically enters with her hair swinging according to her body movement.

DRINAYE: (Indifferent) Yes

Holoi seats right beside Drinaye confidently.

DRINAYE: (Indifferent) You have really got an habit of seating

HOLOI: (Unapologetically) Is there a purpose as to why I should stand?!

Drinaye gives death stares and Holoi doesn't bother. To clear the atmosphere, Evie hands Drinaye a file and it takes Drinaye's pissed eyes off Holoi

EVIE: (Nervous) Sir this is the record file of the company

Drinaye collects the file and goes through it, he doesn't at all seem impressed, the room turns really quiet like a graveyard. Before Drinaye speaks, he sips from his chilled bottle water placed on the table in front of him

DRINAYE: (Harshly) Who is the finance manager?

Jay stands as he is being addressed

JAY: (Trembling) I sir.

DRINAYE: (Harshly) Can you tell me how the company had a loss of 47% in 1 month?!

JAY: (Nervous) Sir, loans were lent to the "Shells company in Alligash City, Moore Development and Promotion group of companies, Foils Limited. They are to pay per month for 6 months

DRINAYE: (Pissed) So why haven't neither of those aforementioned companies refunded the past month's payment?!

JAY: (Neevous) Sir, that was when the big boss, your father, fell ill and there was no one to run the company

DRINAYE: (Raises his voice) What the heck are you saying?! So you mean to tell me that if there is no head, you can't run the finances of the company well?!!!

JAY: (Nervous) I am sorry Sir

DRINAYE: (Pissed) If by the end of today, atleast one of those companies do not pay in their loan for the past month and this month, after all today's date is 28th, if neither of them pay in their payment, you will be fired!

JAY: (Trembles) I am sorry Sir, I will get them to pay Sir

Drinaye looks away upset, Jay sits adjusting his tie in fear and speaks Drinaye speaks rudely to the next person

DRINAYE: Production manager?

DEMELZA: (Nervous) Sir

DRINAYE: (Indifferent) It's impressive we have a whole lot of demand in our products, Flour, Sugar and Cement

DEMELZA: (Smiles) My team and I are making sure to put in a whole lot of effort Sir

DRINAYE: (His voice hardens) Really??! (He frowns) So why is the supply 62% lower than the demand?!

Demelza's face drops as though she was expecting a praise from Drinaye

DEMELZA: (Her smile fades) Uhm sir, that is the work of the transport team

DRINAYE: (Pissed) Are you trying to say I am blind? According to the reports made by the transport team (he reads aloud) "We are always pressuring the Production Team to produce, so we can meet the demands at hand but they have failed to respond to us"

Demelza swallows her saliva fearfully

DEMELZA: (Fears) Sir

Drinaye shouts and the room does a thunderous echo of his voice

DRINAYE: (Shouts) QUIET!!!

Holoi is upset seeing the staff being utterly afraid of their boss and she challenges him

HOLOI: (Upset) That is enough Sir

Everyone looks at her in surprise

DRINAYE: (Pissed) What did you just say?

HOLOI: (Upset) Yes, that is enough scolding, otherwise you are going to have a cracked voice

DRINAYE: (Pissed) EXCUSE YOU?!

HOLOI: (Indifferent) Respectfully Sir, must you yell? Look at their faces

Drinaye turns and looks at his staffs fearful faces

HOLOI: (Upset) That's fear on their faces. Usually staffs fear their bosses but theirs is way over the top. It's enough that they fear you, but look! They even stammer extremely and you fail to notice their respect for you. Respect is reciprocal. Didn't you read human relations in school?

Drinaye stands and shouts in anger pointing his finger to caution Holoi

DRINAYE: (Shouts standing in anger with his fingers pointed out) HEY!

Holoi unapologetically gives Drinaye the same energy as he had given, also standing up in anger with her hands pointed

HOLOI: (Unapologetically) HEY YOU!!!

The duo look at themselves in anger without blinking their eyes, the staff are shocked at Holoi's bravery and they whisper

ELIOT: (Faintly happy as he whispers) Looks like we now have a heroine amidst us

CHASTITY: (Faintly happy as she whispers) It seems Boss just found his match

Drinaye holds Holoi's wrist in anger and storms off while he drags her along with him

DRINAYE: (Angrily grabbing Holoi's wrist) Come with me!

Drinaye drags Holoi to his office and let's go his grip off her making her to almost fall and he cares not

DRINAYE: (Angrily shouts) What nonsense have you been performing since your arrival?! Who is the boss here?! Are you the boss? I am!

HOLOI: (Angry) Does that mean I should wear garments of low self- esteem and fear because you are the boss?!

DRINAYE: (Pissed) Submit your resignation letter and leave this company

Holoi smiles

HOLOI: (Smiles) Let's do it like this, instead of me submitting my resignation letter, why don't you give me a termination letter?

DRINAYE: (Chuckles) With pleasure

Drinaye screams for Evie and Holoi laughs cunningly

DRINAYE: (Screams) EVIE!!!

Evie runs into the office

EVIE: (Nervous) Yes Sir? You called for me

DRINAYE: (Pissed) Prepare her termination letter and get me another P.A, this time, well mannered

Evie who is lost in the whole brouhaha looks at Holoi

EVIE: (Nervous) Ok Sir

Holoi calls Evie back which upsets Drinaye

HOLOI: (Smiles) Evie dear, please hang on. Before you go ahead to type my sack letter, kindly include the reasons for firing me;

She looks at Drinaye with a satisfied smirk while counting Drinaye's wrongdoings

HOLOI: (With a smirk) Kindly include; "She confidently stands up to my taunts, tortures and rudeness of my staff, ah yes! Also include how arrogant and characterless he is when speaking with people"

Drinaye's face drops but he doesn't show his defeat

HOLOI: (Smiles) After all, wherever I choose to work, I would be asked the reason I was sacked and they must know why my ex boss fired me and how nice he was to have thought well of me to sack me despite me having great qualifications

She faces Drinaye with a smirk

HOLOI: (Smiles fiercely) Isn't that right? Hearing these reasons would trigger the Press and the rich do not like being the negative topics of the press. So I won't be at loss, your reputation and your company would be at stake

DRINAYE: (Chuckles evilly) I have the power to turn the press against you

HOLOI: (Laughs coyly) Oh really? I have eye witnesses and victims. Your staffs are my eye witnesses, although, when they serve as eye witnesses, they might get sacked, but oh well, they would be rushed by other companies who wish for the downfall of your company. Just like that! (she snaps her fingers) You will go down (she smiles)

Evie conceals her excitement when Holoi puts him in his place.

HOLOI: (Smiles) So Evie, pls get me my termination letter as your boss has ordered as soon as possible so I can take his leave

Evie looks for a go ahead from her boss.

EVIE: (Nervous) Boss?

HOLOI: (Chuckles) So, you call the shots Mr Drinaye Cristov, after all, you are the boss, as you claim.

DRINAYE: (Signals to Evie to leave) Leave

EVIE: (Soliloquies happily) Boss just attained his post as C.E.O barely a week ago and look! His doom spell is here. Even in movies, bosses doom spells come to play after 4 months - 1 year of them being leaders. Oh well, this is reality (she smiles happily)

Evie leaves

DRINAYE: (Seats indifferently) Get me my schedules for the day

HOLOI: (Chuckles) Atta boy!

Holoi dashes down to her office and still sees the staff still seated impatiently in the conference room

HOLOI: (Smiles) Meeting is dissolved guys

GRACE: (Shocked) You are so bold. I wish I had your courage

ELIOT: (Smiles) Thank you for earlier

Holoi genuinely smiles as the staffs give her accolades

HOLOI: (Smiles) I've gat to go, mister grumpy awaits.

They all laugh. She's about to leave and gets stopped by a question

JAY: (In admiration) Honestly, who are you?

HOLOI: (Smiles) I? HOLOI OKJA

She smiles and leaves leaving the staff in awe