The Fire Within

Devil Incarnate

Jumping up in fright, I looked up at the CEO leaning casually on the door of the bathroom, "what are you doing here?", My heart was beating really fast, am afraid it might jump out from my chest any moment from now.

He c****d a brow, "it's my office, I have every right to walk into any office in this company whenever I feel like and won't be questioned about it", he took in my clothes, "it's slightly better than yesterday's", he walked towards his office, " I want a hot cup of coffee from the coffee shop three miles from here, a cube of sugar, no cream", he left without further words. How do I buy a coffee without any money?, I meant to walk into his office and demanded for money, but BB's ( busy body's short name), statement earlier made me freeze in spot.

I have a little money on me, one I intended to board a taxi with after work, guess I will have to make use of it, who knows if he will pay me for the services I rendered to him.

I bought the coffee as requested and walked back to the office, panting from exhaustion, I skipped breakfast so my sibling can have something to eat when they return from school.

How can a human be as heartless as this?, I will murder him if I meet him on my dreams. I sighed in bliss when the elevator got into focus, oh sweet baby Jesus thanks for little mercies and thanks to the person that invented the elevator.

I made a beeline for it, the savior of men which is the elevator.

Bb blocked my path, she smiled apologetically, "the boss requested not to allow you the use of the elevator, he asked that you make use of the stairs instead".

"That bloody bas_", her eyebrows were raised to the extent of you wouldn't know where it stopped and her hair started. Realizing my mistakes, no need giving the gossip hungry something juicy to gossip about.

"That bloody bastard stairs are strength killers", she nodded in pity, "I know, am sorry about that but orders are orders and you won't like to cross the boss".

I ignored her, I walked towards the stairs in question. Climbing a flight if stairs to the sixth is no easy fit, but I can manage , no use making him know how much it gets to me.

I will make him chew his orders, wait till he sees me dancing as I skip up and down these stairs, then and only then will he know this nothing to me.

I know he's trying to punish me for talking the way I did to him yesterday, that bastard can sure hold grudges, I've forgotten about about it and the fact I vowed not to work for him just yesterday, but he clearly remembers them word for word.

Thanks to my morning exercises, without it I wouldn't have been able to make it up six flights of stairs. Knocking once on his door, I waited for him to ask me in, I stood there for like half an hour before I heard a "come in".

I walked in to find him lounging comfortable on his chair with his legs up on his table, "what took you so long?", he asked as he took a sip of the now cold coffee, take it bastard, I cursed inwardly, he spat it out, "what the hell is this rubbish?", I maintained an innocent look, "coffee sir, wasn't that what you requested for?".

He narrowed his eyes at me, "I requested for hot coffee not this rubbish, how did it get cold so soon?", before I can stop myself I retorted, "walking three miles from this office building back and forth, standing in line till am attended to, walking those drastic flight of stairs are the reason for that", am beyond caring what he will do, to hell with him and his job, am a worker not a slave.

"Get me another cup of coffee from the same shop and I want you to be back before thirty minutes elapse", he opened his computer, apparently dismissing me end whatever words I might resort with.

I could have told him to shove his job up his arse if not for the urgency am in, I need the salary this job will provide more than any other thing. My siblings are counting on me and I can't let them down just because I can't keep my mouth bloody shut over a matter as trivial as this.

I stomped out of his office and headed towards the elevator, turns out the devil incarnate is hell bent on making me suffer, the elevator as it turned out was locked and it needs a keycard to unlock it with.

I ran those flights and towards the coffee shop, ordered the coffee in a flask and ran back to the building, my life and future is in his hands, if he sacks me now, my siblings will thrown out of school.

I ran up the stairs, ignoring the looks from workers who doesn't have anything worthwhile to do.

I rushed into his office, not bothering to knock, he didn't look up a my entry, neither did he pause on his task. Realizing my mistakes, I walked out and knocked like I should have done instead of barging in.

"Come in" , I sighed in relieve, waking into the office, I placed the coffee on his table, he took a sip and resumed working, the cold coffee was nowhere to be found and the stain earlier was non-existent.

"Are you going to stand there gawking all day without achieving anything?", "are you going to leave the coffee I labored so much for on the table without taking more than a sip?".

He looked at the cup of coffee and back at , he stood up with the coffee and walked into the bathroom where he proceeded to drain the coffee, he threw the cup into the waste bin.

"What the hell did you just do?".