Queen Tania

Episode2

Julie opened the door for Tania immediately she saw her coming towards the door. “How was the meeting?”

“Julie you are supposed to be a secretary, not a door opener.” She said as she walked into her office.

Julie followed her and shut the door gently. “What is wrong with you ma’am? You don't seem good this morning.”

“A lot is going on.” Tania sat at the edge of the table. “If care is not taken, this company might fold up, we have a lot of competitors, but two are more pressing, they offer better than we do. Families who paid in installments are now requesting for refund, even though our sales in the past three days have gone down by 70%.”

All Julie could do was wear amazement on her face. “The supervisors didn't notice?”

“No, even the company's chief accountant.” Tania stood and walked around. “Those pathetic old men dared to question my stand in this company because I am a female.” She ranted and scoffed.

“They daren't! After all you have done for this company, this organization is still functioning because of you.” Julie smiled. “You put food on those men’s tables.”

“Well, they seem to have forgotten so fast. I will make them pay, in a way that they’d never think of.” There was a frown on her face.

“Ma’am, their 5-year contract with the company ends today, why don't you use this opportunity to kick them out? They have been like pests anyway, sucking money out of us and contributing nothing.”

“Really?” Tania stopped walking around her office and scoffed again. “It's game over for them now, they will have to leave or pay triple what Dey paid for five years ago.”

“Triple?” Julie's eyes widened as she asked. “That is way too much ma’am.” She walked up to her and stood opposite her. “They aren't going to pay, I mean, no one else would. Now that we have more than enough competitors.”

“Julie, believe me, I plan on returning this company to its old self.”

“A sole proprietorship company?” Julie asked again.

“Yes.” Tania nodded. “I'm going to make it work, I brought the shareholder idea to this company five years ago when the company was faced with a crisis. They've enjoyed enough, it's time for them to go.”

“How are we going to get the money to invest in properties?” Julie asked for the third time.

“I have a way around it.” Tania sat on her chair and buried her head in some documents on her table.

Julie knew Tania wasn't the type to tell people her plans or details of her plan. It was best to let her be and make her plans. She is always considerate when making moves. “I just hope this doesn't go wrong,” Julie murmured to herself as she walked out of the Managing Director's office.

**********

The old woman’s breathing became fainter again when she vomited for about the seventh time that morning.

“Mom, we can't keep doing this. For how long? Let's go to the hospital.” The young lady tried to fight back the tears in her eyes as she spoke.

“We have no money to pay at the hospital.” The old woman said faintly with her very pale lips.

“I am tired of this life!” The young lady yelled and the tears finally rolled down her cheeks. “We have no family, no friends, no money!”

“Susan, please don't talk like that. It's not our fault that we were chosen to live like this.” The old woman coughed. “Just keep praying, that you meet your father one day. If you meet him, our story will change for good.”

“Why should I look for a man who left us?” Susan brushed the tears in her eyes with the back of her palm.

“He didn't leave us, I left him.” The woman coughed again.

“I'm sure you wouldn't have left him without a reason.” She stood. “I don't want to talk about that man anymore. My father is dead, that's what I believe.”

“You have to look for him if anything happens to me.”

“I don’t even need a father figure in my life at the moment when I needed him the most, he wasn’t there.”

“You won’t understand, and I pray you don’t understand.” The woman coughed again.

“Understand what?” Susan asked with a frown.

“Loneliness.” She whispered.

************

Julie badged in rudely into Tania’s office and was breathing heavily. “They are here again!” She was speaking at the top of her voice.

“Who?” Tania appeared calm even in the chaos.

“The shareholders!”

Tania banged the table. “Those useless old fools living like leeches. They asked for it this time, I will give them what they asked for.” She stood. “Where are they?”

“They are in the conference hall.” Julie folded her arms. “Why are they here again? They were here a few days ago.”

“Their contract ends today, I will kick them out. I don’t need them again.” Tania picked up some papers from her table.

“Ma’am, don’t you think it’s too risky for us to get rid of the shareholders? We might need money to invest in properties.”

Tania didn’t respond, after she had picked up the papers she moved closer to her secretary. “Please, believe in me this time around. I will sort everything out.”

Julie exhaled deeply. “I’m just scared, what if it doesn’t go as we planned.”

“It will! Let’s just hope for the best. I am counting on the supervisors to sort the sales issue.” Tania walked out.

********

“I have always said females shouldn’t be allowed to run an organization, it will do nothing but bring ruins. A woman should be under her man, running a fashion brand, or working under a man. Now, look at what is happening, see what is happening to this company, it’s all going wrong.” The first man said audibly.

“We are going to have to present her with two options, either to allow a qualified man run this company or lose us as shareholders. We can’t keep bowing our heads to a young woman!” Another man remarked.

“Can you see the way she talks to us? As if we are in the same age range! She has no respect and regard for us whatsoever! We saved this damned company from going bankrupt five years ago. She is meant to worship us like her Demigod.” The third man said.

Tania walked in and the entire room went quiet. She walked straight to the empty chair available and sat with a smile on her face. “Why are you so quiet? Continue, I heard all you have said from outside.” There was no response. “Are you scared of me?”

“We aren't!” The first man retorted. “Scared of you for what? We said all we said and we aren't taking any of those back. It's either you resign from this position and allow a qualified man to run it or you lose us as shareholders.”

“Speaking of a qualified man.” Tania scoffed. “Can your son handle this position? He should be qualified.” The man bit his lips in shame. “Mr Charles? Why are you not saying anything?”

“My son can't handle the position,” Charles said with shame.

“Not only your son Charles, none of your sons can handle this position. Why? Because they are all useless men with no value. Some were expelled from school, some are into drugs, some are——-” She suddenly stopped and looked at the faces of the shareholders, they were all bending their heads in shame. “Should I continue?” There was no response. “Yes, I am a woman but I am capable of doing what more than ten men can't do.” She stood. “You!” She pointed to another shareholder. “You said you saved this company, but did you? I put food on your table! All you did was pay that meager amount of money and you received a huge amount of money every month for the past five years.”

“Don't call it meager, we paid what you asked for.”

“That's right.” Tania sat. “Your contract was five years, and it ended today.”

The shareholders exchanged short glances. They never thought or expected that Tania would mention that.

“Have you all forgotten? Or didn't you read it in the papers you signed that day?”

“Tania,” Charles called calmly. “You are indeed a tigress.” He commented.

“I will take that as a compliment.” She said to him with a devilish smile. “As of today, you all aren't shareholders of this company, but if you wish to continue being a shareholder of this company. There are slight changes in our contract.”

“Let's hear them.” One of the shareholders who had been quiet all day spoke out.

“You are going to pay triple what you paid last time.”

“Triple?!”

“That's too much!”

“That's so ridiculous.”

“Tania, try and be reasonable.”

The conference hall turned into a rowdy market within seconds. They all expressed themselves bitterly.

Tania watched the old fools, as she preferred to call them, talk without culture. She smiled beautifully, she had treated the seven of them too well in the last five years. No other company can treat them the way she did, and that's why they all don't want to leave the company. She banged the table to get the attention of the shareholders after watching them talk without order for about a minute. “Why are your manners?! I was still talking! You dared to cut me off like that?” She was being mean intentionally.

Charles cleared the throat. “What you are asking for is too much, how about double?” He tried to bargain.

“It's either triple or nothing at all.”She replied with a smile still. “There is another thing.”

The shareholders faced her as if they expected her to say something in particular.

“I hope it's not about adding to the price you proposed.” A shareholder said.

“Once you are a shareholder, you will have to share the profit and loss with the management.”

“No! This is way too much!” One of the shareholders flared up and stood. “What do you take us for woman?” He pointed at her. “You think you can just order us around like your kitten?”

“Calm down Mr Jason.” Tania smiled. “That's how it is being done in order real estate companies, or even every company. Shareholders are to share the profit and loss. The reason why I skipped this policy five years ago was because the company was in a complete mess and no one was willing to invest. That was my way of paying you back, but it seems you people misused the privilege and misbehaved.” Tania stood and bowed. “Thank you for believing in this company and working with us for the past five years, now, your work is done, but if you wish to continue being a shareholder, you can see me in my office starting tomorrow.” She picked up the papers she came in with and walked out.

“I shouldn't have agreed with you people to attack her a few days ago.” A shareholder spoke up with regrets in his eyes.

“What do you mean? Were you forced to join us? We all concluded and acted on it.” Jason retorted.

“Can't you see she is trying to punish us for what we did a few days ago?” The shareholder asked again.

“You all should keep quiet and let’s think of the way forward.” Charles Said with authority and the room went silent.