He sat there on the stool at the bar, unsure if what he was about to do was the best decision. He looked over his shoulder; the lounge was empty except for him and the female bartender cleaning the silver panel of the bar shelves.
Indeed it was not his usual terrain. Uneasily, David looked up at the questioning face of the young female bar attendant as she made a move to walk towards him. David knew he was here seated to embark on a journey unknown. A journey into a new future: And he was overwhelmed with despondency.
Four months earlier, he could have sworn that a life of an alcoholic was not what he wished for himself. He could have sworn that life was good and all so bright and so well. But all that went awry all of a sudden as it took only one stroke of government policy change and the foreign investors where he worked, pulled out of the board.
Things happened so fast afterwards. First, the entire staff of the packaging company where he worked as a supervisor, were told to stay back at home. Eventually they were all called to work two weeks later to be each handed a letter of termination of appointment.
An hour earlier, David had collected his letter of termination of employment. Like for others, it was quite an emotional moment. And the only place that came next to his mind, was the Elms Station Lounge, the popular one along his way to work. He had stopped a cab and given the driver the destination. So here he was bewildered and taunted by the fear of a bleak future occasioned by a possible bleaker financial power.
A good financial power occasioned by a good job was a necessary backbone for a young man in the city without extended family support system. Those he could even call his family were back in the village where he hailed from. As it presently looked to him, he was more or less one step already, heading back to his village. And that was why he was here. He needed to sort himself out, and a strong drink may just do that for him!
Sir, what would you like to have?
David stared at the covetous female bartender who was also taking time to admire his corporate white shirt, his black string like tie and black suit. Ordinarily, at other moments, he would have felt very much flattered by her amorous interest in him. But at the moment, his problems and worries overwhelmed him and took over his senses.
But just then right out of the blues, he thought to himself, perhaps he should rather get himself a meal before embarking on his drinking spree. His gloom had really robbed him off thoughts of food all day. David’s eyes looked beyond the glittering assorted spirits and alcoholic drinks cooling off in different refrigerators behind the female bartender and his lips parted as he spoke.
“I’m going to the next building; I should be back soon.”
He rose heavily not because of a bulky body, but David was heavy with a load of worries. He strutted out of the bar just the way he had walked in, not in any hurry.
A fast food restaurant with a cosy eating corner was just next door. It was a place that David had patronized at many other times in the past.
Unceremoniously he ordered food, a plate of rice with sauce and chicken. Sooner he was on it ignoring the other diners at the other tables. Too absorbed was he that he didn’t hear the voice across the table shout a greeting to him.
But he was nudged by an elderly man sitting at the closest table to his.
He waved back because she appeared familiar. She picked her tray of food and headed towards him.
“Hello dear, hope I can join you at the table.”
“Yes, of course.” He replied not thinking much of the gesture but returning thoughtlessly to his meal.
“Remember me?”
David gave her a skewed look, as he forced his thoughts back to the lady now sitting opposite him.
“Oh yes, I do. You are the lady from Simco Investments.”
“Yes, Vivian, I handled all matters relating to your company’s loan portfolio.
“Yes, I do remember,” said David as he recalled seeing her regularly when he was invited to the management meetings to clarify some technical details of his work.
“Unfortunately, I am no longer there. I was relieved of my appointment today.” As if submitting his school report card to his parents, David pulled out the slightly ruffled letter from his black suit pocket and handed it over to her. She read it silently.
“You must really be feeling bad right now.”
“I have no choice, he mumbled.”
A moment of silence and both must have been lost in individual thoughts.
It was almost like David had forgotten that she was there. Soaked with thoughts of his sudden unemployment, he ate, ignoring his surroundings until Vivian’s words brought him back to the table.
“So what are you going to do now?”
Those words dropped heavily in his ears. They were the same words he had been ruminating over all afternoon and still had not found a solution.
“Things have been bad for a lot of businesses,” Vivian continued sympathetically when David did not say anything. “If you noticed, I have not been at your company for a while now.” She paused in an effort to pick her words carefully, then continued, “I got a job with the United Nations.”
“That must be nice. Congratulations,” he blurted out to her. He had not really known her, but he felt that must be a great move for her.
Another minute of silence as both scraped the last pieces of food on their plates.
“I started an import and export business on the side some months ago before I got the UN job. I don’t know if in the meantime, you can be handling that, while I concentrate on my UN job because its getting very big and taking my time.
Even for Vivian, the words were heavy, she chose each words carefully because she didn’t want to hurt his ego. And didn’t know how he would react.
She knew more about him than he knew about her. Right from the first day he had been invited to the management meeting, which she happened to have been attending regularly then, because of the heavy loan facility that Simco Investments had granted his company, Vivian noticed that Mr. David Idonigie was different. She looked forward to each time he was called to brief the meeting. She admired his looks, his baritone voice and his unusual care for work details. His presentations doing the few times that he was invited to the meetings were usually thorough.
“I actually need someone like you to assist me, and we can work together and share the profit of the business,” Vivian persisted, wishing she could touch him, hold him like a woman and convince him to accept.
But many thoughts raced through David’s mind. He asked himself, do miracles still happen? What he certainly wanted at that particular time truly, were those comforting words that Vivian had just spoken to him. But instead of smiling and throwing in his acceptance speech, David suddenly sat up, rested his back on the colourful dining chair, arms akimbo, he looked into Vivian’s moist lovely eyes, and asked: “but how will that work out?”
“It should work itself out,” replied Vivian innocently.
“How about your husband?”
“I’m single. I guess I haven’t been that lucky!”
“Oh then, I didn’t know about that.”
“So does that mean yes?”
“Oh yes ofcourse?”
Four months later, it started with a sleepover at Vivian’s 3 bedroom flat at Surulere, Mainland area of Lagos. Usually after work hours, they met at Vivian's home to review the day's work before he left for his place at Onipanu area of Lagos.
But that night the defiant heavy rain had made Vivian to offer him a bed in the room she hardly use in her apartment.
The following month, Vivian had suggested that they save cost by living together in one apartment. And because Vivian’s apartment was the bigger one, they both agreed to keep the place as their abode.
The import and export business picked and after the first 6 months, David didn’t feel like he was unemployed. As a matter of fact, he found out that the work was expanding as they had to get a proper office and employ 5 staff to handle different aspects, while he and Vivian handled the accounting and management duties.
And then there was another aspect that revealed so many other things about himself that he didn’t realize. And that was his growing love for Vivian. Each new day opened up deep affection for her, with daily discoveries of her beauty un-locked inside of her.
It was not really surprising to him when after about seven months of living together, Vivian told him one morning that she is pregnant. It was a pregnancy that both he and Vivian glowed over, and a beginning of thoughts of marriage which eventually took place in the heart of Lagos, few months afterwards.
- End -
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