Adeola flinched when the thunder roared again, the sticky ball bouncing off the floor of the lobby. They were kept waiting by Kosoko. Valentina turned to her again to ask for the third time since they arrived there, “Are you sure that it's going to work?
She pocketed her hands. “Not really.”
Valentina sighed, back pressing into the wall, “I don't even know why I'm doing this with you.”
“Uh, because two heads are better than one?”
“When Kosoko finishes with us there will be no heads.”
Adeola shrugged, “Sometimes you have to risk it and go in blind.”
Valentina just gave her a sarcastic smile, shaking her head. But she quickly returned to a mellow state. “Pauline was saying that if I get laid off, it would be good for me. That this place doesn’t fit me anyway. As if she doesn't understand.”
Adeola bowed her head in thoughts.
The secretary called at them saying that they could finally go in. The small woman’s lips parted as if to speak again but it closed back, resigning to her work. Valentina made to move but Adeola stopped her.
“Actually, I think’s there's something that might save the heads.”
“What is that?” said Valentina.
“The parents. Do you perhaps have their numbers.”
“Yes, they're even in a group chat. I forgot to add you.”
“No, don't bother with that right now.” she said, fingers flying across her screen. “I’ve sent you the video. Send it to the group chat---view once preferably.”
Valentina slowly looked up at her in comprehension. “This is going to cause chaos.”
“And it's exactly what we need. Kosoko’s waiting.” She opened the door to Kosoko’s office, giving way for Valentina to go in.
The said man was laid back in his seat when they went in. “Ah-ahn! I don't understand, why are the two of you here? I only asked for one person.”
Valentina coughed. “We just happened to, um, come here at the same time.”
“Yeah, I also need to talk to you,” she said, shifting to a corner behind Valentina. “But I’ll be quiet over here. Don’t mind me.”
“Okay,” he said, facing Valentina. Do you know why I called you here?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Mmhm. Well, after some diligent consideration about the stunt you pulled,” said Kosoko, rubbing his hands together, “the parents and the board has decided ... to fi---”
“Please, before you continue,” Adeola was raising a hand, “there's something that you might want to see.”
Kosoko sighed, staring at her with disbelief etched on his face. “What?”
She stepped around Valentina, catching her quick gaze as she slid the phone toward him.
“What’s this?” He took the device. The laminated voices pierced through the of the now quiet office. Adeola watched as the man’s stoic features slowly began to melt into shock, then pure fear.
“Did you two plan this?” he asked.
Adeola shook her head, “No.” “Yes.”
She looked at Valentina, and she sent a reassuring one.
“Did you really think that this will stop me from firing you? Even you Ms Adekola.”
She shrugged. She could see the strong, untouchable facade he was putting up even when he was holding something incriminating like that in his hand.
“No, I didn't,” replied Valentina.
“But it is enough to make you realize the gravity of our situation, Sir,” Adeola added.
“Our situation?” He glared at them, then his hand began to go erratic on the phone, swiping and tapping, probably deleting the video.
“You know that's not the only copy that exists,” Adeola stated.
She bristled. “So stop wasting your time.”
The muscles in his neck hardened as he dropped the phone. “What are you going to do with it?”
Adeola blinked. “Post it on the gram, obviously.”
“I can just just deny it and claim that it’s fabricated. That it is AI. They would believe me.”
“And they also wouldn’t, because it's just a claim,” she inclined her head, as if in thoughts. “I heard the school board don’t tolerate incompetent people.”
His two phones rang, and he ended the calls, looking frustrated. A knock. The secretary peeked in.
“Sir, one of the parents wishes to talk to you,” she said.
“Why? What now?! Didn’t we already dealt with this!”
Valentina turned to her. “I think they’ve finally seen it.” Adeola tried to keep her amusement from sifting through.
“Seen what?” he asked.
Valentina scratched the side of her nose, avoiding his eyes. “The video.”
The secretary left leaving a soft click.
Silence.
“Why... why... what is wrong with you? Oh my God. Why would you send it to them?!”
“Well, we had to make the threat solid.” She explained.
Valentina interjected. “Oh, we---we are not threatening you, Sir.”
“That is what we're doing. Adeola whispered. “Tit for tat.”
Valentina twisted her body back to her. “No.”
“Then what are we doing?”
“I feel like it's more of a blackmail than a threat ---”
Kosoko banged the table. “Either way, what you're doing is wrong.”
“Who's wrong and what's wrong doesn't matter right now,” said Valentina. “So can you please just listen to our bargain?” she told him and Adeola didn't know how she could keep being this calm. The man had been throwing her off with each sentence that came out of his mouth and she was trying to keep her impulse in check.
A smile broke around his mouth like stiff mud cracking. “Okay. What do you want?”
“For us to keep working here as is stated in our contracts,” Adeola laid out. “That includes cancelling the probation periods.”
He shot her and Valentina a sharp look, then quickly schooled himself. “Of course ... As long as you don't forget the reason for the probation in the first place. Of course.”
“So we’re all clear?”
“All clear.”
“Oh and salary increment,” Valentina added and Adeola thought why not. “Can you do that, too?”
“No,” he bit out. “I’ll have to increase everyone’s salary too.”
Valentina rose from her chair, scarf flaying down her back. “Then we’ll resign and release the video. I’m sure the school can handle the press.”
She was reaching for the door handle when he finally succumbed. “Wait! Fine, I’ll increase it by twenty percent.”
Valentina smirked and whipped back to him, “fifty-five percent.”
“Fourty percent.”
“Eighty. Nothing less.”
Adeola raised an eyebrow. This certainly is a negotiation. She's chewing him out.
“Okay, okay. Eighty percent.” he agreed.
“Thanks, Mr Love!” said Valentina, grinning and hurrying out.
The man looked angry and disgusted all in one. She could swear his eye even twitched, as though Valentina had said some diabolic thing. “I told you people not to be calling me that name!”
Adeola gingerly grabbed her phone and left there.
Outside, Valentina placed her hands on her chest, inhaling and exhaling. She eyed her. “What are you smiling for?”
“Did you notice his face when you said eighty percent. The old greedy ass almost fainted.”
“I almost fainted.”
“You were amazing.”
“I almost got into worse trouble because of your idea.”
“Almost.” Adeola shrugged, “It worked out, didn’t it?”
Valentina sighed, “Mm, it did.” she lit up, touching her chin. “And he was looking kind of sick before we left. I have never seen him anxious like that before.”
A smile bloomed on her cheeks, around her pupils as she talked and as they started down the path, water splashing beneath their shoes, Adeola thought that smile must be infectious because she was smiling too.
***
“Na wa o. So all of that happened in like one day?” Said Raheem in the video call, focused on whatever he was doing to a car. (Wow)
“Yeah...”
Her room was dimly lit, pink light hitting the walls. Adeola was going in and out of the wardrobe, trying to get an outfit together. It was a frustrating routine. That was why she wanted her friend’s opinion. But he was more interested in her work recently. She snapped her fingers at him, and he looked at the clothes in her hands.
“Not that one ... the green shirt!”
She threw the green shirt back in the wardrobe and slipped into the grey shirt.
He glared at her, “Why did you even ask me?”
She shrugged. “You’re the fashion expert.” And he was great at it. Back in New York she would always call on him and he would send weekly styling inspos.
“Isn’t that the more reason why you should listen to me?” he scoffed. “Why did Ene even go there?” he said going back to the topic at hand.
Her mind flipped back to the woman’s face that day. Everything was quite amusing, it’d made her head spin with theories. “Maybe she’s jealous.”
“Jealous of what? Her husband’s other son?”
Adeola stopped clicking at her laptop midway. “How do you know that---I did guess but he doesn't bear the same last name as him. So how are you sure that he's Uncle Olumide’s child? You did a DNA test or something?”
“Hassan told me.”
“Who’s Hassan?”
“My boyfriend. Did you forget?”
“Oh, yeah. How does he know that?”
His oil stained face slowly trailed out of view. “Because ... Folu said so.”
“Why does he---which Folu?”
“The one you know,” he said in a tight voice. He moved back in frame to see her face which revealed nothing.
“It’s not like I’m friends with that scumbag,” he said it like he was afraid and trying to soothe a wound. “Hassan just happens to work for him and he gists me.”
She nodded. The name Hassan, made her think of someone else, a dark teen boy with a bleeding mouth. He used to act like Folu’s little bodyguard, always in between their fights as if she was going to kill him or something. “Raheem, you don't have to end your friendship with him because of me.”
He immediately looked offended. “After what he did to you that day? Hell no! I can't keep a dirty betrayer around. He can go and die.”
“Oh,” she placed a hand on her chest, mouth in a pout, “you love me that much?”
“Yes, stop being emotional. It’s disgusting.”
She flicked a loc that fell on her eye. “You love it.”
“Ugh, as I was saying. Ene must be like this because she's jealous. Her husband had a baby with his side chick that he'd been hiding. But it's not like there's fire on the mountain since she was like okay with it only if the boy doesn't take the Rotimi name and none of it reaches the media. Yes, it’s something to laugh about.”
Her laugh leveled in volumes. “Remember when she said it was my mom's fault that Mr sperm donor was unfaithful to her and left us.” That was what she called her biological father since her mother never told her his name. Or maybe she did.
“I was there. You almost got beat up because you couldn't stop cursing her out at a public event. Was it a funeral?”
“Oh, yeah. Mom later beat me with those her slippers.”
“Really? I don't understand that woman sometimes.”
“Me neither.”
“You can't defend her.”
She just nodded. Her mother didn't want to be defended even when her honour was being spoiled. Not even by her own daughter, her only family who would. At least that was how Adeola felt.
She quickly veered her mind from them and stared at the TV, cars flashing past the screen. The drivers looked like they were having the time of their lives. She flicked her thumbnail against her upper teeth. She wanted to be in their place, strapped behind the wheel. That great rush. Then she wouldn’t think about anything.
She called out to Raheem. “Does Folu still go there?”
“You mean The Club?”
“Yeah.”
“He owns it now. Half of it, so of course he’s always there.”
She was genuinely shocked at what he said. “Really?” She scoffed, “Good for him.” He was starting to look like everything his mother swore she was. Dangerous, wild and untamed. A bad influence on her cousin. Now he was the chief of all four?
“This one that you're asking about it.” said Raheem, spotting a mischievous smile, “are you planning on returning to the streets?”
“Your face is creeping me out. And I’m not planning on anything.” she did a doubletake. “In fact, I am planning on something. I was gonna order this car---”
“What car?” his nose was practically pressed to the screen. She turned her laptop to face him. She hoped he wouldn't turn this into something else.
He exhaled, “It’s a lie. A Porsche!”
“Yeah, I’m so tired of these ubers and taxis. I’m just not sure which one to choose.”
“Right,” he gave her a look. “You're going to drive a Porsche to work ... in Abuja.”
“Just pick a colour.”
“Yellow.”
She tapped the icon under the inky brown car. Raheem flipped her off, called her boring and ended the call. She laughed, and fell back on the bed. She winced in pain, massaging her arm. She tended to forget that she'd gotten hurt there. How long will such a small thing take to heal---bigger injuries took much longer like her broken bones. Fingers grazed around the skin, reimagining Valentina’s warm hands there.
That lady she’d forced out that day had indeed dug her talon-like nails into it, worsening the small wound. She'd wanted Valentina to do whatever she wanted to it. But she'd made sure they didn't get to that part because it was in fact not that serious and felt stupid for even thinking about it.
Her phone rang. She glanced and cursed. It was her mother. Before the woman could let out a word, Adeola spoke.
“I’ll come see you tomorrow, okay. Keep whatever you want to say till then. Bye.”
I will see her just once, then never again. just once.
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