Five Hours to Die Read online

CHAPTER ONE

  The arrival of the CEO of RONS has been announced and the staffs are at their best eye service. The secretary who has been gossiping is now typing false documents that have not been given to her. The receptionist opening files that have existed long enough on her table to be burnt—but such doesn’t happen in RONS—and that gave her the opportunity to look busy. The CEO is known for his strict sanction towards erring staffs that jokes with their work. The sanction often including the deduction of a certain amount from the erring staff’s salary; depending on the gravity of the offence, and none is ready to be a scapegoat. This has however been a threat on the part of the CEO to get his staffs down to their desk without necessarily enforcing a more rigid rule or a ‘purely-business’ approach.

  The incessant and ear-deafening good morning enveloped the offices as Mr Ronald passes through his staff offices before getting to his office. Each staff relieved that s/he was busy when Mr Ronald passed them by. This has saved the morning. Getting caught by your boss while talking about what happened last night in the neighbourhood is a bad omen and often a day spoiler especially Mondays—and that’s even worse; because it means you’re going to have a bad week. Its widely believe in not just in the rural areas but the corporate world that Mondays unveils and decides how a week is going to look like. What we call superstitions often are not mere tales but an unexplainable way that this Mother Nature operates. And here in Africa, superstitions form the basis of most of our traditions and beliefs.

  This impression of course has become an orientation that every inductee in RONS must pass through often taught by the surviving predecessors. An orientation that tells you that you must be an eye-service perfectionist and if at all you are perfidious, then you have a lot to do to earn the trust of the boss. And so, eye-service becomes a norm among the staffs of RONS save for the egg heads and the phlegmatic(s) who derives joy in minding their business without necessarily meddling with other’s affairs but you know, a local saying goes thus; it will only take a while before a sheep starts eating faeces once it start making friend with the dog. So, in some cases when the shit is about to or it has already hit the fan, a little of eye-service would not after all make them vulnerable to the sanction.

  Mr Ronald has settled down in his office when his personal assistance came knocking. The office of Mr Ronald is richly furnished with expensive executive chairs. On his desk are piles of flat flies—contract files to be precise—taking up to two-third of the desk. There’s another desk at his right and on this desk is placed the desktop. Two chairs are placed opposite the executive chair that Mr Ronald is sitting on with the desk separating them. To the left of the other desk and very close to the wall is a three-settee and a table with a vase containing jasmine and rose. On the wall right above the head of Mr Ronald is an artistic portrait of him hanging perfectly on the wall with adorned frames. Very close to the settee—by the right—is the shelf containing books. On the top of this shelf are awards that the organization has won and the ones that Mr Ronald has bagged personally.

  “Come in!” ordered Mr Ronald while checking his schedules.

  “Good morning sir!” The personal assistance—Mr Cole—greeted while drawing a chair to sit down.

  “Good morning Mr Cole!” Mr Ronald said not looking up from his schedules.

  “Sir, you are due for your flight to Miami in one and half hour time. If we are going to make it to the airport before the departure, we must start moving now.” Mr Coker said as he re-adjusted his eye spectacles while looking through the notepad in his hand that contains the schedules of his boss for the week.

  “You’re right. Uhhmm... is the driver ready yet?” Mr Ronald asked still not looking away from his book of schedules.

  “Everything is set sir. We’re waiting for you!”Mr Coker said making to stand up.

  “Go and meet the driver. I’ll join you in ten minutes time. While going, call me the general manager and the account manager; I want them here ASAP!” Mr Ronald said while waiving at Mr Coker to go. Mr Coker bowed and left.

  “Sir, you called for us!” the general manager said as he entered with the account manager. They both stood in his front with their hands at their back—a respect for their boss!

  “Have your seat!” Mr Ronald ordered while closing his book of schedule and removing his eye glass. “I have a conference meeting in Miami and its going to be a week before my return. Mr Joseph—referring to the general manager—I’m leaving this organization to your hand for one week now; remember, we dictates the economy of this nation to a large extent and it will be remarkable of you if you manage it well in my absence. And you, Mr Lawal, I want the daily expenditure and income wired to me in my absence. I’m not going to condone any excuse for failing to do so. Every day, I must see how money comes in and goes out. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Affirmative sir!” The general manager said. “We won’t disappoint you sir! And that reminds me sir; you haven’t signed for the import of goods that is to be ordered for this Wednesday.” Mr Joseph added.

  “Do that on my behalf. I got to go now!” Mr Ronald said while closing all opened files and packing them aside. The two managers stood up, bowed and left.

  Mr Ronald took his suitcase after making sure that he has packed all necessary documents including his passport that he dipped into his inner pocket of his suit. Mr Ronald looked at himself once again while re-adjusting his tie.

  “Get your ass down and work gentleman and stop starring at me like a gormless.” Mr Ronald bellowed at one of his staff as he passed through their offices. He caught him starring at him. Mr Ronald is fully aware that he works with staffs that are professional in eye-services but little could he do. These are one of the internal problems you have to live with while warding off competitors outside. The corporate world is no doubt a warfare platform. Eye-service is a norm in the corporate world and all CEOs and managers must learn how to tolerate it—to an extent though.