The man closed his office door and drew the shutters down. He went to his seat, sat in the artificial darkness and stared at the computer screen lit before him. He could read the mail before him but he could not comprehend the message. He had read it several times and yet each reading seemed to increase his disbelief.
He opened his drawer and pulled out a dusty bottle of spirit that had laid, ignored inside since it was gifted to him by a happy client. He placed the bottle on the table then he turned to picked a glass cup from the top of the small fridge by his side. He screwed the bottle cap open and poured a healthy dose of liquor into the glass. He tossed the content down his throat without tasting it then he poured another and tossed it in. As he poured the third dose, his phone pealed into the silence. He turned to look at the lit screen of the phone and saw his wife’s face. He swallowed. How was he to tell her that he had lost his job? He ignored the phone and downed the third glass.
Getting high had never been a nice thing for him. He always found it hard to control himself when intoxicated but he didn’t always find it easy to go for long periods without alcohol in his system. It had taken his wife’s displeasure plus his father-in-law’s threat for him to quit drinking yet there he was with glasses of liquor circulating around his blood stream, messing his thinking up. He stood up quickly and stumbled on the desk. He hit the screen of his laptop as he tried to steady himself. He closed his mouth in shock when he saw the hairline fracture on the screen then he guffawed. The world had become funny.
He picked his suitcase from the side of his chair and placed it on the table then he cocked the bottle and dropped it into the drawer. He looked at the time; it was some few minutes to lunch. He could not go home now and even if he could, he did not feel like going home to face his wife and kids. He placed his hands on his desk and tried to clear his head so he could think properly on the next step to take. He smiled as a thought entered his brain.
He opened his suitcase, removed office documents and properties inside it then he placed the picture of his family, some personal papers, and closed it. He walked to the door then turned and looked at the office one more time. His shoulders sagged as he saw all the memories of his time in it unspool before him. He sighed and turned away, opened the office door for the last time and stepped out.
The office floor was silent. Everybody was so focused on their jobs that it was obvious that everybody was staring at him. He suddenly realized something, he was the only senior management staff to be sacked. He chuckled again then the chuckle became laughter. The surprised looks on the faces of the people around him made his laughter increase. They probably expected him to be sad, bowed. Well he wasn’t going to give them the pleasure of seeing him in pain. He walked briskly out of the building like someone with a purpose. When he got out, he saw that it was raining. He looked at the grey sky and smiled and the tears came. He entered the rain and kept on walking even as the tears poured and the rain washed it off. He didn’t hear his former secretary call his name, his laptop in her hands.
He kept on walking in the rain until the pain seemed to ease and the tears ceased. He stared with blurry at the buildings he passed until he saw the sign of a bar on his right. It was lunch time but he felt like letting loose. He entered the bar and picked an empty table. He sat down and let his wet clothes drip to the tiles.
A young lady, chewing gum and blowing and bursting gum bubbles walked to where he sat and looked him up and down.
“Sir, you are wet.” She said.
The man, his head bowed down on the table, ignored her. The girl pushed him with the tip of her finger. He raised his head and looked at her,
“My wife is going to kill me.” He said, then he passed out.
The girl stared at the man, confused as to what to do. She had never witnessed a man passed out even though he had not drank a drop. How was she to know that the man before her was as drunk as a soldier on leave.
As she stared at him, thinking of what to do, his phone began to ring again. She turned to the door that led to the manager’s office, fear in her eyes. She had been warned several times to treat customers with a little respect and she knew that the manager will not understand if he came to the scene. The ringing stopped and she breathed, then it began again and she groaned.
She dipped her hand into the man’s pocket and brought out the offending phone. She looked at the screen and saw the picture of the man’s wife on it. She quickly picked the call
“Hello, baby where are you? I have been calling you all afternoon. Are you not coming over for lunch?” the woman on the other end asked.
“I am sorry madam but your husband cannot pick his call now.” the girl replied.
“Who is this?” the wife asked.
“I am a bartender at a bar along Warri-Sapele road.” the girl replied.
“A bar? What is my husband doing at a bar? Where is he? Why are you with his phone? Are you is girlfriend?”
“No! No, he passed out here and I don’t want to get into trouble with my manger.”
“He passed out? Is he fine? I am on my way. What is the name of your bar?” the wife asked.
“Eagle’s bar. I think he is drunk anyways.” The girl replied.
“He cannot be drunk. He promised.” The wife muttered then ended the call.
The girl stared at the phone then at the man and shook her head. She dropped the phone on the table and turned only to see her manager staring at her.
TO BE CONTINUED
©warpedpoetic, 2019.
