My three months in Port Harcourt took a new turn when my friend, Dora, insisted I visit her. Dora was the type who wouldn’t cook and relied on junk food for survival. Since she invited me and didn't care about what I would eat, I had to find a way out. I started buying food, sometimes bringing it back home for us to share.
In the one-bedroom flat, Dora kept the only room to herself and strictly warned me not to trespass. As my stay extended, I realized I had cut into my transportation fare, and Dora wasn’t going to help me out. When I informed her, she suggested I look for a job without giving me any direction.
At the post office, I found several vacancies. One caught my eye: a female sales representative needed at a grocery store. The address was close by, so I quickly made a call and was asked to come with a handwritten application.
While I was writing my application on the plastic table in the parlor, Dora walked in. "Girl, what are you busy writing? Looks like someone got a job."
"Yeah, I went to the post office and was asked to come tomorrow with my application letter," I told her happily.
"That's good news, I'm happy for you. Which company are you working with?" she asked, sounding concerned.
"It's a grocery store." I noticed a change in her countenance, but I didn’t question it.
The store was large, and as I stepped in, I saw Dora attending to some customers. Her facial expression changed when she saw me, but I ignored it. The good news was I got accepted.
We enjoyed our breaks, sometimes receiving free provisions from our boss. Mr. Adebayo was an accommodating boss who knew how to make his employees feel comfortable. Working with him and the other staff was fun and amazing. Juliet, a gossip goddess, always making sure we were never bored with her endless relationship stories.
Along the line, things started to going the wrong way. Cereals and beverages began vanishing at an alarming rate. Mr. Adebayo started demanding explanations from the manager. I felt uncomfortable because, although unspoken, everyone seemed to suspect me.
“This store was peaceful before," Dora voiced out as we all sat, everyone looking innocent.
“I knew stealing had been going on for a while, but it's worse now! From today, anything that goes missing in this store, all the staff will suffer the consequences together. Everyone's salary will be deducted as payback for the losses, and it will be triple whatever is missing," Mr. Adebayo told the manager with seriousness.
Despite his warning, the theft continued. At the end of the month, we received only a quarter of our salary. My pay was just 5000 naira instead of 25,000 naira.
Frustration grew as there was no evidence of who the thief was. The manager even started searching our bags after work.
At home, I tried to talk with Dora, but her attitude had changed since I started working at the same company. She snubbed me and walked into her room. I feared she might ask me to leave, which was a major reason I needed to find the thief. The more my money was deducted, the longer I had to stay in Port Harcourt.
Determined, I decided to go on findings. I came to the shop early one morning, arriving at 6:50 am. I hid in the storeroom, waiting. At 7:20 am, I heard someone opening the entrance door.
"Ah! This foolish girl forgot to lock this gate. Careless she-goat. Enough privilege to utilize the opportunity,” Dora muttered, rushing into the storeroom. Confident she was alone, she took out her usual bag and started picking different cereals. I used my phone to video her without her knowledge. Once she was satisfied, she rushed out, moving straight to the entrance door. Taking another route to drop the items where she would probably pick them up later.
"Dora! It's you. You are the thief!" I shouted. "I see the reason behind your anger. Well done, just so you know, where there's smoke, there's fire. Your actions from the onset weren’t pure. I hate suspecting people, but your attitude since I started working here were enough clues"
"Please Mary, don't tell on me. Remember I accommodated you, please. It was the devil," she pleaded.
"Everything is the devil, right? You made us pay for what you enjoy alone. I trusted you, Dora. Were you doing this to make me look like the culprit?"
Juliet walked in and overheard everything. She called the manager, who informed Mr. Adebayo immediately.
With the presence of other staff, Dora couldn't run away. She waited for the boss to arrive. Mr. Adebayo expressed nothing but disappointment.
"Dora, you are the last person I expected to do this," he said calmly.
"I'm sorry, sir, it was the devil. I'm not like this."
"Dora! You are wicked! You will steal, and we will pay for it, and that's the devil, right?" the manager said angrily.
"Dora, I can't work with someone who is a thief. I will take this matter beyond this, and I will reach out to your guarantor to pay the debt you have incurred so I can refund your fellow staff you have robbed. This is where your working here ends,” Mr. Adebayo said as he walked her out.
As she walked out, I felt bitter and relieved. I wished I hadn’t embarked on uncovering the truth but I felt relieved because everyone had suspected me. Before my arrival, things had been missing unusually.
When I returned home, I found all my belongings outside. I accepted my fate, apologized to Dora, and went to a lounge to spend the night. Fortunately, Peace, one of our staff, allowed me to stay with her for the meantime.
The store returned to normal with no more missing items. Mr. Adebayo followed up on the case until Dora’s guarantor paid all the bills. He refunded the deducted money from our salaries. With that, I had enough to transport myself back home. Before leaving, I tried to make peace with Dora, but she refused to listen. I left Port Harcourt with the lesson to never doubt my instincts and to take any clues seriously to avoid saying, “I saw the signs but didn’t take them seriously.”