Joy had always been a worry wart. She had always had second thoughts and criticism about everything. People thought of her as a perfectionist but no one knew the reason why would always worry and about nothing in particular. Owning an interior decorating company, she never did trust anyone and always had her head held up high whenever she was dealing with issues.
People had taken as a "strict" iron lady but she wasn't. Joy was someone who was backed up by her fear of failure and the fear of being double crossed by anyone at all. At one point in her early life, she had lost her closest friend for teaming up with her foes in class to speak ill against her. She is not going to take any such chances anymore.
The Arewa Interior decorating company was her life and of course the only family to her. No one including her personal assistant, Titi knew why she had taken it upon herself to control every important aspect of the job. Her workers saw her as a fiend, with her long red nails and big eyes that threatened them each time there was any mistake whatsoever. The workers has tried never to fall into her bad books.
Her workers had tagged her the ungrateful bitch who didn't care or ever appreciated what she did and was quick to reprimand them for the silliest of all mistakes.
Everyone still remembered how she had fired her first assistant for not adding the proper quantity of milk into her morning tea. She hadn't even waited for an explanation from the poor young woman. Straight, her sack later landed on her table and was asked to leave the premises with immediate effect. Joy wasted no time to pay her off.
Now her business seemed to be sinking again. Her enemies were at it. It was her biggest fear as memories of her early boss, Mr Earnshaw and his pathetic death still clouded her memory. Mr Earnshaw was too trusting. It was his biggest weakness although he was loved by many, there were still many of his foes out there trying to pull him to the ground. With every good deed he did, came a disadvantage.
When he trusted his financial manager, she duped him and ran away. When he believed in his managing director, he stole his contracts and clients and when he relied on his assistant, his company was taken away and he was killed. These made Joy keep most of the important information about Arewa interior decoration company to herself. She knew that a top secret shared with anyone isn't a secret anymore.
With determination, she planned meetings, events and bonuses to her workers but to no avail, Arewa was on the brink of a fall.
On the evening of the last Friday in April, she sat across the verandah in a one storey duplex, sipping on a glass of Chapman and ruminating on how to remedy the situation at Arewa, nothing seemed to be coming to her head, just a flash about how she lost the last big contract to decorate the swearing-in of the President of the Federal republic.
Shaddy who was a secretary then was the only person left at the office the day she forgot the papers that was meant to finalise her consent to take up the huge contract. Instead of the first deposit as upfront payment to execute the project, what she received was an email confirming that she had declined the contract. That was the beginning of the collapse of Arewa.
Shaddy!!
Joy shouted from her desk as Shaddy jumped in response.
Madam. You called. Is there anything you want me to do for you?
This is the first time Joy was going to be seen in such form. Her face had lit up like a volcano and was ready to explode.
What did you do with the document on my table yesterday after work?
Like she didn't know what to say in response, Shaddy stammered away.
Ma...ma….ma--da--m. I don't understand what you mean. Which document are you talking about?
Now her volcano was going to burst.
O! Don't play dumb my friend.
The next thing is…..
You are fired.
Without hesitation, Shaddy went to her table and take her stuff and left. She was not going to work with a person who cannot trust her.
Few hours later, a call on her phone rang and she picked it. It was the agency that was waiting for her response of consent so that they could go ahead to pay her the upfront.
Joy wondered. What had she done? Whàt did she see in the first place that made her lost her mind? She gained her consciousness to respond to the voice on the phone.
I am doing it right away, kindly check your email.
Her worried had gotten the best of her and now she is seeing everyone as a suspect. The next problem definitely would be how she was going to carry out the decoration now that she has no staff to coordinate the proceedings. Joy had to summon courage to call Shaddy. That's was her only option.
Hello Shaddy. I think my worry the whole me, kindly forgive my early act of childishness today and return to work tomorrow.
Before she could finish her statement, Shaddy tried to cut her
madam, I am s-o-r-r-y…..
Joy asked her to no say any further but to report to work the next day. But she had made up her mind. How would she work with someone who does not trust her?
The next day came and Shaddy did not show up at work.
You had learned her lesson the hard way. She made a vow not to worry about her past ugly experiences but to cherish the best times she had had so she doesn't loose her chances of breakthrough.