Chapter 9: Wahala Na Baton—God Abeg

The labour dispatch palava finally settle.

News reach town. Parents storm gate, dey shout, “Una wan use our pikin take play?” Labour bureau send officer. Na real wahala.

Local education and labour bureau cancel that company license. Oga get arrest, technical school principal dey face investigation.

One morning, police carry file, carry people. Amaka record am for phone.

E even enter local news.

Channels TV sef report am. Staff dey hide face for office.

Zainab get sack, Musa return to use the labour company I dey use before.

As e pain Zainab, so e pain me. Musa no even blink, just dey smile as if e win lottery.

European client cancel order. Luckily, matter no worse, everything calm down.

Oga say, 'At least dem no carry us go EFCC.' We thank God.

Sade come my office again, but this time I no gree make am enter.

I dey joke, say, 'If you enter now, wahala go follow.'

First time she come, Zainab chop am.

She remind me. Second time, Old Bayo chop am.

Now she dey come again—who know who next?

She laugh, say, 'I no go carry bad luck come.'

She tell me,

“You suppose look the bright side. At least we still dey survive. By the way, I get gist. You wan hear?”

She dey shine eye. Gist na her food.

Of course, I open door for am.

I arrange chair for am, close window make breeze no blow gist go outside.

“Remember say I tell you the supplier tech manager na my old school mate?”

I nod. That guy fit do anything for money.

“Yes, the one wey buy house for Musa.”

I pour groundnut for table, make the gist sweet.

“Na dem. The house price fall from one million to seven hundred thousand in just few months. So Musa get house, but now e don turn negative asset—he owe bank 100,000.”

Sade throway leg for chair, laugh. Life sweet her small.

“Evil no dey last, good dey pay. Na karma be that.”

She dey quote Bible small. I join her laugh.

“The guy sharp. He go meet supplier boss, wan sell house back at original price—one million. That way, after paying 800,000 loan, he go pocket 200,000 as chop money.”

Na real Lagos hustle.

“Wetin oga talk?”

Sade smile, shake head. 'Oga no dey craze.'

“No way. Oga no dey craze—he no wan lose half a million. How much he dey make for a year?”

I just laugh.

Na so life be. When money disappear, friendship disappear.

Turns out, even money alliance dey scatter if money finish.

No permanent friend, no permanent enemy for company—only permanent interest.

Sade add,

She lower voice, gist sweet her.

“Oga say, ‘Raise unit price by 10%, maybe I go buy house back.’”

She tap table, dey wink.

“And Musa?”

Sade snap finger. 'E dey delay. Mortgage dey tie am.'

“Wetin he go do? He just dey delay. The mortgage depend on oga. If oga vex stop, Musa go dey pay 20,000 per month.”

We both shake head. Na real wahala.

I wan see Musa face when he go beg oga for 10% price increase.

I fit even buy popcorn watch the show.

But really, e no concern me. I be Admin Manager, company housekeeper.

I dey clean chair, dey arrange file, dey observe like watchman.

After we gist finish, Sade smile, say,

She adjust wig, eye dey shine again.

“I dey wonder who next go chop am.”

I laugh, look ceiling. 'Na so office be.'

“You no fit hope say company go better?”

I dey try raise hope, but e hard.

“See as everywhere be—how e go better? I ready to commot anytime.”

Her bag dey ready, CV dey everywhere.

“No need. Zainab don go, Old Bayo still dey. If oga wan sack person, he go need sack him favorite, Musa, too.”

I dey try encourage her, but na just mouth.

“I just dey reason: if house price drop to 600,000, Musa go owe bank 200,000?”

We both laugh. She say, 'E go pay till e old.'

“You no wish am well at all.”

She talk say, 'E for wish me well?' We both smile.

We yarn small, then I see say time don reach, I pack my bag, follow Sade waka go house.

I switch off computer, dey check if anybody dey watch us for CCTV.

Today, company luck still okay—at least nothing scatter.

No police, no fire, no EFCC. We thank God.

But for my mind, I dey think,

Who next? For this company, wahala na baton—dem dey pass am like relay.

As Admin person, Musa wahala no fit reach me. The next unlucky person na surely Sade.

I watch Sade waka go, her bag heavy, spirit heavier. For this office, wahala na relay baton—God abeg, make she no be next.