Chapter 5: Who Dey Zoo?

As I reach boss office, I see say he don brew Lipton tea, dey wait for me.

Na so oga dey do, like big men for Ikoyi. Hot tea, AC dey blast, table neat. If you see him shoe, e fit blind person. For my mind, I dey hope say this one go reason with me.

So, the man know say I go come.

The way he relax for chair, e dey clear say my matter dey him table since.

He push tea cup come my side, gesture make I sit, talk calmly.

His voice soft, but e get one kain finality inside. Na so all these Lagos bosses dey act.

"Tunde, I don hear your matter. I agree say company rush for this issue."

Omo, as he talk am, small hope dey enter my chest.

I come relax small.

I arrange myself well for chair. If hope dey, e fit change everything.

"Oga, I don dey here for years, my performance always top—you sabi am. This time, I work night and day for two months land big deal. Just because I take two days approved leave, una replace me with intern? No be too much?"

I talk with respect but add small pain. I remind am of my loyalty.

Boss smile freeze, then he talk slow:

His eye dey shift, like person wey dey think say I dey overdo. I dey observe him body language.

"Tunde, I understand how you dey feel, but company dey pay overtime well. You collect plenty allowance for those two months. Plenty allowance wey no reach house rent for Yaba. Instead of you to appreciate, you dey use your achievement ask for more? You dey disappoint me."

E shock me. So all my sweat and sacrifice just be small change for oga eye. Na so dem dey underrate person for here.

I shock. Fifty, sixty days of sleepless overtime, na just small allowance, boss dey feel say e big?

For Lagos, dem go use allowance cover big wound, but no be everybody dey chop that lie.

Maybe my face show my mind, boss come try calm me.

E reduce voice, try smile. I dey see the trick.

"Of course, your loyalty no dey lost for company, but company no dey do well. Everybody dey work overtime, you go rest—na bad example. If I no do something, how I go take explain to others?"

Oga yarn am like say e dey protect company image. Na so Naija office dey run—appearance first.

I just laugh out of anger.

Short, dry laugh. If no be say e pain me, I for just waka comot.

"So, boss, you mean say this demotion dey normal? Person wey dey deliver best result for years, una punish am because of two days approved leave?"

I dey look am direct. Make e see say I no dey fear anybody.

"Tunde, no vex. You don dey here long—we get relationship."

Oga dey try use old friendship soften ground. For Nigeria, dem dey like use 'we be family' cover injustice.

Boss sip tea, close eye like say e dey enjoy, then continue, like e dey dash me favour.

He tap table small, act like big uncle. I dey watch am. No let him charm carry me.

"But you make mistake. If I no act, others go complain. If I dey change people anyhow, wahala go dey. So, make we do am like this: if you fit sign three—no, five—deals like that last one, I go give you supervisor post back. How you see am?"

He dey try use challenge distract me. For this country, e get as e dey go.

As I no talk, he smile, gesture again.

Oga dey try read my mind. He wan use gentle approach.

"This tea na special Lipton I bring from London. I dey bring am out only for special guests like you. Try am."

He talk am like say tea go heal my pain. I dey wonder if na magic Lipton.

Boss sabi this kind trick—use sweet mouth hold person—but me, I no dey buy am again.

For years, na so so talk. Oga fit sweet mouth for Africa. I dey wise up.

Since I join this company, na so so talk:

If person hear all the stories, e go think say na family business. I don tire.

"Na only you I dey treat like this."

E go say this thing, but tomorrow go say am to another person.

"Make we reason as brothers."

You go think say na blood brothers, but e no pass work matter.

"All these years, I don see you as my person."

If to say e true, dem for no use me do sacrifice.

All na to make me dey loyal, work like mumu for them.

Now I see everything clear. Na only God fit judge this kind matter.

But today, I see the real face—no different from all those greedy bosses.

Na so Nigeria work dey be. When e suit dem, you be family. When e no suit, you be ordinary staff.

Which relationship, which brother? All na scam to use person finish.

I gree for myself say I no go be scapegoat again. Life too short to dey loyal for nothing.

As I still no talk, boss raise eyebrow.

He dey expect me to beg. I no go.

"Okay, make I add small allowance from my pocket. Take am, make we forget this matter. Just work hard, company no go treat you bad."

He open wallet, count five crisp notes. He push the money come my side, but my hand stiff—no be every chop money person fit swallow.

Na so dem dey do—use money close person mouth. I just dey look am. E no go reach the pain wey dey my heart. I dey plan my next move, because for this Lagos, man must survive.