Short Story: Karma!!!

   
This is Short story written by Obinna Lawrence…

Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he adjusted his tie, fidgeting with the knot till it was the way he wanted it to be, he patted down himself, rinsed his hands, and exited the bathroom looking once more calm and collected.

Anyone who saw him, saw a young man well contented with his lot in life a spot on observation. Why wouldn’t he be content, his business was flourishing, C.E.O and co-founder of peach, a multi million company that produced cosmetics, he was happily married, with two kids to his name, another hopefully on the way. And he was only 33.

He had accomplished so many things in his few years on earth that had him on so many people’s lips. Humble to a fault, looking at him, you won’t see all this, all you can tell is that he was content. Packing up the document he had been working on, his mind wandered off, wondering once ore what his wife had in store for him, it was their 2nd year anniversary, and she had been acting secretive before he left the house that morning. he knew without been told that she had a surprise for him, he just hoped whatever it was, would b better than the year before.

Where they were forced to cut they anniversary short because one of the wings in the hotel they lodged in inflamed, reasons unknown. He glanced at his wrist watch, thirty more minutes before he closed for the day, He opened the case that was just delivered to him and withdrew the jewelry encased in it.. Perfect.

He had been explicit when detailing it to the jewelry maker, he knew his wife too well and knew what she would go for. And the piece he had in his hand was spot on His intercom buzzed and he picked it up”Yes””Sir, I have Mr uzoegwu here for the interview’ He frowned ‘interview? thought that was tomorrow’ ‘He must have mixed up the information sir, should I tell him to come back’ He glanced at his wrist watch again, 30mins still to go, “no, let him in. Might as well get it over and done with’ he made to end the call ‘and oh, give me 5 mins before u send him in”OK sir’ He put the jewelry back in its case, and placed it in his briefcase, His assistant had up and quit on him the week before, stating that her husband of Two months had decided to relocate her oversees.


No surprise there seeing that the man himself spent most of his time there, but it didn’t give him enough time for him to find another assistant. This was the second assistant he had lost to his friends. The first had gone the way of the second, married to his friends. Peter was the first, he had paid him a visit in the office after he returned from his latest trip abroad seen his assistant and the next thing he knew, he was in search for another and so it happened with James and once more he was left in the lurch. He had then decided to go in the way of a man announcing to his friends that the days of them marrying his secretary were over.

He had also on a whim decided to interview the men himself, a decision he didn’t regret up to this point. A knock on the door told him his 5mins was up, he seated himself and bid them in. The young lady that of recent acted as his and his vice’s secretary but was his vice’s ushered the man in and left closing the door gently behind her. The man walked in uncomfortably, Charles took him in, his face not showing any emotion.

As was expected he was suited up, a well tailored suit that he carried with ease, then surprisingly he was sweating profusely, maybe as a result of nervousness, beads of sweat were positioned all over his face and dripping, a surprise seeing that he had been in an air conditioned room for long, if not too long 20mins at the most.

He motioned on him to take a seat then waited ‘do u want me to up the air condition’ he asked when the silence stretched watching as he fidgeted in his seat and shook his head”I mean no sir’ he said wen he noticed his mistake’ Good then are you going to take care of that’ Charles asked motioning with his fingers on his face and the sweat gathered there the man lowered his face in embarrassment “am so sorry sir’ ‘oh this is not happening’ he had him mutter Charles refused to write him off, he always believed that their were more to people than meet the eye but he was beginning to regret choosing to do the interview today, he should have gone with his first instinct and told him to come back the next day, he sighed water under the bridge, he glanced at his wrist watch, then at his wall clock, well their was still time so he might as well finish up, he saw the crest fallen expression on his face, but didn’t let that deter him’ I have a prior engagement Mr…”David sir, David uzoegwu”Mr uzoegwu, welcome.

Let’s get this over and done with. Your files’ Charles once more ignored the xpression on the mans face and accepted the file he handed to him David watched him with dread, things were not going on the way he planned, he had practically handed himself the termination letter before he was even employed. How could he have entered such a powerful mans presence without seeing to his appearance.. An interview and he had failed the first and most basic of them all making a good first impression.

He sighed inwardly, if he failed this interview, he had no one to blame but himself, his aunty had used her influence in getting his name among the five people that were to be interviewed for this job leaving the rest to him. He looked at the man holding his files and future in his hand, pure and simple he was intimidated. His heart beat escalated when the man closed his file 10mins later. He felt like his heart was about to burst. Thinking of all the people that were hoping on him and the prayer going on currently on his head headed by his pastor. He didn’t know what to do if he didn’t get the job Charles looked on at the man in front of him, his fury contained, not showing any emotion..

His mind screamed get out of my office, but his mouth was firmly shut. Ononye. Who would have thought it possible, sitting passively in his front, was one of the people who had beaten the novice out of him during his first year at the university. All the ugly emotions that transpired through him that period came rushing back.

All he promised to do if and when he comes in contact with him again foremost in his mind. 10 years in the making it was fiercer now, he felt like suiting action to words seeing that he was in a position now to make a dent on the man, than he was 10years ago where he had looked helplessly while his best friend and him where dealt with. They had chanced on him by mistake in a party, that they lodge mates had cajoled them into attending, they were what you would call a nerd then, green eyed novice, who couldn’t tell a fraud from a friend, didn’t socialize much, which was what brought about the persuasion for them to attend the sent forth party the neighboring lodge was throwing for their graduating students.

They he had met ononye an into the world experienced boy. Who had lots of things to say about women and they anatomy. He had mesmerized them with how easy it was for him to get women, Hearing they were v!rg!ns, He had promised to get them laid. The memory was too much fearing his reaction, he disengaged his eyes from his person and stared at the picture of his wife and kids dat graced his table.. Like a miracle it calmed him down, he brought up his face and looked at him once more, he had changed much, charles thought.

Back then he had a bigger than though attitude, that went well with the afro and swag that had everyone wishing to be his friend. Charles smiled remembering the look on peters face at the word women and laid..he had almost wetted his pant. The smile broadened, peter was in a worse place than him then, at least he saw porn once in a while and knew what to expect, whereas him was a church do goer, who wouldn’t even dare to glance at the porn.

A notion that changed with the years, he was worse than him now, not in the porn department mind you, but women, he took ononye’s words to heart and with the years showed that ononye wasn’t exaggerating, women came to him in droves, and he never stuck to any. Calm and collected once more, he brought his mind to the issue at hand, the danger zone averted. Seeing the smile, David fidgeted the more, he didn’t understand this waiting, why the man was looking at him and not saying anything and now smiling.

Charles refused to take pity on him any longer, this man had set him up, beaten him, taken all the money he had on him, and the one he had in the bank, no one who saw them after that would term them novice. They had it beaten out of them. Besides he was lucky, he didn’t know how close he had come to having his head bashed against the wall. He reclined on his roller chair and giving it a little swing and asked nonchalantly “It says in your file, that you worked for the t.v station element” ‘That I did sir”And why did you leave”The station went bankrupt sir, as a result it was shut down”And after that.. blank’ he said making a motion with his hand that portrayed blank David looked him dead in the eye ‘ yes, I have been on the market for a job ever since then ‘He nodded, he couldn’t understand why he was still making idle chit chat with him.

The idle thing to do was to send him on his way and hurry home. Which was what baffled him. He kept on with the questions ‘what is it you hope to bring to this job, seeing that your skills has been rusty”I haven’t been idling away since I lost my job sir, I just didn’t include the information cause I didn’t think it was necessary”Oh, and what is it you have been doing”Series of menial job sir”‘Define menial' ”I painted houses, and dabbled in music one time” I take it then it didn’t work out’ David shook his head ‘Ok then, now what is it will you bring to the job’ ‘I have worked as an assistant before and I know what the job entails” You have, for who, and why didn’t you enclose this information, did you think it was not necessary too ”I did enclose the information sir, its written there, I worked for my aunty Mars osita uzoegwu” ‘Janet’ Charles called surprised ‘Janet is your aunty”Yes sir’ David smiled, thinking if they were on first name bases, then the ship hasn’t totally sank.

‘That’s good, good’ he nodded ‘your aunt and I, go way back, she made my wedding the talk of the town even years after it occurred”Am aware of that, was her assistant then”Charles nodded ‘how is she”‘I believe she’s fine sir ”Good to know, now back to business’ he opened the file again and gave it another perusal”It says here you graduated from unizik ”Yes sir” Good school, had a blast when I was there” David sat up ‘you were there” Yes, I was.. Had my fair share of entertaining too’ he cackled up warming up ‘good old days’ Davids face beamed with smiles, Charles decided to go for the kill.. He did have an appointment’ Let me be frank with you David’ his tone belied his feelings ‘you have an excellent recommendation, a woman close to my heart, but your result is nothing to write home about’ David felt the change and immediately tensed up, the smile dwindled ‘we aim at perfection in this company, we want our patronisers to think nothing but good whenever the name peach comes to their hearing”

Sir…’ Charles held up his hand”Are you happy David’s this a trick question David wondered ‘ am happy sir’ he replied’ Then why are you here, if your content” Because sir, I need a job’ his heartbeat escalated’ You need a job,but your happy”Sir, you don’t need money to be happy’ he countered Charles raised his eyebrows, then sat up, clasping his hands together and placing them on his desk, Your right, money is not needed for happiness’ he stood up and looked down him.. He was in a better place than he was 10years ago and he had the advantage now, the reins in his hand knowing this made him feel better.

He blurted out ‘am not going to hire you David’ revenge was a dish best served cold David knew this was coming, but hearing it devastated him, he made to speak but choked up, cleared his throat and said crookedly ‘ sir please, I really need this’ he pleaded blinking back Charles saw it all, the desperation, the destuness, the welling up in his eyes.. He had made a grown man cry, even though he deserved it. He closed his mind to it and stood up pressing the intercom, ‘need you to come in and escort Mr David out’ He left his desk, briefcase in hand and left the office..

He was late. Dialing his wife’s number he went to the elevator.. Standing before the elevator he waited for it to ascend, while listening to his wife’s voice, he stared at his almost blurry reflection at the elevator door.. He saw imperfection. He was a millionaire and yet he was not perfect.. His wife’s voice mellowed him down, he turned and saw David heading for the stairs, head bent..

There was no mistaking that step, the benthead, he had made a grown man cry.

His business mind took over immediately, wat their a need for this, granted he did him bad, but that was 10 years ago.. To prove he was better than him, he needed to let go ‘David’ he signaled his secretary over, and whispered to her’ 10mins later, the door leading to the stairs opened again and she walked in David trailing her.

Revenge a dish best served cold, well he was serving his hot. Peter would not hear a word about this he promised himself the elevator door opened, ‘take him down to production, and have them evaluate, and employ him’ without a word to him, he stepped into the elevator..

**** THE END****

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