Tales of a Lagos babe – Episode 6 [Monday Drama]

Read Previous Episode [This Love Sha]

Have you ever tried getting to work on a Monday morning, after a busy but enjoyable weekend and then your car breaks down half way to work? *whew* Story of my life. I managed to pull over by the road side and practically jumped out of the car to deceive myself with mechanic skills. This silly car wants me to get a query abi?

I picked up my phone and dialled my mechanic’s number.

“Haruna, where you dey?”

“Ha! Aunty Salewa..” (Haruna always calls my name like the people from Ibadan)

“I dey for Mowe o”

“Chai! My car just breakdown for falomo o. Alright now, call me when you return”

“How you go come do am na, how you go go offis (meaning: office)”

“I go carry ‘drop’”

“Ok o, bye!”

“Bye Haruna” I ended the call.

I picked up my bag, locked my car and stood by the side of the road to wait for a cab. Five minutes went by and there I was still standing on the road. The rain was threatening to pour down. I dialled Omoyeni’s number.

“Yeni, where are you?”

“Good morning to you too Shalewa”

I grinned. “Sorry jor! good morning Yeni. My car broke down and am stuck on Awolowo road”

“Wow, Pele. I am actually on my way to the mainland. I have a meeting in one of my Company’s branch”

“Oh sugar!! Okay then, thanks”

“Wait!” She screamed “you didn’t call to tell me about your date with..” I cut her short before she could finish her interrogation “Yeni, I’ll call you later jor”

“Ok” I hung up. I was frustrated. It was beginning to drizzle. I started to make my way back to the car when a prado jeep with a tinted back seat parked in front of me.

“Good morning Madam” the man driving greeted.

“Good morning Sir” hmm!! He looked like a driver o. What he wore looked like a uniform and it was terribly familiar.

“Come inside ma”

“Ehn, come inside ke, I don’t know you” I said almost screaming.

He started to laugh. “You dey fear?”

“Thanks, I’ll wait for a cab”

I was about to move away when the occupant sitting in the owners corner let the window down.

“You never struck me as someone who gets scared easily” he was smiling

“Oh my God!!! Good morning Mr. Williams”

“Please come in Shalewa”

I got in and murmured a thank you.

“How did your weekend go?”

“It went well, yours?”

I smiled. Where to start? Ok. So I had a blind date with this dude that I thought was you. He arrived at our agreed meeting point and he turned out to be one of the most handsome man I have ever met. His name is Daniel and he is the head of H.R in Mable consult, you should know him, since you own some shares in this company. Lydia gave him my number after he begged her for details about me. He seemed cool and I would love to hang out with him again. I did wish it was you, but you still don’t wanna own up to knowing me.. Ok, those were the thoughts in my head, but instead I replied “My weekend was lovely, thank you”. My voice was all of a sudden sultry, was I flirting with Oga unconsciously?

He reached out to pick up a paper and his hand accidentally brushed mine. Was that on purpose? My heart began to do a marathon.

“Shalewa, Shalewa”

I almost jumped. Apparently he had been calling me and I didn’t hear.

“Yes Mr. Williams”

He laughed. “Are you alright”

“Yes I am. I was just thinking about my car” (hmm! Shalewa you’ve prayed today o and you already started telling lies, God is watching you on 3D)

“Oh! What went wrong with it?”

“I really do not know and my mechanic is out of town until God knows”

“I could send mine if you don’t mind?” He interrupted

I went mute. Ok, what is going on? Why is Mr. Oga being nice to me?

“If it wouldn’t be any trouble, I wouldn’t mind”

“Alright then” he faced his driver. “Bello, kindly contact Sule and take him to the spot where we picked Ms. Benson. You can liaise with her for her keys and the rest”

“Ok sir” he answered

I looked at him and said thank you.

“My pleasure” he said smiling.

He had one dimple.. choi!!! Whatever jare! I decided to allow the thought of seeing Daniel at work envelope me. I would see Daniel today and I promised him I would go to lunch with him. Maybe it was time I occupy myself with some other guy.

It had begun to rain heavily and Oga had asked the driver to allow the songs on the playlist of his phone play. It was Marvin Gaye and he was humming.

The only things missing were candles and a bottle of champagne. I closed my eyes for some seconds and imagined Mr. Oga’s lips on mine.. choi! See temptation. I forced myself to stop fantasizing and began to think about Daniel again; there’s no way in the world I’ll let this man humming play games with me. We got to the office and the dilemma was how to go in and not get wet. Mr. Oga brought out a medium sized umbrella.

“This should do, let’s go Shalewa”

I hesitated. Let’s go where? Inside this rain; see this Oga o.

“We’ll share the umbrella and I promise you will not get wet” he said smiling.

“Ok” I forced a smile.

He passed me the umbrella and asked the Driver to bring our bags in after he had parked the car. That was how we squeezed ourselves under the tiny umbrella with Oga almost holding my shoulder in an attempt not to get either of us wet.

Thankfully, we were as dry as a ‘bonga fish’. Mr. Oga went into his office leaving Lydia to start sniffing for new stories to carry about.

“Ahan ahan!!How come you came in with Mr. Williams?”

“Long story o”

“Tell me, I have all day”

I started to laugh. “You like gist” I narrated my ordeal to her leaving out the Marvin Gaye and all other eyebrow raising story. “By the way, who did you give my number?”

She started to giggle “he called right? He is so handsome” she started making funny faces and attempted to tickle me when Daniel worked in.

Lydia hurried back to her seat smiling and greeted him as though she had hot yam in her mouth “Good morning Mr. Odulaja”

“Good morning Lydia” he smiled and continued “Hello Shalewa”

“Good morning” I answered shyly. Hmm!!*Why shall I shy?* Ghen ghen ghen ghen!

“One O’clock?” he asked

“Yes”

“See you then” he was about stepping out when Mr. Oga came out of his office.

“Daniel, how far now?” they shook hands.

“Femo la la, I dey o”.

“What brings you here this early hour of the morning?” Mr. Oga asked.

“Just making sure our new staff gets the proper orientation” He answered looking at me. I faced my computer screen and acted invisible. My heart kept dancing ‘alingo’.

“I see” Mr. Oga said smiling.

Daniel left our office and Mr. Oga went back into his. Just when I thought the drama was over, a text message came into my phone. It read “I think ‘am pregnant, don’t tell anyone” It was Omotunde.

I was about to catch my breath and not pass out from everything when my extension rang. “Shalewa, please come to my office” it was Mr. Oga and he sounded pissed.

Omoshalewa Benson: Tales of a Lagos babe is written by Tobilola ‘Bella’ Agoro (@tobiagoro)

Read Next Episode [Monday Drama 2]