"Now...this is some cool cash, think of what we or let's say you can do with this". Esomo had been trying to cajole her friend into throwing caution to the wind and going ahead to pretend like the money was hers- like she earned it.
"I've told you what I intend to do - his office address is on his business card which I found in the wallet and i won't at be peace till I return what I took to its rightful owner". Kamsi snapped back. Esomo only let out a long hiss, wondering how silly and naive her friend could be.
"Don't you understand?" Esomo began. "Once that man sets his eyes on you, he might get you arrested immediately, my dear, its not worth the risk..."
Kamsi only shrugged her shoulders.
"If that's punishment for what I did, then so be it!! I'm not a thief and you of all people, know that..."
"Did you say you found ATM cards in the wallet too?" Esomo asked Kamsi who nodded in the affirmative.
"I've got an idea!!" Kamsi raised her eyebrows wondering what she was up to.
"I know this guy who can hack the passwords to those cards and if luck is on our side, we might be able to make at least one huge cash withdrawal before he notifies the banks to block the cards". At the mention of this, Kamsi went mad with rage but she tried hard to conceal it.
"So how do you see it?" Esomo asked again.
"You're sick!!". She shot back....
**********
".....and please go through my list of scheduled meetings for the week but for starters, I need that file concerning Caprion&Co on my desk ASAP". Richard dished orders out to his 'ever-competent' secretary.
"Alright sir, understood." She made her way to leave but was cut short by her boss.
"Tina, remember, no visitors or calls between now and 12pm".
"Noted sir".
He didn't exactly know why he wanted to be left alone, all he knew was that he simply needed sometime to himself - to ease out stress and to clear his head. So many things had been disturbing him lately. One of them was the girl his friend had hooked him up with some days ago. Although he had every reason to let his bitterness swell against her, he just found himself making excuses for her wrongdoing. He just couldn't bring himself to understand why he felt so differently about her, why their brief but sour encounter kept replaying in his head and suprisingly, why he wished to see again.
The intercom on his desk rang, interrupting his thoughts. It was Tina.
"Sir, there's a lady here to see you"
"I thought I made it clear to you that...."
"I know sir" Tina began. "She's been here for about an hour now and has refused to leave till she sees you. She says its really urgent".
Without thinking about it and even much to his own suprise, he asked for this 'mystery lady' to be sent in.
"Send her in!!". He replied curtly....
Minutes later, he heard a slight "tap tap" on his door and with his face buried in files scattered all about his desk, he simply muttered a "come in" without bothering to raise his head.
Kamsi stepped in and for a moment she stopped to wonder where all the boldness she'd been storing up for quite a while now had vanished to. She felt her heart sink and now she wasn't even sure what to say.
"Good morning sir." Her voice came out smooth and calm.
Richard raised his head up and at that instant, he considered pinching himself to know if actually he was in a dream- or a trance. He recognized her immediately. His feet and fingers went numb and suddenly, his tongue tied. No, it just had to be a dream - one he didn't wish to wake up from. She looked young and innocent. Was it the animal print dress she had on that showed a bit of her legs, or her hair she had wrapped into a bun or her eyes which seemed to pierce his heart??. Whatever it was, she looked ravishingly beautiful. Her looks went further to butress his convictions that there ought to be some kind of explanation over what had happened earlier.
"You may sit." Richard said in response to her greeting as he tried to retain his composure because deep down, he knew he was losing it.
"Thank you, but there wouldn't be any need for that." Kamsi said with every iota of seriousness in her.
"Errrmmm..my name is Kamsi..Kamsi Onuoha." She wasn't sure how to begin. "I'm pretty sure you remember me, I just came here to let you know how sorry I am about the incident that took place a few days ago and how much I want to make things right...."
Richard only let out a "hmmmm" while he listened as she continued.
"I was caught up with circumstances and I felt what I did was necessary at the time but not anymore....here, have this."
She reached for her handbag and took out the wallet. Richard couldn't hide his shock anymore.
"Whoa! Whoa!! you mean you...."
Before he could finish that statement, she dropped the wallet on his desk and turned her back to leave. In split seconds, she had disappeared from his sight and turning back to his wallet, he opened it and to his utter amazement it was all there- intact.
Now, there had to be more to all this. This girl was certainly a mystery that needed to be unravelled and he knew he wanted to see her again, to speak to her again...but how could he when all he knew was her name. There just had to be a way about this, he thought...
**********
It was a fine Saturday evening -exactly two days after Kamsi paid him a visit at the office. He was on his way to see his parents at the family house at Ekorinim. He hadn't seen them in about two weeks and it seemed like ages as he so craved their company.
His mother was particularly excited to see him. She had a dish of 'ofe nsala' and pounded yam specially prepared for her son because according to her, all what those spoilt Calabar girls he hung out with could ever give him was 'indomie' or 'fried eggs & plantain' but now that he was home, it was time he ate 'real food'. He couldn't hold back the tear drops that came with his laughter as he watched his mother dutifully set out the table to serve her son and for the first time in a long while, he realized how much he loved and adored this woman.
Although, his mother was someone one could easily refer to as 'Margaret Thatcher', she was easygoing and had a large heart.
Dinner was quite an interesting one and no sooner than they had finished eating, his mother quickly whisked him away to her room - away from prying eyes and ears. As they went through the stairs, he knew exactly what all the show she'd been putting up all evening was about.
As she securely locked the door behind them, Richard was anxious to know what this was all about, though he had an idea. She gently sat at her dressing table and beckoned on her son to sit.
"Obim." Whenever she called him by this name, it was obvious she meant business.
"What is the problem?" His mother asked but he had decided to feign ignorance.
"Mum, I really have no idea what you mean." Richard replied throwing his face away.
"Since you have no idea, let me give you an idea... " Richard knew letting her begin her endless sermon would only piss him off as he wasn't in the mood for any of that and so cutting her short was what he needed to do.
"Okay..okay, mum" Richard started as he got up. "I know where you're going to and I wouldn't want us to make a big deal out of it but trust me, I'm working on it."
His mother's eyes widened.
"Now, this is good!! Why don't you tell me about it?".
"Don't get too nosy mum, you'll get to know in due course...very soon."
She only shrugged her shoulders and gave a faint smile. There wasn't much she could do anyway.
"I need to be with dad downstairs, I haven't briefed him on the situation of things at the office." This worked as the perfect escape plan for him as he made his way to the door.
Halfway down the stairs, he wondered why he gave his mother the kind of assurance he gave her because he wasn't doing anything about nothing and he knew it. Whatever the case was, he needed to do something because the woman he knew wasn't one to be toyed with...
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