FARIDA
Oge’s Story
Episode 33
Iya Farida was invited for an aptitude test and interview. She passed both. She was asked to fill some forms and submit some other documents which she did. It was then she and others who came for the same test were taken round the school. It was a school for the rich. There were six classes for each stream. From primary to secondary. There were also eight hostels which had two floors. Two of the hostels had sixty rooms and each room had four beds. The other six had forty rooms with four bed spaces. The rooms had two wooden bunk beds, a toilet and bathroom attached to the room, wardrobes at each side of the room and lockers for each occupant. There was a common room on each floor of the hostels and a tuck shop. The hostels were very beautiful and comfortable. The rest of the buildings were the same.
Iya Farida was asked to go for medicals after which she came to collect her offer letter and allocation of apartment. She was made the head of the school matron in charge of all the hostels. She was to be paid separately for that. Also, she was to be the stream/form teacher for primary 6. She had done exceptionally and they were impressed. Her duties were given to her to understudy.
School would be in session in three weeks so they had to move in immediately. They were shown the staff quarters. The quarters had two sections; block of flats and bungalows. She could see people had started moving into the block of flats and some of the bungalows. She was told bungalows were reserved for senior management staff. The bungalows were large and the compounds looked spacious. Iya Farida was taken to one of the bungalows on a corner piece. The bungalow was painted light brown and coffee brown. It had three big bedrooms all ensuite, a large sitting room and dining, visitor’s toilet, a big kitchen and store attached, and a small study. Iya Farida could only stare when she was told the bungalow was assigned to her. She was overwhelmed with joy. The salary was very good and she was being paid in two places. She was determined to put in her best in her roles.
She prepared to move in immediately but she was told she had to hold on until the furniture arrived. The place was made available to them on a Friday. Very early on Saturday morning, they arrived their new home with their personal effects. Maami chose her room. Farida took the smallest room as she would be staying alone while her brothers shared the other room. The bungalow was fully furnitured. Everything was there. Joy unspeakable filled their hearts.
Farida called Wale to share the goods news with him she was obviously excited which gladdened his heart. “We saw other people moving in with their furniture, why were we given new furniture?”
“Because you are Farida and you are my friend. I will never be happy if anyone disrespects you or looks down on you. Most of the staff working there are comfortable. You have to blend in. Carrying any furniture from your old house would have been a disaster. I arranged for everything as my way of saying thank you for being a sincere friend all these years. My father supported with the electronics. He said your mother was the best during the aptitude test and the interview. I told him I didn’t expect less. He is very impressed with her”
Farida was grateful for everything. This was a huge opportunity for maami. Now they lived in real comfort. Wale made this possible and he did it diplomatically. She was beginning to like Wale’s style.
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Farida was told she had a visitor in the office. When she went to check, she found Sam waiting for her. She became tensed. Ever since Monica travelled he had not contacted her which she saw as a sign he had moved on but here he was. The disappointment at seeing him was evident on Farida’s face.
“I just got back; I was on tour. How have you been?” Sam asked.
“Fine”
“I can see you are not pleased to see me. We had a deal which I expected you to stick to. But then I would be lying if I say I am surprised you didn’t. Can I take you to dinner tonight? We can talk about the situation over a good meal”
“I can’t go on a date with you today. I have to get home in good time as there is work tomorrow”
“I will take you out on Saturday then. I will send a driver to bring you to our spot and I will take you home”
“I think you should pick me up from the office on Friday instead. I will not be able to explain the date to my mother”
“That’s fine. I will meet you here on Friday. I look forward to it”
Her encounter with Sam messed up her entire day. She couldn’t wait until evening to tell Wale about it. Wale was also upset he came back into the picture. He told her to call his bluff. She knew the implication; it was either he would stalk her or he would tell Monica she was the informant. She didn’t want that. She decided to go on the date with him and make him understand she was not interested. Wale was unhappy about her decision. He felt Sam would be too overwhelming for a naïve Farida. Sam was very smart and knew how to go after a prey. He wished he was in Lagos to help Farida through this but his hands were tied; all he could do was pray.
Friday evening, Sam came to pick up Farida. He could see she didn’t make any effort in looking like someone going on date. He didn’t complain. They went to Eko Hotels and Suites for a buffet dinner. Farida ate sparingly which irked Sam. She was behaving as though she was being forced to be with him. After the meal Sam tried talking to Farida about general things but she wasn’t there. He knew it was a gimmick. He paid for dinner and they went to the car together.
A young guy rushed to Farida and said, “A man inside asked me to give you this card”.
Before Farida could reply, Sam did. “Go back to those who sent you and tell them this lady is not someone you just pick on the street. She should be treated with utmost respect. He should have walked to her to give her the card and ask for what he wanted instead of this”.
“I am sorry sir. He thought you were together”.
“That is the main reason why. I didn’t know he knew she came with someone. Why send his card to a lady that came with another man? This is the height of disrespect”.
“I am sorry sir”.
Sam opened the door for Farida to sit inside the car. He drove her while she directed him to her house. There was silence in the car as they drove. Out of the blues Sam asked a question, “Am I that irritating to you that you don’t want to see me? You can’t even talk to me? What have I done to deserve this treatment?”
“It isn’t you but me. I don’t know how to be alone with a guy. I am uncomfortable doing that without company”
“Farida we have come a long way. We both know we don’t need company to interact. We had a great time doing that when we were in the village. What changed? Is it just that kiss that made you dislike me?”
“Monica did not and still doesn’t want us to have a relationship……”
“It is because of past experiences; Farida, I am a changed person. Why don’t you get to know me and see for yourself? Let your mind not bear grudges and give this a chance. Do you know what? I cancel our agreement; I was never going to follow it anyway. Farida, come into my world and tell me you won’t love it”.
Farida didn’t have a reply. She could hear sincerity in Sam’s voice but she was still scared. She was worried about Monica and how dating her brother can affect their relationship. Sam listened to her voice some of her fears and he said, “Can we do this secretly for now. Don’t tell a soul and I won’t too. If it doesn’t work out then we can go our separate ways but if it does then we can announce our relationship”
“I think this will be better. I will give it a chance as long as no one knows about it”
They came to an agreement, Farida decided not carry Wale along because he will discourage her and it will be mainly because of his feelings for her which wasn’t reciprocal. She liked him but not in a romantic way. But Sam still made her jump at the sound of his voice.
That night, she pondered about the whole scenario. It would be wrong to betray Wale but she also considered not telling him until she was sure of what she wanted. A few dates won’t hurt anyone.
From the first real date, Farida knew she had found what she was looking for. Sam dropped his airs and they had such a nice time. He made the date all about her. The next date was even better. He made it so romantic that she was scared she would allow him kiss her like she allowed Wale. He didn’t make any attempt. He took her to the beach and they spent the whole time sitting by the shore and getting soaked by the waves. They never ran of resources to talk about and most times it was about their course of study. She was passionate about working for the government in a certain capacity. Sam told her he would rather get an appointment with the government and make meaningful contributions and impact lives. She was seeing a different Sam. He seemed passionate about the country. They seemed to share the same ideologies and passion. The more they talked the closer they became. Farida preferred to talk to Sam than Wale or Monica. Since their friendship was a secret she had to blame her absence on being busy.
Sam laid out his plan of action for Farida to see. He was interested in improving the lives of his people so they would no longer be looked down on or used for maids or drivers. He planned on running for House of Representative in the future and being there for eight years before he becomes governor.
“So, who are the people at the grassroot you will use to achieve this dream?”
“Grassroot? My father has connections so I intend to work with those connections”
‘You can’t make it unless you have the grassroot in your palm. Run now for Local Government Chairman. Leave an indelible mark and then proceed from there. It looks like you are starting from lowest cadre but that’s really where the grassroot is. Try it”
What Farida said gave Sam sleepless nights. LG Chairman was beneath him but how does he connect with the poor masses if not by being one of them. Farida was smart. People will praise him for this move. In the six months they have been dating, she had had a positive impact on his life. He wasn’t surprised; it was one of the reasons he chose her. Apart from the fact that people turned to look at them when he enters with her into a room, she also commanded a lot of respect which he liked. Also, she wasn’t greedy or self centred. She never made demands or had expectations. She was still using the phone Shehu bought for her while she was in camp meanwhile, newer and more sleek phones had been released but she never asked for anything. He did things for her because she deserved them. Some she rejected outrightly, some she received halfheartedly. He wondered what kind of female specie she was.
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