A Touch of Reality

Two

KELECHI’S HEAD HURT, her back ached, and her waist screamed of discomfort. She lay in an awkward angle on the floor of the vehicle. Little wonder why her every joint was in excruciating pain. Kelechi couldn't summon up the energy required to rearrange her body. It was by sheer will she snaked out her arm to feel for her tablet. She needed to send out an SOS and enable her device location. She was infuriated with herself for not thinking of that earlier.

Kelechi liked to think she acted indifferent during crisis situations, but apparently, she’d never faced a dire situation before.

          The beat of ‘One Love’, her ringtone was encouragement enough for her to move. But the driver had her phone and her bag, on the passenger seat.

Kelechi racked her brain thinking of the next step. I should have accepted Mr. Neighbor’s ride. Or waited for the Uber. Actually, this whole thing wouldn’t have happened if she’d tapped a little from her main savings and completed her automobile savings.

 How long before someone noticed her absence? On a normal day, it’d be noticed immediately, but because of her appointment at Aso Rock, Lucy had left her schedule open, as they weren’t sure how long the interview would take. Therefore no one would notice if she didn’t show up to work at all.

Lucy had been the one to set up the appointment. Occasionally, she did things that Kelechi totally approved of, but Kelechi decided yesterday that Lucy couldn’t handle the interview.

Who apologized when someone bumps into them and as a result got liquid spilled on their clumsy selves? Lucy had done exactly that when the journalist had bumped into her yesterday. She had no backbone, and that was a fault. Kelechi couldn’t trust her to handle the pigheaded Secretary of State.

“But this is my gig!” Lucy had protested.

“What makes it your gig?”

“I know what I went through to get the appointment.”

If it’d been a test, Lucy had failed. Mentioning she went through whatever to land a gig was unprofessional, and in their line of business, whatever connection you used to get what you wanted was fair. It was your duty to get them. “Who is the director here?”

Kelechi had smiled when the older woman bowed her head. She was right, Lucy was just too soft. “You, ma.”

Kelechi had thought she detected an unusual force in the ‘ma’, but she let it go. She wouldn’t though if it happened again. It was one thing to gossip about her behind her back, but it was another to disrespect her to her face. “Good, now you are excused.”

“You got a personal call earlier ma.”

When she asked to be excused, she liked them to be obeyed instantly. Maybe Lucy was trying to act up. She opened her mouth to lecture her, but Lucy was already talking.

“It was from your brother. He said your mother isn’t feeling too well.”

“Call him and tell him I’m busy with work, but I’ll call them when I get a chance.”

“OK, ma’am. May I come with you, ma?”

“Lucy, leave my office.”

Maybe she should have accepted to take Lucy with her. That way if she didn’t make it, Lucy would raise alarm.

You know if you had just let her go for the interview alone, you wouldn’t be in this situation now, the annoying little voice said. She had mastered ignoring the voice, so she did. But it had more to say. Or if you had accepted the neighbor’s kind offer. She didn’t think back because doing so felt like having a conversation with the voice, which was useless since the voice was intent on tearing apart her perspective.