Set Sail

2

The day started bright and early and before my alarm blasted its truck engine sound, I hit it in the nick of time. I lay down for a few more minutes and listened to the sounds of the house settling in for the long day ahead. The creaks used to scare me until I got my security system. 

I put my feet on the floor and pushed off the bed. It was the beginning of another working week and I had to hurry before the traffic started to build up. My typical workday started at 8.00a.m but since I always got to work on time, samples were usually waiting by my work station before I arrived.

I hurried through my shower and dressed in record time. I did not want to be late on the first day of the week. I had time for a peanut-butter jelly sandwich and my morning coffee. My briefcase was already packed. I left the house after 15minutes. My day had begun and I hailed a taxi just outside my house. It dropped me in front of the factory and I walked in. 

The samples were already on the worktop under the muffle furnace. I picked my lab coat on a coat hanger behind the door and shook it out. I attached my name tag to it and set to work gloving my hands. I always forgot more often than not to rub some powder before gloving up. I am on a schedule.

I worked for about forty-five minutes undisturbed before the laboratory attendants started to arrive one after the other. I was peering through the microscope trying to see clearly and squinting through it when I felt a hand on my back. It must be my colleague and friend trying to call my attention.

"Just a minute", I said without looking up. I heard the shuffling of feet and her voice. 

I am sure she was berating my staff for coming late. It was just as well. It took me another two minutes to leave my microscope. I bent on the stool where I sat and twisted my neck. It made a cracking noise. I could not help cracking my knuckles loudly.

"Good morning Mary", I greeted my friend. "How was your weekend?"

She laughed before replying. "Nice and interesting", she replied.

I could not help noticing that she was glowing. Maybe her husband had been at home throughout the weekend. I could not remember the last time I felt a man's touch.

"What made it interesting?" I asked pulling off my gloves. They always made a smacking sound. I was used to it by now but it still made my friend jump.

"Must you always unglove that way?" she asked feigning annoyance.

"How?" I threw up my hands in mock ignorance and winked.

"Ta! Ta!" she mimicked the sound of my gloves and winked. I burst into laughter and I could even hear some of my staff laughing.

"Mary, you're such a clown", I said wiping the tears from the corners of my eyes.

Throwing up her hands in mock exasperation, she rolled her eyes. "I don't know what to do with you anymore. Anyway, we had a most interesting guest over the weekend. I told him I had a friend who he absolutely had to meet".

I was calm. "I guess I know who the friend is. Or is it someone I'm yet to meet?", I asked dragging the chair in front of the computer console to my desk and sat heavily.

She beamed. "No other person than you, my dear friend-Zoe", she clapped her hands like a little girl. She had an impish face and it was difficult for me to be upset with her.

"But I've warned you to stop fixing me up with your friends. Remember the last guy you hooked me up with who turned out to be in a close-knitted cult".

"This one is nothing like that", she protested.

"How do you know? He could be a serial killer. Abeg, my mother still loves me o."

"Well this is a distant cousin of mine who had an exhibition in town and decided to call me", she grinned. "Does that suit your taste?" she asked raising her eyebrows comically so that it shot up into her hairline.

"Come off it jor! What kind of exhibition?" I joked. Something was up. I could tell by the way she was acting. "What's the catch?" I asked.

"No catch. And he's an artist, I can't remember his form of art", she replied too fast for my comfort.

"Okay, dearie. Forget it," I said. "I am not hooking up with your brother or cousin. Whatever! You've got something up your sleeve".

"Alright, alright," she finally acquiesced. "He's a widower. But I didn't think anything about it since he has no children".

"So when is this blind date?"

"Tonight. I've made a reservation for you at your favourite restaurant. We would also be there at a different table," she informed me. 'We' meant she would be there with her husband. Good enough. He brooked no-nonsense and I always wondered how the pair of them had attracted each other.

"And you're just telling me now", I accused in mock annoyance. "Why didn't you call me during the weekend or at least send a voice note?"

"Honestly, I tried to reach you but I couldn't connect and a voice note didn't even occur to me", she sat at the edge of the chair.

"Well, I didn't turn my device off. It must have been the network," I concluded.

"That being the case, make sure you look your best because I've been singing your praises throughout the weekend".

"Director of affairs, what do you suggest?" I teased.

"How about a mani-pedi? I have a thousand ideas in my head. Perhaps, you need a new dress", she rushed on.

"Hold it! You know I don't leave work till late and besides this is impromptu. Plus he's a widower. I'm sure he has seen it all so I don't have to dress to the nines. Ugh!"

"Come on!" she playfully pushed my shoulder and laughed in that her unique way. "Aren't widowers human? Just be happy that I care about fixing you up. Not all men are bad and not all have dirty pasts. Be optimistic!" She stood up and I did the same.

"You work twice as hard as anyone else so you know you have the liberty to leave work exactly at closing time," she encouraged.

"Director Mary, you will be the death of me one day", I laughed. "Let me see how my day turns out before I decide on anything but shopping is definitely out of it".

"Why! Women never get tired of beautiful things. You're weird," she said laughing.

"Because I have a lot of clothes that still have tags on them in my wardrobe. As new as the day I bought them." I usually favoured jeans and long-sleeved shirts.

"Whatever! Just make sure you look better than good," she said tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

"Thank you. You've done your bit. We have work to do. Get!" I said with a laugh.

"Okay ma'am," shethrew me a mock salute and sauntered off back to her office.