Karmale arrived at the city law firm. She would hardly believe that she was at the entrance of the big building. She had long waited for this day. The day when Ryxel would let her proceed with her occupation. The morning whereby she would dress up, once again formally and report to her employer's premises. The day she would grace her workmates with her presence after quite a long time. The day she would go back to work. It had come.
Unfortunately, she was not as ecstatic as she thought she would be. She was rather nervous. Extremely nervous. One would mistake her for an internship student who had come to a company for her first time. Some who had to give her best to impress her supervisor.
She looked up at the highest floor of the structure and her eyes travelled it till the lower one.
"You ditched me, Ryxel!" She folded her fists in mild anger.
"But it's okay. I don't need you." She consoled.
"Morning, miss."
"Oh, Felix! Good morning. How have you been?" She turned to a man in black uniform.
"Fine, miss. What about you? It has been a while. I thought you would not recognise me when you saw me again. It has been long. Really. Where were you? What had happened? Why wouldn't you report to work, Miss?"
"Nothing, Felix." She quickly curt in remembering Ryxel's warning about telling anyone her recent whereabouts. There is no way she was going to risk her chance to work again. She was not going to say anything to anyone.
"I have actually been so fine that you needn't worry at all. I have been really good. Really good." She assured the concerned man.
She smiled at him and he reciprocated the gesture. His smile appeared a bit suspicious but Karmale couldn't care any less.
She handed over her car keys to the officer on duty, Felix who politely took them and drove her car to the parking lot.
She sucked in a harsh breath, straightened her clothes a bit. With her head held high, she walked through the transparent doors of the skyscraper.
On entering, the busy employees swiftly motioned to different directions and offices.
"Wow. Everyone is too occupied to notice my presence. Good for me." She exhaled.
"Oh my!" A loud familiar voice exclaimed.
"Karta. Please don't-" Karmale internally begged but it was to no avail.
"My oh my!" She added this time registrating the person before hence pitching her voice. Obviously, she got every Tom, Dick and Harry's attention.
Before Karmale would dash to her office a mass of people flooded the reception premises.
All the question filled glares she got were enough to send her racing for the nearest table.
Not possible. It was just my crazy thought.
"Woah! Woah!" She jerked a bit as people practically flew into her. Her workmates surrounded her like a swarm of bees would beard on a hive.
They did not stop at that, they impatiently threw questions at her. With none of them giving her a chance to answer. It's not like she was going to answer them anyway.
Karmale stood there unfazed for she did not mind their actions. She was not answerable to anyone so she would not worry or feel nagged to
explain herself.
Maybe, she was unperturbed at first till...
Karta commanded silence and asked everyone to give her audience.
"Guys, let's all keep quiet and give her a chance to speak. I will do the asking and she will answer. The rest of you will stay mute and listen on."
They chorused in agreement,"Sure."
"Okay, Karmale. How are you?"
"I'm all good, Karta."
"Yeah, yeah. Woman I can see you're glowing. Huh!" She nudged her in the side.
"No, Karta. I'm not glowing. I have just grown fat." Karmale corrected with a monotone.
"No, woman. It's shimmering not fatness. You have just grown thick!" Karta praised.
The women looked on jealously and the men with a bored look.
"Karta, please. Are you straight?"
"Oscar, please." Karta shoved him off.
"Honestly, you are over complementing her. I won't lie she looks all extraordinarily curvecous but that's not for your mouth to point out."
"Shut up, Oscar." Karta deadpanned. "I am only pointing out changes. It's not bad. I'm her mate here. The rest of you look rather jealous."
"Anyway, Karmale. As I was saying before some envious people interrupted me." She said her coal irises literally shooting through Oscar's own hazel ones.
"Leave that part for Shaun, Karta. Only he should do that." Oscar interjected.
"Yeah." Every other person agreed as they searched Karmale's face for any expression.
Not to disappoint them, she faked a bashful smile.
"Awww." They cooed.
"See, told you. It's Shaun. Not you." Oscar returned the same look Karta had shot him a while back.
"Mr. Jeopardenn's P. A!" Oscar emphasized.
"Whatever! " Karta shrugged it off.
"That's not the point anyway. The point is that this once lost damsel looks more beautiful than before. Talking about lost, where had you disappeared to?"
"Yeah, yeah. Tell us Karmale." They all shouted causing a noise.
Karmale looked at the expectant faces and for a while she was lost. What was she going to say to them?
"You and your work will miserably part ways." Those words re-echoed in her ears.
"Karmale, we are waiting for you to speak. Come on. Everyone is worried about you. It's been a whole month and no nothing about you. Just one morning you show up all looking dapper. What's up? Where have you been, doing what and why for so long?" Karta shook her arm to get her attention. Ryxel's threat had sent her mind racing to another planet.
"Er..."she tried to think of a lie but nothing crossed her mind.
"Ummm...I-" she tried again but still no words that would form a proper sentence came out of her mouth.
"I-I was at my parent's place. You know they are at their retirement stage. They are old now. They need someone to take care of them. I was on a month's leave so that I would do just that."
"But Karmale, I assume you have siblings."
"Let me confirm that. Yeah I do but-"
"Karmale, tell us the truth. Come on. We are not dummies. No one goes to take care of oldies and comes back looking like an Egyptian queen. It looks like you were being pampered wherever you where and not the vice versa."
"Yeah, I will have to admit. Karmale you look glamorous babe. You are like a curvy wavy bitch who has been under some special care and not some lean, with due respect to your parents, oldie babysitter." Another woman spoke her mind out.
"Karmale, just tell us, already. And another thing why do you wear men's perfume these days?" The observant Karta noticed.
"Oh God! Ryxel's coat." Karmale mentally face palmed.
"Why is everyone gathered around like it's a bon fire? Is this a camp? Can I have everyone going back to work!" The strong voice of Mr. Jeopardenn gave orders.
Everyone respectfully dispersed but Karmale did not. She had to explain herself to her employer; just like protocol states.
"Umm... Sir..." She started.
"I'm sorry for just showing up like this. I know it is not proper at all but-"
"It's okay, Miss Kane. Go to your office." Her boss simply stated.
"Really? Just like that? Won't you interrogate me any further? I mean it's your right as my employer."
"No, I won't. Go to your office Councillor Kane."
"If you say so, Sir." She humbly bowed and walked away.
"Maybe he is still embarrassed about all the feuds between me and him. That's why he let me go." She thought.
"Karmale!" A youthful male voice emerged from behind Mr. Jeopardenn unknowingly disrupting her thoughts.
"Yes, please." Karmale turned around to see a charismatic Shaun existing the main office as Jeopardenn entered.
"Can we talk?"
"Sure." She approved but made on attempt in moving.
"In my office." Shaun added.
"Okay."
___
"How are you, sweetheart?"
"Shaun, the sweet names again?" She said in discomfort.
"I am very serious, Karmale. How are you?" He dryly said.
"I'm a hundred percent fine, Shaun."
"Come sit down."
"Oh, that. Don't worry I can stand." She smiled.
"Why? Do you have a problem with sitting close to me?" Shaun asked eyeing her.
"No, not at all."
"Then come and sit." He persuaded.
She nodded in approval and sat in the chair next to Shaun.
Like she had expected, his fingers raced for her cheeks.
"I missed you, sweetheart."
"Shaun, you are quite touchy. I don't like touchy." Karmale shifted uncomfortably but Shaun only tightened his hold.
"What can I do? I cannot keep my hands to myself. I wanna touch your beautifully flourishing skin. Your cheeks are chubby and cute."
"Don't call me fat, dummy!" She feigned the feeling of offense. With that she slapped his hands off her face and got up from her chair. She found herself detesting Shaun a bit. It was so uncomfortable.
"I didn't call you that, Karmale." Shaun said in his defense.
"And why are you using weird language? Dummy? Really, Karmale?"
"Look, Shaun, I am sorry about the dummy thing but I don't like touchy people and others telling me about my new appearance, I don't like it."
"Well, I still will. I will tell you how voluptuous your body is. You look-"
"Shaun, if I am here for that then I will be on my way."
"No, Karmale."
"Any other business, then?" She nonchalantly asked.
"I am now Jeopardenn's P.A and he asked me to assign some of my personal tasks to someone else."
"I see."
"Yeah. So I picked you. I want to assign you the current cases I am working on."
"Oh!"
"Yes, Karmale. I trust you so yeah and yes, you will take up the cases I have been following up on. I hope you don't mind?"
"No, I don't. I don't mind at all."
"Cool. Grab a seat then. I want to brief you." He professionally said and headed to the other side of the desk.
Karmale sat down. Shaun opened one of his drawers and brought out three case files.
____
"Thank you, Karmale."
"You're welcome."
"Don't forget we have a staff meeting at seven in the evening!" Shaun called after her as she left his office.
"I won't." She mindlessly replied as she left. Her focus was on one of the files she was holding.
"Remember to report fifteen minutes earlier."
"Sure."
___
Karmale entered her office and what welcomed her was multiple paper work.
She sat down for six hours straight. She did not leave her office at any one point. Not for lunch break or a bathroom break. Nothing.
She was deeply buried in the paper work that her head stayed down all day and her body glued to her seat.
At exactly, 6:45pm. Her office phone rang.
"Councillor Kane speaking."
"Miss, it's time for the staff meeting."
"Oh!" She checked her wrist watch.
"In a minute's time I will be there." She said and kept the call.
She rushed to the lady's room and then back to her office.
She organised the papers on her table, picked up her personal stuff, some files as well and headed to the board room.
She entered the noise polluted room. Some of her colleagues were standing and others sitted. All the same, they were chatting away.
Karmale found an empty space and sat down.
A few minutes later, Jeopardenn and Shaun came in.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen." Shaun greeted as Jeopardenn sat down.
They greeted back.
"Comrades, tomorrow at exactly 9:00am, we are having a meeting with new acquaintances." He paused for dramatic effect.
" It's another law firm with some of the very best lawyers in this city who have maximum experience. Like the saying goes, Old age is prior wisdom. These people are quite aged compared to us so they more knowledgeable than we are."
"They are coming over in the morning for a brief discussion. All the people sitted here right now are obligated to attend that meeting. Thank you." He concluded and sat down.
"Good evening." Jeopardenn greeted.
"Good evening Sir."
"I'm only supplementing on Shaun's words. We all should be here in time for that meeting. They are proud and time cautious people. Let's all please be here on time."
"Does anyone want to say anything? Inquire about something, perhaps?"
When silence prevailed, Jeopardenn chose to dismiss everyone.
They all left and Karmale decided to head home.
"Karmale, are you going home this early?" Karta asked as she saw her head out of the building.
"Yeah."
"Come on. It's so early. You are not a married woman with a husband and kids that you have to run home to. Come with me, we all have something for you." Karta dragged Karmale with her.
They took the narrow staircase that led to the roof top.
"Wow, this is pretty!" Karmale complemented.
"For a pretty friend."
"Thanks Karta."
"Oh you are welcome babe." They hugged.
"Oh my God! Karta are you that selfish?"
"What Mr. Oscar Selflessness?" She mocked.
"Won't you tell Karmale that this was group effort or are you going to selflessly take up all the credit?" Oscar's voice echoed with stern sarcasm.
"I already did. She just chose to thank only me." Karta shrugged it off.
"Not really." Karma quickly put in.
"Thank you all. I just love flowers. How did you guys know?"
"Just a lucky guess." Shaun put in as everyone handed Karmale a bouquet of flowers.
"Thanks again, guys. This is really beautiful."
The terrace was not decorated in a fancy or exaggerated way. It was simply littered with a mixture of white and yellow petals.
A small cocktail theme it was. Long legged tables and a wide table in the back view with the night's drinks. Obviously no chairs.
Miss Kane's friends lovingly toasted to her return as soft music played. Dusk enveloped the earth and the night winds kicked in. They insensitively swept the petals.
Karmale leaned on one of the tables at the back with Shaun as her companion.
"Karmale, talk to me."
"About what, Shaun?"
"Look, Karmale."
"No, you look Shaun. For the last fifteen minutes I have been telling you that I was at my parent's place. So what's your problem?"
"And for the last fifteen minutes I have been telling you that I don't believe that. So my problem is that you are deceiving and I want you to tell the truth."
"Which truth Shaun?"
"I don't know. Maybe that you were I don't know where but at least I know you were not home."
"Stop it Shaun."
"No, Karmale. You were not home. I'm more than sure of that."
"And what makes you so certain about that? Where you having tabs on me without my knowledge?"
"Nothing of that sort."
"Then what?"
"Karmale, your elder sister came here a number of times. Just like before, she had come to deliver a message from home and you say you were home? That's a lie."
"What?"
"Yeah. Marie came to see you more than once. It actually became more often when we told her that you had not been reporting to work."
"Surprisingly, she was worried. Why would someone who you say you were staying with at home look for you from somewhere else? Huh? Doesn't make any sense to me!"
"Whatever, Shaun. I have to go back home now it's late." Karmale said and grabbed her purse to leave.
"Are you going to run away just like that, Karmale?"
"Bye, Shaun. I am late already." She run down the stairs.
"I am dead. I am dead." Was all she could say after every step she took.
" I am so dead. Ryxel is going to kill me. And which type of bodyguards did he give me that they cannot give me a warning about time. Oh God! I'm so dead." She dashed to her car.
She speedily drove but it didn't change anything. She was caught up with traffic.
"Please. Please. Let the lights turn green. Please." She crossed her fingers.
__
It was 8:00pm when she parked and ran inside.
The first sound that her pinnas received was a loud bang of someone falling.
"Get the fuck up!"
"I am sorry Boss."
A harsh clapping sound reverberated twice. Ryxel had slapped the man.
"Don't fucking be. Don't be you pathetic idiot! All I want to know is why the fuck you came back here without Karmale Where the fuck is she?"
"Boss-"
"Fucking shut up!"
"Boss, please don't shoot!"
"Okay, I won't. But only if you can state where Karmale is."
"Boss, I don't know."
"You see. That's the problem." He hit the man with his gun in the chin.
"I was fucking clear when I gave instructions this morning. Wasn't I?"
"Boss you were."
"No, I wasn't. Let me repeat myself. I said you were to keep your eyes on Karmale all day till she got home. Is that what I said?"
"That's what you said, Boss."
"Then why are you here without her?" He slapped the man again.
"It's Conrad's fault Boss." The man said pointing to his partner who was holding his broken nose, sitted at one of corners of the dark room. Only faint light came in through window whose curtains had been selfishly drawn.
"The two of you should carry away each other's shit to the dispensary wing. Your fucking faces are sickening. I'll go get Karmale myself. Get the fuck out!"
The men held onto each other for support as they moved out of Ryxel's office.
When Karmale saw them, she knew Ryxel was next. She started tip toeing upstairs.
"Caramel." That voice hit different. She stopped, turned and descended the two two stairs she had covered in her pre-current activity.
"You fucking owe me an explanation." He angrily said as they came face to face.
"Ryxel...i...I"
"No, no. Don't stutter. Let your lips formulate eloquent sentences."
"I'm I fucking speaking?" He demanded.
"Yeah."
"Good! Speak then!"
She opened her mouth to speak but he raised his hand to stop her.
"Let me not hear the following in your explanation." He thundered.
"One, traffic. That's not good enough. Had you started traveling by 6:30, you would have come back on time. Two, a lot of work. I personally, told your employer to reduce on your work load for the first two days."
Ryxel met her gaze and she looked down. He had closed out on all her excuses.
"Speak, Karmale. I'm listening! Tell me why you are one hour and twenty minutes late. Tell me which part of be home by seven didn't you understand. Tell me!" He demanded in rage.
"We had a small party at the office. My workmates were celebrating my return to work." She explained.
"I didn't give permission for that, Karmale. I specifically said work not merrymaking."
"Ryxel that was work related." She courageously defended.
"No, it wasn't."
"Yes, it was. It lasted only twenty minutes. For the other thirty five minutes I was trying to get home but the road was congested. I also didn't start traveling earlier because we had a meeting at that exact time you suggested I should have started driving home." Her explanation made sense and Ryxel did not dare say anything after.
Karmale took that as an advantage to say something more.
"Ryxel, I owe you accountability of my actions. I just gave it. I also owe you something else." She paused.
" I am sorry I failed to keep up to the agreed time. It won't happen again." She looked into his eyes for an answer but got nothing.
She only saw his bruised fists unclench and she knew he had pardoned her.
"Go freshen up and come down for dinner."
"Thank you." She said and walked upstairs with her files.
__
"So how was it?"
"Good until someone ditched me." Karmale said shooting daggers at Ryxel and mercilessly digging in the broccoli.
"Caramel, I-I-I didn't ditch you." He guilty stammered.
"Yes, you did." She raised her brows and hit the fork against her plate.
"Caramel that was in the morning."
"Time doesn't matter. You still left me to go on my own." She planted the stainless steel fork in her food.
"Caramel."
"Don't Caramel me!" She raised her fork to his neck.
"Put that thing down. It's not safe for you to hold a fork to my throat."
"Why? Are you scared?"
"No, you just never know when the tables will turn on you."
"I doubt they ever will. You are the guilty one here. Not me."
"Caramel, drop the fork."
"No, I won't."
"Okay, fine." He rose his hands in surrender.
"I'm sorry." He rolled his eyes.
"No, not like that."
"How then?"
"You are going to let me have something else for supper not broccoli."
"That's not happening."
"Well then, you will have to bleed to death with a fork in your throat."
"Stop this drama, Caramel."
"It's not drama. I mean everything I'm saying. In the next four minutes you are going to be a bleeding corpse."
"If it's by your hands that I meet my death, then so be it."
"Now that sounds dramatic. Hmmmn. Regardless, i am taking your life. But...i will go you one more chance, no broccoli, yes to your life, yes broccoli and no life for you. Your choice." She said jumping onto his laps and pressing the fork into his inked neck.
"Caramel." He exhaustedly exhaled.
"Can you please save this for some other time. I'm so exhausted."
"Oh please. You don't get to feed me on pig food."
"Broccoli is not pig food, Caramel."
"It is. Only pigs eat something as plain as broccoli. Ew!"
"Diana!"
"Yes, Sir."
"Cook something else for Miss Karmale."
"Sure, Sir."
"That was hard." With sweaty palms she dropped the metallic tool.
"Thank you." She pecked his cheek and got up from his laps.
__
"Why does the pasta have broccoli again?"
"At least it's not plain like before. Eat up, Caramel."
"What?"
"Hurry. Don't expect anything else. If it's not that," he pointed to her plate, "it's nothing. You will sleep on an empty stomach, baby!" He walked away.
Karmale silently ate her food. After her meal, she carried her files downstairs and started perusing through them.
At around 11:00pm, Ryxel came out of his office, to find a fast asleep Karmale at the table.
He came to pick her up. His eyes scanned the table. She had jotted down a few things in her notebook. Some papers were scattered and so on. Ryxel thought about organising them but they were not numbered. Nevertheless, he decided to try organising them.
"Boss." Leo called.
"Yes, Leo."
"The French Mafia wants to have a video call with you in exactly twenty five minutes."
"I'll be there."
"Okay, Boss." Leo said as his eyes darted to the sleeping woman and the papers Ryxel was holding.
Leo turned to leave but hesitated.
"Boss, can- can I help you with that?" He hesitantly spoke.
"No problem, Leo."
"Okay." Leo excitedly smiled and stepped forward as Ryxel carried Karmale upstairs.
When Ryxel was done tucking Karmale into bed, he came downstairs and found Leo standing at the table with the files in hand.
"Here Boss."
Ryxel received the papers and nodded. He curiously searched Leo's face till he asked.
"Leo, are you still knowledgeable enough about law?"
#MADAM LAWYER
Hey y'all. I know it's been a while. Sorry about that. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
If you did, smash that vote button.
Andria 💋