The Institution - Episode 13
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Ivie woke up in the morning and she had Ade assist her in cooking. "You missed Jafar talk yesterday" Ade assumed and Ivie sliced some onions slowly.
How in the world will Ivie let her know she went on a date with someone she had a major crush on.
"I didn't exactly miss it. I was at the studio listening to him"
"Because of your job?"
"No.. . How will I put this? The guy I had a date with is Jafar, I just never knew" Ivie answered and Ade laughed.
"That's so sweet"
"I know you like him and I feel bad telling you"
"It's fine Ma. I like Will Smith too but you don't see me married to him right?" she asked and Ivie chuckled.
"You know I've always wanted to ask, where did you stop in terms of education, your English is sound and I've always wondered why you're not working elsewhere"
"I stopped at SS3. I couldn't further my education because of financial constraints so..."
"How long was that?"
"I finished 2010"
"How old are you?" "27 years" she answered. "And there were no other jobs?" "None that paid well, I worked as a receptionist once but I left after my boss tried to have that relationship with me
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. I mean I had to take care of my nine siblings"
"Did you just say nine?"
"Yes, nine"
"Where's your Mom"
"Mom has a shop, she sells provisions" "Where's your father?"
"He left after the responsibility became too much for him" she answered and Ivie opened her mouth in shock and Ade laughed.
"It's not his fault. I'm this close to running if not that I can't. I found out from a friend that working and cleaning up after politicians was the best of job for those without certificate. You get free food and sometimes good pay so I've been doing this since, of course with the right call"
"How did you get to be in this house of all houses?"
"Well someone recommended me for the job" "Who?" Ivie asked and she laughed.
"Why do I feel like I'm being interviewed?" She asked, "Well, i used to work for Senator Humphrey but the Madam had a lot housemaids. When your mom needed someone efficient, she had to recommend me for her. Honestly I prefer this place, there you can't even talk to the boss but your mom's is a very free hearted person. I admire her a lot"
"I know how you feel"
Ade heard her phone ring then she went out of the kitchen. Mrs Momoh walked in almost at the same time.
I've opened the pot putting the onions in the pot.
"Something smells good"
"Just testing my culinary skills after eight years" she closed the pot and her mom chuckled.
"I heard you asking Ade some questions"
"Oh. I was trying to find out some things"
"I know that was an interrogation Ivie. Why would you want to interrogate her?"
"Because...." She paused, "She didn't know whether to let her mother know about the threat note or not. If she knew she would get more jumpy and scared for her life.
"I can't tell you"
"Ivie"
"I've been receiving threat notes to keep quiet and not say a word about things that I know. The last one I received was yesterday warning me that the gun shot at me was intentional and they missed intentionally"
"Why would they..."
"Because Samuel is scared"
"This talk about Samuel again"
"Mom it's true. If you had spoken to Eghosa before she died"
"Eghosa has never been Samuel's fan, those two hated themselves. Eghosa died following what you believed in, how many more people will have to die?"
"He killed Eghosa!"
"The police shot her dead. I saw the news with my eyes. Give up already Ivie! Ade is a sweet girl" she whispered, "The sweetest people are usually the culprits! Those you didn't even imagine would..."
"I needed a house help and Hannah introduced her to me. She has been helpful"
"I'm scared of betrayal, mom until I'm sure, I can't feel safe around anyone. I can't even feel safe in my own home cause I'm scared our own househelp might end up pointing a gun at me or poisoning me" she whispered back and Ade walked in.
"Ma'am" she looked at Mrs Momoh, "Can you excuse me for an hour or two. I need to go down to our family house. Something came up"
"Sure. I hope it's nothing bad, is your mom okay?"
"It's not my mom. Everything is fine Ma. Thank you Ma, in case you want to send me to the market to get those sweet dry fish you love, I'll be passing that side"
"Not today. Are you sure you're fine?"
"I am" she answered rushing off.
"I don't think she's okay"
"I don't think she is either. When will you go to work today?"
"After breakfast"
Mutey walked in smiling, "Good morning Mom, good morning Big sis" "Morning Tee-A" Ivie moved close to him, "You have something on your hair" she removed a white piece of clothing on his hair.
"Thanks"
"You're welcome. Are you heading out?"
"I have an assignment to submit" he answered and she placed her hands on his cheeks.
"Breakfast is about to be served"
"Cooked by you?" He asked and and she folded her hands. "And what's bad about me making breakfast"
"Cause you haven't cooked in what, eight years and I'm not about to be made a test subject. Thank you" he answered and she punched him on the belly and he chuckled then he cleared his throat.
"Bye"
"Have a nice day" she kissed him on the cheek.
"I'm not fourteen anymore" he complained leaving and Mrs Momoh smiled.
"I haven't seen that boy speak for that long ever since you left"
"He'll come around eventually" "You've always been his weakness" Mrs Momoh added and Ivie frowned.
"I've really caused some damages and I promise to fix them"
Uki entered into the kitchen bowing his head.
"Good morning Ma'am" he greeted, Mrs Momoh and Ivie answered in unison. "I have to apologize for not coming back yesterday"
"You called already"
"Yes Ma'am but I felt guilty. It was my first day of work. I just had to put things in order, move some tutorial classes"
"Are you sure you're comfortable with the job"
"I am Ma. Miss Ivie, would you be going anywhere today?"
****
Ade sat on a chair looking at his twenty five years old brother Titus, she had just been informed that her brother had been advised to withdraw from the University.
"Them say when Titus result come out, if no be F him get, na missing result them go see. School sef no recognize am, na why them they pursue am commot" the mother explained and Titus hissed, "Mama no dey talk wetin you no know"
"Na who you dey talk to like that?" Ade slapped him on the face and he moved back.
"Sister no dey slap me, even for street nobody fit slap me like that"
"You don smoke?" She asked, "E be like say you don follow Yahoo boys Shea?"
"School na scam!"
"Shut up! You no dey shame? school na scam, others wey they go the school kor? I sure say you don dey smoke"
"See him lip nah. This one be like who no dey smoke?" The mother snapped and he hissed once again.
"Na wetin I send you go school go do be that?" She asked and Titus looked away.
"Don't you pity me? School wey I suppose go I dey send una go, I dey sweep people house, dey wash people cloth" she busted into tears.
"You think say e dey sweet me for body? Na like this you go repay me?"
Titus immediately went soft.
"See sister, one day you give just sit like this and one kind Benz go just pack come your front" he held her hands.
"I go make am for this life" he continued and Ade cleaned her tears with her palm.
"I want you to make it through education!"
"Even those people wey don graduate dey trek the whole town for job. Forget that school matter, I go make am. I carry change una life" he bragged and Ade hissed, "Carry your advised to withdraw head commot for here!" She snapped and Titus walked away and her little sister laughed.
"And what do you find funny? You no get jamb lesson to go?" "I don wear all my clothes Taya, I no fit repeat am again" she complained and Ade batted her eyes at her.
"Make I pull the one wey i wear give you?" She asked, "You better commot before I use slap destroy your destiny" she snapped and Osas ran away.
"Which Kain siblings I get like this"
"Shebi I don tell you say make you allow Osas work for one year. Make she write jamb in two years time"
"Mama abeg no just talk. All this thing na your fault, no just talk abeg. I no wan disrespect abeg. I dey use beg, beg you, abeg" she placed her hands on her head.
"Advised to withdraw?" she muttered.
"After two session fees?"
****
Ivie entered into Liam's office in a rainbow slim fit gown and a grey jacket on it. She had a wig on too and Liam laughed.
"Wigs seem to have made life easier for women" he answered and she chuckled. "You look nice"
"Too overdressed? I wasn't sure what to wear for my first day"
"You look great" he stood up and she blushed while trying to keep a straight face.
"Good morning Sir"
"And that's Liam or Jafar for you"
"We have to be professional" "Screw professional! Everyone here calls me Jafar or Boss, there's no Sir. Just me" he answered and she opened her mouth in shock.
"I know. My simplicity shocks me too" he answered and she was forced to chuckle.
"Okay. Um, we haven't discussed on office space" she added and he smiled. "True" he answered laughing.
"I'm sorry. Have you met your team?"
"No. I was hoping to see you first" she answered then she thought of how wrong it sounded.
"I meant greet you first"
"How was your night?"
"I slept well and you?"
"Couldn't be more better" he answered and she bowed her head then walked out of the office.
Ivie met the team deliberating on some breaking news from newspapers. "Some Nigerians needs to be flogged" Denise commented, she had and Ivie smiled waving at all of them.
"Good morning team" she greeted,
"Good morning Ma" they all answered chuckling at how it sounded like a secondary school call and response.
"I'll introduce myself again, I'm Ivie Momoh and my watchword is discipline. I want to help this unit grow and I want you to help me grow too. So we'll be working hand in hand, no fight and no argument will be permitted. If you have a problem with someone let me know so we can sought it out in a civil manner. Are we good?"
****
Ralph sat at a club house in the evening drinking with his friends. He stared at a drink just before drinking it. "Abeg everyone listen up oh, don't you think it's about time Ralph gets married and bear children?" He asked and everyone present chuckled.
"I mean the guy don dey reach how old again?" He added and Ralpheal laughed sarcastically.
"Don't you guys realize it's my life and not yours. Kindly let me live it however way I want"
"I mean the guy cannot even toast a girl, just to say hi to a girl is a difficult thing for him. He doesn't have balls" he continued and everyone laughed again.
Soon they all went to their homes and Ralph ordered for another bottle of beer. He was starting to regret why he came anyways. Staying away from boys night out would have only made him look like he was avoiding them. Besides he didn't have anything else doing. Boys night out was actually the only fun thing he does in his life.
"Hello dear" a lady said to him and he pointed at himself.
"Me"
"Yes of course! Who else will I be talking about?" "Are you sure?"
"Why?"
"Cause you're beautiful and beautiful girls don't approach me" he answered, "That's silly! You're handsome" "Tell that to those girls"
"I heard you talking to your friends over and there. They're all bunch of douchebags. You know what? Why don't we talk about you and your life while we have drinks?" She asked and he smiled.
"What's your preference?" He asked and she smiled. "I'll take what you're taking"
"What's your name?" He asked, "Ashanti" she answered and he smiled.
Twenty minutes later, Ralph searched his pocket to pay the bar tender but he couldn't find his wallet.
"Okay.. this isn't right. I kept it here" he dipped his hands in his pocket.
"Shit" he muttered, he wasn't too drunk to realize he had been robbed.
At least he had his phone with him so he picked up his phone calling Ivie. "Why are you calling this late?"
"I'm stucked and I'm drunk too and a girl named Ashanti just stole my wallet and I can't really think straight right now"
"Where are you?"
"Clem's clubhouse"
"I'll be there" she answered.
She knocked on Mutey's door.
Soon they went out to get him then they got back shortly and he vomited on the floor and Ade hissed cleaning it up. It reminded her of when her father would come back home drunk just after receiving his salary.
She would always clean up after him.
Ralph staggered in the room saying all sort of rubbish and Mutey laughed at him. "It's hard to believe I'm staring at a grown ass man. I don't even get drunk like this."
"Ralph has never been able to hold his liquor" Ivie complained staring angrily at him.
"It was in my back pocket, she was pretty and you know what? I'll call the bank and I'll tell them I've been robbed and then I'll call my mother and tell her I've failed" he answered and Ivie slapped him on the face and Ade walked in.
"You're going to shut the hell up and go to sleep!" She demanded, "Yes ma'am" he answered with a salute then he slept on the bed.
Ralph vomited on it and Ivie rolled her eyes looking at Ade. "I'll kill this guy" she threatened, "Do you need my help?" Ade asked, "No. You've helped enough, we'll deal with the rest tomorrow"
"There's vomit all over his shirt and the bed"
"Let him sleep on it" she answered and they all left the room.
After Ade walked into her room, she had a change of mind. She got into the room where Ralph was then she took off his shoes.
"I can't wait to have a club night where i don't have to be a topic of mockery" he sniffled as though in tears.
Ade sat on the bed unbuttoning his shirt, she struggled to get the shirt off then she cleaned the vomit before leaving the room.
Before Ivie went off to work, she entered into the guest room where Ralph was. She expected to smell the foul odor of vomit but she didn't, she knew Ade had something to do with it.
Ralph was already awake in a white singlet, he sat on the bed trying to remember how much he embarrassed himself.
"How bad was it?" He asked and Ivie laughed.
"At least you didn't go naked"
"Do you have an aspirin for this headache?" "No one asked you to get drunk. What happened?"
"I got emotional when the boys started talking about my singlehood and how I can't approach a lady. Ivie it's bad"
"It's totally okay. So what if you're not like other men that are too direct. Ralph you're an amazing guy and girls are just blind'
"Will you date me?"
"No!"
"My point exactly!" He answered and Ivie laughed pinching him on the belly and he chuckled faintly.
"Maybe there's something about me that's repellent"
"All you need is confidence like one annoying Boss I work for and you'll have them falling for you like dominoes"
"You already like your boss?" He asked and she shook her head.
Read " Dysfunctional " by the same author (
Essien Eno )
. "No." She scoffed, "Why would you say that?"
"You can't even convince me" he answered and she rolled her eyes.
"Have you called the bank?" She changed the topic and he nodded. "Yes I have. I'll stop by at the bank later, I already called Silvia and I told her I might be staying back because I got robbed"
"Why would you trust a girl named Ashanti?" Ivie snapped and he chuckled. "She was really hot, I should have known it was too good to be true" he answered and she laughed rising up from the bed.
"I have to go to work. Bye Ralph"
"Thanks for taking care of me"
"I didn't"
"Who did?"
"Adesuwa" "Who's Adesuwa?"
"Our house help" "I can't find my shirt too"
"I'll tell her to bring it for you."
"Thanks" he answered then she smiled leaving the room.
Ade knocked on the door while Ralph was bathing. He quickly tied a towel on his waist leaving the bathroom with lather on his body. Ade walked in and she watched him almost fall off the tiles then he maintained his balance.
"Did you see that?" He asked and she shrugged.
"No."
"God this has to be a shitty day" he added and Ade bowed her head slightly. "Good morning Sir" "You must be Adesuwa right?"
"Yes." She raised the cloth up. "I came to give you this"
"Thank you, how did you take them off me?" He asked and Ade raised her brow in surprise.
Is he really asking her that such a question? She thought within and he scoffed.
"Forget I ask. I ask stupid questions at times"
"Ivie told me you helped clean me up. I just want to say thank you, I really appreciate it"
"I ironed the shirt already, should I leave it on the bed"
"You're supposed to say you're welcome"
"You're welcome" she answered and he smiled collecting the shirt then he raised the shirt up turning backwards and his towel fell off his waist and he quickly picked it up tieing it across his waist then he turned towards her and she looked away.
"Did you see anything?" He asked and she rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you just asked me that" she snapped and he felt like he could disappear.
"Do you want any other thing, food preferences? Mrs Momoh said I should ask"
"I'll eat anything she cooks"
"I'll tell her"
"I'm sorry" he apologized and Ade walked out witholding her laughter.