MISCONCEPTIONS- Beauty Is Only Skin Deep 2

It was Mope's eighth week at work. Wale was becoming an irritant but she kept her cool. She had successfully completed two business transactions for the company within eight weeks and he still nagged about her being incompetent.

Mope walked downcast into the office. she had received her salary a few weeks ago, but the money had met a lot of pending debts. Her rent, and other expenses still had to be settled. she also had  a few obligations to sort in church. Last month's salary had only settled a part of it. She was almost as broke as  a fiddle but she wasn't going to allow her  life's other issues get in the way of her Job.
"Good morning sir," she greeted Mr wale as she walked into the office

Wale ignored her and went on to lash out on her "I expect you to join the others in sealing this deal with J and J" 

"Sir, that's the job of the Procuring officers. My Job is to..."

"And, you think you understand your job description well enough?" wale barked; cutting her halfway

"I believe i do sir; i bring in business; other departments work swiftly into keeping them. J and J is  an older business, they do not require as much convincing; the procurers can work on that sir"

"I see....wale fiddled with the agreement in his hand, rubbed his head and walked away. He wanted her to work on this. The girl had some sort of grace-Every business she was assigned came out sealed. They were having issues on J and J and he didn't want it assigned to any one else. They were in this mess because of that lazy, rigid Theresa and other incompetent staff.
He would call for a meeting and give everyone the task. He'd select a few people on the job ensuring Mope was on the team. If she indeed had grace, it would flow through her and get the job done. Wale called his secretary and asked her to arrange an impromptu meeting.

                                                                   *******
"Everyone knows J and J is the back bone of this firm. Let's just say, we've been partners since before My father died. Lately, we have been having a few set backs and they are thinking of pulling out. They have given us a short but stringent list of requirements for them to continue business with us. As i speak, meeting their requirements is now the responsibility of everyone present here. I believe we have capable hands from which i have selected a few. I do not want this passed around the office as idle gossip- it is strictly confidential" he waved a document at them"

"Is this a management meeting?" Theresa asked with a smirk on her face

"If you weren't busy listening with your anus, you'd probably have heard me say it's  a meeting for capable hands i selected from several departments"

"I want everyone to go through these pages and get back to me with ideas to make this work. I have less than 10 days to deliver. Theresa, i also want you to join the marketers to land in a good business deal with R and K. A business deal with those ones will keep our doors open. that'll also be a good bargain with J and J"

"Sir, every firm has tried to partner with R and K and failed. They'd rather work with businesses ran by expatriates." A staff cut in

"I hate big mouthed brainless people! if you have nothing thoughtful to say, shut it. I think i overestimated you get out....and call Mope in"

Mope walked in she could feel the stares of her coworkers on the nape of her neck.
"Mope i want you to join the executive marketers to land the R and K business, i also want you to join the team that's bringing sanity into the company. I hate to repeat myself but i will ,because i do not trust anyone to pass the same information across"
Mope stood transfixed

"i bet i'm not talking to a wall"
"okay sir.."she whispered

"Y'all can leave my office. Get back to work" Wale barked.

.....................................

Emeka looked around the suburb. Oshodi Oke wasn't as dirty as he expected. Samson had secured him  a mini self contain apartment. His neighbors looked better than he expected.
"hi.."he waved at petite young lady who stood by the tap fetching some water. It seemed, the tap was meant for the entire street as a few persons queued to also fetch water.

"Hello ...the Young lady responded walking towards him

"My name is Emeka"

"I'm Mope. You are new in the neighborhood i guess?"

"Yes i am. I just moved in"

"Where is your stuff then?" Mope asked

"Oh, my friend brought them earlier on"

"oh, you are the new tenant the caretaker  spoke about"

"Yes yes yes... i'd see you around, Emeka walked inside"
Mope looked at the young man. He was really handsome and he had an aura about him. If they were going to be great friends, time would tell.

Emeka groaned from pain. he hadn't slept well. The noise from the generators outside didn't help matters. This part of town thrived more at night. He looked down at his bed, his sweat had soaked through his bed sheet to the bed. The power outage had outlasted the night. This kind of life wasn't an easy one especially if you were used to the luxurious life. He washed his face, brushed his teeth and stepped out to get water to have his bathe. The queue at the tap was endless.  He turned to see a note by his door. His new neighbor mope, had fetched him some water and also reminded him to wake up early to queue for some next time.
Emeka hurried through his toilette and rushed out of the house. He had a few assignments in town.

Later that evening, he saw a light skinned lady alight from a car. She was pretty indeed. This one would make a good spouse. "Cute babies alert!" he thought. He also noticed Mope getting down from same car. Easy-Queasy mope would do the wooing for him.

"Welcome back" he greeted Mope smiling at the stranger who also happened to be his neighbor
mope answered, and walked inside while Tee ignored, took a call and remained in her car

Emeka was smitten. The lady was so pretty any man would be swept by her beauty.  

"I like your friend Mope" Emeka said to her over dinner

Mope laughed taking a bite from her meal

"Why are you laughing?"

"Theresa is pretty and likable...Tell her"

"I actually want you to help me with that"

"That'll be difficult but, I'd pave the way for you." she laughed again 

"You should stop mocking me I know she seems bigger than I am, but I'll get there"

"Oh that's not it. I have never been asked to help woo a lady. I'll get to it"

..............................................

Wale was excited. He was elated over the good news he had just received.  J and J accepted the proposal so they could now swing back to work.  He'd get the funds to finally execute the pending contracts.  Damn his stupidity for almost running the company to the gutters.  He liked mope. She had a brain in her head.All of this happened because of her. 

"Mope would you mind going out to dinner with me.... " He was on the phone with her

"I'll check my calendar sir and get back to you..."  

"Calendar...What do you have to do besides working for me?  I bet you didn't want to say the suburb you lived would be too risky to go back to at night.  Don't worry I'll lodge you in a hotel if it gets too late"

Mope was speechless. Wale was a brute who didn't know how to use his words

"I'll have to decline the offer.  Thank you sir"

Wale felt insulted how dare her.  I hope she knows she's fiddling with her job he cursed 

"That was impolite" Emeka who had been listening in on her end of conversation added

"My boss is a brute he talks down on people and I do not like it"

"He's your boss"

"I know but we are human too. He wanted a dinner date and had to remind me that I lived in the suburbs "

"That's not nice... Maybe you should let him see reasons why you declined; it'd be nice."

"Have you been able to talk to tee" Emeka asked

"Yes I did..You should talk to her yourself"
"Sure I will"

                                           *********************

The following weeks saw Emeka trying hard to please Theresa. Theresa cursed her luck. Why would a stupid poverty stricken individual turn her life into a nightmare. When mope had brought up the issue,  she had warned her not to speak of it. Theresa the daughter of honorable Micheal Lawani courting a rat infested fellow; she shuddered at the thought.

"Ma'am someone is at the reception waiting to see you" the messenger announced

"who?"

"A man named Emeka..."

She got up from her seat. Today, she would warn this fellow to stop being an irritant. "What the hell are you doing in my office?" Tee barked

"i.. i.. brought you lunch" Emeka raised the nylon bag containing a plate of food

"What disgust!" tee frowned

"This would be the last time i'm warning you, stay away from me" she hissed

"I really care about you...." hearing those words from him infuriated her. She turned and landed him a slap; the reception area was already filled with onlookers. "Do i look like your type? Get a life you low lifer"

Mope rushed to the reception. She was amazed. Emeka had asked for the description of their office earlier today. He said he wanted to pay her  a surprise visit. If she knew it would get to this, she wouldn't have obliged him. She took his hand and walked him out of the office before the gathering crowd would increase.

"what are you doing here" she asked 

"I wanted to come give her lunch"

"Tee isn't like that..i'm sorry" she rubbed his face

"I'll be on my way home" he announced as he turned to leave

"wait....you know there are other women out there right? someone who would respect you regardless of your status". In that moment, he saw something he had never seen in anyone else. How could he have been blinded? He had  a treasure close by, yet he had sought it far away...."i'll see you at home" mope turned to leave.

.......................................................


Mope and Emeka soon became close friends, both were seen together at different places.  He had fallen for mope.  She wasn't as pretty as tee was but she had a good heart.  "I'll be travelling to my village" he announced.

"What's happening there?"

"My mum is sick. I'll like to go look after her"

"Oh that's sad..."

Next day,  mope saw him off and handed him some money for the journey.  Emeka stared at her for a split second. "Thank you mope" he said breaking the silence. 

Days into his trip, She and Emeka would spend minutes on the phone talking endlessly.  She had fallen for him but tried not to speak of it.  Their friendship was way more important than whatever played in her head. 

"Mope, I heard there's an opening at J and J" Emeka said to her one day over the phone

"Really,  you should apply you have the most experience"

"No I got a better job. I'll be moving out of Makoko soon"

"You never told me about that congratulations"

"I was going to"
Okay then, I'll be at J and J by morning to drop my CV"

Mope was shortlisted for the interview which she made. 

"I got the job!" she screamed to Emeka as he called again one evening after the interview 

"I told you...congrats love"

"When are you back? I miss you"

"errmmm soon.. when would you be resuming work"

" I still have to drop my resignation letter at my old place of work. Next week would be appropriate. i already spoke with the head of Human resources."

"I'll talk to you after that then....I have a surprise for you"

"Oh nice....I can't wait"

..................................................

Mope walked into the beautiful office.  The glass window was magnificent.  God had indeed answered her  prayers. She had prayed for a smaller office but got a multinational company instead- J and J, the Same one she had helped her former company- Wale Ojo enterprise seal a deal with

"Hello Ms mope" a familiar voice rang beside her 

She turned to see who it was....Emeka..

Emeka smiled 

"What are you doing here? This is the CEO's office." she whispered.

"My name is Davies Kolawole Philips and I'm the Managing Director of J and J enterprise"

"Somebody pinch me!" mope whispered as she fainted. 

Mope got revived and Davies went on to explain his reason for the entire drama.  
"My dad fell ill and the doctors told him to stay away from work if he planned on staying alive. The sole responsibility of handling this firm and its subsidiaries, fell on my shoulders as an only child. I had been born into wealth, but my new status soon exposed me to a varying version of  wolves called women. I had been deceived and cajoled into senseless and meaningless relationships in the past. I wanted to find a good woman to settle down with and my good friend here,(he pointed at his body guard standing by the door) gave me this idea"

"You found her?" Mope asked

"Like a man, i was attracted once again by beauty but i soon realized i was chasing shadows; then, i focused on you. Your heart is kind Mope. You are beautiful inside and out even though you do a good job of hiding the external beauty." Emeka chuckled "Yes I did. Her name is Mopelola Babalola"

"Lord! i feel dizzy" Mope wiped her face 

"I love you Mope... you may not be that stilletoed, straightened hair and fitted dress kinda lady right now, I just love your heart and I'm ready to make this happen"

Mope stared at the ceiling speechless.  "I do care about you too; but we are worlds apart"

"Maybe i should bring you to my world....first, there's a car out there for you, you'd move into the company's apartment the job entitled you to one; then we'd work on your looks. I personally think you are pretty. You are just too carefree to bother about how you look."

"This isn't a dream right....errrmm....Davies or Emeka"

"Emeka was my doppelganger...Davies would do"

"You know, i came here with the other executives to submit the proposal for Wale enterprise, we even asked to see you, but we were told you had traveled out of the country."

"Oh about that, Wale enterprise has been bought over. They couldn't execute the major contracts due to lack of funds. So Wale sold out to us"

" How come i didn't know about this and what happens to the other staff?"

"The transfer wont be finalized till the end of October. They still have 3 more months in business; Some of the staff would be retained, others would be let go"

"One last thing, remember the day that shenanigan at my office happened? how come no one recognized you"

Davies laughed...."i have been away from the country for years schooling and building the brand outside here. I only just returned to help my Dad with the business...only Wale would know me, but i was lucky he never came out that day."

"Wow... God is good!" She picked her glass to sip from the drink

"All the time"... Davies picked his glass to make a toast, " to our equally enigmatic future...."

 They clinked their glasses.

................................

The magnificent wedding brought together, a few familiar faces.  Mope rushed to hug tee.
"Damn girl; you look like our Queen Genevieve Nnaji" Tee gushed

"Genevieve, the ageless beauty? oh please enough with the flatter" Mope chuckled

"You look younger than 29, you actually look 26 and if i knew you were this pretty, i'd have hooked up with you...." Wale's voice rang from behind her

"Mr wale!! thank you so much for coming" Mope hugged him

"Davies is like a brother to me. It's the least i could do." Wale said as he walked away

"Money good oh....Congratulations baby girl. By the way, I heard your hubs bought over wale Ojo enterprises" Theresa whined

"Yeah....you don't need a job now I know that. Aren't you Theresa Micheal Lawani again?" Mope teased 

"Who told you; please put in a good word for me. My father has got his own money, i also need mine"

"I will..definitely" mope smiled revealing her almost perfect dentition. 

Davies stood to give his vote of thanks.  "On behalf of my wife and I, I appreciate you all for coming.  I want to use this medium to advice any young man looking to settle, please explore beyond physical appearance. Beauty is only skin deep- in other words, a good looking person does not necessarily have an attractive character. You can buy beauty but you can't buy character.  Mope wasn't this attractive when we met but I'm sure a thousand men in this hall are drooling over her now. Unluckily she's mine.  He paused to give mope a wink. 
For the women, character is a virtue , No man would marry a pretty queen with an ugly character Ask King Ahaseurus. He chuckled and walked up to his wife to kiss her.



Curtains fall