13/07/2025
"Did I tell you?... That you will be responsible for my daughter, Elizabeth?"
The governor blurted and strayed his eyes upon my confused face.
"Huhn? I mean sirrr? Yo... You say?" I stuttered. Not that I didn't hear him. Rather I don't get it. Like I don't get what he meant by "I will be responsible for his daughter"
My name is John Joseph. I'm a twenty-nine year old graduate whom, after his National Youth Service had been unemployed for a year. I just started my official assignment today as the Personal Assistant to the Governor of Swizzle group.
Earlier today at the office, round 3:30PM the Governor had asked me to balance up work for the day and follow him home. Since today is my first time working as a Personal Assistant and to my best knowledge, my duty and responsibilities are to serve the company through the Governor and it wasn't yet 6:00PM my official closing work hour, I had no option than to obey.
I rode with the Governor to his house; a beautiful mansion, located inside one of the estates in the city of Abuja.
When we arrived the governor's house, he quickly got changed into his casual clothes and came out to the pool. Since then, I have been standing beside him. He is sitted on a couch near the pool, flipping through a newspaper and I'm standing behind the couch wondering if he had changed my appointment from an executive Personal Assistant to his bodyguard.
"I said, you will be responsible for my daughter" the Governor repeated.
"She goes to her school for an extra lesson every evening. You will be helping to drive her to and fro till I get a new driver for her"
The Governor was starring into my face
"Bu.. but.. sir I.. " I stuttered again.
"Do not worry, I will reward you handsomely" He intrudes.
Just then, a girl, within the age of fifteen, sixteen years old walked to us. She was putting on jean trouser and a crop-top, revealing her flat fair tommy. She was holding an iphone and a pink headset and a pink teddy bear school bag hung on her back. The colour of her flat tommy revealing crop-top was also pink
"Hi Dad!" She greeted the Governor and hugged him.
"Hi my Angel. Are you set to go for your lesson?" The Governor asked.
"Yeah" She nodded.
"Well then, Joseph will take you" the Governor pointed at me. "He is my new PA"
"I know Dad. I know he's your new PA" She responded and rolled her eye over me, like I was a disgusting piece of trash. A girl I'm very much older than and was just meeting me for the first time. 'Gush!' I swallowed hard and imagined giving her a hot resetting slap if she were to be a random street girl. I don't blame her anyway. I stepped out from behind the couch and stood before the Governor
"I don't want to be late Mr." She rudely rolled her eyes over me again and quickly headed towards their garage.
"As always, she wants to ride on the range Rover car." The Governor said and brought out a black bottle shaped car key from a small box behind him.
"You are driving her to Michelle international school..." The Governor started to instruct me "...Her lesson ends by 6:00PM. Wait for her and bring her back home safely"
"Yes Sir!" I mumbled and stretch my hand to collect the car key. The Governor place the key on my palm and refused to let go of my hand.
"Listen to me carefully" He said. "If you don't want to rust in jail and also lose your family members; my daughter must be safe and happy..."
He paused and for a moment, he fixed his eyes on me. I wasn't sure if he was threatening or warning me. I wasn't also sure if he was expecting me to respond so I nodded sheepishly.
"...And one more thing..." He continued. His eyes still fixed on me "...know who your boss is. Some of my ex-drivers are serving a long term punishment in prison" He finally released the key and letting go of my hand.
What does he mean? I started to wonder.
"You can go now"
"Hunh. Sorry... I mean. Yes sir" I mumbled.
I walk to the garage; to the range-rove car where the Governor's daughter was standing and unlocked the car. I entered and expected her to enter but she remain standing.
"Madam, enter nah!" I called out on her through the window.
"Do I need to teach you your job?" She roar. "Come down and get the door open for me; will you!"
Chaai! Atagom afufu (I have suffered!). I swallowed hard. I used to think that it's only in movies that this kind of thing happens but I'm now experiencing one.
If not for my salary, I don't think I will tolerate this s**t from this girl. Anyways, I will deal with her. I consoled myself; went down and got the door opened for her.
She got her headset on, and balanced at the back seat nodding her head like a lizard while I drove off to her school. She didn't say a word to me and I didn't say to her either. When we got to her school, she walked into a class for her lessons. I waited in the car till she was through with her lesson and finally came to the car after a long talk with her friends.
On the way, while driving her home. She still didn't speak to me and I didn't bother. I'm in her house to work for money in other to give my poor mother a good life and not to start talking with a spoilt richman's daughter.
I was about approaching a short traffic jam when she finally broke the silence.
"Do you know? Since I turned fifteen years old, two months ago, you are the 20th person my father had employed to be my driver?"
"Are you talking to me?" I asked because I heard the word "driver"
"Of course! Who else is driving me now, if not you?" She roar, putting down her headset. "I'm talking to you so listen carefully!"
"As long as you are my driver; I'm your boss and you will do what I say"
"It's your father that's my boss, not you" I told her.
"Well, I'm my father's boss. Anything I say, he does. So if you don't want to lose your job like the other 20 person, and serve a long sentence in prison like 17 of them are in prison now; or pay an unending debt like 3 are still paying now; you had better obey me"
I wasn't certain if she was saying the truth but judging on what her father said earlier, I felt a tangle of fear.
To be continued.....
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©️ JACINTA CHINEMEREM
Title: THE GOVERNOR'S PA
