14/10/2025
ONE MILLION GONE. SHE STOLE THE MONEY.
A beautiful fair girl in her early 20s if I should guess came to our shop on one Wednesday afternoon. She was bold and courageous that even if you decide to mount CCTV on her alone, you still can't tell what her next move will be.
'Good afternoon sir' she greeted my boss from outside. The voice was melodious but I guess it was angelic to my boss that he has to stand up to approach her. Maybe, he was thinking she was a customer. I thought the same too but how special a customer she could be that my boss has to stand up to meet her at the shop entrance.
"Good afternoon akwa nwa, what are you buying from us today?" My boss said smiling like one whose container has landed. Probably he wanted to make her feel relaxed and welcomed as a customer I guessed and minded the carton of wall sockets I carried from the warehouse.
"Sir, I came to see u not necessarily to buy anything" the fair girl said with a smile on her face. I raised my head again and wanted to see if I knew the girl from anywhere. Oh no! I haven't. But the smile on her face was contagious anyway because I caught myself smiling too but got hold of myself since I just can't and don't have to enjoy senior joke at this time.
"Odikwa na mma, why? What happened nne?" My boss said walking to his chair. Come in, come and sit down. "Is there any problem?"
"No oo! no problem sir, just that I am looking for a job. And I decided to check here. I can do anything sir, anything you want me to do for you as long as am not idle and at the end of the month I can see money to take care of myself. Sir, please don't say no. I know it's hard to get work anywhere in this country but I know you are a good man. Sir even if it's selling things for you, keeping your shop clean, just anything you want me to do sir, I will do it." The fair lady sounded very sincere to my boss. I started wishing I am the boss by now I would have given her the work already. But why am I even liking this girl already? I don't even know her.
"Young lady is not like I don't need workers or that I can't pay you but I have policy here in my shop. No late coming, that's number one. Learn how to talk to customers to avoid sending all my customers away. Keep my shop clean. That's all for now. You can start work tomorrow " my boss concluded immediately as though he has urgent meeting to attend and immediately turn to me.
"Jioke, check if that guy wants to buy something."
I dashed out at once as a guy man I be, met the guy outside and gave him a guy man handshake.
"Nwanne,..... bulb, lamp holder, pipes for conduit and surface wiring, sockets...guy come inside and see for yourself. We have anything and everything you must need for all your electrical works." In my mind now,I have gotten a customer little did I know that he came with the fair lady.
My boss was on call when we entered but just ended immediately. Next was a fresh order from him to me.
"Rush to the warehouse,.... take my car key" he gave me his car key "bring the two cartons I already parked wires and other accessories. Behind the door are two floodlights, bring them too. Pls be fast! Engr kendo will soon be here he said he's coming from a burial ceremony but got calls that his workers are running out of materials. Be fast!" Obedient boy like me. Anything my boss wants am ready to do it since my 7 years of service will end by August next year. It's just 6 months left.
I entered my boss' car and head to the warehouse what happened after I left, I didn't know.
"Jioke! Jioke! Chijioke!" My boss was calling me with tears in his eyes "did u see one million I kept in this locker?" Was the welcome I got from my boss for the warehouse he sent me.
"No sir!" I said with shock. It's not like my boss doesn't have millions but what the million was doing in the locker was my utmost suprise.
"That girl, the new salesgirl, what's her name again?" My boss asked me as if I was interviewing the girl with him. How on earth will I know? "I don't know sir" was my answer still.
"Chineke God! Am finished! This people used juju on me. Money I want to deposit in the bank today and send to Okey to clear my goods today. Why me? Why now?"
I was still confused. My oga was crying like a newly married man his wife just died. Such a hopeless kind of cry. People started gathering
"Jioke what happened?" They questioned me.
"I don't know. Ask my oga" I said standing helpless still.
My boss started explaining even though nobody asked him.
"Umunaa look at me ooo! I don't know where one mamiwater girl came from. She said she's looking for a job that she wants to work for me. I gave her work and told her to start tomorrow. I told her that she can go if she wants to go so that I can sell to a customer my boy was attending to before he left. . I didn't even know that the guy that came to price things wasn't buying anything. I think he came with the girl. Next thing. The girl told me oga, I will come tomorrow morning and left. Already I was seeing her as my worker so I didn't bother to think if anything will miss today. After the boy has taken down prices, he left. I went to my locker and the money I left there was no longer there again." My boss dropped the last line and sat down on the floor like a helpless orphan that has just lost both parents today.
