Épisode 3

Mr. Christ Oxford is seated in his large armchair behind his desk. Through the large window he observes the exterior, the road traffic, the people passing by. His ideas are so distant that he does not follow his collaborator in. Bob goes to him and pats him on the shoulder, he comes to him

_ Oh it's you

_ are you dreaming or what

Bob will sit down, so say Christ turns his chair over to face him

_ What are the news

Bob places the shirt he has in his hand on the table

_ with the HRD we proceeded with the counting and unanimously chose a candidate. First we would like to know if you have a fondness for one of them.

He leans back on his chair and crosses his feet

_ what is your choice ?

_ good we chose Miss Noah she has a lot of experience, she is versatile, having a diploma in communication is an asset for us, in addition she does not have children which will mean no constraints, I think that 'she may do the trick, what do you say?

He smiles and takes a pen that he puts in his mouth

_ what's this ?

He smiles again and claps his hands his friend is confused

_ I said something stupid or whatever is it that amuses you

_ I'll tell you what happened this morning when I came. I was on the way normally driving when suddenly a girl appeared in front of me, I just had time to brake in time or else I would have hit her

_ oulalala she did not see where what

_ of course she did not look before crossing and when I rush to help her get up she sends me for a walk insulting me. You imagine I apologize even she allows herself to insult me ​​while it is she who is at fault

_ you ignore the ill-behaved girls of Douala.

_ hahahaha and you don't know the best one, hahahaha the world is really small

_ tell me

He takes the folder where the file of the successful candidate is located and goes to stand in front of the large window. He opens it and flips through it, bob is impatient to know the rest of the story

_ you will decide to talk or what

_ oh yes the girl in question is miss Noah

_ what ?

He turns

_ eh yes. it's her ... if you didn't notice during the interview she was nervous

_ hahahaha it's not possible werrrr the girls mouth room. Are you sure it was her

_ I'm not blind anyway.

Bob laughed to death. Christ goes into his fridge and takes out a can of beer which he opens and drinks. He comes back to sit down

_ that means that we will take the second application

_ Why ? You chose Miss Noah and me too her file interested me I specify her file but the person I do not know

_ what do we do

He picks up his can of beer and leans back, crossing his feet

_ call her. She wants the job, she goes to work

_ hahahahahaha Christ you really want her to work or you want revenge I know you too well, you are very resentful I know it hurt you the fact that she insulted you for nothing

_ I want to give her a chance to redeem herself if she works well it's okay otherwise she will see me even in her dreams

Bob laughed to death. He looks at his friend enjoying his drink, he looks so serious.

_ I don't like what you want to do here

_ but what did I do? If I was mean I wasn't going to accept it but you see I still keep professional

_ that's it will say that to the one who does not know you. You have something behind your head

_ Nothing at all. She just has to prove herself I don't know how a girl with so much professional baggage can be so awkward it's such a shame. You are going to give her her trial contract, she will come and sign for tomorrow

_ and if she refuses since she recognized you

_ who would refuse to work with christ oxford? Tell me who? No one, I am the reference in terms of communication

_ if I didn't know you I was going to tell you anything. Ok so we'll do that. I will call her

_ Keep me informed. Don't forget at noon we have a meeting

_ very good

He gets up and goes out.

? '' Hello friends, I haven't introduced myself yet, I'm Bob, the right arm of the great Christ Oxford, I'm practically his general manager when he's not there, I'm in charge. I am 36 years old and I am engaged to a pretty young lady whom I adore, if all goes well we will make our nuptials a reality at the end of next year. With my fiancee we have a child who makes us very happy.

I've known Christ for years, we've been to school together, he's always been a hard worker, a business ace and luckily his business has always smiled on him. You will think that he is a boast, but not he does it only to taunt others but in reality he is humble. It's hard to believe it but it is. If you haven't been his friend, if you don't know him like I know him, you will judge him wrongly. Christ was very lucky in business, but a pity that in matters of woman it was not. His ex-wife was unfaithful to him, a beautiful woman who could make any man's heart fall. What Christ didn't do for her, to make her feel good. Their separation destroyed him, he became like emptiness, loneliness invaded him, I had to support him all the time so that he knew that he was not alone. In the 4 years that this has been going on, he has completely changed. And what about the image he has of women now, I who believed that he was going to rebuild his life is totally impossible Christ hates women to believe that it is all women who have it cheated it's still crazy ca. For a person as mature and responsible as him to have this kind of thought is quite simply a mental problem. If I ask him to go see a shrink, he's going to call me crazy. But hey, the more time passes, the more he heals from his wounds. I would like to see him one day with a woman that he tells me that he is in love again at his age, he is still young to rebuild his life and found another home pfff it remains a utopia.

I occupy an office which is not far from his, sometimes when closing he brings one of his dead cats, that means his plan c * l. From my office I get laid it annoys me, I always blame him it's not a life that suits him he should find a woman you can trust, but unfortunately my advice goes out to him the head. Am I going to force it? No. He is old enough to know what he wants, I do my job as a friend and collaborator.

I am in my office, I am preparing the meeting earlier I do not have time to call the new recruit I will do it after. I already pity her, since she behaved badly towards him he is not going to give her milk I know him very well. Already even as a boss he is very boring, very strict rigorous almost never satisfied if she puts 6 months by his side I will applaud him. It makes me laugh this incident story. Life is terrible anyway. My door opens, it's the HRD, a good friend too ''

_ the boss said what

_ he agrees with our choice it will be necessary to prepare the contract

_ okay great. You warned him or I do

_ uhhh no let me do it

_ ok without problem. See you later then

_ you will be present at the meeting?

_ of course I will prepare my report like that before your boss yells at me. You have to ask him to find a woman he exaggerates with a bad temper, a man who is always tense stuippp

_ hahahaha leave it. Even if he groans, he does not die. Speaking of woman your little sister can do the trick

_ stuippp I care about his life

She leaves, leaving me laughing out loud. That's how it is here, we don't like to tease each other and play kongossa on the boss. It is since his divorce that he has become boring, but everyone knows that deep down she is a beautiful person, he is very sensitive, he does not hesitate to reach out to help one of his. employees. Now I get to work, it will go quickly today I have to get home early to pick up my wife from her parents, we are not living together yet, she wants to do things well, it doesn't bother me.

Across town, Carla has been up for a few hours, she's done the cooking and right now she's sitting in front of the TV to brighten her eyes and waste time. By dint of holding the phone in hand and searching the job offers to which she can apply, she weakened her eyes already affected by the lighting. So to avoid staying glued to this device, which has become inseparable, she left it in the bedroom. Lydie comes to find her in the living room, holding her plate of food in her hand.

_ please I want to watch a series

_ eat after you are going to study.

She quickly swallows a bite before adding

_ but I spent all day studying you want to make me crazy or what.

_ watch your language madam. You have to serve dad

_ do it to me I eat

_ stuippp

She gets up and goes to do the service so long as her sister changes channels to watch her mysterious series. After the service Carla goes to call her father who comes to sit down to eat. It is already past 6pm, at this time of the day everything is calm, everyone is in their corner. Forced to watch the series demanded by her sister, Carla is lying down and prefers to bite her nails, she is already thinking of going for a manicure. Her father interrupting her in her thoughts

_ Carla it's like your phone is ringing in the room

_ who knows me I'm sure it's Moussa pffff

It is casually that she still goes to retrieve the phone which unfortunately or fortunately does not display her boyfriend's number, but an unknown number she picks up

_ Hello

At the other end of the handset is Bob who was about to hang up because of the rather long time that Carla took off the hook.

_ ah good evening it's mister Bob from oxford

Listening to these few words, Carla took a more serene, more responsible posture.

_ good evening mister Bob, what can I do for you

_ you have been selected for the post of executive assistant, we will expect you tomorrow before 8 a.m. to complete the formalities and of course to pass some psychology aptitude tests you have all that is routine

Carla can't believe she wants to scream on the phone but pulls herself together you have to behave

_ yes yes sir that's understood

_ great meeting tomorrow be on time. Have a good evening

_ good evening sir

She hangs up and lets out a cry of joy as she leaves her room. These screams alerted her sister and her father who turned their gaze to her. His father to ask him what got him in this jovial state

_ Did you hear some good news?

_ yes daddy. I was retained for work or I had the interview this morning

Her astonished father turns around to congratulate her

_ but Dido my daughter all my congratulations, I told you that you should not worry you are a winner

_ thank you dad. I am still surprised, I assure you that I did not expect it at all. Thin. Lydie you say nothing

She swallows the little food that stalls her throat before responding

_ I am more surprised than you. It can be the trap eh

_ ah my daughter stop having dark thoughts. This man is just professional and maybe he hadn't even recognized him this morning

_ indeed dad, I also say to myself

Lydie is not of the same opinion and does not fail to let it be known

_ hummm a person insults you for nothing and recruits you in his company and you say that he is professional, here in Douala? Hmmm I don't think so. Now the idea that he didn't notice it may be true or else I don't see anything else. Either way, I hope it's correct and that you will work fine

_ ah I hope so too

She will resume her place on the chair. Mr. Noah is very happy for his daughter, an emotion that took his appetite away.

_ thank you for the food but I'm not hungry anymore your news has just filled my stomach

_ You're welcome dad. I will give you your remedies

She is going to get rid of it and take his remedies to him, which she brings him, he drinks them. Carla remembers that she has to buy another box that is about to empty.

The whole evening she kept thinking about her new job, what if it was a trap as her sister suggested? She wondered.

So much the better she will fall into this trap and come out with her head held high. Her clothes already ironed and well fitted, she can not wait to be tomorrow to take service. She already sees herself doing the elevator transactions, entrance hall, Oxford business house, large office and all the comforts possible. It reminds her of her last real job that she had before the advent of the covid which screwed everything up she was treated so well and paid well. The light shines on her eyes, her sister has just turned on the light, she has surely finished studying and is coming to bed. This night seems endless, the wait is long and the patience becomes heavy. She still looks at her phone to make sure that she has set her alarm clock at 6 a.m., no question of coming late. No sooner had she fallen into Morpheus' arms than her alarm clock rang. Oh shit, she thinks she hasn't slept enough, no choice but to get up and get ready. Before going out, she leaves some instructions for her sister who will also be going to school in a few minutes. This time she wasted no time in finding a taxi, it was at quarter past 7 that she arrived at the company. Forced to stay at the entrance to wait for the bosses. It was at 8 a.m. that she saw Mrs. Edimo arriving. She is all beautiful in her flared dress and strewn with little cartoons, she smiles at him

_ Hello Miss

It's up to her to send him her smile

_ hello miss Noah. Sorry for the slight delay we can go up together

I found this woman very nice, she took me to a room where she left a form to fill out. These are the aptitude and psychological tests that Mr. Bob told me about yesterday. Well, it's not much, I fill it up quickly and wait. So far I don't know if the boss is there, ah too bad I don't even want to see him he stresses me especially since I don't know what's going on in his head I ask myself so many questions especially this one which keeps coming back, did he recognize me.? A few minutes of waiting, a young girl came to collect the document, she must be Mrs. Edimo's secretary. She leads me into the latter's office. Mrs. Edimo checks my answers to see the expression on her face she seems satisfied.

_ very good. I will give you the contract to read before signing

This is only what I've been waiting for. I rush over to take a look at it. It seems correct to me, 3 months of trial as usual after that I will be entitled to a CDI and all the advantages that go with it. I would do anything to have my CDI even if I have to lick the floor Hahahaha, no I'm kidding I also have my dignity I feel on a level. I delicately affix my signature on both copies, I return one to him and I keep the other. She asks me to follow her. We are going into what will now be my office. It's clean, everything is ok, the appliances are perfect, the comfort is there. There is a door to the right, probably the one that goes into the boss's office. A few chairs occupy the aisle, surely for visitors. I also see a binder where are grouped documents, shelves and some boxes for archiving

_ I hope you know how to handle machines, she asks me

_ yes madam I touch everything

I have had the chance to work all over the place and touch everything that can be found in an office so nothing surprises me. What annoys me is that there is no TV yes I like to watch TV. I had one in my previous office, I watched music and movies more often, and I'm not addicted to series. Maybe it's because of the distraction caused by the TV which made me make a lot of mistakes. Hopefully here I won't.

_ Monsieur is not there yet. This door you see is his so you will be in contact all the time and visitors can go through there in case they present themselves to you otherwise they will go directly to the main door without going through here anymore.

_ okay madam

_ good I let you install yourself, I will send you telephone sheets or are registered numbers which correspond to each service and office.

She left and I sat down. Phew, I have a job. I start first by turning on the machine, there is no password so much the better. I get acquainted with documents on the table, certainly there is work behind schedule. A few minutes later I received Mrs. Edimo's secretary, she brought me the sheet of numbers that I would need. Then I follow the voices in the office next door, the boss has arrived and has gone through his door. Stress mounts yemalehh. I start to get confused I go through all the documents on the table, no concentration I am quite stressed. My intercom rings, I jump. Here it is, I pick up

_ Mr. Oxford

_ I want to see you right away

He hangs up. Aiyaaaaa my part came today when we write "I have the honor" we don't know what to expect. Maybe it's Lydie who was right, he recognized me and wants to trap me. I went out this morning still without praying ehh god forgive me I only want to work.

She gets up and arranges her dress, looks well if her hair is well done, and goes to Mister Oxford's office

TO BE CONTINUED....