Coincidental rendezvous!

Few weeks passed and George's daily fear of the government officials returning gradually vanished.He knew that Hussain must have sorted the issues of the Big Blue right away from Oman. Bruce kept asking him of the subject daily but he too became convinced that everything had been worked on and stopped. Managing The Big Blue was now getting into his blood stream. He was able to rightly mangage each and every aspect of the company except the the catering sector. The company's main caterers had siezied Hussain absence to do whatever they wished. The food and drinks were always served late or improperly prepared that suggested incompetence in their work. Far from that, all other important matters of the business had been sorted accordingly.

The one important thing that continued and still continues to give him a sleepless night is the whole saga of Collins and Susan. He had the knowledge that the two were his juniors .They ought to abide by the company's rules and regulations. Collins work performance had deteriorated in recent times. He also had snippets that Alice was gravely grumbling about the increase of workload as Susan would do little or no work at all.

The problem pushed him to the verge of thinking through many solutions. Collins was his friends and Susan was just an employee and no more to it. He had tried to warn , advise and teach Collins on a manly account, what he ought to do about it and had clearly printed the danger that could outcrop from their relationship. He had failed. He decided to take it from the other angle. To approach it from the other end and perhaps throw in a solution. He decided to summon Susan into his office one day.

"Hello Mr. George . I heard that you sent for me?" She had started off when she finally located a sit in the office.

" Yeah! I decided to send for you so that you can help me with an important decision."

"Important decision?" she was surprised.

" Yes and you can help me solve it ." He continued composedly looking directly into her eyes.

"Why ? Why me ! Why should it be me and not Collins or Bruce or any other?"

"Because you're clever!" He said with a giggle that was spiced with a slight mockery.

"You're joking! Can you go straight to the point!" She rejoined almost seriously.

"What can you do when you're looking towards your employee and he suddenly starts to delay his work and performs poorly? " He challenged intelligently .

" I would find out the problem. If it fits for him to be fired, then I won't hesitate!" she replied unaware of George's point .

"Good!" He commented and then proceeded. "It won't shock you to tell you it's Collins.His work is wanting. He has delayed two reports so far and he does everything as if he's in a hurry. What's your thought on this Susan?"

"No no! It cannot be! I mean you should find out the problem and give him more time. I know he will change!" She defended with a pleading tone.

"Okay I know the problem luckily. And I have at least found a raw solution to it. "

"What's the problem? " She asked terrified.

"The problem is you! You drive him crazy this day. And I have decided to give the driver an impromptu leave to lessen the effects the problem." He said succinctly as he handed her a small brown envelope that contained the details of her impromptu leave.

"What?" She interjected bitterly and on the edge of breaking into tears.

"Yes! I have decided to suspend you for two weeks. You're not retrenched so there's no need to cry! All is okay and you're still part and parcel of the Big Blue. You can now leave! "

Susan rose up confused and worried.She did not want to imagine what has transpired in those few minutes she was in George's office. As she went out of the gate , having decided not to let Collins know about it, she met Jerome and almost fell to the ground. She could not stand his mischievous face and his eyes that seemed to mock and laugh at her. She walked silently out of the premises and stood some meters away from the gate wondering what wrong she had done.

She shook her head in dejection and proceeded with her journey home. Her clouded mind made her see everything to be unreal. Even the road that head towards her home seemed unreal. She meant to cross a busy road so that she could take an lonely narrow paths towards her residence but located a clean and dry rock besides the big billboard that casted a refreshing shade on the place. Her senses lead her to go and rest as she processed her misery.

She glared at the fast moving cars on the road and still could not get the environment to be real. She thought of Alice. Her voice radiated once again in her mind when she warned her of Collins. She vividly remembered when Alice told her that she would even be possibly sucked out of the Big Blue. The words now gnawed her mind mercilessly as she let the burden of regret grow inside her. She was not sucked yes but she's just an inch into it. A suspension always feels like retrenchment.

She was deeply absorbed into thinking when a familiar feminine voice startled her. She jerked off fearfully and almost lost her balance . It was Angela with an outdoor raiment. She jumped up and threw herself into the wide torso of Susan and the two women hugged each other cheerfully.

" Many days Angela! We only spoke on the phone! " Susan cried out mirthfully. " I longed to see you Susan. It's been long!"

" Very long time indeed! Eh! And where are you heading dear? You've grown so beautiful! " Susan praised.

". Thank you !I'm just rushing to the salon down there at the junction."

"Ooh Prettyme ?"

"Yes! Yes! That one . They do great styles and fashion!"

"Should we go together? I'm quite free! " Susan accompanied Angela to salon as the two shared experiences and loughter. This coincidental rendezvous provided the most fertile ground for this long time friends to bound. Angela yearned to recount her success in her career. How she had pulled through thick and thin. Susan also longed to express her ever growing work difficulties and even the mysterious Collins.

" You can't believe it Susan. I just came from India three weeks ago! "

Angela began when they finally settled in cosy seats at Prettyme salon.

" To do what! You seem to have the cream of the society. What's that good thing I don't know?"

" It's not good thing Susan."

"How?" wondered Susan.

" My sister Claire was to undergo a kidney transplant. I took her to undergo the surgery."

"What? Surgery? Hope she survived."

" She did and she's now out and about."

Angela assured and proceeded " And Susan! You remember my assignment?"

" The one for George?"

"Exactly!"

Susan ruminated around the subject for a moment not sure whether to cheat or say the truth about it. It terrified her to dare uttering whatever she had collected.

" It's a quagmire Angela. You can't believe it's the reason why I'm not at work today."

" I'm sorry I meant ask you by the way. "

"It an enigmatic story Angela!"

"Okay long story short! What did you find about my George? Then you can proceed to tell me the whole thing?"

" He is a gangster! A criminal!" Susan reported audibly and boldly. She did not want her to miss the lines . That was where her efforts resulted. She wanted to save herself and well as Angela. She had never imagined before how it would be a daunting and threatening task to accept doing it at first. She can't help but to reminisced how she had slept with Collins. How she had lowered her standards just because of this! It's the same that has caused her to miss work today. Her daily bread!

Angela swallowed a gulp of bitterness and was now sweating profusely.She held he handkerchief in her hands and wiped her face occasionally. All the tears she shedded for Claire. She couldn't understand whether to be angry at herself for asking it or blame Susan. She knew Susan was not cheating at all.Her tone carried all the seriousness it deserved. She panted and breathed in heavily at last.

"Susan! I don't want to hear of this! It has stopped everything in me!"

" That is exactly what I felt when I discovered it my sister!"

"Are you sure George was or is amongst them?"

" I can't screw you up! It's dead truth!" Susan confirmed with finality. Angela observed Susan pokingly and muttered at last .

" You must tell me all of this when we are at home."

Angel's spirit shrank instantly. She could not even be able to make up her mind on which style to plait. She was in deep melancholy that Susan spared all that she had to tell her for the right time. She couldn't help but to figure out why George had always been furtive . He always wanted to let her know something but was hesitant. She could now understand why the idea that he might have won a secret lottery proved redundant altogether. She could now tell why George had suddenly picked up with a posh life.