38 Over-whelmed

I drove the Mercedes-Benz from palma motors hardly believing that I was the owner. I headed for the federal low-cost to locate flat 29 which

Mohammed Ali said would be my house. When I finally located the flat and drove to the gate, the gate man asked "Mr Iyortyer?

I nodded, still shocked that the gateman who I never know the "Come in sir' and I drove in.

I followed him to the door and opened it with the key I was given.

Sheer amazement at the manner the room was furnished tuned me into a dumb. I was afraid in the literal sense to step on the rug in the parlour because I had never seen such a rug since 1

was born.

When I finally picked courage and stepped on it, I suddenly remembered one of my dreams in which I jumped from a height and continued to go down into a tunnel without landing. My legs

kept sinking like a poor magician walking on a sea.

"Goodbye sir said the gateman. I heard him but I couldn't answer because my mind was busy on the nature of the wonderful house I had been

given.

I left the parlour and went into the kitchen. I was confrontedcwith a gas cooker,seven gas sylinders all filled with gas, an electric cooker and a big stove with a drum of kerosene beside it.

I left for the bedroom and there I saw a big family bed that could accommodate ten at a time. There were two large standing mirrors and two wardrobes. Two writing tables were also in the

room.

I looked at myself and boxed myself in the stomach to feel the pain and ensure that this was not happening in a dream but in reality.

I left there and went out. After locking the door I went for my car drove out for Ali Group of Companies. The gatemen there opened the door for me with a salute.

When I was parking the car I could see Mmembe with a corner of my rightveye looking at me. I went to her in the reception and took the

time to explain everything to her. She jumped up in joy.

I was about to cross the General office to Mohammed Ali's office when I discovered that the office was empty of its eight worker.

Where are your co-workers in this office?" I asked guessing in my mind that they had gone on break.

They have all been sacked I heard. It was like a big joke to me. I couldn't believe that the

workers I saw two hours ago had all been sacked. Why were they sacked?" I asked. I heard from Mmembe that one of the workers had made a funny remark that lead to a resounding laughter from rest, thereby disturbing the peace of the Managing Director, by i which guessed She meant Mohammed Ali.

The Ayatollah sacked them because of their noisy laughter' she said.

I considered this tovbe the most autocratic act I had ever witnessed. So they were sacked for merely laughing I asked. I heard that laughter in

Ali Group of Company wasn't to be described as 'mere since it was a grievous offence to laugh. 'I am coming across this form of autocracy for the first time' I protested.

I heard from her that this was the least autocratic of all Mohammed Ali's actions, and that if I succeeded in working here for a month without being sacked I would see the real autocracy'

'It were better I didn't take up this appointment at all' I found myself saying. 'If this is the least auto-

cratic of his actions, what could be more autocratic... I mean... his actions lack simple logic... to cripple his own company in-a

minute.' Mmembe told me that in Mohammed Ali's company the idea of logical action should be discarded because if one kept to logic he would be sacked. 'I cannot imagine working in a place

where logic doesn't work!' I protested.

She looked at me and said 'Do not think you have any logic. You do not have logic here."

I left her abruptly, probably in anger and went to knock on

Mohammed Ali's door: As was always the case he did not tell me to enter. I entered without being told to do so. I greeted him and sat down on a chair. I sat on the chair for two hours. Mohammed Ali did not tell me anything. I became so frustrated sitting down that I began to fake a cough so that his attention could be drawn to me.

Mohammed Ali attention was not drawn.

He continued to write without looking up. When he looked up it was only at the ceiling and not at me. After waiting for three hours I found myself

saying with an edge to my voice you said I should report back here after collecting my car!' I shuddered in fear after saying this.

Mohammed Ali could say that I had shouted at him!;

My only luck was that he did not hear me. In fact he did not seem to know that a fly had entered his room. He was so engrosed in his work that he became completely oblivious of my person.

He was completely dissociated from his environment, living in a world different from our own. In deed I guessed at this time that nothing short of a heavy gunshot in the room could bring him out of the cocoon of oblivion in which he was at this time.

It was only this oblivion that saved me when my usual bad temperament made me to speak to him with a hidden aggression in my tone. I sat on the chair without saying anything again until the noise of his wife's typewriter stopped. I dared not look in her direction to find out why she stopped typing so abruptly.

She was to come to Mohammed Ali and touch him 'It's time."

When I saw her shadow approaching from my right I put my face down in order not to arouse the jealousy of Mohammed Ali. I could hear him packing his things. Soon after he began to go out

together with his wife.

When they had crossed where I was sitting

I decided to look up to ensure that a pistol wasn't pointing at me,

They continued to go towards the door. I watched

Mohammed Ali turn the knob of the door. His wife who I saw in a glance went out. Mohammed Ali also went out, leaving me alone in the room.

When he was about to lock me in I screamed to him that he was locking me in. It was then that he knew for the first time that a human soul was in the room. I stood up and went out.