Caught In the Storm – Chapter Five

6:30am

The piercing sound of the alarm rang across the room, rousing Sonia from her sleep. She let out a small groan, hesitantly raising her head from the work desk she had slept on. Her heavy eyelids struggled to stay up, her body craving a few more minutes of sleep. Gently rubbing her eyes, she stopped the alarm and yawned. Holding her head up with one hand, she grumpily tapped the keyboard of her macbook, causing the monitor to brighten up that portion of the dim-lit bedroom. Squinting her eyes, she gazed at the documents on the screen.

She had been working all through the night, proofreading the monthly analysis report for the company she worked for. The monthly board meeting was scheduled for that morning and it was customary for her to take the presentation for her department. However, the stakes on this one were very high because her predictive analysis report would determine the next step in the chairman’s plan for international expansion.

Disturbing waves of tension slowly began to plague her as she thought about the big day ahead. Letting out a tired sigh, she decided to ease off some of the tension with a thirty minute jog. Slipping on a black tank top, her grey sweatpants, a beanie cap and a pair of Brooks, she grabbed her Airpods and darted out of the house.

The sky was still a dim shade of blue, awaiting the golden grace of the morning sun. On reaching the side walk, she started off down the estate road in a slow pace. The steady pound of her feet against the tarred road was soon drowned by the energetic music ministering to her. Gradually, her pace increased as the chords of the song seeped into her soul. Embers of clarity invaded her mind as the exercise loosened up her muscles. After about twenty minutes of running, her brown skin was glistening with sweat.

Slowing down, she gave her shoulders a wiggle and lolled her head in a circle, allowing her stride slacken to a more casual pace. Finally coming to a halt, she placed her hands on her hips and took in deep breaths, satisfying her body’s craving for oxygen. Turning down the music volume, she heard the steady pound of another person running up close to her.

David had come out for an early run too when he had spotted her jogging by. Still feeling the urgent need to talk to her, he had tailed her in the guise of his own run. Noticing her stop, he had slowed down and made his way towards her.

“Hey! Good morning,” he greeted cheerfully.

“Yeah, morning.” She replied, her tone devoid of any enthusiasm. She simply began to stretch her muscles, keeping her eyes on the road.

David frowned a little, slightly thrown off by the lack of warmth in her greeting. He couldn’t help but wonder if there was ever anything he had done wrong. He began to wonder if this was also a bad time.

Still sensing his presence, she turned to face him. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Um…yeah, um-” David stuttered, caught off-guard by the question.

“Okay?” She replied, looking away and returning to her stretches.

At this point, David began to wonder if this was a mistake. Her flat expression was eating away his confidence. Summoning the courage to speak, he cleared his throat.

“Well, the thing is… I just wanted to tell you that God really cares about you…” He blurted out, feeling an inner cringe for some reason.

She paused, the words grazing a nerve. Turning to face him, she raised an incredulous eyebrow. “I’m sorry, what?”

David’s heart skipped a beat. “I’m saying…that God wants you to know that He still cares about you. That He loves you and… sometimes experiences aren’t the best evidence to prove that. But God loves you irrespective of all you may be going through.”

Sonia stifled a laugh, feeling slightly amused. There’s actually nothing she wouldn’t see in this Lagos.

Was this guy even serious?

“That’s…interesting. Well, I hate to break it to you but…I’m not really going through ‘anything’ as you put it.” She replied, engaging in a trapezius stretch.

Discerning the lie, David breathed out a small laugh and raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think I believe you…”

Sonia furrowed her brows and tilted her head to the side, the amusement vanishing from her eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m saying that I don’t believe you. And I also think that you’re hiding the fact that you’re hurting… because admitting it would make people see you differently. And that’s not something you want…so you bury it.”

She snorted, laughing softly before giving him another incredulous look. This guy actually wanted to pretend he was psychic? Was this the latest scheme in the playbook? Pigs would fly before she’d give him the satisfaction of admitting he was right.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She said, still giving him a cocky look.

“Alright. So, what happened that night?” He asked confidently.

Her expression dropped slightly. “What night?”

“The night I first met you. You looked like-“

“That was just a bad day. Happens to the best of us.” She interjected defensively. This conversation was starting to infuriate her. Why was she even having it? On a normal day, she wouldn’t have gone past the greetings.

“I don’t think so.” He said, inching closer to her. “The pain I saw in your eyes that day, felt far too old to be related to just one bad day.”

Her facial muscles began to spasm with irritation. “You don’t know anything about me…”

Breathing out, he nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. I do not claim to know much about you. But what I do know, is that you’re hurting…deeply. And that’s why I’ve come to tell you…that God wants to take that pain away…for good.”

The cocky smile had now completely disappeared from her face, slowly replaced by a dark look. She stared deep into his eyes, looking for any sign of ingenuity. Unsure of her findings, she turned away from him and wiped off some of the sweat on her forehead.

“I don’t have time for this.” She said, walking away from him.

“Isn’t that what you want?” he asked, causing her to stop in her tracks. Sonia winced in agitation, biting her lower lip.

“Why don’t you give God a chance?” He asked again, reducing the distance between them.

Sonia turned and glared daggers at him, anger now brewing within her.

“If you were really from God, you’d know why.” She replied, her tone dripping with animosity.

“What’re you saying?” David asked, furrowing his brows as he stopped just inches away from where she stood.

“That a man would say anything just to get a woman to trust him.” She replied coldly as she folded her arms, her icy glare still fixed on him.

David lowered his head and let out a soft sigh. He was clearly being misunderstood.

Too impatient to wait for his reply, she scoffed and turned to leave.

Without thinking, David instinctively reached out for her arm, softly grasping it in an attempt to stop her.

“Please, wait…” He said softly. The feeling that he had done something wrong suddenly washed over him.

His touch set off a cascade of thoughts in her head, triggering her to believe that she was being threatened. Her body suddenly went into defensive mode. She forcefully pulled her arm away and pushed him in the chest. Her eyes blazed with fury, feeling slight traces of fear coursing round her body.

“Why did you put your hands on me?” She snapped, her tone rising slightly.

David raised his hands in innocence, his expression screaming apologies and confusion. “I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

“Now, you listen to me. I don’t know what playboy book you got this scheme from, but I’m not buying it. Stay the hell away from me. Do you understand?! Never come near me again!” She seethed, turning to leave in anger.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” David called out, bummed out by the sharp turn of events.

“Stay away!” She screamed without turning back, marching towards her house.

David let out a bitter sigh, reducing his frame to a squat. He shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling quite displeased with himself.

“What do we do now?”

“Patience, son…” the Spirit whispered.

---

9:00am

Sonia checked the time on her wristwatch, anxiously anticipating the high-pitched ding of the elevator. Three weeks had passed since she’d last been at the office, rather preferring to work remotely from the comfort of her home. Being one of the head analysts at PayCircuit Global afforded her the luxury of such convenience.

PayCircuit was a fintech company with a market cap of nearly $800 million, founded in Lagos about two decades ago. Being one of the pioneers of financial technology in Nigeria, it had taken the glorious leap into one of the highest unbanked population at the time and had successfully increased the appeal of their stock, having shown much potential for growth at the time. The company’s market cap had climbed rapidly over the years as valuable investors jumped on the shares they had issued. It currently had operations in South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, and the United Kingdom.

Its headquarters was situated in Victoria Island, Lagos. The site was a cluster of four glassy multi-storey tech buildings, with the main building standing at 330 ft, towering majestically over the city’s skyline.

At the time Sonia had turned 18, she finally gained legal access to her parents’ properties and wealth as stipulated in their will. Her father had been running a medium-sized conglomerate while he was alive, owning assets across the state of Kentucky. Mr Richard Jackson, realising that his wife would never be able to conceive again due to some complications with Sonia’s birth, had decided to write an early will. Sonia was seven years old when the tragic accident had happened.

After surviving the gore of high school, Sonia had redirected all her energy into her academics and utilized her new found wealth whenever required. She succeeded in bagging a bachelor’s degree in computer science with a groundbreaking CGPA, and went on to get a master’s degree in data analytics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Fresh out of school, the desperate yearning for a new environment and a fresh start away from her tragic past began to plague her. Accompanied by her Aunt, she liquidated most of the assets, grossing nearly a million dollars and relocated to Nigeria, her mother’s homeland. Having such an incredible CV, she was handed a job at the company as a data analyst. She soon proved to be an invaluable asset and rose through the ranks within the period of five years, becoming one of the head analysts at PayCircuit HQ. At 28, she was living the dream, right in the middle of her eerie nightmare.

Watching the metal doors slide open, she hurriedly made her way across the hallway in a boss-like strut, offering greetings to fellow colleagues along the hallway.

She wore a burnt orange turtle-neck bodysuit paired with white chinos, a beige calf-length coat and a pair of cream Louboutin heels. Her black wig installation was tied into a high sleek ponytail.

Dashing into her office, she dropped her bag and reclined unto the swivel chair behind her desk, letting out a tired sigh. Glancing around the room, she searched to see if there were any changes made to the place.

The medium-sized office was painted in neutral colours, having one floor-to-ceiling window which faced the busy roads of Lagos. A large sofa was situated at the corner of the room, and the large mahogany desk was situated at the centre, facing the entrance, just a metre from the large window. On the desk sat a company Macbook, a heap of Manila folders, and a stack of important documents sitting under a paperweight.

Propping open the macbook, she quickly went to work. The monthly executive meeting was scheduled for noon and she was to present the company’s analysis reports to the board alongside other high-ranking staff. These reports were pivotal to the next phase regarding certain important projects. Some very prominent shareholders were going to be present. The waves of tension returned, washing all over her body. It wasn’t the first time she was handling a presentation, but the stakes of this one were quite high.

The door swung open and her face lit up seeing who walked in.

“Lazy child. So, you decided to come to work today.” Sade said, wearing her peculiar smirk.

“Oh God, I’m so happy to see you! You have no idea,” Sonia said as she stood up, feeling slightly relieved. They embraced warmly, delighted to see each other.

“How did you know I had arrived?” Sonia asked, easing back unto her swivel chair.

“Oh, I was right behind you when you pulled up at the parking lot. I basically tailed you here,” Sade grinned.

“Wait, let me get this straight. You mean you followed me here without saying anything or calling out to me? That’s some serious stalker vibes you’re giving.” Sonia replied, feigning a creeped out expression.

“So I should be running after you in these heels? It’s like you woke up with just vibes today,” Sade smilingly quipped, gesturing to her head.

Sonia picked up a pen and hurled it at her, narrowly missing her nose.

“Why are you so violent?” Sade asked giggling.

“Next time, I’ll wash your mouth with toilet soap.” Sonia joked.

“Nawa o, small play.” Sade scoffed cheerily, dropping her bag on the sofa.

Sade had the typical attitude of a queen reagent. It showed in her words, tone, actions and even facial expressions as she never hesitated to express her feelings on any thing. She was of average-height, dark-skinned and had the thick curvy framework that suggested her diligence to waist trainers. Everything she wore screamed “money”.

Sade and Angela had warmed up to Sonia the moment they had set eyes on her, showing her everything she needed to know about the system. Since then, they had grown to become the clique everyone talked about, each becoming top executives in their respective departments.

“What’ve you been up to anyways?”

“Ugh, wò, just work as usual.” Sade replied, settling on the sofa.

“I’m scheduled to go on a business trip to London soon. The boss wants me and Angela to pitch off some of our new products to a number of companies over there. See ba? This sales department is stressful abeg. As you see me like this, mo need pampering.” She finished, crossing her legs and scratching her wig dramatically.

“I feel you, babe. You know what? We should have a girl’s night, probably when you get back. It’s been a while since we did something like that.”

“That sounds nice. I’m sure Angela would be down with that idea. Anyways, how’re you preparing for the presentation? I’m sure you’re ready to own that room like always.” Sade said with a grin.

Sonia let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know babe. I really feel nervous, like I’m gonna blow it.”

“Abeg, that’s what you always say. One minute you’re shaking like earthworm that they poured detergent on, then the next you’re spitting fire out there. Calm down jhor. You will finish them. With this your American accent? Forget it, they are finished.”

Sonia laughed, feeling a little less tense. “I’ve got thirty more minutes to prepare, so…”

“Oh, you’re now pursuing me, abi? Wow! Alright, I’ll leave you.” Sade said pouting, getting up from the sofa.

“Oh c’mon, babe. Don’t be like that.” Sonia said pouting.

Sade hissed playfully and walked towards the door in a huff. “From today, just be avoiding me.”

“I love you too!” Sonia called out, laughing as Sade closed the door behind her.

---

12:00pm

Sonia stood infront of the electronic board, watching the small elite conference room fill up with executives. Managers and assistants, major shareholders, members of the board and the Chairman all sat in close proximity around the large slim oval table.

Traces of nervousness could be spotted in her rigid body movement, slightly unsettled as the time for the presentation drew nearer. Luckily for her, they were all still engrossed in exchanging pleasantries to notice her cold feet. All except Sade and Angela, who rather chose to make ridiculously funny faces, easing some of the pressure off her.

She stifled her giggles, threatening to kill them via hand gestures.

Soon, everyone was seated and the meeting was ready to commence. The motorized smart curtains drew to a close, cueing the lights that lit up the room to slowly dim in intensity. Pushing the power button, the electronic board blinked to life.

“Good day, ladies and gentlemen. With all protocols duly observed, we may proceed. Please refer to the Manila folders placed infront of you, as they’ll be supporting all my assertions with credible statistics.” She announced, her American accent gliding through her polished diction. Her eyes caught the secret thumbs up her friends were giving her, and her confidence was boosted.

With the courage of a rising Phoenix, she delivered her presentation with perfection. In a matter of minutes, she made the room her own, even daring to slip intelligent jokes on intervals. Time rolled by silently, with Sonia’s delivery keeping everyone oblivious and spellbound.

“In summary, we have identified our major liabilities; innovation crisis and limited banking relationships.” She continued, taking gentle strides across the room, her eyes interacting with everyone’s gaze.

“Part of the solution to the problem of innovation, especially with branches in this country invariably lie in the hands of the gifted youthful generation, no offence to the older…” She smirked.

“None taken.” The chairman joked. A low rumble of laughter echoed across the room and died down.

“Other solutions for smaller liabilities circle around the development of better data governance policies, identifying opportunities for process involvement and certain system modifications which I have already recommended. Appropriate documentation of the recent analysis will be sent to all stakeholders via the company app. On that note, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your time, and I will see you hopefully in our next meeting.” She finished, her eyes resting on the chairman.

The applause rippled subtly across the room as the lights came back on, accompanied by satisfied smiles. Soon, the sound of chairs screeching back filled the room as people started exiting the room. Many rushed to the lunch room, plagued by intense hunger.

With the room nearly empty, her friends rushed over to her, beaming with smiles.

“You owned it, girl! That was amazing.” Angela squealed.

“Leave her, I don’t even know why you were worried.” Sade said, playfully rolling her eyes.

“Thank you guys so much for your support. I’m glad it went great. I love you guys so much.” Sonia replied, feeling emotional as she hugged them both.

“We love you too, babe. Oh, before I forget, the chairman said he wants you in his office within the hour.” Angela chipped.

Sonia gave her a puzzled look. Why would Mr Adekunle want to see her?

---

Sonia opened the door slowly, peeking into the large office.

“You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Ah, Miss Jackson. Please, have a seat.” He offered, pointing to one of the chairs infront of his desk.

Sonia closed the door gently and walked towards the seat, her curiosity piqued. The cold breeze from the air conditioner at the corner grazed her sensitive skin as she sat down.

“I’ll start by saying that I was impressed with your presentation. I must say, you echoed some of the thoughts I already had. You’ve really proven yourself to be an invaluable asset over the years. This company is grateful for your service. I am grateful.”

“Thank you very much sir.” She replied, blushing slightly at the comment. The praise chased away the anxiety that came in with her.

“You see, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. You’re well aware that the success of a business relies on the ability to make important decisions, to take risks and more importantly survive such risks?” He asked.

“Very true, sir.” She replied.

“Good. Some people go with their gut feeling. I say, that’s too risky. I’d rather go with my discernment. The difference is that one of them is merely a hunch, and the other involves faith and assurance, with a little direction from God. At the moment, I believe I’m about to make a somewhat ‘unconventional’ move that may turn out to be a good decision for the company.”

Sonia sat there perplexed, unable to see the direction of the conversation. What did God have to do with business? Suddenly, the door opened.

“Ah, just the man I wanted to see. Please, come in.” Mr Adekunle said with a broad smile.

Turning around to see who it was, Sonia’s eyes widened like saucers. Her brain stuttered for a second, struggling to register the feasibility of such a coincidence. Her nerves buzzed in irritation as he came closer, her mind recalling the events of the early morning.

David’s eyes shifted from the chairman to Sonia and mirrored her expression. Utter shock and bewilderment grabbed hold of his tongue, seizing his ability to speak. He fought the strange urge to laugh as he found the incident quite amusing.

“Take a seat, David.” The chairman said, interrupting their stare off.

Sonia turned away slowly, still speechless as he slid into the seat next to her. The smell of his masculine cologne seeped into her nose, suggesting to her brain that this was actually happening.

“Great. So, the bottom line is that I’m led to put the both of you on some projects together.”

Another wave of shock hit them simultaneously. Sonia bent down slightly, pinching the bridge of her nose. This could not be happening. David sat rather perplexed, resisting the urge to put his hands on his head.

“Is there a problem, Miss Jackson?” Mr. Adekunle asked, puzzled by the sudden change in her countenance.

Sonia looked up abruptly. “No, sir…it’s just…with all due respect sir, I do my best work when I work alone.”

“Nonsense, Miss Jackson. Two great minds are certainly better than one. This man right here is quite the innovative one, I assure you. I’ve reviewed some of his projects and his prospective ideas personally. So, in lieu of the solutions you proffered today, I’d like you to work with him towards developing certain system modifications, as well as some other projects I’ll be sending your way. You’re free to select a small team that’ll ease the burden on you both.” He replied, leaning unto his swivel chair.

David felt his jaw drop slightly as he stared at the chairman, wondering if he had heard correctly.

“Sir, please reconsider…” she tried to protest.

“Miss Jackson, I’m afraid you misread my tone for one of permission. I wasn’t asking, that’s an order. I expect weekly reports on your progress on each project from henceforth. You’re both dismissed.” He said, his tone carrying a sense of finality. The chairman slipped on his glasses, and went back to scribbling on a document.

Furious that her protests had fallen on deaf ears, she stood up stiffly and made for the door with David following close behind. She clenched her fists, struggling to contain her outburst until they were out of earshot. As soon as they were out in the hallway, Sonia let loose.

“What the actual f-argh!” Sonia groaned, raising her hands in exasperation.

“Hey, take it easy.” He said.

“Did you set this up? Are you stalking me or something? Is that what this is?!”

“Okay, calm down. Why would I set this up? That’s just ridiculous…”

Sonia turned around, scratching her head vigorously as she paced around, muttering inaudible cuss words.

“Why are you so upset?” He asked innocently. His expression showed nothing but concern and curiosity.

She glared daggers at him, clearly incensed. “Look, I don’t know what ulterior motives you have, but it is not going to work.”

“But I don’t have any…” he started, showing his palms in innocence.

“As regards the project, I’m the head analyst of this company, you do nothing but what I tell you to. Are we clear?”

“Wait, hold on. That’s not what the chairman said. We’re meant to be partners. Moreover, I’m a software engineer, not an analyst. So I’m not exactly under your payroll.” He replied calmly, cutting her off sharply.

Tilting her head the side, she gave him a confounded look. “And just who the hell do you think you are?”

“Why are you so pissed off? I really don’t get it.” He asked, slightly getting irritated by her arrogance.

Sonia walked slowly towards him, eyes blazing with anger. She poked him on the chest, levelling his gaze.

“I’m going to say this very slowly so you can understand. This career, is my life. If you screw this up for me because of your dirty ulterior motives, mark my words, I will end you.” She said darkly.

“It’s very rude to point at people.” David replied, unphased by her threat. He stiffened, irritation rising within him as he stared back at her.

Feeling challenged, she let a cocky smile crawl up to her face. He had no idea what he had just gotten himself into.

“You want to play it that way? Fine. I’m going to make you wish you never met me.” She said, her tone dripping with venom.

She turned away, strutting down the hallway with indignation.

David was peeved by her arrogance. He frowned slightly, watching her march down the hallway in a huff. Leaning against the wall, he marvelled at the kind of human being he was just paired with. What was all this wahala?

Running his fingers through his dark kinky hair, he shut his eyes in a bid to calm himself.

Why was she always so bitter? If this is who God had shown to him, why was it so difficult? And was it just him, or did her accent make her sound more rude?

Still irritated by her outburst, he calmly walked the opposite direction.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Hey guys 😊. Do we have still have your attention?🙃 Because it is about to go down👏🏾👏🏾. But first, I’d like to your comments😁. Did you see that coming? What do you think of the characters? Let us know in the comment section👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾.

Please, subscribe for us na. Are you not enjoying the story😪😢. God bless you as you share and subscribe.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the next chapter will be out on Friday. Please bear with us, you know we love you🤗. Stay tuned❤