Ben's Diary (1)




Dozie and I were still laughing over  Patricia’s remarks about four guys like us hanging out all by themselves every weekend’s nights, that there was something ‘not straight’ about it. Darlington was going to say we should leave without Goke and his languid ass. Then everyone suddenly went hush. She had what it took to stop any man in his tracks and she knew it. We must all have seen her at the same.

“Hi.” She said to Darlington.
Darlington had an enviable gift: they all talk to him first; even if there were a million of us.
“Helloo beauty, what can we do you for?” His ladies’ man smile beamed, and his right hand instinctively reached for his collar, twitching the tie as he stood up. He possibly forgot he was only the visitor in our office.

“Stephanie, this way,” Patricia called at the young lady.
“Oh, hi Pat,” the beauty didn’t seem to have noticed Patricia’s presence earlier. She also seemed genuinely relieved and waved Darlington down, “I was going to ask of,” she pointed coquettishly in Patricia’s direction, “her.” She said and then sauntered to the reception to meet Patricia who in turn did not seem quite enthralled by her presence. There was something arrogant about her manners and I have an instant dislike for haughty girls, beautiful or not, but this one?  They shared a few words and the pretty young lady was allowed to go into Mr. Gbenga’s office. This is not a rarity when you got to knowing our boss.

“Who is she, Pat?” I asked rather impatiently.
“Mr. Gbenga’s friend.” She said rather casually.
“What?” I looked at my men and saw the same dampened expression registered on their faces.
“What kind of friend?” Dozie asked incredulously.
“You might want to go in and ask him, pastor.” Pat retorted. Dozie, Patricia, Goke and I were colleagues, but for some imprecise reasons being one each other’s appeared to define the working relationship between those two.
“God, but isn’t that girl younger than his be his last daughter,” I exclaimed. Darlington was suddenly as humble as a lamb pulled out of a pot of cold pap.
“Isn’t that shocking?” Dozie said in anguish.
“But why won’t these old men just leave our young girls alone, they have lived their time naa,” Darlington lamented.
But I knew there was more to it.

And just like I thought, this was going to become another big discussion, since guys don’t gossip.

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