Short Story Galore serialization 3

HEAVEN MEET

Chief Lanre Durojaiye was seated behind his desk, lost in thought about several different things all at the same time when his personal secretary buzzed to inform him of an important call on line three.

“Sir, Lady Ronke Fisher for you.”

He picked the handset. To his assistant, he said, “I’m on.” And to the noble woman, “How do you do, Lady Fisher.”

Their conversation on the phone was very brief and its context was that she would like to come over at once if his schedule allowed it, to discuss a very important matter with him.

He graciously permitted her to do so.

She had all the attractive qualities – inward and physical – of a blueblood, and when she was announced into his office later, he was struck by them all. He himself wasn’t a blueblood but had risen in social ranks over and over the years and on account of a favour he did the King of Ijebu-Ode, earned himself his traditional title.

Seated now opposite him, she said, “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, sir.”

He rested his hands on his laps. He voiced, “For a beautiful woman like you, I would do anything.”

She stared into his eyes. “I’m sure you mean that,” she opined.

“But of course,” he hastened to buttress his statement.

There was a moment of pregnant silence. It was shattered by her. She opened her mouth. The words didn’t come out smoothly. “I’ve come here –”

Chief Durojaiye broke in. “None of this discomfiture while you’re with me, ma’am. Why the hesitancy? Your coming here suggests to me you want me to be brought into the picture of what’s bothering you. Please feel free to dissect it with me. I don’t know yet what it is, but I certainly know it won’t bring about the end of the world, and, mind you, there’s nothing new under the sun.”

She shook her head gratefully. “I’ll keep all that in mind.” Continuing: “Maybe I should begin this way, sir. Is it true that you were once a debt collector, a receiver in modern day terms?”

He split his lips in a huge grin. “That’s how I started out,” he reminisced. “I’m still in it in a small way. I’ve various other projects now.”

“It’s about that I came to see you,” she said.

Note: This is the first page of Heaven Meet, the third of the short stories in the Oseyiza Oogbodo book, Short Story Galore. More excerpts to follow on this blog. Short Story Galore, and other Oogbodo books are available on Amazon through the link: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/bookshelf