Koo Hima The Bossman
©Cobby Grant: Episode 2
Koo Hima drove through the large gates of the Office Complex and expertly parked in his allotted spot.
He had so far resisted the advice of his wife and associates to hire a driver.
“How can a driver employ another driver to drive him?” had always been his response to such requests.
The mere sight of the Office fills him with pride, accompanied by a sense of purpose.
He greeted all of his employees as he passed by them on his way to his office.
Even though he was a just employer, he was also a perfectionist and demanded absolute loyalty from all. He paused, continued past his own office and went to the accountant’s office. He popped his head through the slightly opened door and, for a split second, froze.
His secretary was sitting at the table with the accountant, and he was in the process of buttoning her shirt for her.
“Kofi, see me in my office in 10 minutes,” he said crisply and retreated before they could recover from their shock.
“Ohh, my God,” Emma, the Secretary, cried, looking at the empty doorway with guilt.
In his Office, Koo Hima whistled tonelessly as he looked at the few files in his ‘IN’ box. He could hear Emma rustling in the outer office as if to let him know that she was going about her duties with diligence.
She had tried once to flirt with him, but his angry reaction had completely cured her of that madness. Now she was as proper as possible.
In exactly 7 minutes, Kofi, the accountant, knocked and entered, looking as if a bucket of cold water had been poured on him. He stood, his hands behind him.
“Sit!” Koo Hima instructed with steel and then called in Emma, instructing her to take minutes of the meeting.
“Kofi, have you sent the cheques I signed for SSNIT contributions?”
“Not yet, sir,” he replied, his mouth suddenly dry.
“Have you finished tabulating the last two months’ overtime due for payments?”
“I’m on it, sir.”
“OK. Have you done the costing for the safety equipment I asked for last week?”
Kofi stammered as he tried to answer the question.
“OK. You may go now. Both of you,” he curtly said and transferred his attention to the file in front of him. They left quickly, clamouring for space in the doorway, as each wanted to be the first one out. He smiled as he saw the drama from the corners of his eye.
He actually had no intention of firing the guy. He really was a competent accountant, but his recent work rate had been abysmal, to say the least. Maybe it was Emma who was distracting him. He came in highly recommended.
“I hope he changes for his own good,” he said and called Emma on the intercom.
“Have you typed my meeting with Kofi?” he asked without preamble, keeping his voice frosty.
“Almost done, sir,” she replied nervously and made it look like she was going back to finish it.
“Wait,” he said, “Is the job too much for you? Maybe I should employ someone to assist you. One of those unemployed university graduates would fit in perfectly.”
“Sir, it is not too much for me. I can do it alone,” she said, trembling at the mere thought of losing her job or having someone who had a higher certificate compete with her for her job.
“Now go finish typing the damned minutes,” he growled, sending fear down her spine.
Koo spent the whole day working in his office.
During the day, Kofi cleared his table of everything that was required of him. He even did the out-of-office errands and submitted the reports before the end of the day.
Koo Hima was impressed, but he refrained from complimenting him on the good work done. Not even when Emma brought in the minutes did he say ‘thank you’. He was going to make them sweat as long as possible to keep them on their toes.
Finally, after working past the usual closing time, he closed up and bade the rest of the technical staff goodbye, but he could see from the corner windows that Kofi was still at post. He nodded his head with satisfaction.
Impulsively, he decided to pass by his favourite supermarket to buy his wife her favourite biscuits. The type that had chocolates in them.
“Hey Koo,” a silky voice called, and he swirled around to behold a sexily dressed lady of absolute beauty. He stared in confusion not sure he knew her.
“Don’t tell me you don’t recognise me,” she said, pouting her lips in mock anger.
He smiled sheepishly, suddenly feeling inadequate.
She extended her hand towards him for a handshake. He took it and was floored by how soft her palm was.
“I am Ama Bediako,” she said in a voice that tinkled like a tinny bell.
“Please forgive me, but your name doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Why don’t you follow me to my Pub to refresh your memory?”
He hesitated, but she pressed and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
He reasoned that he needed to go home to his wife, but she replied that she just wanted to show him her place of business.
“Maybe you might want to host one of those charity balls of yours there,” she said in a pleading tone.
He thought, why not, as she said it was just around the corner.
He bought his biscuits, dropped them in the car and followed her Jeep.
It wasn’t far, and it was on his homebound route, too, so he relaxed when they got there.
He had heard of the Pub but had never been there. It had a sports section where a large TV streamed live sports, notably the Premier League and all the major European leagues. There was also a large area for drinking and another for fast food, and it housed a Spa too, with all the modern equipment.
He was impressed.
Now that we’re here, what are you going to do with me?” the words were out of his mouth before he could think of their implications. It must be a bright light. He really must be on his way to his wife.
She regarded him coolly.
“We first met in France at the conference of downstream businesses, and then I espied you in Dubai with an ebony black beauty,” she told him, her eyes boring into his.
He shook his head to clear his mind of the intoxicating effect her eyes were having on him.
“I see,” he said casually. That’s my wife. So, how did you know my name?”
She laughed.
“Who doesn’t know you, Mr Koo Hima, the man who doesn’t lose in town.”
Koo was able to leave after assuring her that he was going to consider her place any time he was going to host a party.
He drove away from there without looking back.
Later in the night, after dinner where the favourite biscuits had been presented and admired and with Kwame insisting on having his lion’s share, all’s calm and normal when Kwame went to bed.
Koo and Judith, as usual, had found their way to the big couch watching TV and briefing each other on how each other’s day went.
She was lying on it with her head on his lap when he got a phone call from a strange number.
“Hello. Who am I talking to, please?”
“It’s me, Ama,” a husky female voice replied.
“Ama?” he said, feeling his wife freeze, and then he remembered, “Ohh, Ama Bediako. How are you doing?”
“Got it. I’m calling to see whether you got home safely.”
“Ohh sure. Am home.”
“In bed?”
“Sure,” he said, getting irritated. Judith coughed.
“Eii, is that your wife?”
“Yes.”
“Goodnight then,” she quickly said and cut the call.
Judith remained silent. She was not one to rush into saying anything in such situations. She knew and trusted her man and had no doubt that it was just an innocent call.
“Let’s go to bed,” she said and gave him a deep, lingering kiss.
“Carry me,” he said, with a mischievous grin on his face.
“In your dreams,” she said and hit him with a balled paper napkin and took off towards the bedroom laughing.
“I’ll get you. You’ll see,” he said, in pursuit.
Ama Bediako remained still long after the end of the phone call, pulling deeply on the joint between her fingers. This is going to be a long chase, but it will be worth it.
She picked up the pictures again and stared at the glossy images of her and Koo Hima in the Bar.
“Come to bed, sweetheart. You worry too much. He’s dead meat,” the pot-bellied man on the bed said in a gruff voice.
#readforlifefoundation#
It’s time for a refill…
Story shared with author Cobby Grant’s permission.
Tbc
