THE ROMANTIC OFFICE SAGA: PART 69

THE ROMANTIC OFFICE SAGA: PART 69

“I also heard there was a nice lady called Zuhura who worked at the restaurant there. Where did she go?” Sally asked.

“She just failed to come one day, and that was it, no one knows where she disappeared to.” I told Sally, but I did not know what was her interest in Zuhura.

=======

“Do not go to work, make sure you finish your bedrest.” Sally told me as she left for work that morning. But I did not heed that since I went to work at around 10 am.

“Welcome back, how are you feeling?” Carol told me upon seeing me.

“I am fine, just feeling weak.” I told Carol. 

“You must have been sick. You were calling me Sally before you fainted. I wish you rested more.” Carol said.

I went into employee records and took Luke’s number.

“Tony, how are you feeling?” Boss asked me upon seeing me and I told her I was ok.

I knew in the audit report required, the ICT audit was the simplest part, the other audit involved a lot of paper work and most of them were kept in Irene’s office so I knew I had to go to her office.

“Good morning, Irene.” I told her as I got into her office.

“Good morning, Tony, please welcome.” She told me smiling. 

“There is an audit report that we need to do and it requires your input, my input and Finance Manager’s input. I suggest we hold a meeting at Sally’s office and see the way forward.” I told Irene.

“Oh! No problem. Give me a few minutes I am coming.” Irene told me. However, we went together to Sally’s office and I told Carol to accompany me as her input would also be necessary. 

Sally wasn’t happy to see me there as I had defied her suggestion that I rest a little bit more.

===========

Sally’s office however proved to be smaller and we moved our meeting to our board room. 

“I would want to access all invoices, receipts, bank statements, deposit slips and any other document from the finance department that was under Irene. From IT department I want all electronic records for the last 3 years and the most recent system log from It department and more so from the IFMIS for the company, a list of fixed and current assets and cash flow.” Sally began and briefed each one of us what she wanted to have.

“Sally, I am unable to trace some of the receipts more so of over 1 year, some might have been displaced.” Irene said.

“It is your duty to ensure that I get them, you can go for copies from the suppliers. Check from your purchases in all order’s books and you will be able to trace them.” Sally told Irene.

“Ok, I will give you all that I can get.” Irene told Sally. 

“Tony, how soon can I get your report?” Sally asked.

“In two weeks’ time you can get it.” I told her.

“Irene, let me know if you need my help.” Sally told Irene.

“No, problem, I can manage.” Irene told Sally but she did not say within what timeframe.

“Please make it soon. It is paramount.” Sally told Irene.

We discussed a lot more about the financial outlook of the company and since I was the one responsible for all electronic purchases, it was easy to give out the records. However, Irene was being dodgy in all requests and I knew it would be difficult to get much from her.

We had a meeting of about 2 hours and by the time we were done, it was already lunch time.

We all headed for the café and I met Collins already eating.

“Welcome back brother, you look thinner, this malaria must have been too bad on you, eat more food you will recover faster.” Collins told me.

Delilah served us food. I sat with Collins discussing just general politics and current affairs as the ladies sat opposite us in a different table. Collins kept stealing glances towards the ladies all through. 

“Delilah, where have you been getting your supplies? I noted that the place you are buying is expensive. Come to my office I will show you where to be buying your restaurant supplies.” Sally told Delilah after we were done with taking our lunch.

However, there was a lot of tension between Sally and Irene and I knew it was a matter of time before they began dramas. But I knew Irene felt a bit apprehensive of Sally since according to her job description, it was not possible for Irene to press for Finance manager dismissal. 

===========

“Tony, you better be careful with these two ladies, I am foreseeing a major fight between the two. They nearly caused a drama at the hospital when you were in a coma. Were it not for Sally who generally avoided confrontations with Irene, they would have fought. Worse, it was Irene who took you to hospital in her car!” Carol told me when we settled back at office.

“I will meet with Irene and tell her it is over between me and her. I don’t care about her anymore. After all, what was she thinking conning us?” I told Carol.

“If I was Irene, I would resign. This is too much to handle. A lady who you used to command around now being your boss and not just that, taking a man, you thought was yours? That is humiliating enough.” Carol told me.

“I came to later know that it was Irene who plotted for Sally’s dismal, so it must be a shocker that Sally is back and above her in rank; I know it is not easy for her.” I told Carol.

“Tony, I know you are not going to like what I am telling you, but be careful. Irene is a crazy woman she can do anything. In case you haven’t noted, she has been so calm when handling either you or Sally. Extreme calm precedes a storm. Do not mistake her calmness for withdrawal she may be plotting against either you or Sally, or both of you!” Carol told me.

Carol’s statement hit me hard. It was true Irene was unusually calm around us. I had not noticed. Probably due to my sickness or I was too busy with Sally to even realize that. 

“Carol, thank you for that insight. I had not noticed that!” I told Carol.

“I am a woman, I know how women think. I was once a drama queen and I know what am talking about. You are free to ask me anything as a friend.” Carol told me.

“No problem.” I told Carol.

“By the way, between Irene and Sally who will be preparing our salaries?” Carol asked.

“I am not so sure, it should be Sally but Irene will handle that for some time until Sally gets to know more and take over. Why ask?” I asked Carol.

“Our salary is late with 3 days, I know the last one week has been too tough for you, you would not notice that.” Carol told me.

Sure enough, I confirmed and our salaries was late, in fact, it had not even reflected in our accounts. 

“Let me go to Sally’s office, I will be back.” I told Carol and left her doing some work.

I knocked and Sally told me, “Come in.”

I found her busy balancing some income and expenditures in the IFMIS.

“Sally, our Salary is late with 3 days. I don’t know of you are aware of that.” I told Sally.

“Really, I am not aware too. I told Irene to deposit employee’s salaries 5 days ago.” Sally wondered.

“Well, there is no salary in our accounts.” I told Sally. She picked the phone extension and called Irene’s extension.

“Irene, why haven’t you deposited employee’s salaries in their accounts?” Sally asked Irene.

“I was waiting for your signature.” Irene told Sally.

“But you have not brought to me the payroll for signing, bring it right now.” Sally told Irene and hung up.

Irene brought the payroll to Sally.

“Here it is.” Irene told Sally. Sally scrutinized the whole of it and appended her signature.

“What are you doing now?” Sally asked Irene.

“The work you have given me.” Irene said.

“Just stop what you are doing, go and deposit the salaries and notify me once you are done. We cannot keep people waiting for their salaries up to now.” Sally told Irene.

Irene left.

“I wonder why she had not deposited people’s salaries. She could have brought me the payroll to sign. Anyway, thanks for reminding me.” Sally said.

“Let me go back to my office, we shall discuss more later.” I told Sally and left.

“Salary issue has been taken care of. Irene has gone to deposit for us.” I told Carol as soon as I returned to our office.

“Why would Irene withhold our salaries?” Carol wondered.

“I wonder too.” I said.

Since I wanted to be able to do most of the work at home, I completed the link to our company server and also took a backup of the entire system and set it up in my personal laptop. I also had planned to show Sally some operations in the system.

===========

“You know if directors realize people had not been paid on time, the blame will be on me since those are my duties, not Irene’s anymore. It is the boss who suggested she be preparing the payroll to ease my duties.” Sally told me as we sat to eat in the evening.

“I would suggest you take over all your roles, Irene will mess you.” I told Sally.

“It is the madam boss who divided the roles.” Sally told me. With how close Irene and boss were, I knew it was going to be difficult to follow up on that.

“Anyway, I wish to call Luke, let me brief him on what we needed.” I told sally.

“Can’t you finish eating first?” Sally asked me but I insisted.

I picked my phone and called Luke. I put the loud speaker so that Sally would also follow the conversation.

---------------

ME: Hello.

LUKE: Hello, who is this?

ME: Tony, we used to work together…

LUKE: Oh! Tony, I remember you. Long time brother how have you been?

ME: Fine, how are you?

LUKE: I am fine too. Just struggling with life here and there.

ME: Luke, I need your help if you don’t mind.

LUKE: Yes, brother. How may I help you?

ME: There was this financial audit report you had produced, where you had implicated Irene with some financial irregularities in our company. Do you remember?

LUKE: Yes, yes, I remember.

ME: Now, we need to make such a report but we are a little stuck, would you mind telling us how you did it, the procedures, and anything helpful?

LUKE: (Some silence), hmm ok. But….

ME: But what….

LUKE: I regret doing that, I should never have tried to do that.

ME: What do you mean, Luke?

LUKE: Actually, this was what happened. What Irene said was the truth. There was no such a thing. I tried to seduce Irene. When Irene told us she was a virgin, I felt in love with her, so I tried my luck on her but she refused to accept me. I threatened her that I will sabotage her work if she refuses my advances. She dared me to and that is why I manipulated the company’s records to try to spoil her name. I wanted her to get fired and go far away where I cannot see her. I felt so humiliated by her refusal to accept me. She even called me uncircumcised Luo and I felt so bad. I could have done anything to teach her a lesson not to ever say such a thing to a man. But I did not know that an external auditor would be called. I tried to tell the auditor to lie for my sake but he refused. He gave out the accurate report. I knew once he proved me wrong I would get fired so I even stole some money from the company, about Kshs 200,000 so that I would go and begin a business. And here I am.

I am sorry, I lied to the whole company but it did not work out how I expected it. Irene is innocent; it was so stupid of me.

ME: Luke, tell me you are joking!! (Exclaiming)

LUKE: True, I am not joking, I am not lying. You can hire another auditor to do that and you will get similar results as Alex. I am sorry. I even confessed my sins to God and repented. I shall never do that again.

ME: (Feeling hopeless over Luke’s statements), Luke, I don’t know what to tell you, but all the same. Thank you for your information. So, are you trying to tell me any audit we shall do we cannot get what you claimed?

LUKE: You won’t get a thing; your results will be similar to Alex’s results. It is an exercise of futility. You will hire another auditor at a cost of Kshs 3 million and still get the same thing.

ME: Ok, Luke. Thank you for your time. I appreciate your revelation. And please keep in touch.

LUKE: Cool brother, in case you hear of any opportunity please let me know. My business is not doing any better.

ME: I will inform you. Good bye and have a nice time.

I disconnected the call.

-------------

I was shocked but Sally was more than shocked.

“What exactly did Luke just say? Oh! My God! I cannot believe that. So, Irene is innocent after all? Jesus Christ! Then my job is as good as over there. “Sally said.

“That is madness! Why would Luke do that?” I said.

“Did you hear he just said that Irene was a virgin and that is why he admired her. Was Irene indeed a virgin?” Sally’s question caught me off-guard. Luke had just revealed something that Sally had not known from me as I did not go to such details.

“Yes, she was.” I told Sally silently, almost whispering.

Sally looked at me keenly for some time as if studying me and then laughed.

“Did you just say yes?” Sally asked.

“Yes, what is funny?” I asked Sally wondering what was that all about.

“You men are so gullible. It takes a woman knowing the herbs that my grandmother showed me and all men will believe all women are virgins, including prostitutes.” Sally told me. Her statement struck me hard. So, could Irene have lied to me she was a virgin just to hood wink me? Sally continued.

“We, ladies know the value of virginity to men. We know men feel so proud when they break a lady’s virginity. Some men can even marry such a lady! So, if a lady who is not a virgin wants to win a man’s heart and trust, all she does is get those herbs, do her thing and the man will go chest thumping that he broke a virgin. Irene was not a virgin.” Sally said and laughed again.

I felt cheated.

“Why would she do that?” I asked Sally.

“Because she wanted you so much, she was desperate to retain you. She could have done anything to win your trust. But then again, I don’t know, probably she was indeed a virgin though I find it hard to believe she was. Women are cunning my dear.” Sally told me.

“Are you cunning?” I asked Sally, she laughed.

“Even if I was, I would not show you directly.” Sally told me, then looked at me.

“Now what?” I asked, not referring to anything in particular.

“Two things you so believed could be false: one, you believed Irene was a virgin, probably she was not. Two, we believed Irene was embezzling company’s funds to finance her expensive lifestyle, probably she was not, maybe she is just a hard-working woman.” Sally told me with a finality.

“And directors expect a report from you…” I told Sally.

She just nodded silently and asked, “So, what am I to do?”

>>>To be continued>>>

As narrated by Dr. Love