After driving around the same block for 10 minutes, I gave up. Google maps 1, Blair 0.

I parked close to a security post on the block and asked a smart looking security guard 

“Please where is the South South office located”

“Top floor” he said pointing to the top of the sky high building I was parked around. 

Nice, hidden in plain sight. 

I squinted my eyes and saw a small white sign board at the top of the building, the sun had blocked it out of view. 

“Thank you, where do i park please”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“Yes” I showed my placement letter, The security nodded in approval. 

“Please wait” I was handed a tab to sign in and a tag that said Visitor.
“You’ll get a permanent tag later” 

“Thank you”

“Go to the other security, he’ll show you where to park” 

I looked ahead and saw a younger security guard waving his traffic wand at me. 

I drove into an underground parking lot and parked close to the Exit. Wonderful. I still had a good 40 minutes before work started officially. 

I took out my makeup bag and got to work. I had to look good for my first day. 

I worked my eye liner, mascara and lip liner. Hmm gloss or lipstick? Lipstick, gloss looks very student-y.

I heard the squealing of tires and loud rev of a car, someone was speeding into the parking lot. I thought the car was going to crash into the wall just before it stopped and reversed at the rear end of the parking lot. Who the hell does that, I don’t think anyone would be late at this time. I checked my watch. 7:25am. Sigh, and it’s these metal polluting machines. 

I saw a young man in a suit rush out. I focused on looking a bit more presentable.

I exchanged my slippers for black ALDO heels Ma gave me. 

I picked up my bag and got out. I made my way to the red sign that said Elevator, the doors were just about to close, “Hold!” I shouted

Someone held their hand out to hold the doors  open just before they closed. 

I walked as briskly as I could in these heels and quickly got in. 

“Thanks”

It was Me. Fast and furious. The elevator was really cold, I hated cold spaces so much. Apart from the fact that Air Conditioners contributed to melting glaciers, they made my nipples show through my blouse. I folded my arms. 

I looked at the elevator buttons, what floor do I even get off on.

“I’m Damien” 

I turned around a little too fast, I stumbled a little. 

Damien reached out to grab me… ‘i’m good thank you”

Way to go Blair, clumsy much?

“I’m Blair”

“Nice” he said with a smirk, what the hell is he smiling about. I don’t know why I was so annoyed by his presence. 

He looked like an intern too, but he acted comfortable, it wasn’t his first day. I focused on the elevator buttons to figure out where I got out…and away from this stranger. 

There were so many buttons on this elevator, I frowned, I hated looking silly. 

“South to south?”

How did he know? Right the tag.

“Yes”

“I’m going there too”

“Last floor, 13”

“Thank you,” I replied. I quickly turned around. I’m sure there was a sign on my head that said social anxiety. 

There was a high pitched ping, that was my cue. 

 I got out, the office was beautiful. I walked up to the reception desk. There was a beautiful looking young woman behind the desk. She had long box braids packed neatly in a bun. She looked stunning. I looked at her name tag “Nana Ama” it read

‘Hi I’m my name is Blair, I’m here for my national service” I introduced myself

“Yes, right this way, please wait here”

She showed me to the lounge, it looked very comfortable, well lit with bubble sofas scattered around and newsletters of the office stacked neatly by coffee tables around. It was a large lounge. 

“I’ll get back to you right away, I’m waiting for the others so I can show you to the conference room for your orientation” 

“Thank you”
“We have snacks and coffee at the snack bar”

“Thank you”

“Where Is the washroom please?”  asked

“ Down the hall to your left” she instructed

“Thank you Nana Ama” 

She smiled. That’s an easy way to make a friend, let people know you see them. 

I left my bag on the sofa and made my way to the female washroom

It was well lit with floral tiles and potted plants. Pretty. 

I looked in the mirror. I looked okay. I had on a dark green blouse, a pencil skirt and stiletto heels. 

I had on teardrop earrings and a matching necklace Dad gave me for my 19th birthday and my smart watch. 144 steps in already, I have a long way to go. 

I patted my hair down a little and started to fluff my puff when the door swung open. 

“Shoot shoot shoot, No!” a young lady said as she clutched the left side of her shirt, shaking it frantically

“Are you okay?” I asked. 

She looked up at me, I could barely see her whole face as her bob covered most of it, but she was pretty. She looked at me through her fox eye lashes “Coffee” she mumbled. 

She picked a tissue and started wiping away the stain. 

“One second,”  I walked back to the lounge and looked through my bag, I picked an antiseptic wipe and rushed back to the washroom. 

‘Here you go’ I gave the wipes to  her, 

“Thanks”

I looked in the mirror again. I was a little nervous, but I looked good. 

“Lily” she stretched out her hand and I took it

“Blair” I introduced myself. 

“You don’t look ghanaian, but you sound it”

“The forehead eh! I get that a lot” we both laughed

“I get that a lot, My mom is Ghanaian but my Dad is Ethiopian”

She looked like she was holding back a giggle

“I know, I know interesting collabo”

“Collabo” she mimicked and then let out a laugh. 

“Who even says it like that” 

We both giggled. 

I looked at my watch. “We should go now”

“Yeah, we should”

Lily opened the door and took the lead I followed right behind her. I’m straight but damn, that girl’s got ass for days. 

Let me focus. 

We sat in the lounge and I crossed my legs which made them look longer…and hotter. These damn ALDO stilettos. I smiled, good. 

I took out my ipad and went through the notes I made about the company. The lobby started to fill up with a few more people wearing visitor tags. I could feel someone staring at me, I looked up. 

It was fast and furious, he was by the coffee table with a cup in his hand. He caught my eye halfway through a sip and choked on a gulp. 

I shook my head and looked away. 

There were about six interns in the lobby. Nana Ama approached us

“Okay ladies and gentlemen, you’re welcome to the South to South head office in Ghana, My name is Nana Ama and I’ll be your chaperone for today. Please follow me, we will be starting your orientation soon”

I picked up my bag and followed the train to the conference room. It was so cold. I hated the cold. Four years in Cambridge and I never get used to it. 

“Please take your seats, your facilitator will be with you soon”

The room was spacious and well lit. There was another snack bar to the back left, close to the entrance, a wide screen and a projector took up most of the front of the room. I looked around for Lily. I caught her waving at me slightly and I smiled. 

‘Well let’s get to it guys!” I spun around to see who that was

“My Name is Eva and I’ll be your facilitator. I've seen your profiles so I know we're dealing with a talented bunch. Ok round of introductions everyone”

Eva as a giant, well compared to my 5’11 frame she was. She had on a long honey dyed body wave wig, Gold earrings and a bright pink knee length dress that hugged her body in all the right places, she looked fabulous. This was bound to be interesting. 

Eva pointed to a tall lanky looking guy at the front of the round table to start the introductions

His name was Nicholas, he just graduated from Harvard, top of his class, Business and Marketing  and had 3 awards from the Global Debate Society. He looked smart and had the facial structure of a model and he knew it, he kept smirking at the room and fondling his gold watch. Yeah bro we get it. 

Next was Bree who was a top creative, self taught. Worked for top brands like Nike, Google and Meta, never went to college and she volunteered with a local charity that helped young kids with speech disabilities, she was partly deaf. She was as tall as me, had pink and purple strands of color in her afro.She had multiple piercings, and I spotted a tattoo or two, she looked uncomfortable in her black blouse and pants, I’d bet she had to dress up for her first day, 

Paa was the Student president of Ashesi, graduated top of his class, had a computer science degree, loved dogs and recently launched a software that helps connect dog owners to vets in their area. Paa was built like a gorilla, I bet if you run into him it’ll feel like a wall. He had a nice fade and a well trimmed beard. He looked decent and nerdy. 

“Hi I’m Summer” the girl seated two seats away to my left started. She was a best selling author and a model, graduated top of her class from ALU in communications. Summer looked like a contrast to her name. She had dark skin with pitch black hair, she looked more of a delicious forest berry, I could see why she was a model, she had a beautiful face, she was tall and slender and from the way she sat, she knew her poses. 

‘Hi I’m Lily, I’m the former president of the Red Cross young adult society. I’m a medical doctor, I just finished my residency at Ridge hospital and I’m excited to be here”

Lily was a little taller than I was, slim, thick and she looked like she worked out, she had caramel skin that complemented her peach blouse, impeccable make up and  amazing hair. 

Eva motioned for me to introduce myself and I realised I was next. 

“Hi I’m Blair, former student representative of Cambridge 2020/2021, I was also the Executive Deputy for Youth Commonwealth council 2021 to 2023. I love art and music and I’m excited to be here”

Sigh, I think I did okay, 

“Okay, now that we know ourselves…let’s get straight into our day,I’m the head of Knowledge management and training her at South South, can anyone tell me about what we do here at South South”

Everyone’s hands went up. 

“Okay Lily..”

And Lily went straight for the kill

“South South is a developmental  humanitarian organisation that prioritises the health, well being and development of specific groups such as women and children, young people, people with disabilities and refugees, it wa established in 2000 by Philanthropist and Businessman Rowdy Craw who saw the need for humanitarian aid on his trip to Asia in 1990”

“Wow, that is detailed, thank you Lily, Let’s move on to the programs we have here at the West African regional office her in Accra…can anyone tell me about that, yes Nicholas”

The discussions went on for about an hour, my head started to hurt, maybe forcing my afro into a puff on my first day wasn’t the best idea. 

“Okay let’s take a 20 minutes break, then we will have the head of IT onboard you with your official phones and laptops”

Wonderful. I walked to the snack table and luckily there was chamomile tea, perfect to get this headache away. 

I picked a few cookies and sat down with a cup of tea. I was just about to plug in my airpods when someone called me. It was Nicholas. 

“Hi” responded with a smile. “Impressive profile”

“Lol I try” I said, I really wasn’t up for small talk now, My breakfast was melting away and I could feel hunger pangs taking over. 

“Maybe we should catch up over lunch one of these days”
“Sure, I don’t mind” I replied..I just need my space. 

I munched on the cookies and tea, I felt a bit better. Lol, I was probably just hungry. I checked the time, It was 10:30 am already, wow time does fly. Ten more minutes before we have IT come in. 

I went back to the snack station to return my saucer and cup, just then fast and furious walked in with a laptop in hand followed by another guy pushing a trolley with new laptop and phones.

“Don’t mind me I’m just setting up, I know your break isn’t over yet”  FF said (Let’s call Fast and furious FF)

I got an imessage “He’s fine”

I looked up at Lily and smiled, she couldn’t be serious right now

focus Dr. i texted back

rotflol I smiled at her text, she was impossible. I think I like her vibe. 

“Okay I’m sure time is up now, please settle down, my name is Damien Brown and I’ll be taking you though our security and IT protocol, this is my associate Fisher, he will be setting you up with your devices soon, please take one phone and laptop each and pass it round till everyone has one” 

“Done, right, let’s get right into it”

For the next hour and half, I half listened, half daydreamed through the session. IT was a bit boring for me but I tried to pay attention, I was getting hungry again. 

“Okay I hope you all understand our standard procedures, communication lines and protocols? Do we have any questions?” Fast and Furious asked. 

A few questions came from Lily..this girl is flirting already. She was smiling sheepishly at Damien like she had won the lottery, I felt sad for him already. 

“Well it’s lunch time and I wouldn’t want to keep you a second longer, Please move to the lunch room for lunch and if you have any questions, I’m in room 309”

Finally we got to lunch, my favourite part of the day. 

I made my way to the lunch room. It was pretty neat and comfortable, almost like a mini hotel. 

I went up to the reception for my lunch card and headed to the buffet. 

Lily followed right behind me, 

“I think I’ve found my soulmate” she squealed

“You barely know the guy Lily” I rolled my eyes

“Blair, the guy is so fine, I couldn’t even focus”

“Well you have to try then” I gave her a wink

She let out a squeal

“Shush, you’re going to draw attention to us”

Why was I even encouraging this hopeless romantic. 

“You dropped this” I almost ran into Damien head on at the end of the buffet, 

“Sorry” I mumbled. 

He handed my my airpods, “thanks, I didn’t notice I lost it”

“I did, you should be more cautious”

“I will”

“Thank you Damien That was so sweet” Lily said

He nodded briefly and walked away. 

That was interesting. He wasn’t having lunch, did he come to the lunch to look for me

“I want to have his babies Blair”

“Get a hold of yourself Lily” 

This girl was a goner

“You’re even saying thank you on my behalf, wow”

“I hope I get posted to IT”

“You’re a Doctor” I rolled my eyes

“Yeah but what if I have a newfound interest in IT”

She bit her lip

“You are impossible” We both laughed. 

‘Let’s try and make it through the first day first okay”

We walked to a table close to the windows. I had a colourful plate of mashed potatoes, gravy, smoked sausages and green chili pepper.

Lily had jollof and Turkey. 

We dug into our lunch quickly and I grabbed an apple juice before we headed out. 

We found our way back to the conference room and I was wishing the day was over already. 

‘Okay Listen up everyone. You have some mandatory online certificate courses to finish up from IT, so I’m going to let you do that for the rest of the day and then you can close. Don’t forget to sign out on your devices and take your phones along with you. Enjoy!”

Wonderful. I opened my laptop and quickly set it up. It took me a while but I  finished two  out of three courses, the last one wasn’t due until the end of the week. I looked at the time and It was 3:30, well I had to get ahead of the traffic at Ridge junction. 

I told Lily I was leaving and picked up my bag to go.

“Hey Blair, how was your first day?” Nana Ama asked

“Wonderful, I loved lunch” 

“That’s great, see you tomorrow”

“See you!”

I made my way to the elevator just as it was about to close, “hold please!”

Someone stretched out their hand to hold the doors open. 

It was Fast and Furious

“Thanks”

“Second time today” he said

“Sorry”

“Oh i’m just kidding I don’t mind”

“Thank you” I said again

“You’re welcome” he replied

The elevator was thick with nervous heartbeats, I couldn’t wait to get to the parking lot. 

“Do you need a ride?” he asked

“Oh no I got it” I said jungling my car keys

“Great, see you tomorrow”

“See you “ I said, I hope not. Sigh, It’s too early to tell if he’s just being nice or flirting, there's always a thin line. Sigh, he made me nervous. 

I put on my favourite indie pop playlist and drove home, I managed to dodge a bit of traffic. I made it home by 5pm. 

I asked the security to plug in my car for tomorrow and made my way upstairs to my room. Mom was asleep. She’s been a bit tired lately, I hope she’s okay. 

I quickly stripped my clothes and put them in the laundry basket and changed into my gym clothes. I picked up my headset and headed to the gym in the basement. 

My phone rang as I just starters to jog on the treadmill It was my best friend- Mawusi

“Hey baby girl, whats up” I placed the phone in the holder as I jogged, she looked excited and bubbly

“How was your first day girlllll?”

“I smiled, aren’t you the one for gossip?” she giggled

“Tell me everything, are the guys hot?”

“Is that all you know?”

We both laughed. I slowed my jog into a fast walk and told her all about my day, she was particularly interested in Mr. Fast and Furious.

“I think he likes you”

“;Lily will kill me I responded”

Yeah, that’ll be dicey. 

“Besides, I don’t see him like that, I’m talking to Kofi you Know?”

“She rolled her eyes, just give up B-bear” she said

“Kofi Isn’t coming back, he’s in Afghanistan, when was the last time you heard of him, mm?”

“He will text me soon, I’m sure he’s quite busy, it’s not exactly a playground”

“I hope you’re right Blair”

“I am”  I said, ending the conversation. 

Kofi loved me, I’m sure of it. We’ve been dating for three years now. I was against him joining the Army but his mom insisted. His family was deeply political and this was their strategy to get him to fit in before he started his political career. We barely talk now because the situation had escalated a few months ago at his station. They had to keep clear of all radio lines and internet access. I prayed everyday that he was okay. 

I heard Dad pull up in the driveway and quickly ended my workout. 

Dinner would be served soon and I didn’t want to miss it. This workout made me hungry. 

Dad sat at dinner with Ma and I and we said a prayer before we started eating. Everyone spoke about their day, I told Dad I liked the place, it seemed like something I could do for a while. 

Ma was getting tired more often, Dad suggested she see the doctor, which scared me. Ma had been really sick in the past. I hope she’s okay. 

I took an early exit from dinner and went upstairs. 

I checked my email and messaging apps again, like I did every night. No message from Kofi. I sighed. I put on my favourite show and drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow was another Day. 

………………………………………………

Author’s Note:

This was a Long Chapter, I hope you loved it. I haven’t been around for the last two days, but I’ll do my best to upload a chapter a day.

Leave your comment’s below.

What do you think, does Damien like Blair?