CHAPTER 22
Alero stood at the edge of the site watching as the workmen trudged and scurried around. They were breaking the ground today on the Adeniran Holdings project. It wasn’t really necessary for her to be here but she had wanted the opportunity to see her creation come ‘alive’. It always gave her a high unlike any other to see her drawings being translated into ‘living, breathing’ buildings.
And then she had wanted to see Banjo. Alero smiled to herself as her stomach did a small flip. She had gotten here more than an hour ago and she was yet to see him. The engineers in charge of the project had gone in to see the CEO when they had arrived much earlier in the day but had been told she was not on seat but that the management had been notified of their intentions to break ground today and had given their full support and permission.
She glanced at her watch and decided she had lingered long enough and went to find Chidi, the lead engineer on this team to tell him she was heading out back to the office. One of the workmen pointed to an enclosed space when she asked where Chidi was and she hurried towards it.
She could hear the rumble of male voices as she approached the spot and did a quick survey of her clothes. Those men made her self-conscious with their overt maleness.
“Hey Chidi.” she called out as she stepped into the makeshift office.
“Hey!” Chidi called out in response as he turned from a table where they had spread out sheets of technical drawing. “I was hoping you’d stop by before you headed out.” he continued as he motioned her up to the table. The other three men gathered around the table mumbled various greetings at her.
Alero stepped up to the table as she acknowledged their greetings.
“What’s good? Things are going well outside.” she said.
“Yeah but we have a few questions we need to ask about some spots.” he said as he secured the paper with some weights and began to point out the spots that were as yet unresolved by the team. After almost another hour of arguments and counter arguments, it seemed they had reached a consensus of sort. Alero knew that it was more a truce than a cessation. There would be more unresolved issues popping up before the project would be completed. It was all part of what went into making a building.
She took her leave of them and began making her way to her car. She waved at the guys who were working under the sun and had begun to break out in sweat. The sounds of the earth moving equipments in use blending with the symphony of the lighter tools also being used. It was quite the cacophony but to Alero, it was like music, a well played orchestra.
As she gained her car, she turned to look up at the tall building. It must have been dazzling in its time but age had begun to mellow some of its ‘shininess’. It was still a beauty to behold, but she hoped that the work they would do here would bring it into the new era with grace.
She saw one of the security guards/parking lot attendants walk briskly up to her as she unlocked her car and made to chuck her protective gear unto the back seat.
“Please...Good afternoon Ma...Aunty.” The man greeted haltingly.
“Good afternoon.” Alero greeted as she eyed him in puzzlement.
“Erm...please Aunty are you Miss...” he brought out a piece of paper from his pocket and peered at it. “...Bekere?” he concluded.
“Yes, I am.” Alero answered her puzzlement increasing.
“Ah!” The man’s relief was palpable. He pointed his finger back towards the building. “Our Oga wants to see you before you go.” he announced like he had just achieved a great feat.
“Your Oga?” Alero asked.
“Oga Banjo, I mean, Mr. Adeniran.”
“Alright.”Alero said locking her car and turning back to go into the building.
“Thank you Ma!” The man called excitedly and Alero wondered at what that meant.
She walked up to the Reception Desk and made enquiries on how to get to Mr. Adeniran’s offices. Apparently, they had been expecting her so she was ushered to a lift and escorted to his office.
On getting to his office, it seemed that a meeting was just ending as its participants trailed out of the office just as she and her escort reached it.
“Good afternoon Ma, Sir. Miss Bekere is here with me.” she heard her escort say.
“Right! Send her in please.” she heard Banjo’s voice and a smile lit on her lips. She had never seen him in his office before.
Her escort waved her in and continued towards the lift. Alero stepped into the office, shutting the door behind her.
Her eyes went directly to the large desk behind which sat Banjo in a very sharp-looking suit and looking very much like the executive that he was in this place. Her smile widened and softened as they both took a few precious moments to look over each other as if to assure their hearts that the other looked well.
“Hey!” she greeted smilingly.
“Hey yourself!” Banjo greeted as he came round his desk towards her beaming.
“Mum, this is Alero. Alero meet my mum.”
Alero could barely contain the surprised gasp that came to her lips as she turned towards the low slung sofas that were arranged to one side of the office.
Lounging on one of the sofas was a woman Alero would have recognized even in her sleep, she had read up everything that she could about this woman both on print and electronic media. She had a small, polite smile on her face as she sized Alero up quite blatantly. She was a good looking woman, well put together and wore her wealth subtly but with the power and efficiency of a stealth weapon of mass subjugation.
“Good afternoon Ma!” Alero cringed as her voice came out with breathy nervousness.
Mrs. Adeniran nodded and inclined her head politely. “How do you do Alero? I have heard quite a bit about you.”
Alero’s eyes darted to Banjo questioningly and then back to his mum.
“I’m fine Ma.” Alero responded wondering where to put her hands as she fidgeted in front of the woman.
“Mum...” Banjo began to say something but his mother waved at him dismissively as she got up from her seat.
“I need get back to my office. I’ll speak with you later.” she said and as she passed Alero who was gawking at her in some trepidation, she smiled charmingly. “It was a pleasure,” she said with a thoughtful look in her eyes, “to finally meet you.” She gave a nod and walked majestically from the office.
Alero released the breath she had holding and turned wide-eyed to Banjo.
Banjo took one look at her face and chuckled. “Yeah! She’s a bit much.” he said.
“She...” Alero searched for words. Banjo cocked an eyebrow in question.
“Is mind-blowing!” Alero said. “I don’t think all those publications and magazine interviews quite capture her essence.”
Banjo’s chuckle became full blown laughter. “If she could bottle it up, we’d be set for decades here at Adeniran!” he guffawed. “But we make do with having it envelope us every day for the day.”
“I’d say!” Alero exclaimed as she allowed Banjo steer her into a seat on the sofa. As she sat, she took the time to look around her. It was a nicely appointed office, well suited to an executive in a flourishing company.
She turned back to Banjo with a smile.
“You look really good. I’d never seen you in a suit before.” she commented.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes yourself.” Banjo responded not to be outdone.
Alero felt a blush come to her face.
“I’m a little roughed up. I’ve been on site trying to make some...you know, adjustments.” she said.
“Oh? Nothing too major I hope.” Banjo said as he came to sit beside her with a bottle of water and a glass. As he opened the bottle and poured he continued. “I quite like the design as it is.”
“Nah! Just some restructuring so that the design can hold while it looks good for you.” Alero teased as she took the glass from him and sipped her water.
“Good!”
Alero dropped the glass back on the coffee table a
nd asked. “So did you have some other reason you wanted to see me about or...” she trailed off with a huge grin.
“Or. I just wanted to see you, sweaty and all from site work.” Banjo replied. “Seriously!” he insisted at Alero’s incredulous look. “I wanted to see this aspect of you. You love this so much so I wanted to see you in this mode.” At Alero’s continued incredulous look, he asked. “Am I, like, weird?”
Alero burst into laughter as she wiped the look from her face. She shook her head as she gasped to a stop. “No. I was curious too.” she looked around the office once again and took in the sight of him against that backdrop and nodded smilingly. “You fit.”
“Why, thank you ma’am!” Banjo joked sarcastically, eliciting another giggle from Alero, who then stood up from her seat.
“I need to leave now.” she smiled ruefully as she opened her arms for a hug. Banjo willingly stepped into the embrace.
“You do remember you just called me sweaty?” she teased.
“Yes and you smell nice with it.”
“Now I know you’re weird!”
Banjo gave her a light tap on her back. “I’ll show you weird!” he mock threatened.
They stepped apart and stood starring at each other, each seemingly reluctant to break the connection.
“I don’t want to keep you longer than necessary.” Banjo finally said. “I’ll talk to you later?”
“Sure.” Alero answered as she stepped out of the office.
“Thanks for having me stop by. I like seeing you in your zone.” she said as the lift came and he handed her into it.
“I liked having you.” Banjo smiled like a thrilled schoolboy. “Enjoy your day.” he said on a wave as the lift door snapped shut. Alero leaned against the wall of the lift with a sigh.
‘Love is exhausting.’ she thought. She was constantly breathless around this guy. Still she walked out into the sunlight with a bounce in her steps.