Dan Okwiri
Penning my journal, once worked in the corporate world with a diligent bloke named John in the 90s. He had unwavering dedication to his job in inflight division, his colleagues revered his integrity and determination. But little did he know that within the confines of his office, a serpent lurked in the form of a colleague, Wangechi. Wangechi was bitchy, pretty, back-stabbing, cunning and ambitious owl. Pentagon characteristics that waters the corporate fields. Always on the prowl for opportunities to advance her career, even if it meant stabbing someone’s back. A schemer, and stealth swimmer in corporate maze with ambition to do-what-it-takes to rise and prize. When a prestigious position popped, she latched the golden opportunity to scale ladder.
John, on the other hand, had been laboring diligently on a critical company project for months which would restructure the inflight department. He had burnt ceaseless candles to ensure its success, and everyone in the office knew that he was the ideal candidate for promotion. John blissfully ignorant of the politics that winded him, unaware of the impending betrayal that would bullet him.
One fateful morning, as John was meticulously preparing a presentation on his ongoing project, Wangechi approached John with a seemingly helpful gesture. A facade she had perfected over the years. She approached John with candy smile: “Hey, John, heard our big cheese is looking for someone to be Country Manager Atingua. I thought you should be the first to know. It’s a great opportunity.”
John was sugared by Wangechi’s milk of kindness. He drizzled her with gratitude for her apparent support and confided in her, “Oh, Wangechi, been working hard in this project, think I’m the right fit for that shoe. Grateful you spilled it to me.”
With serpent concern, Wangechi patted him on the back and stroked him, a goat for butchery. She knew that Antingua hadn’t been doing so well, the immediate country manager had resigned. The company intended to shut the station, as it wasn’t meeting its budget. “Know you’re perfect for the shoe, John. You’ve put in so much effort, and you deserve it. I’ll even put in a good word for you with our big cheese.”
Unbeknownst to John, Wangechi had sinister motives. She knew that by convincing him to pursue the promotion, she could capitalize in his absence and the power vacuum it would opportune. John in dark of the hell hole that awaited him, followed Wangechi’s advice and applied for the coveted position, which he clinched.
John pumped his heart, sweat and soul into his new country manager role, though freely helped Wangechi on the project. Wangechi, seized the steak, swooped in and skillfully presented John’s unfinished work as her own to the senior management. The project received rave and fave reviews, Wangechi was promoted to the position that she had desired, head of inflight.
Things went south for John, the company decided that it could no longer bearing the losses of Antingua. It was rumored, that when the big cheese proposed that John be reassigned back to the inflight department, Wangechi objected. He would be a threat.
The next agenda would be for Wangechi to shove John out of the corporate ship to deep sea. She convinced the big cheese to include John in the next retrenchment list.
John, devastated and betrayed, realized the true nature of his colleague. He had fallen head first onto tooth of a cunning serpent in the corporate maze.
With John in the freezer, Wangechi a divisive character, would tear up the inflight department, brought it to standstill. Eventually Wangechi was forced out for incompetence and rebellion from her subordinates, sad to say by then she had drowned many careers.
In the corporate world, trust nobody but yourself. Seen it all, what is new? The 90s sure tough times…
Fictitious story, characters, and places, purely coincidental.
Okwiri my journal, my thoughts, my walk.
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