CHAPTER 4
Kemi glanced at Rose as they walked through the glass doors. “Why are you walking like someone going to write WAEC again?” Rose sighed. “I'm just trying not to embarrass myself.”
Adeshola looked up from her desk and smiled. “Relax. We don't bite here.” Rose nodded. “Yes, ma.” Kemi laughed. “See her. Always calm. Always gentle.”
Adeshola studied Rose for a second, then chuckled. “You know what she reminds me of?” Kemi raised an eyebrow. “Don't say it.” “Moi moi,” Adeshola said.
Rose blinked. “Excuse me, ma?” Kemi burst out laughing. “I knew it!”
Adeshola leaned back. “Soft, quiet… but a compliment?” “It is,” Adeshola replied. “People think gentleness means weakness. It doesn't.”
Kemi nodded. “Exactly. She doesn't shout, she doesn't force things. But once she decides something, she doesn't bend.” Rose shrugged. “I just don't like unnecessary noise.” Adeshola smiled knowingly. “That's why you'll survive here.”
The HR office was cooler than the rest of the building. “Sit,” Mrs. Bello said, without looking up. Rose sat.
Mrs. Bello adjusted her glasses and flipped through Rose's file. “First class. Accounting. You people like writing that these days.” Rose smiled faintly. “It's accurate.” Mrs. Bello glanced up at her. Just once. “Confidence.” Rose said nothing.
“Do you know Excel?” “Yes.” “Advanced?” “Yes.” Mrs. Bello paused. “You answered that quickly.” “I use it daily.”
A beat. “Okay,” Mrs. Bello said. “You'll start on a probationary basis. Two weeks. Reporting to Finance. No special treatment.” “I wouldn't expect any.” Mrs. Bello nodded. “Good. You'll be assisting with reconciliation today. Follow Tunde.”
Tunde did not look happy. “So,” he said, walking ahead of her, “you're the new one.” “Yes.” “Accounting,” he scoffed lightly. “Everybody is an accountant these days.” Rose kept walking.
He stopped in front of a desk and dropped a file. “Reconcile these invoices. Don't overthink it.” She nodded. “Alright.” Tunde leaned on the desk. “This one trips people. Take your time. We'll check it later.” “Okay.” He walked away.
Rose opened the file. Ten minutes passed. She flipped a page back. Then another. She picked up her pen.
At minute fifteen, she stood up and walked toward Tunde's desk. “Excuse me.” He looked irritated. “Yes?” “There's a ₦350,000 discrepancy in March. It's not an error. It's a duplicated entry from February.”
Tunde frowned. “No, it's not.” “It is,” Rose said calmly. “The invoice number is the same. Different date.” He snatched the file. Scanned it. Slower this time. Silence. “…Huh.”
Rose waited. Tunde cleared his throat. “Good catch.” “Thank you.” She turned to leave. “Wait,” he added. “How long did you say you worked with reconciliations?” “I didn't.”
He stared at her. “Then how—” “I just followed the numbers.” He laughed once. Short. Unamused. Then impressed. “Alright, moi moi.” Rose turned back. “Sorry?” “Soft,” he said, shaking his head. “But you hold.” She smiled. Just a little.
Later, from the glass office upstairs, David watched the exchange. “Who's that?” he asked. Mrs. Bello replied, “The new one.” David nodded slowly. “She won't stay unnoticed for long.”
Later That Evening. Rose dropped her bag by the door and loosened her shoes. Favour looked up from the table. “You're back.”
“Mm.” Rose sat. “Work was… fine.” “Fine like ‘nothing happened' or fine like ‘something happened but you don't want to say'?” Rose smiled tiredly. “The second one.” Favour grinned. “I knew it.”
Rose leaned back. “HR was straightforward. No favours. Which I liked. I was given work immediately.” “And?” “And I finished it.” Favour tilted her head. “That's not the whole story.”
“One of the senior staff called me moi.” Favour burst out laughing. “You? Moi moi?” “Soft but firm,” Rose said dryly. “Apparently.” Favour laughed harder. “That actually fits you.”
Rose shook her head. “I corrected an error. Quietly. He didn't like it at first.” “But?” “But he accepted it.” Favour nodded, satisfied. “Good.”
Then she pushed her books aside. “My day too.” “Tell me.”
“Lessons were okay. Maths is still annoying. But I understand it better now.” Rose smiled. “Progress.” Favour hesitated. “I noticed something.” Rose's smile faded slightly. “What kind of something?”
“Nosa watches you when you're not looking.” Rose stiffened. “How?” “Like he's trying to recognise you. Or forgive himself through you.” Rose looked away. “That's his problem.”
“And Yemi,” Favour added quietly. “She watches too. But not the same way.” Rose's jaw tightened. “Explain.” “She looks like she's counting. Like she's measuring how long we'll stay.”
Silence. “And Eric,” Favour continued. “He avoids us. But when he thinks no one's looking, he looks angry.” Rose exhaled slowly. “That house is full of people with unfinished business.” Favour nodded. “That's what it feels like.”
They sat quietly for a moment. Then Rose said, “You did well today. With school.” Favour smiled. “You did well too. With work.”
A pause. “We'll be fine,” Favour said. Rose reached for her sister's hand. “We will. Just… carefully.” Favour squeezed her fingers. “Soft. But firm.” Rose laughed. “Don't start.”