Emily – Episode 1
EMILY
by
Rossy Chris Umeweni
SETTING ( 2pm in a busy office in the heart of Lagos)
JANE: Are you not taking a break today, Emily?
EMILY: My table is full but my stomach is empty. Are you going for lunch?
JANE: Yes! take a break girl. Your health and well being should always come first
EMILY: You are absolutely right on that. Give me a sec, i’m coming with you ( Emily quickly moved the papers away, grabbed her handbag and they both went for lunch in at nearby local restaurant where they ordered jollof rice and some smoothies )
EMILY: You know jollof rice is my guilty pleasure. I am supposed to be on a low carb diet but at the mention of jollof rice, my diet is suspended till next week
JANE: ermmm, diet? what for?
EMILY: Nothing in particular, I’m just trying to keep an eye on my waistline….
JANE: i see! so what’s been going on lately?
EMILY: Where?
JANE: In the office
EMILY: Oh! just too much to catch up with…
JANE: Don’t pretend like you do not know exactly where i am headed
EMILY: I honestly don’t.
JANE: What’s going on between you and Obed, the new guy in the office?
EMILY: Oh him! nothing.. he only offered to give me a lift on Thursday and that was it
JANE: Why don’t i believe you?
EMILY: Because you never believe anyone anyway! listen, i’m gonna dig into the food right away so i could get back to the office
JANE: okieeeeees! i’ll be patient until you are ready to come out…..
EMILY: silly billy! give it a rest abeg!
SETTING( back in the office, Emily is on her desk typing up a document. Obed walks in…)
OBED: someone is working really hard. How’s it going
EMILY: Good good! how are you getting on?
OBED; Not to bad. I am not as busy as you are. Was wondering if you would like to come for lunch with me
EMILY: (making no eye contact with him) no thanks. I’ve just been. Enjoy it.
OBED: Will do. What time do you finish today?
EMILY: I will most likely finish around 7ish
OBED: Fantastic! i finish round about same time too. Can i give you a lift home? that is if you don’t mind and if your guy doesn’t mind
EMILY: Oh! that’d be great. I don’t mind and if i don’t mind, nobody else minds.
OBED: Is this you telling me you are the CEO of you life?
EMILY: Absolutely..
OBED: Beautiful life! I must say you are running it excellently. Not sure how expensive your services are, would you mind running mine as well? i’ll be ready to pay any amount.(winks at her)
EMILY: Wait wait! are you flirting with me or what? hahahaha!
OBED; Is that what you guys call it? I’ve never come across that word before. You see, you have a lot to teach me! anyways! i’m gonna run along now. See you soon, yeah?
EMILY: Make sure you don’t go about winking at women at the restaurant
OBED: Excuse you!
EMILY: you heard me
OBED: Shut up! I’m out of here!
EMILY: byeee
(Jane was watching from her office which was directly opposite Emily’s but she couldn’t hear them. As soon as Obed left for lunch, she landed into Emily’s office like an Aeroplane that made an emergency landing)
JANE: So what was he helping you do this time. I’m sure he wasn’t just giving you
a lift….
EMILY: Do you think you are being a nuisance?
JANE: Don’t pretend like you don’t know i am a certified nuisance. So tell me!
EMILY: There’s nothing really. He just asked if i would go with him for lunch and i told him we’ve already been…
JANE: He spent more than ten minutes just asking you for lunch?
EMILY: I can’t believe you want me to tell you everything he said to me word for word.
JANE: Did he ask you for a date?
EMILY: Good grief! no!!!
JANE: Your number?
EMILY: no
JANE: where you live?
EMILY: No!! He only asked what time i finish day, i told him and he said he’d finish round about that time as well.
JANE: So you guys are going home together then?
EMILY: Going home together? hell no!
JANE: Okay! i mean he will be giving you a lift home right?
EMILY: Maybe…
JANE: Great! we are getting somewhere!!!
EMILY: Can i carry on with my work now, please?
JANE: Sure! be sure to tell me what went down by tomorrow. I’ll be leaving in about twenty minutes. My husband will be picking me up.
EMILY: Regards to him. He is so patient to have been putting up with you for two years now
JANE: I tell you! hahahaha!
EMILY: You take care
SETTING( 5.46pm very quiet office. The sound of Emily’s keyboard can be hard in the background)
OBED: Do you have any plans of leaving this office at all today?
EMILY: Right now, i can’t tell where i would spend the night…
OBED: Emily, you work so hard and that’s something i really like a lot about you. This level of dedication and commitment is unprecedented but! i think we should leave now.
Story from TopsterStories
EMILY: Thank you, i had planned to finish this today so i go over to something else tomorrow. But i am honestly tired and in dire need of my bed.
OBED: Emily, let me take you home. Tomorrow, i will be less busy so i can help you finish whatever is left
EMILY: Oh! aren’t you so kind!
OBED: Not to everyone…..
EMILY: How do you mean? you are faking it?
OBED: Whatever (comes really close to her and stands in front of her looking directly into her eyes) Emily, look at me.
EMILY: I’m looking at you….
OBED: No you are not. Look directly into my eyes. Can you see anything?
EMILY: Erm, no
OBED: Can you feel anything?
EMILY: No…
OBED: Alright, feel my heartbeat?
EMILY: (Places her left hand on his chest) yes, i can feel it
OBED: My heart beats for you. Listen, i might as well say it now. i can’t contain it within me anymore. Thoughts of you have left me sleep-deprived since the day i dropped you off. Do you think we can be a pair?
EMILY: Erm,,..erm.. erm…
OBED: Are you single? please tell me you are
EMILY: I like to see myself as widowed…we were never married to the world but between us, we were. He passed away last year and love died with him, as far as i am concerned. …
OBED: What if love comes back to life through me
EMILY: I don’t think so….
OBED: Would you let me try?
EMILY: No. Sorry, can we leave now, please?
OBED: hmmmmn! yeah! sure! after you……
TO BE CONTINUED
