Creme DeLa Creme

CREME DELA CREME CHAPTER ONE The sudden jolt from the plane and the screeching of the tires as they kissed the tarmac brought Maimuna back from her train of thoughts. She sighed heavily as she waited for the plane to finish taxiing on the runway and for the seatbelts sign to be turned off. Grabbing her Louis Vuitton handbag from where it sat by her feet, she rummaged through for her cell phone. The signal bar was now present , an indication that she had service to make phone calls and receive them as well. She sent a brief message to her assistant inquiring if she’d brought a change of clothes that she had earlier ask her to bring to the airport so she could change into them on arrival. The exit door to the plane was opened and passengers of the Business class cabin quietly exited, Maimuna in their midst. Her feet felt heavy as she walked down the narrow tube down to the arrivals lounge of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. Dressed in a casual mustard T-shirt and a black romper, her signature Red winter coat hung loosely on her left arm while her right shoulder carried her Forever 21 bag-pack and her handbag on her hand. She was looking extremely tired but nothing a good cup of coffee won’t fix. As she waited for her luggage to come through on the conveyor belt, her mind drifted to the nice time she had had for the past ten days in London. The seminar on “Antimicrobial Activities of metal complexes and their effects on bacteria” lasted for only three days so she made sure she enjoyed the rest of her holiday in London. She’d always wanted to see the Big Ben and when she did, she was thrilled. The view from the London eye in the night was breathtaking; the whole city was below her in a whimsical and colorful hue. It was so dreamy she nearly fell in love. Or did she already? Her visit to the Trafalgar Square reminded her of one scene in one of her favorite movies, Sherlock Holmes. And being the food lover that she is, Maimuna made sure she took her taste buds on an ethereal journey of spices as she traveled from Indian, Korean to Mediterranean and Lebanese dishes. The experience was mind blowing. A small smile played on her lips as her luggage came into view. Three large suitcases filled to the brim with souvenirs for herself and her loved ones. Harrods were pleased to have her. She had a hard time lifting her suitcases off the conveyor belt and so some airport officials quickly rushed towards her to give her a helping hand. Judging by her dressing and the designer logo on her suitcases, they were sure she was going to give them a fat huge heavy tip. She thanked the three young men as they loaded her suitcases on the trolley and they trailed behind her as she went in search of Fauzia, her assistant. “Welcome back to Nigeria Boss" Fauzia smiled widely as she collected Maimuna's handbag and coat. Maimuna hugged her assistant cheerfully “Thank You Fauzee” she rocked them back and forth before she pulled away “My clothes?”. There was no time for chit-chats, Maimuna had a meeting and she needed to be there on time. The fact that she just landed after a long four hour flight was not an excuse. Fauzia handed her a large shopping bag that she had carried with her into the airport. Maimuna collected it and strutted into the airport lounges toilet while the three young men followed Fauzia to the car in order to unload the trolley. In the ladies room, Maimuna took her time washing her face and doing a quick exfoliation. Everything she needed was inside her bag pack. She brushed her teeth and flossed, combed her hair and changed out of her underwear. She applied some scented lotion on her face and hands and slipped into a wine colored baggy Palazzo pants. She paired that up with a white top and black blazer. After applying some kohl on her waterline and some lip gloss on her lips, she wrapped her headscarf in her signature style. By the time she was changing out of her Skechers to a pair of Loubotins, it was already 8:30am She rushed out of the toilet looking like a snack and ready to smash some deals and make some money. Well that was what she loved doing, and she nailed it every time. Fauzia and the driver were waiting for her out-front. She got into the white Range Rover next to Fauzia and the car drove out of the airport. Fauzia filled her in on the day’s itinerary as she handed her a cup of coffee. They were expected in the building of MAUDE for a meeting with some developers at 9:30am. After the meeting, Maimuna will leave to one of the sites in the metropolis where her team was renovating a warehouse and transforming it into a supermarket. She will then have her lunch break by 2pm to offer her prayers and have lunch in the confines of her office. At 3pm she will be heading to Innovation Plaza where she will sign a contract with a group of architects she wanted to work with on a new project. Maimuna listened attentively as she sipped her coffee, hoping that after this long day she was bound to have, it will end in the warm arms of her loving mother. Oh how she have missed her.  The MAUDE( Maimuna Usman Dauda Enterprise) building stood in the central business district of the federal capital territory housing 8 stories and a basement parking lot. MAUDE is a privately owned, diversified trading company with interests in security, telecom, energy, real estate, interior decoration, renovation and industrial products. Founded by Maimuna Usman in 2008, MAUDE started as a real estate agency until late 2013 when it blossomed into what it is today. It was a pet project that emerged when she was 16 years and was just about to go to the university. Her dad was an architect, and she wanted to walk in his shoes too. He and two of his friends, comprising of a civil engineer and a quantity surveyor had their own construction company. They called it The Great Circle and it was doing pretty well as at that time. The plan was for Maimuna to study architecture in the university and then her company and his will become partners and they both will build something great out of it. But life had other plans for her as her UTME scores didn’t qualify her to study Architecture. Maimuna majored in Microbiology in one of the reputable Federal Universities in Northern Nigeria and graduated with outstanding grades. She still managed her company whilst in school and her father offered all the support and help he could. She got her license as an estate broker a few years after graduation and has since worked her ass off to be where she is today. Her dad had taught her all the tricks she needed to know and his words of advice had led her to be a successful woman in the Real Estate industry. It saddens her that he is not here now to see what has become of MAUDE. He would hava been so proud. The car made its final halt in the basement of the building and Maimuna stepped into her private elevator the moment she alighted from her car with Fauzia hot on her heels. In no time, they arrived at the 5th floor where Maimuna’s office and boardroom was situated. It was already 9:28am by the time Maimuna entered the boardroom. To her utmost surprise, everyone was present. Her employees were really disciplined, all thanks to her. They all stopped talking amongst themselves and sat up in greeting. “Good morning everyone” she smiled brightly as the coffee she had earlier had shot some adrenaline into her system. “Please sit" she added as she took her position at the head of the round table. Mr Lamidi, assistant Manager of TeeFee groups made a slide show presentation of the production and demands of their products in the market. It lasted for half an hour and the room was open to questions and suggestions, after which Mr Farouk, MAUDE’s contract consultant in Building and Logistics from TeeFee Group did the honors of giving a full review and breakdown of the profit and outcome chain. To Maimuna, it was all English. That’s why she hired a specialist in every field. Agreed she was smart, but it was impossible to have knowledge in every aspect of the company’s businesses. And she wanted things done perfectly, hence the presence of specialists around her. Meetings were generally boring as Maimuna liked to be on sites in the open air getting her hands dirty, but whenever Farouk spoke with his amusingly small voice, poker face, unwavering gaze and so much confidence oozing out of his body, she tends to listen well and understand perfectly. That man knew how to capture someone’s attention, especially if that ‘someone’ was trying very hard to concentrate. He has abnormally long legs and is 6”3 ft tall with broad shoulders and well trimmed beard that popped his dark lips and made his face look thinner than it usually was. He has only worked at TeeFee for a few years but had climbed the rank faster than his pairs. When Maimuna was looking for a special adviser and consultant in building and logistics, a friend of a friend introduced him to her and hiring him was one of the best decisions she had made in the past two years. It’s hard to find a down to earth young wise and fine looking master brain like him. She cherished him. A lot. The meeting was over in no time and Maimuna was glad. She stayed back to chitchat with a few employees before waddling into her office so she could lounge on her bean bag a bit. She hoped it will take away some of the jet-lag. “How was your trip?” Rashna, her General Manager asked as she walked into the office. She smiled at the plump Indian woman in her mid-thirties. Rashna had interned at the The Great Circle back when Maimuna’s father was still alive. But after his demise, it seemed like The Great Circle was not ‘great’ afterall, because it totally fell apart. Many people lost their jobs and the company was about to go bankrupt. Her father’s partners had embezzled some money and it was impossible to recover it. So Maimuna decided to save Rashna and offered her employment in her company which she accepted gladly. Ever since she came in, she has been of great help to Maimuna and the company at large. She is a very hardworking woman and an experienced one at that. She is one of the employees that Maimuna cannot think of letting go no matter the circumstances because Rashna has contributed so much to the growth of MAUDE. And Maimuna reminded herself everyday of how lucky she was to have such great and amazing people working for her and looking after her as well. She closed her eyes briefly trying to stop herself form bursting into tiny little pieces of confetti but instead, she found herself doing just the opposite of that. “OMG!!! “she shrilled excitedly as she sat up. “Rashna you have no idea! You know I’ve always hated the idea of London and all that it entails. That’s why I never visited the iconic historic ancient story-book like rounded city. But oh my dear Rashna, I fell in love. “ She inhaled deeply trying to remember the sweet scent of coffee on the streets of London early cool winter mornings. “I told you” Rashna smirked triumphantly. She had told her times without number that London was a good holiday spot but Maimuna would rather send someone to purchase home decors for her business and oversee other matters than go to London for any reason. “I know. And I’m glad I listened to you and went this time around even though it was for my Microbiology research. But I had fun you know. I learned so much about...” Maimuna began to gush about her trip when Fauzia knocked on the door and walked in. “Boss? it’s time to go and see the warehouse.” She informed with a small smile. Maimuna sighed in defeat “Yeah, right” then she turned to Rashna “Look at me keeping you from your work Rashna. I have to keep moving. We’ll talk later” She apologized. “No worries Boss” Rashna gave her a mock salute and the three ladies giggled as they walked out of the office. Maimuna had tried to stop them from calling her Boss but they just won’t budge. It amazes her how it doesn’t bother her anymore. As they drove through the Capital city of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, she looked out the window absorbing the scenery and rich culture of her beloved father’s land. Nigeria could do better with this air pollution, she thought. “So, Fauzee on a scale of 1-10 how impressed am I going to be with Ben’s work today?“ she now focused her attention on her assistant who was busy tapping away on her iPad. A broad smile appeared on her assistant’s face. “A person can’t be too perfect. But I assure you an 8 is fair. He did a very fine job. He hasn't smoked since you left saying he didn’t ‘want to disappoint you.“ Fauzia laughed. ”You’re going to meet an awesome supermarket in progress. That, I’m very sure of” Maimuna smiled. “Ben is one of the best I’ve got. He’s just too unserious sometimes.” She said focusing her attention back on the road An advert on the billboard drew her attention. It was a detergent advert with a picture of a family of four all sparking clean. It gave her a nostalgic feeling. No matter how bad things become, home is still the best place you’d rather be. London was awesome but she missed home so bad. And she craved it so much at the moment. She missed the warm exotic smell of imported incense that always clung to their living room. And the loud chatter of her younger siblings as they gather around the table for dinner. She missed her mother’s delicious cooking. Made with utmost love and compassion; from a loved one, to a loved one. “What is next on the agenda?” She asked Fauzia. The drive to the site was taking too long and her nostalgia was not helping matters. “Well your Lunch break is scheduled for ...” Fauzia started but she was cut off. “Good. When last did you eat my Mother’s delicious food?” She scrutinized. The question took her offguard, but she smiled anyway “Been awhile.” She was already getting excited at the thought of going to Maimuna’s family house. She loved her mother and every soul in the house, they gave her so much joy. ”What of your other activities?” “Are you a workaholic? I just came back from a very very very long trip my dear. Shouldn’t I rest atleast two hours at home?” Maimuna tried the pity face which she still hasn’t mastered after plenty years of practice. Fauzia grinned as she proceeded to cancel a few things on the calendar. Maimuna gave her a pat on a job well done. “Just remind me to give you your gift when we reach home” she added and Fauzia’s excitement was at its peak. She rested her head on her shoulder and closed her eyes through the rest of the drive to the renovation site. The former owner of the warehouse is a young accountant with lots of money to spare and words to spit out. He’s known for being way too friendly with girls but hardly dates around. He’s a talkative with a spice of sassiness. Jamil Gana or ‘hold up’ like his friends like to call him for reasons unknown to Maimuna but possibly as myth has it, because he talks so much and so entertainingly that he causes hold up on the university corridors when he’s filling listeners ears with jokes and whatnot. He is the tenth son of a very old businessman, started his hustles towards the end of his university year and finally got himself to where he now is. Even-though the warehouse was no longer his possession; Jamil always likes to hang around, mostly when Maimuna comes for assessments. The woman intrigues him. And intimidated him as well. In all the thirty three years of his life, he had never met a woman who hadn’t thrown herself all over him basically because of his handsome face and account balance, except Maimuna. She was always very professional around him and tried as much as possible to avoid cracking jokes with him. The way she acts like he is invincible sometimes makes her even more endearing to him. It was impossible to get her attention, unless he wanted to sell another property or invest in one of her ongoing projects. Anything outside business matters was considered as a waste of time for her. Maimuna was lucky Jamil was out of town on a business trip so she didn’t meet him on arrival at the site. Ben gave her a tour. There was a lot of progress since the last time she was there. The old roof has been peeled off and a new one was been put into place. Walls were broken down and replaces with woodworks. The floor boards and air vents were replaced too and everything shone with the shimmer of a job well done. Things were going according to plan. She was proud of Ben. He did a fine job. She showered him with praises. Ben was proud of himself. It’s not everyday that you get to impress the CEO herself. He had managed to conduct and digest a 14 day work plan in just 10 days. Thanks to the extra hours him and his team spent and also the days they had to work on weekends. But all his restlessness and sleepless nights have paid of now that he’s seen how impressed and Maimuna is happy with his work. Nothing beats that. An hour and a half later, she bid her team goodbye and headed home.