“Thank God I came back. What would have happened to my business if I had stayed longer?” Mrs. Ashwa was so tense after seeing her workers misbehaving.
“How can I get a new sales boy after losing the last one I had? Chika was a good boy compared to these fools I had called my sales boys. Or maybe I should get a salesgirl. I will try a girl this time around,” Mrs. Ashwa said, purging her mind to her friend Joy.
“You will be making a bigger mistake by getting a girl as your sales help. She would be parking your goods for her boyfriend. Remember the last one I had? She turned my shop into hers anytime I was out. I only noticed through my colleague, who was beside my shop. It was challenging to believe, but I caught her red-handed with her boyfriend,” Joy replied as she made her friend see the true meaning and character in sales girls.
“It's only God that can make one see the best. I will get one because I can't manage the business myself without the help of someone”, Mrs. Ashwa was so optimistic about herself.
After some weeks, Mrs. Ashwa wrote in front of her shop, “Sales boy needed.”. Joy also wrote the same tag on the front of her shop since, furthermore, she was searching for one. After two more weeks, Mrs. Ashwa got two boys who were looking innocent. Their faces showed that they could not even chew.
“What's your name?” Mrs. Ashwa asked the first one.
“I'm Madu," he said.
“Where do you live?” She asked.
“I live with my parents in Shagari Estate,” he replied.
“Why do you want to do this job?” Mrs. Ashwa just wants to be sure of the kind of person she's employing to keep her business safe.
“I required the money to go back to school,” he gave a fine reason.
Mrs. Ashwa turned to the second one, Kola, and asked him the same questions, although separately. She was later convinced to take the two as her sales reps.
Joy, on the other hand, has two sales reps, one boy and one girl. She asked them a series of questions, and she was convinced of the kinds of people they were undoubtedly.
Mrs. Ashwa started seeing some changes in her business as smiles came to her face once again. She was able to leave her shop for these two innocent-looking boys.
After three months of working, Madu and Kola proved to be nice. They were always busy with their jobs, while Mrs. Ashwa was always busy going out to either parties or meetings, as she was the party type. Anytime she leaves, Madu and Kola stay together laughing and joking. They were changing to the opposite kinds of people. They started proving to be the owners of the shop. Anytime Mrs. Ashwa is out for a party or meetings, these two guys would sit comfortably eating different dishes. They always go to the eatery to buy quality food for themselves. Not just food of little amounts but of tangible amounts of money. They kept doing these acts time without number while they also were wise enough. They would sell and give their Madam, Mrs. Ashwa, part of the money they sold while these two would share the rest. Madu started saving daily as well as Kola. They were stealing from Mrs. Ashwa unknowingly to her. She kept trusting these two as the money they were making daily exceeded the one she always sold when she was alone as well as when she had a sales boy.
Madu and Kola became the big bosses in their Madam's shop. They were known to be the owners of the shop since Madam was not always around. One day, Mrs. Ashwa left for a party and forgot to take her handbag. She came back to the shop unknowingly to Kola and Madu. When she entered, she saw these two eating what she had not eaten before. She was not ready to believe what her eyes had seen. She asked, “Where did you guys get these from?” They were just too good to reply to her back “I brought it from home, Ma”. Kola was the first to reply.
“Ok, I will be back soon”, Mrs. Ashwa replied as she zoomed off.
Joy met with Mrs. Ashwa days later, and her story shocked Mrs. “My sales reps took my shop as theirs. They were having an affair together under the roof of my shop. Within a few months of their stay, they rented a flat for themselves and bought so many things in the rented flat. I was surprised when I heard this from a colleague who had been helping me secretly to follow all their moves,” Joy was so angry in her speech.
“What? I need to be careful then.”. Mrs. Ashwa said.
One Sunday, Mrs. Ashwa went to her shop for cleanup; she opened it and managed to lift the rug just to sweep the sand underneath away and saw heaps of money piled up in wraps. “These boys have finished me under my nose. I'm the boss and have no savings, but these boys have been saving my money all to themselves. They must be arrested,” Mrs. Ashwa said. Mrs. Ashwa packed all the money away and closed the rug back the same way it was placed. The following day, they came to work and greeted Mrs. Ashwa innocently. She answered without a suspicious look. She pretended to have left for the meeting but was within. These two managed to check their savings but saw nothing under the rug. They were shocked and immediately started feeling suspicious. Mrs. Ashwa later came back and sat in her shop. She noticed they were feeling uncomfortable, but then she did not ask what the problem was. The next day they did not come to work as usual. Mrs. Ashwa had to take two policemen to get them arrested in their houses. They later confessed their deeds.