The Case of Director Ikanke's Pant Ch1

If one drove through Enam City right to its very core, they would find four tall towers peering through the clouds many have come to call the four watch towers. They were in fact the head quarters of Enam city’s four giant companies and between these towers, sat the Utang business centre. Dwarfed by the four towers, the Utang business center's shiny glass body mirrored whatever clouds the four watch towers had leftover in success, financial power and arguably economic importance. But whatever the Utang business centre lacked, it made up for in fame. It was home to several small and medium sized companies, firms and businesses that rented it’s forty-six floors. The epicentre of Enam city where the educated, skilled and white collars gathered could be almost akin to a grand universe, or better understood, a well crafted tale from far away, entertaining enough to keep one up for many nights. And at the core of this ever moving economic engine sat the fuel, or better said, the director, the actor and the audience of this white collar show, the Infamous Utang Business centre.An engine such as the Utang business centre has had many moments worthy of putting the city’s epicentre to a pause, and many times, it has. But every great story needs a stellar beginning, and if one wanted to point a finger at the exact point one should start telling a story about the Utang business centre it would be that very day when a company forum started the loud engine. And it all started on the sixth floor, the Marketing division of a food and beverage company, Wong-de.  On this day, a meeting just concluded between the marketing division one of Wong-de and representatives of team two of Cent Advertising from the second floor. The second meeting room doors opened and both sides shook hands and dispersed. The serious blank faces of the marketing teams followed them to their seats. Like minions that had received their command, they all click unto the company’s main forum and unleash their inner groundnut eating demons.[You would not believe what happened at the marketing meeting today. Cent Ad’s team two leader pulled a cotton lingerie to clean his face today.] Nobody’s grandmother posted on the company forum. [How did you know it was cotton?] Downstairs Jane asked.[People, be civilized; what is lingerie? It is called pant!] Aunty Josephine lectured.[If you were sitting from my angle, you would see a name was printed on the little pant.] Melon peeling mike answered.[Who prints names on their pant?] Early Morning drum asked.[Many people do it these days. If you buy from Eja lingerie, they will print it for you.] Yester-friday’s chewing gum answered.[How do you know, was it your pant?] Groundnut vendor asked.[It was Marketing Director Ikanke’s pant.] Choir Master Ben announced.[Ah, Choir Master Ben, your eyes are sharp. In the time he spread the pant to clean his face, you saw Director Ikanke’s name. I should invite you to lunch, maybe you will be able to see what Mrs Emem is always doing inside Barister Etuk’s car every 1 pm.] Madam First Lady pitched in.[Please, who spread whose pant?] Village Pastor asked.[Assistant director Ifanga’s name was on the pant. -Rolling Eyes emoji-] Choir Master Ben answered.[It is true. When Cent Ad’s Team Leader Afim pulled out the Lingerie, Assistant Director Ifanga’s face looked like yesterday’s beans. keke] Sister Mary said.[I will not correct you guys again, It is not lingerie, it is called pant!] Aunty Josephine chimed in.[So his name is on the pant means that it is Director Ikanke’s own? You guys are wonderful; you can even cook melon soup without melon. -Mischief Emoji-] Early Morning Bread said.[Marketing Director Ikanke is Assistant marketing Director Ifanga’s fiance. How can he not recognize his own wife’s pant?] The book of John asked.[Can you recognize your own?] Downstairs Jane asked.[It could be his Secretary, Lizzy’s pant. I hear she is very loyal.] Yester-Friday’s Chewing gum said.[Please, Madam upstairs, stretch this story within reason, we are only dealing with facts here.] Melon Peeling Mike said.[It was Director Ikanke’s Pant, she was not wearing the pant in the meeting.] Choir Master Ben said. (Choir Master Ben has changed his user name to Town Crier Ben.)[I am lost. What is this about pant?] Passing Judgement asked.[This amount of knowledge is shaking my core. If this Ben is in my department, I am not safe. -Running Emoji-] Early Morning drum said.[You even know this?] Groundnut Vendor asked.[‘Clearing throat’ Choir Master Ben... No, Town Crier Ben, please explain in clear and definite terms how your eyes descended on the Director Ikanke’s Pantless behind.] Aunty Josephine said.[Please please, people. Director Ikanke with her flowing skirt sat as she pleased at the meeting. Since I am not the only one who went under the desk to pick the binders during the meeting, it was not myself alone that saw what I saw.] Town Crier Ben said.[I saw what I saw.] Sleeping lily testified.[I saw what I saw.] Backyard goat testified.[So, Director Ikanke was not wearing any Lingerie, i mean pant, sorry Aunty Josephine; and Cent Ad team leader pulled a pant with her husband’s name during the meeting to clean his face. We now understand context. Then how did the pant leave her behind and enter his pocket, Marketing team?] Early Morning Bread asked.[So, you are asking us, so that we ask who?] Nobody’s grandmother asked.[Don’t lag behind, last week when secretary Ima missed work for the first time since she entered the company, the witches on the seventh floor found out her location after she was kidnapped that morning, found her kidnappers, where they were keeping her and why they kidnapped her in one afternoon. Your matter is only a case of Director Ikanke’s pant. Please do some work.] Plantain Porridge said.[First of all, the witches on the seventh floor are not all our witches, some of those witches belong to other companies. Secondly, you think witchcraft is practised by the entire company? Why don’t you divine for us, how the pant got in his pocket? We will contribute and pay you consultation fees.] Melon Peeling Mike said.[Town Crier Ben that knows all things, help this investigation.] Melon Soup chimed in.[Official Notice!Due to the disturbing amount of gossip circulating at the moment, the forum has been locked. By company directive, discussion in the forum is no more allowed as it will going further, only exist to announced company directives and official news. Signed, management.]The locking of the company forum caused many to raise brows. After all, it was not the first time that such damning gossip has circulated via this glorious medium. What made this time special? “I knew this would happen. Why would people be talking about seeing a person’s privates so easily?” a woman in the marketing department said; and maybe because she spoke loudly, or that the office was already quite quiet, her voice echoed across the grass and white walls. If the room was not already still, it was now. This was a result of the times one now lived in. Gone were the times when people could laugh when a person fell. Gender, age and ethnicity mattered today. And even if a people refused to acknowledge the times, there would still be those perched upon the high shoulders of morality. But these glorious white collar workers were not the ones that caused her fall, why would they allow themselves be mocked for laughing?“Maybe it was her pant.” someone muttered while flipping through a pile of papers.“I see.” the rest muttered in response and continued typing away.The day ticked on after that. While no one forgot, they were quite busy to dwell on the matters of that morning, especially the marketing department who had been notified suddenly to come up with other companies to partner with for the promotions of the new product. Though no one had commented on this, they were all thinking the same thing; Assistant Director Ifanga was trying to push out Cent Advertising from gaining the contract. They had a meeting supposed to take place an hour before lunch when they would assess the new proposals. It was at that time many would know if the assistant director had the ability to throw this big a tantrum over his wife’s pant scandal.