Emi!!! Funke!!!

There comes a time in every man’s life where he is torn between decisions. You know the saying “the higher the risk, the higher the returns”, so is the saying “bad decisions made with good intentions are still bad decisions”
We tend to turn a blind eye when the outcome is favorable to us but point fingers when there’s no share of the national cake coming our way.

The real question here is… Is it right?

Let’s take a little trip down memory lane.

I had this very good friend. Her name was Funke. Funke was by far the best friend a guy could ever wish for. The guys and I would normally tease her by calling her by her nickname “Funky Friday” when we had TGIF nights.

She was fun being around. One could say she was the life of the party. Although some days “she go dey enter our eye”, we knew our friendship was worth way more than a silly one-night stand that would cost us a lifelong friendship. At this point, nothing could ruin what we had. “No principalities and power could come between us”.

WAHALA

There was a huge economic shutdown during the pandemic and things were not coming in as they used to. Income became really tight, and jobs ceased to flow like before. I thought severally on who I could run to for help, even if it was to be an Uber driver for the meantime or work at Dominos pizza, a beggar has no choice. So I reached out to a couple of my uni buddies, letting them know the situation of things and how I was becoming desperate. “To chop, man must work”.

Everyone kept giving me the same response; “Things are really tight bro; Let’s hope for the best”. I understood where they were all coming from, some were even going through worse experiences. Nonetheless, I did not relent.

One weekend, while washing my car, I received a call from “my besty” – Funke. She asked me how I was fending, and I explained to her how at this point, “na baba God hand I dey”. She consoled me and gave me an assurance that things will turn out for the better. “Great…Yet another motivational speech”.

A PROBLEM SHARED IS A PROBLEM SOLVED

I kept feeling depressed, not knowing the next step to take. Suddenly I got a call from Funke; asking if I could make it to an interview in two days at the company she worked. “Shoo, you dey whine Lagos state? Sure, what else am I doing with my life”, I replied. Although she informed me that the job position was for junior staff, and it wasn’t paying as much as my previous job, but I thanked her for the opportunity because she came through for me at a time I had nothing.

I eventually started work. The sun began to shine again. Things were looking promising. Bills were being paid, “guy-man was becoming guy-man again”. Funke was indeed a friend in need.

Time went by swiftly. A few months went by like it was a few days. After work, the crew could link up at our regular spots for drinks, conversation, and chill. We would all then disperse to our various homes afterward.

One day, I noticed Funke being all moody. Her vibe wasn’t the same. She would see me at the office and walk past me like I wasn’t even there.

“What could make Funke ignore me like Wizkid ignores haters on Twitter?”.

I decided to have a talk with her, but she did not say much. I just assumed maybe it was her time of the month, or she was just being a typical girl with mood swings. I let the matter slide. Sure it wasn’t a big deal.

I had spent a while at the new company, and I knew I had given my best effort for my team. We exceeded all targets assigned to us, that management even rewarded us as a group for our performance. I hadn’t felt this way in a while.
I got an e-mail from the board requesting to meet with me, and I was excited. Maybe it’s time for a raise, or even better, a promotion. I happily scheduled the time and saw to it I was punctual for the meeting.

On getting to the conference room with the board, I saw a familiar face. It was that of Funke. “I smiled. This must definitely be good”. Unknowingly to me, I was facing my doom. I was asked to sit and tendered a letter of contract termination. It sounded like a joke to me. What is going on here? Dumbfounded and speechless, I didn’t know why I asked “Why Sir?. What was my offense”.

Immediately, one of the executives, with an unpleasant voice replied “We expected better from you”.

The board was seriously considering increasing your salary, accompanied with a company car. But you just had to show your real colors. You manipulated and forged company records to boost your sales target, and that is considered fraud, and a jailable offense”.

I was discombobulated. While trying to defend myself, my so-called friend replied by saying “good riddance to bad rubbish, better be happy you were not incarcerated”. As the meeting was called off, and management went back to their respective activities, looking really disappointed in me, I ran to my friend and asked why this was happening. I had never forged documents or receipts. I had fully committed to my personal growth and that of the company. What could have gone wrong? She looked at me with disdain and walked away.

This wasn’t my friend. “What could possibly have gone wrong?”. As I was packing my bag and every personal belonging I had on my desk, one of my colleagues came to me, and I could see the tears in his eyes because he knew the allegations against me were false. Then he said to me “That’s what happens around here bro. Funke gets whatever she wants. You know her father is friends with the Chairman”. Once she’s fed up with having you around, or not getting what she wants, she has her way of influencing the board. He wanted to start analyzing the case, but I was more bothered as to what could have happened that made her go out of her way to put me out of a job. Moreover, a job I got through her.

CAMEL’S BACK FINALLY BROKEN

I got home a few hours later, called one of my buddies that was mutual friends with Funke. I told him of the situation, and to my surprise, he did not sound shocked. I started to feel maybe I was being left out of something.

He pointed out a series of times when Funke would stylishly mention we leave our hangouts together, and I would laugh about it because her house and mine were two extremes. I did not see the need for it.

He also pointed out some moments when I come around to our hangouts with some babes, how she would get angry, but on my part, I just assumed she probably had a bad day.

He was certain that the straw that broke the camel’s back was when I got a new girlfriend, and she wasn’t having it. I was in dismay because I didn’t notice any of the signs. We were all too cool to be having issues. We’ve been friends for so long that the thought of even considering having any form of intimate relationship with her did not cross my mind.

My friend just kept bringing up moments, and I started to piece things together. I knew at that point; our friendship was over and there was no recovery from it.

What really upset me was that she would use her position, and the power she had, to ruin my career, because of jealousy?

What should I do?