Chapter 3: Up Against Goliath

Selorm Speaks

Jul 3

The characters of this story are only fictional. They bear no relation to anyone you and I may know in reality. However, the conversations are ones that bear witness to our reality.

He walked into the office premises feeling all eyes were watching him. On a typical Monday morning, the pressure of workload was already intense - so the extra load of being watched and being pointed at, being whispered about by every cubicle, and every office he bypassed on his way to his office, was simply a peeve.

He walked through without acknowledging anyone because he knew that the news had spread by now. He arrived at the office with the name tag Kirk Haynes, and his role as Deputy COO on the door. He unlocked the door and walked straight in and locked the door behind him. He flung the suitcase onto the couch, which was to the left of his desk, walked past it, sat behind his desk, and loosened his tie. The swivel chair felt the weight of his body as he sat carelessly.

He took a cursory look around the room and squinted to see what those in cubicles outside were up to. He could see them through the glass that served as a wall but they could barely see him. It was tinted, sort of. His desk still had some unfinished business from last week, which needed his attention by the close of work that day. However, he was not interested in that. He was worried what the week would turn out to be, how things were going to feel in the office, now that drama had ensued.

But why was he worried in the first place? Why was he concerned? Was it because everyone was talking about it and murmuring? Or was it because what he did was wrong? Because to his best of wisdom and knowledge, nothing was wrong with the step he took. He could not have done anything else. He could not have condoned the wrongs that were on-going in the organisation.

Since he entered the organisation as an accountant, he had realised some anomalies that were plaguing the progress of the organisation. By then, he tried to do something to ensure the right thing was done, yet, they kept promising something would be done about it. He noticed other challenges in the accounts of the organisation and he was faced with another battle with the leadership of the organisation. It became intense when in a board meeting, where he was to present to the board and owners on the yearly expenditure of the organisation. He gave a sterling presentation, with accurate detail and added that there were discrepancies here and there. The COO was enraged. He remembered how he glared at him, to signal him to stop but he continued. The board and owners agreed to look into it based on his report. The owners set up a meeting with him later to talk about the discrepancies. In his mind, Kirk was not focused on making trouble for anyone or creating the perspective that his bosses were corrupt. He loved working under Dr Murah, and he was one of the best leaders he had had. However, what needed to be done needed to be done. He simply wanted the discrepancies traced because at the time, there organisation was dipping gradually and profits were not as former. This called for a capital reinjection at some point, which the owners did not even understand. This was what impassioned Kirk – to see to it that they were back on their feet.
He remembered how Dr Murah has stormed his office when he found out the owners had contacted him directly and met up with him.

"Dr Murah, they only wanted me to explain further my presentation to them. They wanted to ---"

"Without my permission? What do you think you are doing?"
It was then that he thought about it well. He was right. What he was doing was literally a coup d'etat, especially if Dr Murah himself was in on the losses the company was incurring. If? No, he knew something about it. He wouldn't be this jittery and roaring an emphatic declaration of his authority over him as boss.

"You are trying to sell yourself to climb higher, aren't you? That is what you are doing. Need I even ask? But don't forget that I am the one at the top and I own the ladder. The moment I move it, you fall."

The warning then was loud and clear. However, Kirk was only backing down for a moment. His principles, his morals, and his beliefs have never enjoyed the thriving of wrongdoing, of vice and venality, and of evil. This was Kirk. It was no surprise that everywhere he went, they named him pastor. He did the right thing always and wore his Christianity and tight screwed morality on his sleeve. The truth shall set you free, he always declared. However, the problem this time was for a long time, every wrong had bowed to his right. Every malice, every corrupt behaviour, every unfairness, every thievery, he managed to stop. He always purified the atmosphere, even in his family. He knew his siblings disdained him sometimes because he, Kirk, will always sit on his high morality horse and serve integrity always by trumping their 'inane and worldly actions,' as he termed it. He held his bible close to his heart and took it everywhere. That was one true Christian, a soldier of the cross. However, this time, the warning was a reality.

What did not know, which he wished he knew, was the world did not absolutely revolve around the Christianity, morality, integrity and excess sense of discipline and principles he dished out very well. His principles had never been tested in this manner and he was confused. He had an entire office rumouring about how he was trying to ruin Dr Murah, after Dr Murah had helped him through the ranks to become Deputy COO in a short time. Yes, Dr Murah after his threat took keen interest in him and recommended him for Deputy COO when the organisation needed one. Others were more than qualified because they had the same credentials as Kirk and were next in line. But Kirk got the position and was forever grateful to Dr Murah. However, he wished now that he hadn't accepted it.

Dr Murah's cunningness beat his principles, his discipline, his morality, and integrity. He got him there to control him, to have he Kirk in his pocket. Thus, when he discovered Dr Murah was to blame for all the discrepancies and outed him, a fierce battle ensured. His future was bleak, he could lose his job and only three days ago, a life-threatening phone call from Dr Murah had him scared. The man swore to destroy him, crush him to dust. Kirk had ruined him and now he was on the run. He was literally in the wind so anything could happen.

Now, his principles, morality, and integrity, which were supposed to be light, which was supposed to ensure his liberty, were now encircling him with powerful enemies at his workplace. But was he wrong to tell the truth? He had always done so. He just told the truth to the board that Dr Murah was compromising them. And he was going to probably be hurt for the truth? Everyone was ganging up quietly against him because he was just and honest? What a world!

He was up against a Goliath, like David. But it clicked his mind that David had heard Goliath in his defiance before going ahead to fight him. He did not just arrive at the camp and looked for anyone to fight. He picked his battle and was sure of a victory. David knew exactly what he was up for. But, he, Kirk, he did not.

"No, he was not sure; he was convicted to pursue Goliath. He wasn't just true to the Word of God and upheld principles. He knew what he was up against. I didn't and …." His monologue ended is a gasp. "Damn it!" he cried out and banged on the desk.

He got up and picked his suitcase and stepped out of his office. Every eye turned to query, to assess, and to scrutinize and judge him for ruining the COO.

"What are y'all looking at? What?!" he yelled. Few shuddered, and looked away. Some were shocked.
He walked to his assistant's cubicle. He could trust her.

"Emma, write down an official leave of absence for me. Two weeks. I need to be out of here."

"Why? What is happening? I've heard rumours. I haven't been able to say a word to anyone, Kirk." They were good friends and they were on a first name basis, especially when they were one-on-one like this.

"Murah is on the run, thanks to my loud mouth. I felt I had to do the right thing. I know I had to do the right thing but I think I didn't know how much power I was up against. I think I just ruined the man and he wants to destroy me. He called to threaten me. Can you imagine?"

Emma sighed. "You shouldn't have reported him to anyone! That is just too far, Kirk."

"What should I have done? Sat here for corruption to reign? No way. I would not have that in my corner."

"You still don't get it, do you Kirk? You said it yourself that you didn't know what you were up against. Now, what's the use of telling the truth, of holding your personalised principles in every corner, especially at work and eventually ruining someone and placing yourself in harm's way?" Emma was worried. Beyond the office, they were friends and she was also facing the question-filled gazes of the workers. Some office gossips came to her to investigate and it was not making her feel good.

"You are not in any position to lecture me on my morals! Get me that leave and forward it to the board. I'm out of here..." Kirk got up and left, infuriated by Emma's lecture. Where he was headed, he did not know. He just needed to leave the office.

Comment