It's Monday again. I dread Monday not because it's a busy day. Well, just like most offices, I have tons of correspondence to attend to and other secretariat duties. But, this isn't why I dread Monday.
I dread the fact that I will have to face him again. I dread the fact that we are going to have to go back and forth with the very uncomfortable dialogue. I dread that I might lose my cool this time and do something crazy. Something crazy enough to get me fired.
You may wonder why I still work with him. Kick his ass and get another job! Well, you see? I'm an orphan with three siblings to take care of. Our dear mother died while giving birth to the little one amongst us. She would have still been here if the power supply didn't go off during her cesarean section with no fuel readily available to run the generator. The old doctor resorted to using his phone's torchlight. The rest is history. Can you blame him? The hospital gets no funds from the government and the old doctor runs it as a charity organisation helping those who could not afford to go to the city for better health care.
And our dad? Jumped off the bridge after depression turned him into a drunk. He felt he had failed my late mother and couldn't live with the shame. That was the beginning of my woes. I knew I couldn't survive in the village. I had big dreams and aspirations. That was why when Sharon, my girlfriend , offered to help me come to the city, I jumped at the offer without asking the right questions. Turns out she was living the kind of life my upbringing wouldn't let me live. I may have been from a poor home and still poor but my morals are intact.
I had to leave her house when it was obvious we don't see eye to eye on a lot of things. Walking through the streets of Lagos seeking for one job or the other wasn't easy. It was some old tale of the boss wanting to sleep with the secretary. I left too many jobs already. How many more will I leave?
Perhaps these aren't enough reasons to continue to endure sexual harassment. Think again when you have to go back home every evening to some hungry faces that depend on you for the only meal of the day. The complaints of being driven out of school for lack of payment of school fees or the constant harassment and threats from the landlord for late payment of house rent.
There's so much a girl can bear. Sometimes, I wish I was never born. At 20, I shoulder more than I can carry. The last thing I would do however is to give in to any form of harassment. I'm stronger than this and I believe I can overcome it.
Today, I woke up with a new resolve. If my boss wants to play this game then I'll show him that two can play this game. I went to work as punctual as I have always been. It didn't take long before he called me into his office.
This time around, I didn't stop him. I allowed him to have his fill of me. I allowed him to lustfully look at me and touch me with his filthy hands. I allowed him to grab my ass and pull me towards him. I allowed him to bury his face in my boobs, squeezing them like they were some new toys he just bought off the shelf at a cheap price.
"I see you've reconsidered Annie. You've seen that being stubborn wouldn't get you anywhere. No promotions, no bonus packages and who knows maybe one day you'll lose your job" he said raising his face from in-between the two balloons. He pulled me into his laps swinging his obvious erection against my butt. "This thing you give freely to your boyfriend that has nothing to offer you eh...these girls of nowadays. Is sex not sex?"
"Sir, please, can we do this later? I promise to be a good girl from now onwards". I interrupted with the biggest smile ever patting his bald hair. "This is office hours and we shouldn't miss work with pleasure", I blew him a kiss and hurriedly left his office. I couldn't wait to leave his presence. I felt so disgusted. I almost puked at the thought of the event that just took place.
What he didn't know was that some weeks back I had his key duplicated. I saved up and bought a camera which I planted in his office over the weekend. I usually have to wait for him to close before leaving for the day and so it was easy picking up the camera.
That evening after I got home, I sent the recording to him with a warning that read, "Enough of this madness, Sir. I have everything on record. All the messages and voice notes. I'm no longer the naive girl you used to know. I've met some people on social media, very influential people that will have your name dragged if you try this again. I've sent all the evidence to them. Be a good boss and I'll be a good secretary. Do not underestimate the power of social media".
I had waited for his reply to my message after it was obvious that he'd seen my message. After what seemed like forever, my phone rang and he was the one. I knew him to be a very smart man. He wouldn't reply to the chat so I do not have more evidences against him. I answered the call ready with my responses but what I heard surprised me. He had called to apologize. Who would have thought?
That was the last he ever tried that with me. Sometimes, in our weakness lies our strength. There is no good enough reason to endure harassment and any form of abuse. Let those reasons why you believe you need to endure be the reason why you should fight . Learn to speak up. You may never know how much help there is out there, until you voice out.
Say no to abuse!
Say no to harassment!!
This is my entry into Writing club contest with theme on Harassment
Hazte oír
Es lunes otra vez. Temo el lunes no porque sea un día de mucho trabajo. Bueno, como en la mayoría de las oficinas, tengo toneladas de correspondencia que atender y otras tareas de secretaría. Pero no es por eso por lo que temo el lunes.
Me asusta el hecho de tener que enfrentarme a él de nuevo. Temo el hecho de que vayamos a tener que ir de un lado a otro con un diálogo muy incómodo. Temo que esta vez pierda la calma y haga una locura. Algo lo suficientemente loco como para que me despidan.
Te preguntarás por qué sigo trabajando con él. ¡Patéale el culo y consigue otro trabajo! Bueno, ¿ves? Soy un huérfano con tres hermanos que cuidar. Nuestra querida madre murió mientras daba a luz al pequeño de los nuestros. Ella aún estaría aquí si el suministro de energía no se hubiera cortado durante su cesárea sin que hubiera combustible disponible para hacer funcionar el generador. El viejo médico recurrió a la luz de la linterna de su teléfono. El resto es historia. ¿Se le puede culpar? El hospital no recibe fondos del gobierno y el viejo médico lo dirige como una organización benéfica que ayuda a quienes no pueden permitirse ir a la ciudad para recibir una mejor atención sanitaria.
¿Y nuestro padre? Saltó del puente después de que la depresión lo convirtiera en un borracho. Sentía que había fallado a mi difunta madre y no podía vivir con la vergüenza. Ese fue el comienzo de mis problemas. Sabía que no podría sobrevivir en el pueblo. Tenía grandes sueños y aspiraciones. Por eso, cuando Sharon, mi novia, se ofreció a ayudarme a venir a la ciudad, me lancé a la oferta sin hacer las preguntas adecuadas. Resulta que ella vivía el tipo de vida que mi educación no me permitía vivir. Puede que haya sido de un hogar pobre y que siga siendo pobre, pero mi moral está intacta.
Tuve que abandonar su casa cuando fue evidente que no coincidíamos en muchas cosas. Caminar por las calles de Lagos buscando un trabajo u otro no era fácil. Era un viejo cuento de que el jefe quería acostarse con la secretaria. Ya he dejado demasiados trabajos. ¿Cuántos más dejaré?
Quizá no sean suficientes razones para seguir soportando el acoso sexual. Piénsalo de nuevo cuando tengas que volver a casa cada noche con unas caras hambrientas que dependen de ti para la única comida del día. Las quejas por haber sido expulsada de la escuela por falta de pago de las tasas escolares o el acoso y las amenazas constantes del casero por el retraso en el pago del alquiler de la casa.
Hay tantas cosas que una niña puede soportar. A veces, desearía no haber nacido. A los 20 años, cargo con más de lo que puedo llevar. Sin embargo, lo último que haría es ceder a cualquier forma de acoso. Soy más fuerte que esto y creo que puedo superarlo.
Hoy me he levantado con una nueva determinación. Si mi jefe quiere jugar a este juego, le demostraré que dos pueden jugar a este juego. Fui a trabajar tan puntual como siempre. No tardó en llamarme a su despacho.
Mateus .C. Felipe, Unsplash
Esta vez, no lo detuve. Le dejé que se hartara de mí. Le permití que me mirara lujuriosamente y que me tocara con sus sucias manos. Le permití que me agarrara por el culo y que tirara de mí hacia él. Le permití enterrar su cara en mis tetas, apretándolas como si fueran unos juguetes nuevos que acababa de comprar de la estantería a un precio barato.
"Veo que has recapacitado, Annie. Has visto que siendo testaruda no conseguirás nada. Ni ascensos, ni primas, y quién sabe si algún día perderás tu trabajo", dijo levantando la cara de entre los dos globos. Me atrajo a su regazo balanceando su evidente erección contra mi trasero. "Esto que le das libremente a tu novio que no tiene nada que ofrecerte eh...estas chicas de hoy en día. ¿El sexo no es sexo?"
"Señor, por favor, ¿podemos hacer esto más tarde? Prometo ser una buena chica a partir de ahora". Interrumpí con la mayor de las sonrisas acariciando su pelo calvo. "Estamos en horario de oficina y no debemos faltar al trabajo por placer", le soplé un beso y salí apresuradamente de su despacho. Me moría de ganas de abandonar su presencia. Me sentía tan asqueada. Casi vomité al pensar en lo que acababa de ocurrir.
Lo que él no sabía era que unas semanas atrás había hecho duplicar su llave. Ahorré y compré una cámara que planté en su oficina durante el fin de semana. Normalmente tengo que esperar a que cierre antes de salir por el día y así fue fácil recoger la cámara.
Esa noche, después de llegar a casa, le envié la grabación con una advertencia que decía: "Basta de esta locura, señor. Lo tengo todo grabado. Todos los mensajes y las notas de voz. Ya no soy la chica ingenua que conociste. He conocido a algunas personas en las redes sociales, personas muy influyentes que harán que tu nombre sea arrastrado si vuelves a intentar esto. Les he enviado todas las pruebas. Sé un buen jefe y yo seré una buena secretaria. No subestimes el poder de las redes sociales".
Esperé su respuesta a mi mensaje después de que fuera obvio que había visto mi mensaje. Después de lo que me pareció una eternidad, mi teléfono sonó y era él. Sabía que era un hombre muy inteligente. No contestó al chat, así que no tengo más pruebas contra él. Respondí a la llamada preparada con mi
Traducción realizada con la versión gratuita del traductor www.DeepL.com/Translator
Esta es mi participación en el concurso del club de escritura con el tema "acoso"
This is how it should be, giving in to our fears should not be an option at all.
She was able to put her boss where he belong, if she had been without morals, she would have just given in to what her boss wants and she would have surely regretted it at the end.
This is an amazing story, kudos👍.
Too many ladies let men get away with harassment not because they are of lose moral but because they believe in the saying that "the end justifies the means" when they compare what they stand to suffer if they don't give in but it isn't really worth it. No one should be conditioned in such a way. We need more girls to brave and stand up just like Annie.
Thanks for your lovely comment
Yeah, that is 💯 percent true.
You're most welcome.
That was a great blog. It is sad to think that this still actually goes on. The story had a great twist with the bald headed boss actually apologising to Annie. People do forget the power of social media. Mind you some women bosses are guilty of harassment too.
Good luck with you entry and I enjoyed reading it.
Oh yeah I agree that some women bosses are guilty of harassment too but we have it happening more with male bosses than female but regardless, it's an evil that must be stopped. Not everyone is strong enough to voice out when these things happen to them and that's why it's still happen. Knowing that one can actually stop them helps one fight better.
It's good to see you here again my friend.
Oh yes I agree it is virtually all from men, but it all needs to be stopped. I don't how it is over there, but here in the UK they were having a push for men to stand up and be heard. We have many cases of women bullying their husbands, and the husbands being too scared to report it for fear of being ridiculed.
All abuse and all harassment needs to be stopped. on that there is no doubt.
I just read the writing prompt for this, and I think I will participate.
You re a great writer, this really was a good read.
In my office, once I was having a discussion with the barrister I work for, he told me that men also suffer domestic violence. My first reaction was that of disbelief but when he outlined how husbands are bullied by their wives and the type of abuse and harassment some men go through in their relationship, Ive come to agree that the society should also protect men who speak up and not see it as a sign of weakness
That is one reason why many men keep quiet. People forget there is mental cruelty as well, and yes I know many men are not only physically abuse but mentally abuse as well.
We just need peace and tranquility everywhere and let every human enjoy their life stress free!
I agree with you. We need more advocates for men just like we have for women. Have you seen my recent post? I'd love to have your thoughts on it.
No I had not seen your recent post, however reading this comment, I opened up your profile and read the post. You really are a passionate writer like you say on your profile. I will comment on it for sure. Just beware the rebound I say. Life is to be lived in chapters, and relationships breakups are part and parcel of life, as you say it is okay to be alone and feel lonely.
Hi! I really enjoy your story, I felt related to the girl, it is not easy to have so many responsibilities at such short age. And the en let me wanting for more, so I will love to read more from you. Also loved the final statement, it is very important for us to speak up. Thank you so much! 😄
Awww! Your words are so kind. Thank you very much for stopping by and I hope to have more for you to read when next you come around.
Esta escena de acoso es muy típica. La chica inteligente supo como lidiar con esta situación y solucionarla a su favor. Saludos.
Tienes mucha razón. Tenemos que concienciar a más chicas de cómo pueden manejar estas situaciones ya que son muy comunes. Gracias por pasarte por aquí.
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I was so glued to this piece till the end. You did so well narrating this story and I can relate to this perfectly. Its so sad that so many women ends up being sexually harassed on daily basis and no one is doing anything about it.
I think it's hard time women stood up against these harassment. Your story is a good example of how women should deal with cases like this...
Beautifully written.. Kudos
Acoso laboral, pero la cámaras son una idea genial, pero revisa el final creo que le faltó algo al menos en la parte de español, sin embargo en inglés si está completo, esos pequeños detalles te ayudarán en tan genial competencia
Work harassment, but the cameras are a great idea, but check the end I think it was missing something at least in the Spanish part, however in English if it is complete, those little details will help you in such a great competition.