He told me.

This Facebook friend of mine.

Who I have never met in person.

But was insistent I post his story, which he told me over a WhatsApp call, as a wake up call to others.

".... At the time it happened I was still new on the job and hadn't relocated out of the country.

But as I was saying, at that time, my office sent me out to do some work in................. at a client site.

When I arrived at the hotel, there was a security screening point at the main doors in the lobby. You had to put your bags through and walk through a metal detector.

There was a security guard who was monitoring the screening and another one who was like a supervisor of the security guard sitting a little bit away behind a desk.

This one behind the desk was very forward.

During my stay, he was always asking for money at every turn that it became an actual harassment.

The thing was so glaring.

He was doing it right there in the lobby to everyone and the staff at the reception just treated it like normal.

Unlike the other man who replaced him in their shift rotation, who barely ever stood up and simply smiled at you when you walked in after the security scan, this man was a very polite irritant.

Every time I came down to the lobby and I saw him, I would steel my nerves because I knew that he would ask in his deep voice, with his hands behind his back and an irritating smile on his face.

'Greetings, sir. I wish you good cheer for the day. I hope we have been meeting everyone of your expectations. If we have, should we be expecting some generosity from you today?"

And if he saw you twice or more a day.

He would edit and say.

'Greetings, sir. I wish you good cheer for the day. I hope we have been meeting everyone of your expectations. If we have, should we be expecting some additional generosity from you, today?"

He always used we, because none of the staff in the entire hotel asked for money from you.

When I finally checked out and they gave me a form to write my review, I wrote my experience with him down on the form and left.

Two months or so later I flew back to the city, against my complaints my office booked the same hotel for me to stay in.

At night I was up doing some office work on my laptop.

Around 2 a.m. the light went out in the hotel.

I sat In the darkness waiting for the light to come back on I heard a click on my door.

When I looked towards the door after hearing the sound, I saw it open and a figure entered the room.

I stood up quickly just as the light from a torchlight came on.

I called out.

"Who are you?"

The figure stopped as though shocked.

Before a response came forth.

"Room service."

Instantly I recognized the voice.

It was the same security guard who I complained about.

He was right there with me in my room.

I sensed the danger and stepped away from the desk where I was towards the window since he was blocking the path to the door.

He quickly shut the door behind him and walked towards me.

I wanted to shout and quickly fell silent when he said to me with evil in his voice.

'if you like shout, our walls are sound proof. Nobody will hear you.'

He walked right to my face and stood there staring down at me for a while as I looked up at him barefoot, in my t-shirt and boxer shorts.

I could smell his manly musky smell faintly through the scent of his suprisingly nice smelling perfume.

I could hear the rise and fall of his breathing.

He stood at least four inches taller than me

And even though I could fight him right there and then, my body just went numb with fear.

'Who do you think you are?'

I knew better not to answer, so he continued.

' You want them to sack me? Did you ask yourself how my family will survive if they drive me from this hotel? Don't you have any human feelings in you? Because I asked you for money you want to destroy my own in this hotel? You are a very wicked soul. You did not even give me one naira and instead was frowning your face all over the place. Yet out of everyone I asked for help, those who gave and those who did not, it is you that went to write down nonsense. Are you not a Nigerian? Don't you know that generosity is expected for good service rendered? When you travel abroad, don't you give tips? Why was what I did so wrong that you will complain like that, writing your security guard bla bla bla bla.

Let me tell you, don't look at me like an ordinary security guard, I am a DCSO. Deputy Chief Security Officer. One more step and I will be CSO and move into my own office. Even before then me and my Chief control this hotel. When I ask for help, I ask not just for me but for everyone of us. We share it all at the end of the day and there is nothing wrong in that.

If you dare write that kind of rubbish again, I promise you, you will receive a visit from my boys at your house in Lagos.

We will give you the beating of your life, pour acid on this your fine face, blind your eyes, give your wife something to remember us with and disappear.

We have all your details from accounts so don't think you can hide from us or even tell anyone I was here in your room. They will not find any proof. This is your last warning.'

Just like that he glanced at his wristwatch that had an LED display, turned, hurried over to the door, let himself out and quietly closed the door behind him.

And in less than two minutes after he had left, as I stood there trying to come to terms with what had happened, the lights came back on..

I couldn't do any work again or even sleep, all I kept doing was battling what I should do and when I called my wife in the morning to tell her what had happened, she ended up crying over the phone and begging me not to report him to anyone, saying that she does not want to be a widow after only three years of marriage, without a husband to raise a one year old child.

When I went down later in the morning as I was heading to the client site, he was the one on shift.

And as if nothing ever occurred earlier.

He walked up to me as I approached the doors and as usual politely asked, with his hands behind his back, and that same irritating smile on his face.

"Greetiings, sir. I wish you good cheer for the day. I hope we have been meeting everyone of your expectations. If we have, should we be expecting some generosity from you today?........"

Lagos

Jude Idada
September 8, 2023