C14 THE MERGER OF THE BULLIES 3

Due to this Rotimi gradually developed hatred for Olamide because he could not understand why he disliked his company, moreso he hate to see or hear that a person looking like him is doing the dirty job he does with enjoyment.

Finally he believed Olamide was looking down on his company because he thought himself morally upright and they morally bankrupt, all these stirred up irritation in his heart against Olamide's humble lifestyle.

Moreso, he later saw that Olamide's humble lifestyle made him equally popular in the campus and more of the members of the school governing body loved and preferred Olamide to him and he hate the fact that a pauper who received weekly wages from him is a contender against him in the campus in popularity contest.

Of course he heard also of his brilliancy in his faculty and how all his lecturers respected him the same way he was respected in his own faculty.

This silent hatred grew more when he discovered that his own very father developed interest in Olamide and he investigated his background in the campus. Not only this, his own father respected and preferred Olamide's humble hard working life than his own wealth squandering lifestyle.

Though as his son his father loved and spoilt him, but he somehow desired that he would have a more mature approach to life like Olamide.

When Rotimi told Ewanimi of his resentment towards Olamide, Ewanimi immediately seized the moment to tell him of her own hatred too for him. When Rotimi heard that Ewanimi who was his course mate too hate him, he at that spot decided that he would find a way to drive him off the site that made people to respect him.

Ewanimi was glad to hear this because this was the chief reason she chose to be with Rotimi, to use his power to hurt Olamide who she considered as an enemy that she want to subdue. So she asked Rotimi how he planned to drive Olamide out of the place?

Rotimi told her he does not know yet, but he would think of a way to deal with him. While he was saying this he suddenly stopped and said,

"Oh, I have an idea"

"What idea?"

"Since I am the one paying all the temporary workers on this site, why don't I make you the person that will henceforth be paying all the cheap labourers"

"Will your dad accept that?"

"My dad will never stop me in what I make up mind to do "

"But you said he loves this fool!"

"Does that mean he loves him more than me? Look the first thing I want to do to mess him up is to see him feeding from your palms and I know he would not like it; so from this weekend we will come here together and you will be the one to pay him and all other cheap labourers'

When Ewanimi heard this she heartily welcomed the idea and fantasized on how to humiliate Olamide while paying his wages. At that moment, Rotimi called the site Engineer and told him to call all the unskilled labourers out that he wanted to talk to them.

They all soon came out and Olamide was among them, they all greeted him politely because they knew he was the one who pays the piper and he must dictate the tunes. When Olamide saw Ewanimi with him he knew this address must be about him and he kept mute and anticipate the worse

However, Rotimi just told them that from that day henceforth his girlfriend would be the one to check their work register every week and pay their wages, that he would only pay the skilled workers.

When he finished addressing them and they all turned to go, he called Olamide back and said,

"Since you are knowledgeable among the unskilled workers and you know all the labourers very well, I want you to always take the work record book with you to look for her in class so that she can calculate your pay, if you fail to do this you will make all your colleagues to go home on weekends without their wages, do you you hear me?

To their surprise Olamide did not look offended by his decision, he calmly said okay. Soon, The two left the place and Olamide knew things would be difficult for him from that moment and he braced his heart up for what they may hurled at him.

Coincidentally, not long when the two left the site, Rotimi's father came because he used to come to the place once in a while to see things for himself.

When he came the Engineer took him around to show him the progress of the work, while they were moving around they came across Olamide where he was assisting the men mixing the concrete.

The senator stopped and chat with him as he used to do every time he comes across him. After his little chat with him he moved on with the Engineer and said,

"I want to help this guy because I loved his determination and humble spirit that made him not to hate bending low to do this menial job to keep body and soul together in the campus.

Please, tell Rotimi that I said he must henceforth pay him the same amount he paid all the skilled workers, and he must be given all the benefits the skilled workers are enjoying"

Hearing this, the Engineer who saw what Rotimi did, he wrongfully thought Rotimi was on the same page with his dad in his intention and he decided to mention his decision before his dad, he said,

"I think the young master too was thinking in that direction already"

"What make you to think so?"

"He just left here before you came and I heard he promoted Olamide to be the one to assist him in paying all the labourers "

"If he did that it means for the first time he was using his common sense, that boy Olamide deserved our help and I am glad Rotimi too realized it.

The two of them had this discussion because they did not know that Rotimi was plotting to humiliate Olamide, but it was not long after this that his true intention was revealed to them.

However, before his intention was revealed to them, an issue of discordant tune which has been brewing in Rotimi and Ewanimi's relationship exploded and they nearly broke apart.

At this point Jiire said,

"I really did not expect their relationship to last because it was not founded on true love"

"Moreso, when the two of them were so arrogant that they would not know how to accommodate each other's differences and bend for each other" Itunu added.

Grace was surprised at the level of reasoning and the deep thought of these young folks when she heard them that she said,

"Of course, the two of you are right with your observations concerning the pair, but the strains in their relationship came due to something else which I will point out after I drink water again"

Jiire got up again to give her warm water, while he was serving her water his dad said,

"You are good at telling story!"