1 Where it Begins

From the cab, he dashed to the reception and asked for Mrs Jane's office explaining how he is supposed to be meeting with her in less than fifteen minutes.

I am so sorry sir but I think you might have to reschedule as our lift is currently undergoing routine servicing Nd will not be up until after thirty minutes. And, Mrs Jane's office is on the 12th floor.

Are you saying I am going to miss an opportunity that I have lobbied for for over fourteen months now?

Where is your stairs he asked? Do you mean you will go through the stairs to the 12th floor? she replied.

If that is the only option available to me right now then, I will gladly do just that. Ok. it is over there (she pointed at the far right corner of the building with a blue steel door tagged STAIRS) but, wait let me put a call through to her to announce your presence, who knows, she might just ask you wait till after the Lift is ready.

You do just that, as for me I am making sure I make it to her office before I am even a minute late, he said as he dashed for the door. Consider...(he was far gone already)... what you are wearing before you start running up, she said as he banged the door to the stairs. Hello Mrs Jane, your 9am appointment is here already and unfortunately he cannot access the Lift as the Engineers are currently servicing it. O!, please tell him to wait until they are done, I will wait for them to finish because I equally cannot leave the office until afterwards... I am sorry ma, I tried telling him to wait but, he insisted on using the stairs claiming he doesn't want to be late, I just thought you should know.

It is ok, let us see if truly he can make it here before he is late. Thank you Hannah. (Jane dropped and smiled as she imagine what kind of spirit he had, to have taken the stairs when he could have just waited for maintenance crew to tidy up and leave.). I told that young man to wait for me to call her but he chose the stairs instead, I hope he doesn't mess himself up, Hannah thought as she tried to picture him running through the stairs in his well fitting pant and blazer.

On the 5th Floor he stopped to check his watch, it was seven minutes more. At this point he started to run through the stairs hoping to arrive the 12th floor just on time.

Yes I am there he exclaimed softly as he tried to catch his breath. It was only less than a minute and he still have not located Jane's office.

Breathing Heavily, he knocked on Jane's office door after searching through the floor for the office that has her name tag. You may come in Jane said. soaked in his own sweat, he tried to button his blazer in a bid to hide some parts of his shirt covered in sweat, he opened the door to a chair turned back with no one sitted on it then, he looked around to find Jane standing by the window with a cup which seem to contain coffee. Good morning he greeted. You are almost two minutes late and I was just about stepping out,Jane said even as she already knew how he arrived her office and how she really wanted to offer him coffee but, needed to maintain the act.

In his head he was going to yell at her for not mentioning that the office Lift would be undergoing routine servicing which could have helped him arrived a lot more earlier than he did but, of what help would that be, with his heads up, both hands on his blazer button as though he would post for a photo shoot he said, accept my apology for not arriving in due time I was on the ground floor some minutes earlier and was told the Lift is not available due to some routine servicing, hence I had to use the other alternative, as you can see (he unbuttoned his blazer).

Have your sit please, she said as she walked towards her chair. Thank you, Samuel replied as he sat down.

At this point he noticed the interior decoration in the office, it felt to him as though he was overseas. the furniture, simple and clean obviously of oak trees, with a matching blind standing tall in face of the window. The table was of glass, all the way, and Jane was now backing a well decorated book shelf that had some awards sitting in the middle with a glass protector. it was not a place he would want to leave in a rush, off course the air condition was Condusive enough to house at least five occupants. You have ten minutes to tell me why I should invest in this your proposed business and I believe you already have a presentation prepared because your words would not suffice. I need something real or at least appears so, to convince me.

Off course I will make do with ten minutes ma'm he responded as he thrusted his hand into his backpack and brought out His Laptop, placed it on the table 45° to aid both of them viewing the screen as he pitched his business plan.