Never Judge a Book by it's cover because Someone else didn't like it.... Wait until you've read it first!

I was the black sheep in the clique formed in the company where I worked, simply because, now get this, I refused to join their monthly contribution (ajo) and instead pitched my tent with another group in another department within the same organization. Word got out and suddenly I was public enemy number one!

Then again, I'm not much of a group person, don't get me wrong, I'm a team player when it has to do with work, but not your regular clique loyalist.

I prefer to stay on my own and so it earned me the nickname, black sheep among my own colleagues, except my boss of course who loved my work, and like me didn't play office clique. His opinion was the only thing that mattered to me and as long as he was not complaining, I didn't give a fuck.

Then this new girl was hired.
The first week she was all smiles and friendly, then suddenly, I noticed she was caught up in the office clique and before I knew it, she had started hanging out with them fully, and before long, she became hostile towards me for no apparent reason just simply by association.
Once again, I didn't give a fuck.

Actually, I was a little pissed because I kinda liked her that first and second week she was nice.
We exchanged a couple of 'Hi's and smiles' and it was actually a relief having someone neutral and friendly to talk with for a change.
So yeah I was hurt, besides she was really pretty too, but the "I don't give a fuck" attitude activated and then I was good, minding my own business jejely.

Months passed and everything was the same, until lightning struck one afternoon.

There was a misunderstanding in the group, apparently, the old and longest serving employees were fond of capitalizing on their imaginary seniority to take advantage of the gullible ones, and on several occasions, this new girl, no longer knew again per say, but still the most recent employee, always covered for her colleagues and worked over time on their behalf with no compensation from them, other than a clap in the back and salute, until she too needed someone to cover for her and non was willing.
She was so pissed, she left the group and stopped the contribution too.

Now she too became the black sheep number two, I was still number one.

One month later, she was arrested.
Apparently SARS came to arrest some yahoo boys in her compound and since she was outside working on her laptop, drinking a glass of wine, well, you know how that sight looks to our ever gallant Nigerian police, worse, SARS operatives.
She was not only a suspect but also an olosho in their eyes as they manhandled and rough-handheld her, seizing her laptop and forcefully pushed her into the car with some added slaps.
They arrested the wine too.

We found out two days later, apparently, she called a member of her group who mysteriously forgot to tell the boss but didn't forget to let the entire company know that she was arrested for dating a yahoo boy.

I heard two days later and called my boss, who was out of the country, he contacted the company's lawyer and both of us were the only representatives that went to visit her and fight for her release with her laptop.
We couldn't bail the wine, it was finished.

She spent four days in the cell and I was the only one who visited the third and fourth day.
I drove her home in my car after her release, and still paid for medications and bought stuffs too, because her life wasn't the same for that period.
She was given 5 days leave and I still called regularly and visited, her colleagues and ex-members never flashed.

When she resumed, she came to my office and apologized to me...

I was popularly known as the black sheep but in reality, I was the only sheep in the midst of wolves.

She learnt a lesson, never hate someone because someone else does or isn't comfortable with them. Get to know them yourself and make up your own mind concerning them.

Today we are best of friends and surprisingly, we have a lot in common that we would have never known, had she not been arrested.

Moral: Don't write people off without getting to know them first, because you can never judge a book simply because someone else read it first and didn't like it.

Kingdavid Chinaeke Ofunne
Authorpreneur
www.ofunneceo.blogspot.com