Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 64: Untouchable!

September 21, 2018

1284

April 2^nd, 2013

Waking up this morning was so difficult! My body ached in places I didn’t know existed. And it wasn’t a picnic for Patrick either, who was tempted to call in sick at work. But after I screamed and ranted about who would drive me to work, he had to change his mind. I wish I could also call in sick, but alas…it was appraisal day today. I was scheduled to fill my self-appraisal form this morning, and later in the day, would have a sit-down with my boss, for the main one.

To be honest, I wasn’t nervous about the appraisal itself…well, not anymore. I knew I had done enough to get a reasonable score…one I could defend if my ED tries any stunts. What bogged me the most was feeling so tired, which wasn’t surprising after the very hectic weekend.

Getting to work, I had to laugh at the marked difference in the atmosphere, compared to Thursday, when everyone was gay and merry. Today, facial expressions were stoic and serious, and everyone moved around with an exaggerated sense of purpose. I felt like laughing at them. Na today their own eye service dey start?! Jokers!

Launching the Self-Appraisal form, I filled it as confidently as I could. It was in years past that I would give myself average scores, thinking it was rude to score myself too high, and hopeful that my boss would upgrade my score. For where?! If I scored myself lower than what any of my previous bosses, and even this one, thought, all they would do would be to ask why the low score, feebly outline my strengths in that area, but would end up agreeing with my low score, especially if “that was the way I felt!”. And for the other areas, where they might have scored me a 6 for something I had scored myself 5, the score would become 4, like joke like joke! So now, I score high!!! Only 8 and 9 scores for me oh! The lowest they can mark me down to is a 6…no be so?!

The minute I clicked the Send button, I felt such a huge wave of relief, knowing it was no longer in my hands. I had done my part, and whatever would be…well, would be!

Going for lunch, Ebika walked past me, her nose still in the air. Na wa oh. As she passed me, her perfume almost picked me up and threw me out the window. It was that strong. Looking at her, I observed how good she looked. Her bobo is really stepping her up, I won’t lie. Well, that’s her luck…and her lookout. I wish things hadn’t turned out the way they did with us, as I was just starting to really like her, but these things happen. So, I wish her all the best.

An hour after lunch, I was seated in front of my boss, and observed her smile, as she saw all my high scores.

“Faith!!! You and these your high marks!” she exclaimed.

“Don’t you agree with them, Ma?” I asked, in my most innocent expression.

She didn’t answer, but kept scrolling, still with a smile on her face. Then scrolling right back to the beginning, we started reviewing each performance index, point by point, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that she agreed with almost all my high scores, and even upgraded one of my 8s to a 9! In the end, I got the highest score I have ever gotten in all my years working here…an 89%!!!

“Faith, you have really impressed me with your work ethic…especially this past quarter,” my boss commended, when we were done. “I have to be honest to say I was worried when I found out you were pregnant, and had braced myself to take up the bulk of your tasks. But not only have you kept on doing your job, and doing it excellently, you have even helped me with some of mine as well! You have become someone I can truly depend on! An invaluable member of my team!” then with a sly smirk, added “If not for all the days you have taken off, you would have probably scored above 90%!”

I couldn’t believe it! I had hoped for good, but hadn’t expected fantastic!!! WOW!!!

I walked on clouds for the rest of the day, buoyed by the assurance that, with that kind of a high score, nobody, not even Madam ED, could do anything to hurt me!

I’m untouchable!