A Bit of Difference Read Online Free PDF Page A

on the next flight to Lagos, but her father died before her plane arrived. She would have liked to have a sign that he had died, a white dove, anything as she flew over the Atlantic and the Sahara. Nothing. Not even an intuitive feeling, unless she could count the unrelenting pain in her stomach, which she couldn’t suppress by repeating prayers.
    â€œSo where are we?” Kate asks. “How long do you think you might need over there?”
    â€œA week at most.” “Is that all?”
    Deola nods. She intends to finish her work in a couple of days and spend the rest of the time with her family.
    â€œGood,” Kate says. “So here is their correspondence, lit and stats. Their presentation is not very polished, but I understand printing is a problem over there. Plus, it’s not about their presentation, really. I’m more interested in their accounts and the rest of it.”
    Kate is brilliant with statistics, but she has no clue about accounting. Debit this, credit that, as she calls it.
    â€œWould you like me to visit their sites?” Deola asks.
    â€œNo. We’re just at the preliminary phase. I will have to go there at some point, but that’ll be much later, after I’m over this.” Kate pats her belly.
    â€œIt’s best you don’t travel until then,” Deola says.
    â€œI don’t mind the traveling. I just don’t need to be falling sick again.”
    â€œMalaria is the one to watch out for in Nigeria.”
    â€œSo I’ve heard. I’ve also heard the pills make you psychotic. I think I would rather have malaria.”
    â€œYou wouldn’t,” Deola says.
    She has had malaria many times. The new strains are resistant to treatment.
    â€œMind you,” Kate says. “Toxoplasmosis was no picnic. Here, take a look.”
    â€œI’ll come round,” Deola says getting up.
    Kate pushes the papers toward her. “No need.”
    â€œIt’s okay,” Deola insists.
    She assumes Kate is being decent as usual. Kate is hands-on about being decent. Kate dug out her Nigerian NGO files when Dára agreed to be the spokesperson of Africa Beat. Graham was against violating their policy of giving priority to countries with a history of fiscal dependability. Kate had to persuade him.
    Deola walks to Kate’s side of the desk to look at the correspondence.
    Kate covers her mouth and mumbles, “Hell.”
    â€œAre you all right?” Deola asks.
    Kate stands up, face contorted, and rushes out of the office.
    Now, Deola feels foolish as she sniffs her shirt for perfume. Kate’s office smells vaguely of snacks with Asian spices that will linger on her all day. She waits for Kate to return, wondering if she would be better off leaving. Kate walks in wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
    â€œSorry about that,” she says.
    â€œWas it my perfume?”
    Kate shakes her head. “Not to worry. Anything sets me off. It’s awful. I can’t wait until this is over. I’m going mad. I had a huge tantrum this morning and upset everyone at
home. You know why?”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œToothpaste.”
    â€œToothpaste?”
    â€œYes! Toothpaste! Someone left the cap off!”
    â€œI should leave you alone,” Deola says.
    â€œI’ll be fine,” Kate says, sitting down.
    â€œNo, no. I’d better go. Can I take those with me?” She points at the papers. “I’ll bring them back when I’m through.”
    â€œYeth, pleathe,” Kate says, attempting to smile.
    Kate has a habit of lapsing into a lisp whenever she asks for favors.
    Deola takes the correspondence to her office, which is next door to Kate’s. The carpet is the same throughout the office, grayish blue. Her window is cloudy on the outside and there is dust permanently stuck on her white blinds. She has “in” and “out” trays on her desk and a matching organizer for her pens and