The third chair

I’m doing well, Steve. Thank you for asking.

The office has three chairs at the front: yours, mine, and the one we leave empty for whatever is coming next. This week, the empty one got the most use. Problems sat there, looked around, and left without shouting.

Lagos moved easy. Rain fell at 6pm like it had an appointment, washed the dust off the road, and didn’t overstay. The client’s payment landed. The report you flagged got finished. The junior staff said, “Oga’s absence is not absence when his order is present.” I took that as a compliment for you.

I hope you’re doing well over there. I hope your food tastes like home and your sleep is deep enough to erase deadlines. Leaders also need to be led by rest sometimes.

_Que sera, sera._ Whatever will be, will be. We are not rushing the future. We are managing today, and today is behaving itself. No drama. No firefighting. Just work, done well.

The name is still clean. The seat is still warm. The light is still on.

Come back when you’re ready, sir. The third chair will wait.

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