Fiction: Ignorant clerk lands into trouble

Imports cargo verification at a certain border point turned to be a spectacle to behold last week. Mr. George, a clerk working with a well renowned Clearing and Forwarding Firm, had for a period of one month been accompanied by a lady on his normal official duties who was on attachment. On this particular day, they had gone to verify cargo which was dangerous in nature. They were to verify a container said to contain drums of tetrachloroethylene. As is the norm, George placed the container for verification after being allowed to do so by the relevant bodies involved in the verification process namely. Verification is done to ascertain that the goods description in the imports entry is similar to what is physically seen. This is to make sure that the correct revenue is collected and that the goods are not substandard or contraband for that matter. George had admired the lady accompanying her since day one when she was introduced to the staff by their Operations Manager. She wore irresistible dimples which became conspicuous every time she smiled. Her oily and succulent lips with a fleshly look seemed palatable. Not to mention her curvy body which explicitly spelled the word beauty. They had been exchanging glances and smiles which spoke further from the customary official ones which are to be found in any office. This had gone for the last one month without either gathering the courage of communicating verbally to the other regarding their feelings. After opening the container and before the rest of the verification team had arrived at the verification area, the cupid’s arrow got the better part of them and what they were unable to express verbally was relayed through actions. They were cautious of the surrounding something that led George to pull the girl inside the not fully loaded container. She willingly obliged and what is seen in soap opera programmes was briefly exercised in that container. They romanced the way they had both fancied notwithstanding the heat and the deadly odour emanating from the chemicals oozing from the drums in that container. The experience was pleasant and momentarily drove them out of this world. It is after a short period of time that they both started to have difficulty in breathing followed by dizziness and they eventually fell in a coma. There was confusion when the rest of verification team arrived and found the pair unconscious. They needed urgent verification before the goods in question could be verified. This could only be done by a medical practitioner something which prompted an ambulance to be called upon at once. “I wonder which cargo this clerk had come to verify, the cargo or the lass!” Someone wondered openly.An ambulance came and the two were whisked to the nearest hospital where they are recuperating. Interestingly, the folder which George was carrying had a page titled ‘safety data sheet’ which clearly indicated what to do and what not to do when handling the cargo. Apparently, they did not bother to read, were ignorant or love blinded them. skangongoi@yahoo.com