Job offer

...

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Katherine joined her father in his bedroom after dinner. Expecting to find him asleep, she discovered he was up and seated in his study area, reading.

"Ahem!" She cleared her throat to gain his attention and watched him flinch. Seeing it was her, Xavier relaxed and smiled at her.

"Margie told me it's past your bed time and you would be asleep. Why are you still up, dad?" She asked.

"Come here," he signalled to her quietly and she went towards him, stopping only when she got to him.

 "Margie will be mad if she finds out I stayed past my sleeping time" he said, referring to their housekeeper.

"But it is for your improvement, Dad. You should follow all of the doctor's advise." Katherine said. 

"I know, Katy. But I doubt that I'll be able to fall asleep if I don't finish reading this paper," he said. Katherine was about to argue with him when he spoke. "They're only few lines left for me to finish up" he said.

She looked at the book; a written documentary.

"And I'm done!" Xavier said, shutting the book.

"Dad, you shouldn't be doing this. You should always stick to the doctors advise no matter what, so you can get better," she said.

"In the end, I still have to undergo an operation. What good is it?" Xavier shrugged.

Katherine sighed. "It's good to know you haven't lost your obstinance," she said. 

"I haven't lost anything, dear. I just need a bit of assistance for now." he said, smiling. "Help me get to my bed, will you?"

"Of course." Katherine stood and assisted her father in getting up and walking him to his bed. Once he laid on it, she raised the duvet up to his shoulder, covering him.

She squat beside him and massaged his hair lovingly, trying her best not to breakdown at his pitiful sight.

"Katy dear," he called calmly, running a finger down her facial structure. "Truly, how are you?" Xavier asked his daughter, disrupting the silence that had previously occupied the room.

"I'm fine, dad. I am," she said, assuredly.

"I'm sorry you didn't get to stay in California for long, as you had planned" he said.

Katherine smiled, a sad tight smile as she thought of him again.

"You don't have to apologise, dad. I would have eventually returned some day," she said. "And besides you need me here"

"True," he nodded. "But I hope the brief relocation gave you at least half the peace you sought?" He asked and Katherine nodded.

Lies. 

Going to California hadn't helped in as much ways as she had thought. How would it, when the constantly growing bump in her stomach was enough to remind her of him daily.

Going to California only helped her in the change of environment aspect. She managed to obtain a job in a big art gallery in California, hoping the memories, painful and raw would go away.

She could admit that at some point, her work distracted her but the heartbreak remained ever fresh.

"How is the baby? Is he still in there?" Her father asked.

Katherine nodded. "Yes dad. The baby is in here. I-I couldn't do it!" She sniffed again heavily, finally breaking down.

It was her father's turn to massage her hair now. "I know. When you said you would get rid of the baby, I knew it was just out of anger and pain and the whole the whole heartbreak thing, I know you didn't have the heart to do it, Katy. And secretly, I prayed you wouldn't do it," Xavier said.. "you did the right thing, sweetheart, I'm proud of you." he commended.

Katherine sniffed, looked up and began wiping her tears while smiling at her father. 

"Do you plan on telling him about it?" Xavier asked.

Katherine started shaking her head. "I don't know, dad. I don't know if he will accept it or even believe me. I don't think I can tell him," she said.

"You have to, maybe not now but sooner, it's important that you tell him, Katy," he said and Katherine nodded.

"But whatever you decide to do, just know that I and Yvonne will always support you." Xavier added.

"I know," Katherine smiled. She wiped the tears from her face and eyes, adjusted the duvet on her father's body and bent for him to kiss her forehead.

"Get some sleep now," Katherine said, rubbing his palm with her slender fingers. She reached for the switch and turned off the lights.

"Goodnight." she whispered to him and walked out of his room.

Katherine checked on Yvonne as she walked to her room, seeing her fast asleep, she greeted goodnight to the housekeeper; who was still busy doing some work in the kitchen. Margie responded with a goodnight and Katherine head to her room. 

Stepping in, she closed the door after her and took in the feminine haven in front of her. Her room looked exactly as it did when she left, everything placed where they should be neatly.

In her absence, she was certain her room didn't lack cleaning and maintenance. 

Her bed and pillow case were neatly made and her fluffy pink duvet, folded and neatly placed in the built-in wardrobe in her room.

The cream colored rug on the floor and the walls that surrounded her room were as polished as ever.

Everything was perfectly in place.

Her portrait still hung neatly beside her vanity table and her luggages arranged at a corner.

She walked further into her room and turned on her computer, sitting in front of it, she clicked on the internet.

Ordinarily, for someone who returned from a journey few hours ago, she knew she was supposed to be resting. Her aching muscles reminded her she needed a nap, as she tapped on the keys of her keyboard. But Katherine was willing to do this first.

Now that she is back, she needs to get to work immediately. Due to her father's incapability, Katherine needed no one to tell her that she is now the breadwinner of the family and she needs to support the family in any and everyway that she can.

Back on the plane, she had calculated everything she needed to do once she settles in her father's house. Her father's surgery and medication bill was on-top of the list so she can't give in to rest when there's still so much on her plate. 

Katherine tapped on the available jobs, clicking on a page to fill in some required credential. Then she prepared her résumé, in case she needs to send it.

First thing first, she needs to get a job.

*

Anderson drummed his fingers nervously on his office table, staring at the computer screen with disinterest. 

After Jude created the website last night and placed the advert on the net, Anderson had spent most of his time checking and refreshing the web, hoping to see at least one turn up but there was nothing, not one person had shown interest in the offer.

And here he is again, refreshing the website all over. 

Frustrated, he turned it away and picked up the telephone from its cradle, dialing Jude's number.

"Jude Manchester speaking, how may I help you?" He answered at the first ring.

"Jude, it's Anderson" he said.

"Oh hey man. Why are you calling me from your office line?" He asked.

"That's not what is important right now, Jude. I've been checking the website for application for close to twenty four hours now. Why isn't anyone showing interest? You promised it would work." Anderson said, his brows creasing out of worry. 

Jude sighed from the other end, "Calm down, Anderson. It has only been twenty-four hours since I uploaded the advert online, and besides not every lady wants to be a stand in. And since we offered that amount of money without giving out your identity, a lot of people might take the advert as a prank or see it as fake. 

You just have to relax and give it some more time, man" Jude explained.

"I don't have time Jude, it's been twenty-four hours already since the countdown, I have less than two weeks now to present a wife to my father and I must do it before any of my brother does. Just how much time can I give?" Anderson asked, grimacing.

"Look man, I honestly don't know how much longer you have to wait but just relax. Give it another day or two, if it doesn't work out then we will think of something else, okay?" Jude said.

"Alright. I'll just keep checking. I honestly hope your idea works though." 

"Okay now it's 'my idea', like you didn't support it," Jude sighed. 

"Well you brought it up," Anderson shrugged.

"Oh really now? Since you say so I'll be more than ready to rub it in your face when it yields fantastic result," Jude stated, "I'll give you a call later, man" he finalized and disconnected the call.

Anderson scoffed and returned the telephone to its place.

Sincerely, he hoped Jude is right. As long as it works, he wouldn't mind Jude rubbing anything at his face.

.

Katherine's eyes fluttered open and squint when the bright sunlight seeping in from her slightly parted window, illuminated in her eyes.

She blinked, adjusted to the rays and sat up, stretching and yawning at the same time. Her neck let out a mild snap from the gesture, telling her of its numbness and she gave it a light massage with her fingers to revive it.

She took her legs off the table and placed them on the ash colored carpet. She gave a glance at her computer in front of her, realising she had fallen asleep while job hunting online.

The computer screen was blank, it must've gone off after she left it without a single operation for hours.

 She glanced at the time, it was few minutes past six in the morning.

Turning back to her computer, she tapped a key on the keyboard to activate it and it came on.

She proceeded to turn it off but stopped when her gaze caught something on the computer screen.

She inched closer to the computer to have a better view of the information; alas! It was a job offer.

.

..