SEVEN-- WHEN LIFE STARTS TO GET SCARY

Thirty five minutes later, Baron was back to fetch his daughter and as they both walked to his car, the woman who was the cosmetologist that attended to Juana shouted "Happy birthday gorgeous, hope you have a nice day!" Juana waved without saying a word. 

Her stomach growled but she didn't tell her dad. She even refused to sit in the passenger seat beside him. 

"Had a nice time?" Baron said. There was sweat on his brow but he didn't care to wipe it.

"I need a big breakfast!" She retorted. 

"Right" then he turned towards the road that led to Jasmine Foods, her friends' mother's big restaurant. 

She checked her laptop again for mom's email but she hadn't replied. She hadn't even read the one she sent. She slapped the lid back on the keyboard violently.

"Daddy, I'm gonna ask two questions now and if you don't answer me this time, I'll get down this car while you're still driving, okay?"

"Okay" he said staring at the steering wheel before him.

"Good. First, why did you bring me here?" To the spa that is. Why?" She let her voice sound louder than the vehicles on the road so her dad could hear.

"I thought we're done with this question? " he faced Juana now. He had a big scowl on his face that wasn't friendly one bit.

"No. Answer it"

"Well you just had a makeover. I thought you should be happy about it. You've always wanted this, remember? By the way you look really pretty" Juana thought she saw a smirk on his face but maybe she was imagining it. She did imagine a lot that she sometimes didn't know if something was reality or dream.

"I don't appreciate it that much because I don't see the use now and because..."

"You should thank me" Baron mumbled

"Why should I? I needed food, you gave me crap, I came to check on you but you sent me out of your room! I asked you a question but you acted dumb!" Juana was getting angry

"I said I was sorry" Baron said and slowed down. The big restaurant (Jasmine Foods) was very near them now.

"Where is mom?" She asked softly. "Why's she not answering her phone or email? Huh?"

Baron parked his car at the parking lot near the restaurant.

"I don't know" he said and alighted. Almost immediately, he locked the car and went into the restaurant. Juana hit the door with her hands and legs and punched the seats.

"What do you mean you don't know? Dad, you're locking me up now? Huh!!" She was shouting and acting like she was crazy. That was how she usually did whenever she was very angry and her parents understood her perfectly well but she didn't get angry too often.

When Baron returned with a takeout pack and a bottle of drink, he found her lying on the seat and staring at the air conditioner.

She was calm now but she had tears in her eyes, and she had ripped a part of her hair and was now playing with it. He started the car again.

"We are going to granny's place. She's making lunch and dinner" he said and started on the road. 

"Are we sleeping over?" She whispered

"Yes. I have two sleeping bags in the boot"

"Okay. Dad I'm sorry for yelling" 

"It's okay" and that was the end of their conversation until granny's. Juana ate her food in silence.

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That afternoon over lunch, Juana was more confused than ever. Her granny didn't look so happy to see her. She did smile and welcomed her well but Juana knew that something was on her mind because the smile didn't appear real to her. She was wearing a black dressing gown and she had a blue scarf on her head that covered most of her face. Juana had never seen her like that. Nobody sang happy birthday songs to her or mentioned anything about her birthday. Both of them were quiet and she began to wonder what was wrong. 

At night, Baron tucked her into bed and when he was sure she was lying down properly, he closed the door behind him. But Juana was not asleep. In fact she had rejected dinner and no one had even noticed. If they did, they didn't show it. She could not sleep. She sneaked out of the room and went downstairs. She tiptoed to the living room and hid behind one of the couches and was surprised to find both of them wide awake. It was half past 11pm. Granny was holding her head in her hands and her dad was standing next to the door, talking in low tones. She tried to make out what he was saying but it was barely louder than a whisper. The only words that she heard were "I hope she's asleep", and " what do we do?" and "Be calm till morning please" Those were enough for her. She turned slowly and tiptoed back to her room. 

"Mom are you okay? Mom, mom?" She talked into space. "I hope you're okay" she dialled her number but it was not within reach. Barely fifteen minutes later, she heard her granny and dad praying in the living room. Juana didn't sleep a wink until dawn broke.

Very early the next morning, her granny was not better. She avoided looking into her eyes for more than six seconds and didn't make herself available for questions. She led a prayer in the living room and Juana and her dad said 'Amen' to each of them. Most of the prayers were for Dawn, but they weren't frightening. It was an harmless prayer of protection and safe landing. After prayer, she led her granddaughter to Baron's car and turned back towards her old castle. She didn't say goodbye to her granddaughter and didn't even look back when Baron started the car and zoomed out of sight. It was Sunday but Baron didn't drive to church. He drove home straight, dropped his daughter and drove to his ranch. "I'll be back" he said without casting so much as a glance at her. "I'll be back to make lunch. Get something for breakfast in the refrigerator"

'I'll be back' Juana said again after he zoomed out of sight. That's what her mom had said to her before she left. She said she'd be back. 

She promised to be back on her birthday but her birthday was yesterday and she was still not back. 

Juana had a long shower, wore a new dress, took some money and called a taxi. She got to her mom's workplace in forty minutes. She was going to find out the whole thing on her own since nobody was talking to her.

At the company, she was allowed in after she claimed she was Dawn Leon's daughter. She was told "your mother's plane was supposed to arrive here at about 7.30am yesterday. They left Australia and took off around 1:30am. The news we got yesterday morning said that the plane disappeared. But we are certain that the search group would find it easily with such advance technology nowadays ". The news didn't take Juana by surprise. She had been expecting to hear something worse, like a plane crash.

" The CEO of this company is in the plane too. We trust they'll be found in few hours. We're waiting for news from the search group" she said. Juana sighed. She didn't really understand it.

"Can I see the next in authority after those two?" She asked desperately.

"Oh yes. I'll put a call through now" she dialled a number on the telephone and talked into the receiver

"Go upstairs, first room by your left" she said and dropped the telephone.

Juana flew up the stairs and knocked confidently at the door. A man who was most probably in his early fifties answered the door.

"About the plane disappearance. How long do you think it'll take for us to hear anything?" She asked. The man looked at her like she was insane.

"Good morning. Please sit first" he said and she lowered herself into the chair.

"I'm guessing you're the assistant manager's daughter"

"Yes. I'm here for information about..."

"We are afraid the plane might have been hijacked. Let's wait till afternoon for any news" he said curtly. He sounded unperturbed and it unnerved Juana.

"Hijacked? Do planes get hijacked?"

"Yes. If they want money, Qantas can pay. The company can pay too. I'm sure we'll get news soon" Now this was a shock to her. Even though she was a genius, she never knew that planes could be hijacked. She's never read it and even when she heard it once, she thought it was a joke.

"I'll be on the lookout. This is my line, if there's any news, please don't hesitate calling"

"All right" She wrote her digits on a paper on his desk and left the office.

On getting back home, Juana started searching on every search engines what happens to hijacked planes. She switched on the TV and even the transistor radio in the living room. She drummed her fingers on the table and waited for the news. It was 9am. Her stomach was rumbling but she ignored it.