Chapter two

The receptionist looked down and whispered in a very weak voice as he passed her, “I am sorry sir; I really tried to stop her”. He paid no attention to the receptionist and walked straight for his office.

 Flashing everyone a crooked smile, Risha turned proudly and walked into her father’s office.

The receptionist hurried back to her seat wiping the sweat from her fore head with a handkerchief. 

“Risha what is wrong with you” Alhaji Shehu demanded, as soon as Risha walked in and closed the door behind her.

 “What?” she asked raising her hands innocently, “what have I done wrong?” She asked rolling her eyes.

“Everything” he said weakly, slumping into his comfortable chair, his hands over his face. He stayed that way for almost a minute.

“Uhm dad, am still here you know?”

He brought his hands from his cheeks to rub at his temples, a tired look on his face. “Risha when will this stop, when will you grow up, when will you stop punishing me? Haven’t I suffered enough? He spoke slowly and with emotion.”

“I am not punishing you dad” she countered coldly

“No?” he tried to smile “then what do you call all these, why do you keep causing me so much pain?”

“Dad I am not here to argue” she said indifferently.

“No, off cause not, you are here to simply pay your old man a visit, right?” he said sarcastically, raising a brow.

“Whatever dad, just be through with me and let me get out of here, my patience has limits you know”

“Yes, a very short limit” he said smiling, “what did you say the problem was?” he asked.

“My allowance has run dry, I need a check” she said nonchalantly, coming to sit down in one of the sits in front of the gigantic office table.

“If I remember correctly,” Alhaji Shehu spoke carefully and slowly, as if he did want to annoy her, “it was last week I wrote a cheque of 5 million naira, right?” He asked raising a critical brow.

“So?” she asked arrogantly, “that was last week, this is now, I went shopping”.

A look of anger came into Alhaji’s eyes but he kept his voice low when he spoke. “5 million is a lot of money young lady, I used less than that to start this company, yet you throw that away in a week, and it’s nothing to you?”

She played with her finger nails while he spoke, clearly ignoring his every word.

A defeated expression came into his face, at the sight of the look of indifference on her face, he was so tired, so tired. Without a single word more, he wrote her a cheque of 2million and pushed it to her over the table.

“Thanks” she murmured flashing him a fake smile, was that so hard dad? As she spoke, she made her way for the door.

“Risha” he called.

She turned a little to look at him inquiringly 

“Spend that prudently, because as of this moment, I am cutting your monthly allowance by half, you are too…” he paused a bit, as if debating the word to use, finally settling on “extravagant” instead of the “wasteful” that first came to his mind. 

“What?” she demanded sharply, “why do you have all that money? My monthly due is nothing to you, it’s like peanuts”. She spoke angrily.

“It might be peanuts to you dear, but to others out there, it would signify a new life, Risha I am tired of your attitude, I know you are hurt, I know you are angry, but this has to stop darling,” he said firmly standing up.

“Dad, are you certain that’s want you really want?” she asked quietly, but there was definitely an implied meaning, a threat sort of.

Lowering his gaze to avoid the challenge he walked to the door, standing close to her, he spoke softly, still avoiding her challenging gaze.

“You know very well, that I don’t want to do this, you know how much I regret all my actions, I have tried to make it up to you in so many ways, I have no excuse, but darling you are destroying yourself for my mistake, seeing you like this, only flames up my guilt.” 

“Daddy, stop all this drama please,” she said this as boldly as she could, although her resolve was weakening, it’s a funny thing she thought, loving and hating someone at once, you loved because you had no choice and you hated because you think they don’t deserve your love. In her case she loved her father because she had to and hated him because she felt she was supposed to, almost as if it was her duty to.

Inhaling deeply, he sighs, as if in surrender, opened the door and walked out.

Risha closed her eyes, resting herself against the wall, she inhaled deeply in the cold air of the office, savouring the peace it brought, she hated having such feelings, getting weak and childish it weakened her resolve. After a few seconds she was back in control of her emotions. Opening the door, she walked out majestically, a look of indifference on her face. Alhaji Shehu was at the far left of the lobby speaking to a tall figure that had his back to her.

Without so much as a goodbye, she directed her steps towards the exit. The terrified and anxious receptionist ducked her head as Risha walked pass by her desk, hoping she had been forgiven or at least forgotten. Risha walked pass her, but just before she exited the door, she stopped, turned to the receptionist, who still kept her head down.

Risha studied her; she was a young, may be in her late mid-twenties judging by her looks, slim, elegant and very beautiful, there was something innocent about her. Risha was thinking, “Deal with her or let her be?” she was certain that this girl had not known who she was, she was almost tempted to forgive her, before the devil in her took auto drive and she changed her mind instantly.

“Daddy had to be dealt with” she thought “if I leave without doing something that shows I am still in control; he would think I am becoming weak. I have to prove I am still in control.” 

With that thought in mind, she walked back to the secretary’s table and spoke in her usual bold voice. “Oh, and dad, this one has to go” she said pointing to the secretary without even looking at her.

Alhaji Shehu stopped speaking to the person he was talking to, a puzzled expression coming to his face. “What’s that?” he asked.

“Sack this girl, she disrespected me” Risha said looking boldly at her father, a sarcastic smile on her lips, as if daring him to refuse.

The panicked secretary looked up quickly a terrified expression on her face; she stared in fear from Risha to Alhaji Shehu too petrified to speak.

Walking pass the figure who still had his back to her, Alhaji Shehu said in a calm voice, “Hanifah, what did you do” 

“Nothing Sir” the receptionist replied meekly getting up to her feet, “I only asked who she was because I did not know her, wallahi Sir; I didn’t mean to be disrespectful”.

“Whatever” Risha countered smirking “just fire her unless you want more trouble” with that she turned proudly and walked for the door.

“We should never speak to our parents in such a manner, no matter the circumstances.” A bold but yet very soft and charismatic voice spoke.