The guards stood up abruptly, each trying to look serious and business like, they held themselves straight, while trying to adjust their facial expressions; occasionally, they looked at their uniform to ensure all was in order. Hard as they tried, on such occasions, they were nervous as hell, it wasn’t every day that the brat showed up, but when she did, she always gave everyone something to remember, or more appropriately, something one would rather wish to forget, but wouldn’t dare to, because of fear of a repeat. Walking up the few stairs nonchalantly yet majestically, ignoring everyone and their silly salutations, coming up the few steps to the door, she jerked her head upwards, tossing her hair stylishly in the process as she waited for the door man to get the door. She passed through ignoring them all as if they were non-existent.
So far so good, it seemed today she was in a good mood, content simply with ignoring everyone. But they had all learnt from experience just how unpredictable this crazy girl could be. On days when her mood was off, every damn worker was in for hell, she would haul insults at everyone at the slightest provocation, slapped those that hovered too long in her part, male or female. Anyone stupid enough to stand up to her was surely and promptly fired. Hence all lived in mortal fear of this spoiled overrated rich brat. No one knew when she would show up, in what mood or what new devilish trick she had up her sleeves.
Employees hurried out of her way as she walked straight to the elevator, two ladies had entered the elevator, but quickly changed their minds and stepped out immediately she entered. To all these activities around her, she showed not even the slightest bit of concern or care, it was almost like she was the only person in the massive 40 story building. Up at the top she stepped out of the elevator and walked straight for her father’s office.
“May I help you, madam”, the young lady sitting at the receptionist desk asked her, trying to force a smile at this arrogant girl.
She stopped briefly, before turning to give a detailed look at the fool who had spoken to her. She swallowed her up in one glance, before concluding she did not recognize this one. Clearly, she must be new.
The receptionist smiled again, ignoring the repulsive expression on the other’s face. Risha said nothing, a devilish smile beginning to play on her lips.
The receptionist was confused now, surely this woman wasn’t deaf. “I asked whether I could help you” the receptionist repeated her question.
“What is your name?” Risha asked calmly, her eyes getting wider as amusement danced in their depts.
“Sorry?” the confused receptionist inquired.
“Are you deaf as you are stupid and ugly?” Risha fired, her eyes flashing now, “I see you don’t know who you are dealing with” she said thoughtfully, and then smiled suddenly; there was an evil intent behind that smile.
The receptionist was clearly getting scared now, although she tried to hide it behind a polite smile. “I am sorry if I seemed rude, I don’t know who you are, as it is I am the new receptionist here, and from the instructions I received, Alhaji Shehu cancelled all his appointments for today, but if you really have to see him, I can book an appointment for next tomorrow,” she said it with such politeness and charm, smiling despite her increasing fear at this intimidating young lady.
“Shut your trash hole, you premature looking human ape. Make an appointment next tomorrow” she said in a quay voice, mimicking the stunned receptionist, “who the hell do you think you are, huh? You will regret this you are so lucky I am in a good mood today; I would have given you something to remember for the rest of your sorry already miserable life.”
With that, she turned and walked pass the receptionist desk heading straight for her father’s office. The panicked receptionist followed her from behind at a loss of words, she was too scared to speak anymore surely whoever this rude girl was, she had something up her sleeves, and she walked with such pride, confidence and undisputable authority.
Slamming the door open, with a loud thud, she stepped in angrily, it was empty, her sharp eyes scanned the office in a flash. “Where is he” she demanded turning to look at the receptionist. When no answer came, she demanded again more coldly this time; “I said where he is?” she glared at the receptionist, who at the moment was clearly confused at what to do. Obey this this lady and get fired, disobey, she feared worse.
“In the conference room” she replied meekly.
Without another word, Risha turned, and walked out the door and made her way straight for the conference room. The receptionist followed her quickly trying to catch up.
“Madam please don’t go in there, he is having a very important meeting, I will lose my job if I let you go in there” she pleaded evidently terrified, sweat and perspiration dripped down her pretty face despite the chill from the air conditioner, her face had become pale and white due to the intensity of her fear.
“Your job?” Risha asked sarcastically, “you have already lost it, trust me,” she said flashing a cold smile at the young lady in a matter of fact way. With a careless, but heavy push, she slammed the door with the sign “conference room” on it open.
Everyone inside the room turned abruptly to the intruder, there where at least 15 men and women in the room, sited around the exclusive conference table, which was in a circle. Risha flashed her eyes round, trying to find her father, she saw him sited at extreme right of the table, dressed in white babban Riga, the smile dropped from his face and a look of worry and concern replaced it immediately.
“Hallo dad,” she said loudly, faking a smile.
Everyone looked from her to Alhaji Shehu and then back to her, some men in the room had their mouths open as they stared at this bold wander of God.
Alhaji Shehu, a man in his early fifties, clean shaven and sober looking, was not a man to stay surprised for long, he stood up slowly and deliberately, fixing a stern expression on his face. “Risha, what’s all this” he asked calmly.
“All what?” she fired back defensively, “my allowance is finished and you haven’t reimbursed me this month, so I thought I would stop by and say hello to my old man, get my cheque and leave peacefully,” she said the peacefully with emphasis, “that is until this idiot here provoked me” she said gesturing towards the petrified receptionist.
Alhaji Shehu looked around embarrassingly, inhaled deeply, before speaking, “honey, that’s no reason to barge in here like that, you could simply have waited a few minutes.
“What are you trying to say dad? That I am disturbing you?” she said it with a hint of accusation and something like a threat.
“No…no, I am not saying that,” Alhaji Shehu stammered slightly. Some of the men sitting down gasped and exchanged strange looks, each as shocked as the other, they had never witnessed such before, Alhaji Shehu, “The Iron Emperor” of the business world, as he was popularly known, back down so easily or look so rattled and out of composure before.
“In my office” he said finally, coming to walk pass her, but before stepping out the door, he announced with his usual air of authority, “Gentlemen and ladies, this meeting is adjourned till tomorrow”.
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.
Risha froze at her place, the voice and those words stimulating something deep inside her being. She turned and a slight involuntary gasped escaped her slightly parted lips, hardly audible to anyone but herself. It was the person her father had been speaking to. He was a young tall figure, with sharp serene eyes, lean figure, frank looking face and beautifully pointed male nose, not too build but not bad looking either, he had those exceptionally handsome face features calm piercing eyes, small thin lips and thick brows, that made ladies stare, just as she was doing now.
She tried failingly to stop her heart from analysing the enigmatic wonder before her. He was smiling charmingly at her a few steps away; he had come to stand close to the secretary.
Risha quickly looked away, blinked quickly as she tried to regain her rattled composure. She realized he was still speaking. “If Hanifah was rude to you, then I am apologizing on her behalf” he said smiling at her.
In shock, Risha looked towards her father, who smiled and nodded to the idiot of a man in approval. She couldn’t explain why but anger gripped her with its full force, scaring even her, she felt like her head was going to explode due to the intensity.
“You bastard” she spoke from clenched jaws “who do you think you are?”
“Risha” Alhaji Shehu said softly, as if to caution her.
The annoying man just smiled again, although he was clearly surprised by her outburst.
“Who do you think you are to speak to me and tell me about what to do and how I should speak huh?” she said clenching her fists as she spoke. She could say no more, due to her intense anger.
He said nothing, just kept smiling at her in amusement.
Alhaji Shehu smiled as he observed his daughter, secretly he was glad that Farhan had spoken up, it wasn’t every day that someone could rattle Risha like this. People hardly stood up to her. Plus, he really did not wish to fire Hanifah.
The smile on the man’s face only inflated her anger, at the moment, she lost total control of herself, she insulted cursed, threatened all at once.
“Risha that is enough” Alhaji Shehu spoke loudly now, a stern expression on his face, “don’t say a single more word, you are embarrassing yourself.”
She flashed her father an angry look “fire them both dad” she said with as much control as she could muster.
“No” Alhaji Shehu answered “this has to stop Risha”
“Fire them dad” she spoke again weakly, she almost pleaded “if not the girl, then fire him” she said pointing at the man. Her own stupidity surprised her, yet she couldn’t stop herself.
“Risha” Alhaji Shehu said firmly, “I can’t do that, they are both too important, Farhan is our finest legal adviser and attorney, Hanifah is the best secretary that has worked in this office. Besides what crime did they commit? Farhan has already apologized on her behalf, isn’t that enough?”
Risha couldn’t believe her ears, “was it her daddy was speaking to like this?” She looked at the bastard named Farhan who had caused all this; no one had to tell her she had lost when she saw the same smile of confidence on his face. Even the stupid secretary was confident enough to look at her now. She could feel the tears at the tip of her eyelids; she trembled like a feather in the wind, as her anger passed human capacity to endure. But then surprising everybody, she smiled, it was a devilish smile, although she still shook intensely, she let the smile linger. At that moment, her whole heart became black with hate for this Farhat or whatever the hell his name was. She felt such hate that she could murder him there on the spot.
“Ok, if that’s how you want it to be” she said directing her words to her father, turning angrily to leave, but before walking out, she turned to look once more at the new object of her obsession, the evil in her eyes at that moment would scare even the devil.
For his part, Farhan was no longer smiling; his amusement had been replaced by curiosity. He held her gaze, surprise evident in his, “was she really that angry? Or was she just acting?” he almost felt like laughing because he could not see nothing that warranted such a reaction. Her beautiful eyes flashed with fire, her nose twitched and her lips trembled, to him it was all a funny sight. He smiled at her one more time.
Risha’s eyes almost exploded, but she smiled also, it was a very unnatural smile, the evil wicked type, a promise of a lot to come, a threat and an assurance. She paused a bit to watch him smile at the receptionist in assurance before turning to walk away.
Alhaji Shehu had been observing his daughter all the while, the smile still lingered on his lips, it wasn’t that he was happy that she was angry, that was her default setting, only on normal cases her anger was sort of cold, as if an active volcano silently waiting to erupt, just because it wasn’t erupting at every moment didn’t take away the fact that it was still a dead serious thing. What he could see now was that volcano erupting. “With God on our side, it would take a long time before this volcano erupted again, seeing that it has spent all its energies” he thought, smiling even more at the thought. He turned to her.
“Risha” he called, just as her back disappeared behind the wall, he thought she had not heard him, until he saw her stick her head over the side, an inquisitive look accompanied with contempt evident on her face, she did not speak, just raised her brows questioningly.
“Do not forget what I said earlier about that cheque, spend it most prudently, ok?” he smiled at her affectionately, in an effort to diffuse some of her anger.
Surprisingly, Risha just smiled and nodded before disappearing behind the wall, in contrary to what he had expected.
“Well, this is certainly a new era,” he thought smiling to himself.
And he was absolutely right.