Two
Chapter Two.
The roads were busy. Too busy, in fact , for a Friday morning.
There was a brief hold up, though it was moving, drivers were too eager to get to where they needed to go.
Shop owners at the side of the road thought it to be a good opportunity to advertise what they had. They sent their workers out with trays hanging down their necks .
Some had their mascots dancing.
"Daddy look, a huge teddy bear."
A little girl of about three years in a car next to Jennifer's said .
Grinning, Jennifer had been suddenly reminded of her childhood.
Being only her and her Dad,they had lots of memorable fun.
She turned on the radio. If she was to be stuck in the hold up, she wouldn't be bored.
When the hold was taking long, she craned her head to see what was happening, but she couldn't.
She took her phone in the compartment she put it and texted her secretary that she might be late.
As she finished texting, drivers started their engines.
She chuckled at the thought of a car race happening on the road.
She kicked her engine to life and without obstruction, she faced the huge black gates of JK Architectures.
It was a huge firm which stood on a land of six hectares.
It had a total of fifteen buildings, including an hospital which was ran by her Dad's younger sister .
A total of three hundred staffs worked in the company and all well paid. For a company that started with a small office and two staffs, it was a huge achievement. It also had branches in five countries in the world.
The gate was opened by the gate keeper, Wilson who according to the chit-chat staff had here and there, enjoyed since he doesn't really have to push the gates or anything, he just touches it and the gate opens. In fact, most of what he did was just stand by the gate when ever a car entered.
"Morning Wilson." Jennifer greeted him in return as she drove past him in his usual salute position. He was still in mufti, which meant he slept in the gate keeper's house.
She drove to the car park and parked at her spot. Nobody dared park there, not because she was a fire breathing monster of a boss, but because she was a good and respectable one and no one would want that privilege to go to waste.
She got down, grabbed her food container and purse and made sure she locked her car door.
She walked towards the main door, hoping her dad was not in a meeting. It was another norm to go straight to her dad's office before anything.
She received a series of 'Good mornings' which she returned by nodding or saying 'Morning.'
She got into the elevator, clutching her purse and food container to her chest and pressed the button leading to her dad's office.
As it went up, a song played underneath. She started swaying to 'Phir Bhi Tumko Chanunga' an Indian song from the movie, 'Half girlfriend'. The elevator soon stopped and she got out. Her Dad's office stood alone, so she faced just one door. As she approached the door. she heard voices from his office.
She moved closer and sat on one of the cushioned chairs by the wall, her food container and purse still to her chest.
"So you are saying you forgot to bring this for signing because you forgot. If I recall well, Mr Amir, I reminded you about it three times yesterday. And you had no serious job to do yesterday, you just signed documents. So...you were saying?"
Her father's calm deep voice resonated through the room and over.
"S... sir ..."
Mr Amir's voice sounded timid.
"Just leave."
Mr Amir came out of the office, head down. If he noticed Jennifer, he didn't show. He entered the elevator clutching a brown envelope.
'Mr Joseph Lewis doesn't take shit.'
His daughter thought as she stood up to enter her Dad's office. She knocked the door.
"Come in." That response came out as a grunt.
She entered and closed the door.
"Hey dad." She said bounce-walking on the soft rug that seemed to swallow her footsteps as she walked towards him.
She dropped her belongings on a small table next to his big black leather office table that was adorned with few files at the side, an apple laptop in the middle and two android phones beside it.
"Ha... my favorite girl. Come give papa a hug." His voice sounded very calm. His daughter was the only cure to his stress.
Walking towards her dad's side, she noticed something different about him, but she could not place it.
She leaned in and hugged his side, placing her head on his hair which which was a mixture of brown and white hair. A sign of old age. He was nearing the diamond age and ever since he had been in realisation of that,he decided to retire the very day he clocked the age and to hand over to her.
He placed his hand on her head and patted it.
"My baby, all grown up. Your momma will be so proud of you."
"I know papa. How are you?"
She knew her dad had no problems talking about her mom, but he always talked about her like she was still alive and that bothered her.
"I'm fine baby. How is Francis?"
"Fine dad. What was that with Mr Amir?"
She released herself and went to sit in one of the chairs in front of his table.
"Can you believe it? That man is so irresponsible at times. If not for the fact that he does he work absolutely well most of the time, I would have fired him."
He sighed after talking and studied his daughter who was not paying attention to what he was saying, but trying to figure out what was off in his figure.
"Jenny, you are not listening."
She did not respond. He tapped the wooden part of his table.
She jolted to life, suddenly embarrassed that she was staring at her dad.
"Sweetie, are you okay?"
He asked, his wrinkles on his forehead visible as he frowned.
She adjusted on the chair and started, " Are you okay dad? Are you taking your medications? Are you...? "
Her dad interrupted her, he was amused at the way she poured out the questions.
He chuckled and stretched his right hand, his palm facing the white ceiling. He gave her a 'place your hand' look.
She kept her right hand in his. He squeezed it slightly looking into her eyes intensely.
"Jenny sweetie, I am okay. Your dad is okay. Don't bother yourself,okay? Focus on your well-being instead." He squeezed her hand once more.
Jennifer nodded slowly, her lips in her thin line. He released her hand and patted it.
She stood up, ready to leave for her office.
"Okay dad. I have to go."
She took her belongings where she had put it.
"What's inside that food container? I am starving." Her dad asked jokingly
"Oh paapi, you know I will never ever share my food with anyone, not even you."
She joked along, illustrating the ' never ever' by waving her right hand.
She kissed her father's cheek and left for her office.
She couldn't wait to go to her office. She was suddenly missing the cream colored walls and the brown floral and prints curtain which added life to the office.
She missed the tranquility that existed in her block of administration. Her staff knew better than to make stupid noises, so all you heard was clicking and clanking of keyboards.
She was soon in front of the greenish glass which led to her block.
But what she saw was not what she expected to see.
Two men, one in black suit, the other in brown, were tumbling on the white tiles, punching and tearing at each other. Other staffs watched them in silence,well a few tried to intervene, but the men were too much glued together to allow an intercessor and immediately they sighted Jennifer, they faced their monitors in a flash.
The two men on the floor were still oblivious to her presence, in fact, a shoe flew over her head.
Jennifer signalled to her secretary who stood at the far corner of the room watching the brawl like it was a normal movie.
Her secretary handed her a microphone. No boss would love abusing their chords.
"What on earth is happening here? "