"I try and see who's there on the other end of the shade
Most times it's just somebody that's under-aged
That's probably just alone and afraid
And lashin' out so that someone else can feel they pain--" Drake, Emotionless.

Chikamharida's POV.

Six days later.

"If you don't get ready for church, I'd drag you there myself, anyhow you dress," a voice said, and it leaked through the crack in the door. I was at a distance from said room, although I was gradually approaching it, footsteps soft on the floor but still, the voice could drown a megaphone. It was slightly masculine and made anyone at the receiving end of it want to cower in fear, including me.

A softer voice followed it, no doubt belonging to a child or an employee. They were arguing, and the woman never lowered her voice for the child, even once.

Before I arrived the door, a girl, almost to my height, rushed out, bumping into me in me process and not apologizing. From her jean and t-shirt, she was a teenager no doubt and the fact that she had her face lowered as she rushed away made me remember Henry's words when I'd first arrived:

"No matter what happens, don't ask questions," he'd said.

The door was slightly open but I still knocked, just to hear a reply.

"Come in," she said.

Tentatively I walked in, closing the door slightly so I had a nice view of the person rumored to have summoned me. So it was her! The "commander" of the house who hadn't even spent twenty four hours in her proposed visit.

This was my first time seeing her; inarguable since I was a green employee.

"You called for me ma," I said once I was before her.

I couldn't study the room directly but I did through my peripheral. It appeared almost empty save for some potted plant, more ceramics and the two people who were currently occupying it— one being me.

Such potent aura she had!

She sent me a look of appraisal; saggy face, skin bleached with sunburn at the side, paired with down turned wide lips and a pair of stern brown eyes. From my feet to my to the grey matter in my brain she assessed.

"And who are you?" Same voice asked, except this time, it was less polite, that's if possible. She was probably thinking I was a virus.

"I'm the security, ma," I said and was met with more disapproval.

"So you're the one," she'd said, voice rasing again.

"What happened ma?"

"I just came yesterday, to see my son and his family, and this is how you welcome me? By breaking into my room and taking my pot? Bolaji must hear of this!"

I stood, a rod of steel. The words spewing off her mouth like a billion pound processing plant on rubris. What was she saying?

"Ma'am, you're slightly mistaken," I said. "I don't know what you're talking about." My hands found themselves on my heart as I swore. "I've been at the gate all day long. Not even trespassing as I was told. Ma'am I swear, I don't know what you're talking about!"

A thickened silence elapsed, then her willowy eyes focused on me. "So I'm lying? You're calling me a liar!"

"I- I didn't."

"Can you defend yourself because you're definitely displaying a lot of skills right now?"

"I-"

She raised a palm at me. "Wait till my son is back to explain the lies you've probably cooked up. I'm not going to listen to that."

I stood there thinking we'd arrived at an agreeable conclusion. Apparently, there was more drops in the ocean.

"My friend will you get out from my side!"

My feet took me out, apparently they had a brain of theirs. The reply out of my mouth was so fast I thought a robot was on auto-tune. "Yes ma'am, I'm sorry ma'am," I'd said.

I didn't breathe till I was out of the house, on the cobblestoned pathway that led to the depths of the garden and a forest faraway.

When I'd first arrived, I'd trailed this path with Henry because he was appointed as my trainer. Although the eventuality of my changing location had obscured my ability to appreciate the environs, I was free to do so now, in bleary spirit tho.

The house behind me wasn't just a house. It was a towering structure, in girth and length. Had multiple rooms I hadn't wandered, if I'd even seen any. One in it, I've learned was awarded to each employee on recruitment. However, the right wing was for the family alone.

It didn't take long for me to bump into someone, or rather her, into me. Like I, she was dressed in a two piece— a green long sleeved shirt, trouser and black boots as requested for all security personnels. Hers was a bit worn though, and fell off in style cause of the glint in her eyes. A glint I was just noticing.

"I see you've met the commander," she said so dramatically it had me confused. "Isn't she nice?"

It wasn't until I heard the sarcasm in her voice, and that familiar underlying tone of envy, that I understood; and she confirmed it with a nod and a sinister smile.

"Isn't she nice?" she repeated, albeit lower, her smile widening.

"So it was you?" I asked. I wasn't sure what I was asking but the girl had certainly done me wrong. "You lied about me. I just came two days ago. We haven't even met... What's wrong with you!"

"That's right, I'm putting you in your place," she said, freeing herself from my hold, blowing me a kiss and waltzing away apparently deeming me a smaller threat she could handle. But threat for what?

I watched after her, her boots tapping against the stones gingerly as if mocking me. Something else simmered in my blood. It was dangerous yet essential for those who felt minimal emotions and as much as it tried escaping its iron cage, I willed it to stay put; we wouldn't want the beast to be unleashed when the game had just begun.

I willed myself to continue walking.

Leaves danced and petals bloomed. Underneath the rays of the rising sun, golden and festering in all directions, flowers boomed and beds sang.

It was like a heavenly welcome. Angels singing my praise for not delving into dangerous emotions. It wasn't that hard though, I'd worked with worse people and it was always for the cash. It payed despite how traumatic. Besides, for me, being born into this world was traumatic enough so nothing could pull me down. In fact, I was more than determined to stay afloat.

"Is it not to explain?" I asked no one in particular when I kicked a careless root and fell to a stop. "I'd explain all right."

Then I continued the motion.

I wasn't well familiar with the place, despite how I've been wandering it. However, there was a location that seemed closed up and well furnished for people to air their head. It was far away from the garden, deep into the forest. Like a rock that was so out of reach but fundamental for a cave.

I kicked twigs out of the way. You could say I was clearing the path, for another time I may visit.

With a bitter colleague, that seemed just unavoidable and bound to happen in the near future. It was a matter of when.

However, I'd also confess that the little exercise was an output for anger, made my legs busy with something other than walking. It doesn't matter all right!

I arrived at the said location. It was surrounded by trees and was right by the riverbed which was littered by stones of different sizes.

When I'd first visited the river, it lacked a soul. Just tall trees with waving leaves; just green grasses, long bushes and thick shrubs; just nature doing it's usual, undisrupted by the human forces. However, seated right there at the river bank with her lean legs dipped in the water and her jean rolled to her knees was the teenager that had bumped into me earlier. Her back was to me so I still couldn't see her face. I knew it was her cause of her clothes, same Jean and t-shirt she wore earlier.

"I may not have been here long enough but I know there's a swimming pool in the house," I said once I was beside her.

She shied away from me in shock, like her hand was placed on hot iron. "What are you doing here? How did you- Oh my God! Are you here to take me back? I swear it you'll have to force me!" She was slowly backing up, but still waiting for a reply.

"Calm down fighter," I said, uninterested as I crouched. "If anything, I'm here for me and me alone."

"You aren't meant to be here," she said, tone slightly calmed. "This is my alone spot."

"And it's also mine." I spared her a glance and then continued working my lace so I could free my feet from the boots.

"It was mine first!"

"No one is disputing that fact." I spared her a side glance before sitting and dipping my feet in the water. "Like I said, it's also mine," I repeated.

I was so sure my reply left her dumbfounded. She was staring at me and showing all the signs: gaping mouth, eyes wide, hands dangling in the air. It was just so obvious.

Somehow though, she seemed to be in high spirits, much better than the first time we'd met, despite how unplanned.

"Now if you'll excuse, I need my alone time," I said without looking back. The water was cold, so cold and it swallowed my legs like a compressor.

"You're rude," she said.

"I disagree," I said, staring at the sky, at the gentle motion of the river; those stray lines and little overlapping, "-I'm not rude, just deep in thoughts."

She literally pulled at her hair. I guess she was frustrated, not as I tho, but it was enough. She was on braids, big twists that fell around her head and covered her face. It covered the part of her eyes that wasn't stocked with ire.

"You're leaving, I dont care if you tell Grandma but you're leaving" she said, approaching me and pulling at my arms. Quite the strength she had.

"If you keep pulling at that you'll get hurt," I warned and she seemed to actually listen, the feet that had been dug in the sand now relaxed, although in a battle stance— one filled with cautiousness.

"Why don't you sit let's chat and conclude on our joint ownership of this spot. After all, it seems you aren't the only one who wants me gone."

Again, she thought deeply about my words before sitting beside me and hugging her knees, wary side glances still in check.

"I may be unemployed soon, so I'd just ask you directly. What's up with you and the commander?"

Her gaze was piercing. Those orbs, brown like the ones I'd faced moments ago. "You mean my grandmum?" She asked, judgemental eyes appraising me. "You are new and you've not wasted time joining the bandwagon that calls her that?"

I shrugged. What does this kid want me to do? "It's not my fault she has a reputation," I said.

"Wow," she said and nodded, gaze studying the soil like an archeologist. "I see."

Silence elapsed after her drawl. Ringing bells went of in my head along with another sensor, survival instincts probably.

"See what?" I asked, softly, expectantly, like a woman in labour wanting to know the sex of her child, or if she was doing well and actually following the doctors instructions.

"You've got yourself in trouble," little braids girl spoke with a wave of her hand. Her grainy bob shook with her voice and the tilting motion of her head. She appeared to do that alot, shake her head I mean.

"Is it that obvious?"

She picked a loose rock and flung it into the water. "Yeah," she said. The pebble made gurgling sound as it jumped consecutively and finally sank. I mulled over her words; my predicament was obvious.

"Every new employee always has a problem on their first week. How long you stay depends on how smart you are," she added.

Nice to know that the job I landed wasn't really that stable to begin with. I'd speak with Henry about that, but first, I must gather as much information.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not saying a thing," she said without hesitation. Reluctance. Her reluctance was overwhelming, almost like she'd practiced it before birth. Leaves kept rustling, a soothing sound it was compared to my troubled heart. Birds chirped and flapped their wings about, moving from trees to trees. Their freedom was unlike mine.

We were on a riverbed but under a tree. It was one of those with numerous branches and thick leaves. A blanket; big enough to cover our insecurities, wide enough to shield the problems we couldn't cover alone. Underneath the tree, with the cool soil against our skin and the now lukewarm water lapping at our feet and ankles, we were able to reassess whatever we were hiding.

That being said, I didn't fail to notice the leather bound book she'd dropped off and tried to inconspicuously kick to a tree when I'd arrived. I wondered what was in it.

Again, her refusal to divulge useful information made me realize how smoothly she'd dodged my first question about the commander— her grandmother, I mean.

"And I've been proven to be a fool," I said as a reply to nothing in particular. Yuu can say it's a poor attempt to revisit a topic. "What was up with your grandmother earlier?" I asked.

"Well," the girl said, twiddling her index on her knees as she spoke. "She just has the bias about the new generation and how woke they are. Complains about the run down in ancient values and keeps getting angry when I refuse to attend church. Come on, Nana, I've got my own issues, I don't wanna be a number in your statement of account!"

Henry said I had a wide dictionary and I agree. However, as braids girl spoke, I avoided the urge to shield my ears. It was overwhelming, her voice and somehow, she seemed to have a more judgemental dictionary that I.

Instead of requesting she toned down I said, "I get you-" with my palms facing down to ease my tympanic membrane, I said "—totally. I understand what you're going through."

"You do?"

"Yeah," I said absentmindedly. How better it'd have been if she left me with my thoughts. I wondered why conversations felt tough nowadays.

"If I may ask though," I said with a really low drive. "What exactly are the issues you mentioned?"

"For one, Nana keeps attributing my introvertion for wokeness. Says I need to open up to a pastor. What she doesn't understand is that pastors don't cure mental health issues. They don't cure depression. What they only know is their religion and that's all "

"Have you thought of how you may be wrong in that claim?" I asked. I had no idea what she was talking about, all I wanted was for her to review how she judged people. A young soul like her shouldn't be concerned with the darkness in the world.

"I'm not wrong but I can't show you a proof either."

A side glance to place where she'd kicked the book. "All right then. Everyone to his opinion," I said. We sat in silence, listening to nature sing. The wind was calm against our skin, moving hairs in a gentle caress.

I'd planned to delve into my thoughts but it seemed I'd be having company today. One determined to drag the space with me, and opinions obviously. I was getting tired of the suspense, too much secrets separated by the weapon of our vocal cavity and the tomb of our bodies. She wouldn't tell me much!

She said it was normal for employees to have a problem days after starting work. Was it the a curse or something different? How could I stop the tradition from extending to me? I lost school already, wouldn't want to lose the opportunity of making it in life and taking care of my younger ones and my mum.

"What happened to the last employee? Did he quit or he was sacked?" I asked.

"Was also a female," the girl said. "Got an attitude but to my dad, she was nice."

"Ooh," I said, finally understanding.

She spared me a searing look. Like I was a friend turned enemy. "Is it the same issues you're having or yours is colleague related?"

"It's definitely not the same. A colleague wants to put me in my place," I said and shrugged, arms hugging my knees.

"That's sad cause y'all don't have a place here—"

"Thanks for spelling it out so loudly."

"—but I got a plan."

An interesting silence existed after her words. She was still staring straight ahead as she spoke, but that wasn't enough for it to fly off my ears. Instead it stuck to my ear drums. A plan? This crying teenager got a plan?

"What's it?" I asked.

"A contract between you and I," she said. "I'll try to buy you time as a security agent if you take me to a place."

"What the hell can a teenager do to benefit me?"

"You'd be surprised," she said dismissively. "Are you in or not?"

I really had no choice but to accept, albeit indirectly. Anything to stay afloat in life. "Hope I wouldn't be persecuted for this?"

"It depends."

And truly, when she went to pick the diary to showed me an address scrawled in a frenzy, it did depend on our predilections.