Chapter 9 Ready or not

She had slept through her alarm and the only thing she could hear was the knock on her door. Just as he had accurately predicted in her dream, there was someone at the door. She couldn't help the sense of deja-vu that came upon her. Somehow the feeling that this could be just as she was afraid of it being did not sit right with her. She shut her eyes tightly and tried her best to make it go away but the knocking was persistent making her get up from bed frustrated and that was when she noticed it. She was under the covers.

She was sure that she had slept on top of the comforter the night before. She knew that the only explanation was she had been cold at night and decided to just get covered up or maybe the man came into her room at night. There was no way he was visiting her since she knew he barely knew of her existence outside of the music. She was pulled out of her thoughts by a sharp knock. Checking herself to be sure she was presentable, she walked to the door and swung it open. All the sleep left her eyes as she saw who was standing on the other end of the door.

His navy suit was crisp ironed and it fit him perfectly matching his blue shirt and tie. He was a little over Five foot 6 in height and it showed on him as he stood there with the expected scorn on his face. She felt as though someone had punched her gut just by the fact that he had figured out where she was. So much for her mother helping her out in that. Who was she kidding she had known her mother wouldn't do much about it. She watched him from the same spot letting her eyes, that were a similar color to his, rake him from top to bottom, not drinking him but rather wishing that this was another one of her stupid dreams and she would get up from it and she would be alone with the music from next door to calm her soul but she knew she would never be that lucky. It was as though fate had decided she needed a bad life. She let her eyes come back to his and the smug look in his face made her almost puke. She hated his guts and him even more.

"Aren't you going to welcome your father into your home?" He asked with a sneer and she knew immediately what that meant. She moved from the door and watched as he made his way into the small house and made himself comfortable on the only piece of furniture worth sitting on in her house, her bed, sinfully so. He did not even take off his shoes as he lay on it motioning for her to close the door. Why did she feel as though she was not ready for it even though she knew it was going to happen. She was tempted to just walk out and away from that house until he left but she was not crazy like that. Besides she could see her neighbor sitting right outside looking into her house as though waiting in hunting to see what was going to happen and how their conversation was going to end. She needed to prove to her that she had a good life and they had a good relationship. Taking a deep breath she decided not to close the door but instead with an extremely cherry voice said the words she never thought she would say to the man.

"I missed you so much daddy." The fake smile that she had plastered on her face together with the open door seemed to communicate her message in the sardonic way that she had intended for it to reach him. He got up from his laying position and stood up before hugging her and she could tell from his hold that he had noticed what was going on. She felt how tight his hold was and how uneven his breathing was and she knew whatever would come she had brought to herself. If there was a lesson that had been drilled into her over and over again was to never defy him. She had defied him and had almost exposed him and he would not cut her some slack just because she had saved him from the embarrassment that would have come if she had done it. She knew better but she also knew she needed to maintain a certain image with her neighbors if she wanted to have a good life from where she stood, otherwise it would be a long four years. She felt his nails dig through her clothes to her flesh and she bit her lip to stop herself from hissing.

"Get ready we are going somewhere. In the meantime lemme have a talk with this woman." She could feel his anger through his words but she did not know where her defiant spirit had come from that day.

"Daddy please don't make this worse. You can punish me but don't let this people know about us." She whispered holding on to him even though he had already let go of her. She pulled away still holding him and looking into his eyes for assurance. Even though he was cruel to her she also knew that she had a hold on him and he would at least do her that one favor. She waited patiently her eyebrow raised waiting for his response. The man sighed as though to tell her it was not over yet. He then kissed her forehead. That was probably where their father- daughter relationship ended. She closed her eyes as she heard him walk out and close the door behind him leaving her with the tears in her eyes threatening to fall. She was not ready for this.