Black Coffee (Tara's Dream)|Dearest Diary, - Book 1 (unedited)

XIX

The door to my study creaked open and I looked up to see Shea peeking in. I acknowledged her presence with a glance and went back to my work still feeling very prickly. I had not slept well and Dominic had woken me up too early in the morning with a call about an email carrying an attached copy of the agreement, the printed piece of paper that I was going through right now.

"What?" I finally said after I noticed that my sister was just standing there, staring at me without saying anything.

"I'm gauging your moods, looks to me like you're still prickly."

"Shea..." I warned. "I am not in the mood so get on with it." I ground out still studying the paper. There really wasn’t another way around.  I would still have to part with a few of my millions no matter what I did.

"Fine. David is here and mum was calling about the time we are leaving. Grace says we're supposed to meet them at a place called Ruiru in less than thirty minutes."

"Tell them to make it an hour. I have something I need to take care of urgently."

"But mum..." Shea protested.

"Tell her it's important. She'll understand." I snapped back as I lifted up my phone to call my banker. Shea lingered on the doorway and I gave her a sharp look. Her eyebrows shot up to the ceiling before she scrammed out of the study leaving me with the privacy that I desired. Twenty five minutes later, and two point five million shillings poorer, I bundled myself into the passenger seat of Bridget looking forlorn as I mourned the loss of millions all the time reassuring myself that investing in my parents was a fair deal. The rest of the party noticed my somber mood and Shea was quick to change rides once we met up with the others at that place called Ruiru. Caleb also swapped vehicles, complaining of the excessiveness of estrogen that was in that other vehicle. Both David and Troy gave him an amused look, but it was Briella's reaction that got me. She started out by looking curious then decided that the man was too peculiar and ended up looking at him with a very weird expression that closely resembled a sneer on her face. Even from the rearview mirror, the scene was so funny that without planning to I found myself cracking up as my foul mood finally dissipated.

"I'm glad my pain makes you smile Attara." Caleb grumbled as he settled back into the backseat with his lips curled up into a frown.

"Quit being a drama queen. You're creeping Bri out." At that Caleb turned to Bri and pouted. The little girl's almost sneer turned into a horrified expression as she reached out her hand to capture my attention.

"Mum...Uncle Caleb is going to cry." Briella let out a panicked sound as the rest of us struggled to stifle back our laughter.

"Never mind him. He's just a big baby." I replied and Bri's horrified expression turned into one of curious mirth.

"Does grandma Asterid get to change his diaper." Caleb's jaws dropped at the question and the rest of us burst out laughing as we were unable to continue holding back our laughter. This time, even Troy chuckled.

"Attara! Your daughter is a meanie just like you." Caleb protested scowling at the now grinning Briella.

"Take it like a man Caleb; take it like a man or I might just begin to believe that you're a big sissy just like she thinks you are." Caleb glared back at me as I continued laughing. We continued with the easy banter until Briella fell asleep and we were forced to tone it down just for her sake.

"It's lovely." Troy commented as his I took in the passing greenery that lined the Nairobi-Meru highway. It was November, the beginning of the short rains and because of that everything around us was really green.

"If you follow this road, it will take you all the way to Ethiopia."

"Really?" He asked curiously. "And what's that?" He said pointing to the rice paddocks that made up the Mwea Irrigation scheme.