August Affliction

Chapter 6: Broken Souls

By Benson Langat.

The Hanif residence.

The morning was chilly, but she felt a little warmer than usual. A mixture of confusion coupled with pain, regret and self-loath is the sea her feelings swam in, a lake where her heart drowned. For the first time since she was born, she was consumed in a rage that she had never felt before and she let this drive her up to her father's study room where she stormed in without knocking.

"Hey, Ida. I wasn't aware we were to meet in my private wing this late without prior notice."

"Oh, save me the tough rules. You knew it. You knew it, didn't you?"

"Knew what, girl?" David seated behind the enormous desk looked genuinely surprised.

"You know what I'm talking about dad, don't act like you don't. You sent me to Mathew's place to put that man into a casket while you knew very well that we had history with his son. How am I ever going to look at Sean in the eye without feeling guilty? I hate myself so much for ever letting myself get pulled into your dirty business. I hate you so m-"

"Hey, that's enough. Now, h-!"

"You have no right to tell me what to do anymore. You lost that right when you failed to..."

"Adelaida Hanif, little girl. I said shut up!" Silence. When the beast awakens, even the most outrageous of all will coil their tails and stick them between their legs in fear. His eyes were bloodshot and face full of rage. He was burning up inside. He rose from where he was seated and walked slowly and calmly towards her. He turned his neck a little to the back, gave his seat one brief and final glance then sat his buttocks on the desk behind him. He crossed his hands, stared at the floor for a while then looked up as an exasperated sigh escaped his nostrils.

"Ida. What we do is dangerous. What w-"

"It's easy for you to say when you're not the one risking your life out there, huh?"

David looked at his 17-year-old daughter with a smirk on his face. He shook his head a little, then with both his hands, held either side of the table that he was sitting on. He sighed again, crossed one hand over the other then lifting his right index finger, he said with a lot of finality in his voice, "Adelaida, interrupt me one more time and-"

"What will you do, huh? What the hell can you possibly do to your only daughter? I am tired of taking this from you. Every time, having to fear, respect and love you because you are the only family I have. I am tired of being your errand kid, your third arm. I am tired of listening to you. So just save me the trouble of having to listen to your sorry ass. I've had a long day."

With fury never witnessed in the residence before, and surely not even with servants who could end up in a casket just by looking at him the wrong way, he stretched out one of his beastly hands without having to rise again, grabbed his daughter by the collar, pulled her closer then lifted her off the soles of her feet so that she was a few inches from his face and breath, hot as a lion's roar. As one hand kept her afloat, his right drew an automatic .45 magnum. He cocked and pressed it against Ida's head. "Now, listen here, little girl. I love you with the whole of my heart, but never mistake that for weakness. Talk over me one more time, and the next time you walk out of this house, you will be in crutches. You are going to respect me, and you are going to listen. Are we clear?" He put her down, took a breath then stared back at her.

"Yes, sir." She started crying.

"Now. You see these scars all over my face? These are scars I got while I fought to keep you and your mother alive. Don't think I don't know what it is like. And Ida, you joined the family business at a very young age. You have dedicated your life to it. For that, I respect you and I respect your contribution. But would you like to see our family name diminish just because a few people see it fit to steal from us and assume they will get away with it because they have badges, then they come to my office and insult me while lawyering up?"