One

{katherine Thrones}

The blaring sound of the alarm woke me up from my sleep, checking the time it was 5 am. I am duty-bound to help with the house chores, today, my sheer intention is to make the best breakfast ever tasted.

My eyes reached an enlarged photo of myself. My name is Katherine thrones, I am eighteen years old, living under the single parenting of my Mom. My dad abandoned us when I was four, leaving my mum to take care of me alone.

She used to be a stay-at-home mum but when my dad left she had to get herself some job to help sponsor my academics and upkeep.

I have been living in hell ever since dad left, I was being pressured by mum to study so hard that I would end up being a well-developed girl and have a well-paid job and I won’t have to depend on any man to get myself income.

With that, my leisure time was always interrupted, I don’t engage in any social events, not birthdays, not parties nor hang out with friends if I had one, and I definitely do not have a partner or boyfriend all everyone does. Mom always keeps to my mental thoughts that men will be grief-stricken and stymie my studies. The only company I had was a book.

I ended up having scholarships right from high school and now I still got a scholarship into college, now I am in my second year. Day in and day out, I isolate myself from all other activities, and I have become used to it, when people around me talk about parties or sex or boyfriends I am always the idle one having nothing to say.

My daily routine was to get up from bed, cook breakfast, eat and then go to college, receive my classes and then go to the library to study or conduct research, get home cook, and then read before going to bed.

I thought my second year in college would be different but it actually got worst with the constant reminder of how I have to get better and come out with good grades.

My dad was well off, living in a mansion with his new wife—childless, myriad of times he came to meet me but mum would always send him off with his packages saying we want nothing from him.

I was fed up with having to read always, without exploring what I read or gaining experience from events neither do I have any idea of how the atmosphere of the world could be.

Getting out of bed, I head straight to the bathroom to get cleaned up, and then putting on my baggy trousers and my big t-shirt and combing my hair I went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

I lived in a two-bedroom apartment, my mum used one and the other was mine. Though I had my room to myself, I wasn’t allowed to lock the door or come home late except If I went to the library conditional to showing what I studied.

I heard the door of my mum's room opening and she came out dressed in her office wear, she always leaves before I do.

“Good morning mum,” I said greeting her

“Good morning dear, how’s your night?” she asked me.

“It was okay mum, breakfast is ready. Have your breakfast before leaving.”

“Thank you, love, hope you are well and how is school. Your grades and your attitude in school. Hope you are still on the top list?” she asked, and yes that was how our breakfast was, after the greetings she gets back to school discussion and nothing else.

“School is fine mum and yes I am still number one,” I told her, I have lost my appetite and I don’t think I could eat the food anymore, “I have lost my appetite mum, I will just get going,” I told her wrapping the food up and keeping it in the fridge.

“Okay dear, listen to your lecturers, and read hard and come out at the top. I am counting on you.” My mom’s tone sounded like a bit of advice, but it was a warning. 

I took my bag from the couch and head out, not bothering to answer her questions.

I am fed up with everything and with the constant question about school as I headed out and I must find a way out.

Checking the time on my phone it was 7 am and my first class was at 8:30 am I had enough time before my class, I have to look for my dad and beg him to help me out.

I could reminisce the momentum of meeting My dad without my mom knowing, I couldn’t tell my mum, I met my dad once when he came to look for mum and he gave me his business card to look for him when I need his help or have something to talk to him about and I have forgotten about it until mum wouldn’t stop talking about it.

I took a cab heading to his office. The building was tall and had too many windows in it, I wonder how this was built and why I have to live in undersupply state.

I settled the cab driver and stood by the huge welcome gate, in anticipation to see my dad. The thought came to me, “The first person you come across in an Office is a receptionist.” Mr. Eduardo’s classes seemed to work now.

“Good morning ma, please I am looking for the CEO,” I told her

“Good morning, do you have an appointment with him?” she asked me and I shook my head.

“No, I don’t have an appointment with him,” I told her trying my best to be truthful.

“I am sorry since you don’t have an appointment, Mr. Thrones won’t be seeing you. Come back when you do have an appointment” she said as she continued with her work.

“Excuse me! It is important I see him today and now, please.

“I am following protocols ma'am if you have an appointment with him, I would have allowed you in, Mr. Thrones is a busy man and he doesn’t have time for unnecessary attention,” she said with a smirk on her face.

“Fine, tell him Katherine is here to see him. He would want to see me.” she only laughed out and said who the hell Katherine?

“Nice try lady, do you know how many people have come up with that name just to see Mr. Thrones, I am sorry but that won’t work. If you excuse me I would like to get back to work,” she said as she started flipping pages in a file.

“But I am ser…..” I was cut short when she stood up immediately bowing her head to someone and I turned towards the direction to see my father coming out from an elevator and I ran towards him ignoring the calls from the rude lady.

I was about to get close to him when his bodyguards held me in both arms.

“Let me through, I want to speak to Mr. Thrones,” I said struggling to get free from their grasps.

“Sorry I can’t let you through, Mr. Thrones does not entertain visitors outside his office,” one of the bodyguards said, my dad didn’t even bother to look back to see what the commotion was all about, he was focused on what he was doing, talking to the lady beside him.

“Father” I yelled out at the top of my voice and he stopped turning around to face me when he saw me he smiled and ran towards me, the bodyguards let go of me and I ran into his arms.

“Darling what are you doing here?” he asked, turning around to search for something or probably someone, “Are you here with your mum?”

I shook my head, “No, mum doesn’t know I am here, I wanted to see you and talk to you about something. You told me to  come meet you when I need your help.” I told him and he smiled while nodding his head, I could see the joy in his face and how excited he was to see me.

“Gloria, cancel my appointments and tell them I will have a rain check and we can postpone the meeting to tomorrow that’s if they are still interested to work with me. I want to have some time with my kid” he said to the woman.

“Yes Sir.” She said before bringing out the phone from her pocket to make some calls.

“Come to my office dear,” dad said leading the way as we entered the elevator and we went to the top floor where my dad's office was located.

“Sit down and be comfortable, do you want anything, and have you had breakfast?” he asked and I shook my head, “What would you like for breakfast?”

“I won’t have time for breakfast dad, I would be late for class. I came to beg you for something dad, you said you will help me if I need your help” I told him.

“Of course, I will help you, you are my daughter and my only child,” he said patting my head, “what do you want?”

“First thing first I know this is not the right time now but soon I will like to know why you abandoned mum and me but for now I need to rent an apartment, mum has been putting pressure on me and it’s killing me. I can’t breathe because she keeps choking me with studies and school but I want you to make it a way that it’s the school that is giving me the accommodation for being the best student in the school, please dad” I said pleading and begging him for his help.

“Hmm, I see your mum hasn’t changed at all since I left her, always putting pressure on someone. Anyways if you want to know why I left I will be willing to tell you everything” he said and I smiled but he wasn’t answering my plea about the apartment.

“What about the apartment dad?” I asked him.

“Oh that, let me get to it now,” he said bringing out his phone from his suit jacket and making a phone call.

“Hello……. Yes, this is Mr. Thrones…… yes an apartment, two-bedroom flat, well furnished and recent model too….. yeah, closer to the school……. Yeah………. I need it as soon as possible, latest today before the ending of school hours…….. yes, yes…… oh one last thing you are going to make it look like you are the one giving her the apartment ……….. yeah, get back to me…… thank you, bye” he said ending the call before looking at me.

“Before the end of today, you will have your flat, and oh! I have been meaning to give you this for a long,” he said handing a debit card to me.

“What's this for dad?” I asked him.

“You can use it for your expenses at school, you will be needing it to buy groceries and anything you need for your apartment,” Dad offered the most sweetest of smiles.

“I can’t accept this dad,” I said giving him the card but he took it and placed it in my front pocket.

“Yes you can and I hope someday, you will know I am not the bad person,” he said placing a kiss on my forehead.

I didn’t know the time was gone so fast when I checked the time on my wristwatch it was 8:20 am and buses won’t be available now and walking to school will make me miss half of the first class.

“Shit!!! I am late, I have to go dad” I told him I was about to run away when he held my bag and pulled me back, “dad!!!”

“My driver will drop you, here’s my number call me and give me yours too,” he said, we both exchanged numbers and he escorted me down to the parking lodge where the driver was waiting for me.

Bidding him farewell I went into the car and the driver drove off, I turned back to watch my dad waving and smiling until I couldn’t see him any longer.

With the help of the driver, I got to school at 8:29 am, thanking the driver I got out of the car, running like my life depend on it. I got to the classroom a few seconds before the lecturer got in.

I thought about my newly acquired freedom, my new apartment, although I gave back the credit card, It’s good for a start.

My greatest joy was having to be far away from my mother and having the peace of mind I have always wanted. 

I sat on the desk relieved and merry, questions spellbinding my head, “would Mom agree to my new apartment even if given to me by School?”