When Anne got home,Ace was in the living room watching a kiddies show while Cheryl was in the kitchen, she kissed Ace and went across to the kitchen to meet her,Cheryl was humming Hotel California when Anne got there,she went to the refrigerator and poured herself a glass of water from the refrigerator, Cheryl turned,
“Oh,you’re back?” Cheryl asked,when she turned thinking it was ace but found Anne in the kitchen.Anne drank half of the water from the glass and kept it on the kitchen table,
“I’m dead tired.” Anne said wiping the heat from her forehead,
“What happened?”Cheryl asked still making her pancakes,
“Mr Charles got the contract and now he’s handing it over to me to start the designing.” She finished the water and massaged her head slightly to ease of the pounding headache that’s about to split her head,
“I thought you were going to talk to him about you being a nurse not a jewelry designer?” Cheryl asked slightly disappointed at her friend’s dull attitude,
“Yeah,I was going to,until he talked me out of it.Mtchew.” she sighed,she knows Cheryl doesn’t like it when she’s indecisive but that’s her nature.
“Is that the reason you’re tired?” Cheryl asked trying to change the topic,Anne signed again.
“We got stucked in a malfunctioning elevator and it was dark and…..” Chrrl left the pancakes and rushed to Anne,
“Where you hurt?” She asked as she carefully checked her body for a sign that she was hurt or wasn’t, Anne shrugged,
“No,I wasn’t. I met a little girl in the elevator, she was as scared as I am but boldly came over to cooed me,she gave me this after the elevator incident.” Anne rummaged her bag for the statue the little girl gave to her,she finally found it and showed it to Cheryl who was standing and listening to her friend’s experience at the hotel,oblivious of the pancakes she was making,
“Cheryl the pancakes!” Anne yelled,Cheryl ran back to the gas cooker and got the almost burnt pancakes from the cooker whilst Anne laughed hilariously,
“These burnt pancakes would be reserved for you,you bet me on that.” She said half jokingly as Anne was laughing at her,
“I think you should give it to Ace,he would love it,”
“My son isn’t going to taste that burnt offering, I’ll give it to Mr Adam’s starving cat,he would be so appreciative.” She wrapped if in a foil wrapper and kept it on the sink,
“Remind me to do that later.” Anne nodded getting wine from the refrigerator and two glasses while Cheryl carried the tray of pancakes and a carton of milk of Ace.
“No! I’m not putting on that dress.” Pearl yelled from her room,Deville who was downstairs waiting for her to be driven to school,he ran upstairs to know what’s happened,
“Sunshine,what’s the problem?” He asked as he rushed inside,her room was a mess and she was sulking on her bed with clothes scattered almost everywhere, from the closet to the bed,
“I don’t like that clothe and she isn’t letting get the one I want.” She pointed to Marisa as she complained to her dad,Deville turned to Marisa in a glare that can kill,
“Sir…. I…she wanted a leather jacket buh…….buh……… its warm outside, so I’d asked her to go for the handless one.” Marisa explained almost stammering,Deville’s stare was a killer,it can make one pee on his pants.He turned to his daughter who was still sulking,
“Sunshine..ehm..why don’t we wear what Marisa brought,” her face fell once more,she’d expected him to support her and let her have her way like always,
“Tomorrow, you can…” She stood up from the bed and left the room crying she won’t go to school again,Deville followed her,
“Sunshine, come back.” He said in a calm voice but she didn’t turn,she was crying downstairs probably to her grandma’s room,Deville thought.
“Baby come,let’s get you ready for school,you can choose your clothes yourself tomorrow.” He said in a still voice but she wasn’t listening,
“Pearl!” He yelled in a authoritative voice,she hadn’t seen her dad call her like that,it scared her so she ran to her grandma’s room before he get a hold on her.
“Pearl open this door.” He banged the door angrily
“Granny,daddy’s angry.she cried to her grandma as she his behind the older lady,the older wan went to the door and opened it,
” Where’s she?”he asked his mother as she opened the door,the look on his face was anger,he searched the room but she wasn’t seen,
“Pearl come out now.” He called,the older woman who knew where the little girl could be,went to her closet and pulled her out,she turned to Deville,
“How many times did I scold you when you refused to go to school?” She asked him,he didn’t reply,
“How many times did I spank you when you did something wrong.” He didn’t reply either,
“And now you’re scolding my granddaughter for not wanting to go to school.” With that,Deville sighed and left them and went to work,Pearl hugged the older woman,
“Granny,I want my mommy,daddy is scolding me too much.” She cried in between the hugs,
“Don’t worry Sunshine,your mommy will come to you one day.” She assured,Pearl was her whole world and its high time Deville realizes that.
Pearl and her grandma didn’t come out for dinner even though they did for lunch,they did it to Deville intentionally to let him know they’re angry at him,
“Where’s Sunshine?” He asked Millie as she served him dinner,
“She’s with your mom in her room.” The cook replied still serving him dinner,
“They had dinner already?” He asked,
“Yes but they had dinner in her room.” Millie has the habit of exaggerating every thing that happens in the house,Deville stood up not touching his meal and went to his mother’s room,Millie cursed and stomped to the kitchen.
“Pearl honey.” He knocked the door,no response.He felt the need to open the door and he did,there she was lying on her Granny’s lap while the older woman stroke her his slowly,they didn’t talk to him when he came inside.Deville giggled,his mother and his daughter are ganging up on him,he smiled at the thought,
“Sunshine,I’m sorry.” He placed him hand on her leg, she withdrew from him and curled up at her Granny’s lap,
“Sunshine,I’m so sorry.” He repeated but she showed no emotion on her face,
“The real Anne’s daughter.” He thought to himself and that thought made him laugh and the same time made him want to cry,
“Daddy’s sorry.” He held his ears and put on a pitiful face,no response. So he came close and carried her on his leg, she made a little fuss but it didn’t last when she relaxed on his lap but didn’t still say anything to him.
“I promise I won’t scold you again,” she smiled and turned to him,
“Promise?” She asked and he nodded then she hugged him,
“And you get to wear whatever you want to,daddy’s not stopping you.” He kissed his only daughter and the girl shriek with great excitement.
“And guess what?” He said,her face got abit serious,
“What? I get a free ticket to The Cinema alone with Granny.” Deville shook his head,
“Tomorrow, why don’t we go out for shopping for us,remember your birthday’s coming up next month,so I’m promising a surprise for you,you would love it.” She ran to him and hugged him so tight then she ran outside leaving her dad and her grandma alone in the room.
“Thank you.” Mrs Phina said to her son,
“I owe it to her,since I took her mom from her she deserve every happiness in this world.” He hugged her,she held onto her son,
“It gonna be alright, I swear it will.” She muttered in a quite whisper.