CHAPTER 2:

"You cannot lock me inside," I said. Later I Sat down on the floor weeping silently, my dad didn't say a word again, he went away leaving me while I continued weeping till I slept off.

I woke up some hours later, I tried to open the door but it was still locked. I hissed and yelled, I stood up and went to my bathroom and washed my face.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door, so I went and opened it. It was Natalia. My step-sister who was standing, looking at me, "Juliette, Dad wants to see you," she said. "Get out of here or I kick you," I yelled at her angrily.

 "He has an emergency," Natalia added and walked away immediately.

I called Natalia's attention.

"Hey You bitch, mind the way you're talking to me, we're not mates." 

I shouted at her and slammed the door, I went and checked my face in the mirror, and I adjusted my hair gently. I kept the mirror and went out of the room to see my dad.

 I met my Dad sitting close to my stepmom While my step-sister was perhaps gone somewhere, as she doesn't usually stay at home.

I sat down opposite my Dad. He was discussing with my stepmom. I was silent waiting for him to start the conversation. 

"So Juliette, I am afraid to let you know that you'll stay in this house, inside your room precisely. No going out, no visitors from outside."

"So I am now going to stay in my room from now till I age and die?" I asked my dad.

"You interrupted me, you did not allow me to finish. So as I was saying, you will stay indoors in your room till we find you a job or something else," My Dad said, observing my face.

"No need for that Dad, I will get myself a job!" I yelled, and my father and stepmom stared at me, their faces full of confusion.

"What?" My Dad asked and continued. "Oh no, I can't let you do that. Leave that for me, it is my responsibility as your father…" He said.

"No Dad," I insisted on finding myself a job. They were surprised to hear me talking in that manner and looking at me with their confused faces. 

"Give me twenty-four hours! Twenty-four hours and I will get myself a job." I said and stood up.

I was imagining how I dropped out of school after my Dad married my stepmom. Who has different ways of convincing my Dad?

She had succeeded in convincing him to stop paying my fees for a reason that was only known to her.

I have always asked my dad to continue to pay my fees so I could finish school. Sometimes I asked politely, sometimes I did it rudely. It always ended up in disapproval. 

My Dad had already given her his listening ear that's difficult to change anymore.

It was going to be a hard job for me to get a good job for twenty-four hours, and I didn't have a specific location or area of target. 

I just planned on roaming the city for some time till I got something.

I went and took my bath then, I got dressed and went out in search of a job. 

I started from our neighborhood area for a moment, I could not get anything. Then, I boarded a taxi to a popular restaurant which I once entered. Hoping to get a job there. The drive was too long. 

I got to the restaurant, I paid the taxi driver with the last money I had in my pocket. "Oh, what have I done now? how will I return home when I am finished here?" I asked myself silently after realizing what I had just done.

I turned and walked into the restaurant. Checking around, the place is as busy as it always was, when visited the other time. 

I saw an old woman washing some plates outside, "Good morning mam, I am here to see the manager of this restaurant," I said, without hesitating.

The woman directed me to the manager's room by pointing with her finger. Moving close to the door, I stayed for a few seconds before I took a deep breath, and then I pushed the door open.

I saw a man embracing and kissing a lady, and the lady adjusted immediately. "Shit," I said and returned outside. "Come back," the man shouted from inside. 

I opened the door and walked in gently, and the lady adjusted her skirt and walked out quietly. I stood and cleared my throat looking at the man.

"Are you the manager in charge?" I asked. "Year, have a seat, please." I sat down, then he cleared his throat, "How can I help you?" the man asked, pretending to be busy at the table.

"I want to work for this restaurant, I am a professional worker, I'm good at cleaning, I'm good at cooking, I'm good at anything you want me to do here," I said and kept quiet waiting for his response.

"Really? We just employed more waiters recently and we could add another but it has to be someone with five years of experience. So you don't look old for that so you can leave now." The manager said, maintaining a soft tone.

Hearing his words, I was shocked.

"Wait a moment," 

The manager reiterated his statement and requested that I exit his office. "goodbye!" The manager added.

I begged him to let me demonstrate my experience, but he couldn't give me an opportunity.

I stayed silently contemplating my next move. "I will handle matters with you here," I said to myself.

"Alright, I will depart now and inform the restaurant's owner about what her manager does covertly in his office."

"Excuse me, but you don't even know who the owner of this restaurant is," the manager remarked. "Alright, you heard me, you listened when I mentioned her, I was aware of where she lived." "Hold on and observe." I spoke and began to walk away.

"Okay wait, wait!"