Silver (Regular Updates)

Honour and Games

Used to work, I reminded myself.

Funny, it doesn't even hurt to say that. It's almost like I'm relieved to get out of that place.

I fire up the laptop.

Okay, time to fill it with pirated apps, junk software, and virus-laden programs. Let's test the metal this laptop is made of!

I didn't realise how soon the time had passed, my eyes catching the timing on the bottom of the screen. It was already noon.

"Wow, you know how to welcome somebody home," I hear my Dad's voice as he enters the gallery. I was sitting and working on the table in the centre that we keep in the waiting gallery usually for visitors.

I remove the spectacles from my face.

"I didn't know you wore them," dad says as he joins me on the table, grabbing one of the only two chairs by the table.

"I don't. These are just to cancel out the blue light from the screen," I tell him.

"Laptops have that protection already on their screens," he banters.

"I know Dad. Extra protection never killed anyone," I shoot back.

He raises his hand's mid-air.

"So what is this that you're working on? It's like papers rained down on you," he looks at the papers surrounding me that I had been scribbling on.

"Sorry, dad. I stole your stuff," I say before arranging them in order to show him what I was doing.

He opens his mouth in shock, "what kind of a terrible daughter you are! Stealing papers and pens from your father. I should disown you for it!"

I look at him in shock and start to laugh. He had a point.

"Don't be stupid Charlotte. Everything in this house is yours," he replied with a smile as he pulled the file of papers towards himself. He sat straight with his nose into the file, eyes taking in the notes.

With each passing second, I can see his facial expression change from curiosity to pride.

"So you are developing technology and what I understand is that...say electricity is your product that you will be selling...at a subsidised rate to the people directly and later on you will give its franchises in different countries and obviously if it does well, government authorities would want in on it. So, you plan to make it worldwide?" He sums it up in the best way that he could.

A smile breaks out on my face.

"So what do you think?" I ask him, my lips clipped together.

"Brilliant but very, very, very, hard to do. And a very long journey," he says, a smile rolls on his lips too.

I know then, that he sees my vision.

"Two years old, dad. Just two years. I promise you I will change the world."

Either the world will change me or I will change it.

"When did you become so intelligent?" He says but the surprise that shines through his eyes warms my heart.

"Why so condescending dad?" I called him out.

He lightly smacks me on the back of my head, "ow! What was that for?"

"My intelligent daughter can't understand how proud I am of her!" He compliments me.

My cheeks turn red because I am not used to all of this. But it feels good.

"I know my line of work doesn't match yours but I understand good business when I see it. If you need any help, just say it. You have your whole family's backing now. Do whatever you want to. We'll be the first family to show that nepotism is not always about keeping the money in the family but also about collectively earning it to do better for the society that we live in. After all good genes will always be passed down," he says and gets up to go to his study after patting me on the head.