There was a light tapping before the door creaked open. Ezeani peered into his daughter's room to find her sitting at her table and applying her makeup. He walked in, closing the door softly behind him. Helen did not bother to turn around to see who had entered her room. She could see him in the mirror in front of her. "Helen?" Ezeani called gently, moving towards her. "Do you think you have a minute to talk with daddy?"
Helen scoffed lightly and continued to apply her makeup. Her father always referred to himself as 'daddy' whenever he needed to talk to her; especially when he thinks she needs him. "I'm going out." She said simply.
"I can see that. I just want to know what's up with you recently. You haven't been your usual happy self..."
"Dad." Helen cut into his words, staring directly at him. Ezeani could see the repressed anger in his daughter's eyes. But he wondered why she was angry. "I'm not a child. Besides everyday is not a happy day." She turned to stare at herself in the mirror.
"This is not like you, Helen. You're always happy..."
"I'm late for my appointment." She grabbed her bag and keys and was ready to storm out before Ezeani grabbed her hand.
"Adannaya." He called softly. It wasn't her birth name but he sometimes called her that. It was like he was reminding her that it was just the two of them against the world.
When she didn't look at him, Ezeani held her chin and pulled her face towards him. He knew; after all she was his daughter. He stared into her eyes trying to find the spark that was characteristic of her. It wasn't there. When she first looked at him he didn't see it, but he wasn't sure. Now he was sure. "You are not okay."
Helen's brows twitched severally before the furrows appeared. It was not just what her father said that got to her, but also the tender way he was looking at her like she was still his little girl. She smiled but only with her lips. "I'm fine, dad." She sighed. There were suddenly bees in her eyes. And they were stinging her eye lids to let the tears out. "I am..." She tried to repeat the words as a way of reassuring herself but choked on them. The first tear dropped, then another and another.
"Oh my God, Helen." Ezeani tried to soothe her but she broke down instead.
Her hand bag first slid down to the floor as her hands dropped to her sides before she collapsed to the ground, crying her eyes out. Her heart was breaking and it was visible on her tear-streaked face. The veins on the sides of her head were bulging as she struggled to hold back the pain. She never could cry well. Whenever she cried, it was like she was going to die. Her face was already a shade darker than usual, smeared by her torrential tears, and she kept hitting her chest as though she was choking.
Ezeani couldn't bare to look on. He bent down and hugged his daughter in a tight embrace. "Who did this to you?" He asked, his voice a mixture of pain and anger. "Who did this to my daughter?"
*********
The directors of Onuorah's Arts and Graphics were in a tight spot. They have been on meeting after meetings, trying to find a way to protect their company as a result of the demise of their biggest shareholder. They had no idea whose hands Nature's Feel would fall into, and what the person has in stock for the company. The best bet was to buy the shares back into company but there was no way to do if no one was running Nature's Feel at the moment. After hours of deliberation, it was decided that they would wait until the Will, if there was a Will, was read. Otherwise their fate lay in the hands of the government who will decide how to handle the deceased property.
After the untruthful meeting, Michael wasn't so enthusiastic to remain at the office. He couldn't go home either because he was afraid his being home will only show his father how tied his hands were concerning the current situation. So he got in car and drove out of the company with no idea where he was going or what he was going there to do.
*********
The kids in the orphanage were not ready to let Helen go. She was already a part of their lives. And though she would always come back, the kids were not always happy whenever she wants to take her leave.
After promising them that she would come back to see them again, Helen was about leaving when she noticed a little boy of about seven years, all by himself at a corner by the door, busy scribbling something on a paper with different colours. Helen smiled and went up to him. "Hi," Helen said as she stooped down beside the boy. "What are you drawing?" The kid only looked up at her, then without a word he returned his attention to his scribbling. Helen wasn't surprised at his silence. He was always like that. The caretakers weren't so cool with him when he first arrived at the orphanage two years back. But when they found that he was naturally like that, they just let him be. Helen stayed stooped beside the boy for a while, watching his work. Then she asked; "why don't you play with the other kids?" The boy stopped scribbling but he didn't look at her. He only kept his eyes on the paper with his hand holding the colour absently tapping on the ground. "You know what?" Helen spoke as if she had said something she didn't mean to. "It's... it's fine the way you are. It's better to be alone than to be with people that might end up leaving you someday."
At this, the boy looked up at her. His tender eyes searched hers for the answer to a question he didn't ask.
Helen caught the boy's inquiring gaze and quickly checked herself. "Don't listen to anything I say." She laughed nervously. "Okay?" The boy watched her for a while before returning to his work. Helen stood up then, rubbing her hands on her clothes. Just then her phone started to ring. She put her hand in her handbag in search of the phone, and touch a candy which she immediately bent down to give to the boy. She got the phone out and picked the call while leaving the orphanage at the same time. "Hello, good afternoon. Who is speaking?" She spoke into the phone.
"Good afternoon, is this Miss Helen Ezeani speaking?" The metallic voice from the phone asked.
"Yes. Who is this?"
"I am Barrister Johnpaul. This is concerning Miss Stella Martins."
Helen's mood suddenly went from bad to worse. She have been trying to keep everything about Stella from her day to see if she would go a day without shedding tears. But here was this strange man calling and mentioning Stella's name. "Stella is dead." Helen said simply. If the man didn't know, maybe he should now.
"I know..." The voice replied. "And that is why I am calling you."
**********
Helen searched the strange faces in Golden Tulip Restaurant trying to find the person she had come to meet. It was not like she knew his face. She was just looking to see anyone also looking at the faces of the people entering the restaurant. She found him. A middle aged chocolate skin man sitting at a table for two at a corner close to one of the windows. He waved at her and she waved back before heading towards him.
As soon as Helen got close, the man stood up from his seat and extended his hand for her to shake it. "Miss Ezeani, I presume?"
"Yes." Helen replied, taking his hand. "And you must be Barrister Johnpaul."
"Of course. Please take a seat." They both sat down. "Would you like to order anything?" The Barrister asked, intending to make sure his guest was comfortable.
"Uhm... will this take long?" Helen asked instead.
"Oh of course not. No. It'll be brief."
"Then there is no need to order anything. What did you have to tell me about Stella?"
"Uhm... okay." The Barrister said sensing that Helen didn't want to deal on whatever it was they were to discuss about. "You see I have known Miss Martin's for a while now. I am her lawyer."
Helen nodded at that. "That's how you know about me?"
"Yes. Miss Martins talked about you a few times. And in fact, that is why I called to see you today." He said putting his suitcase on the table and opening it. "You see... with all that's happened I have been trying to do the things she asked of me while she lived. Though I never thought I'd have to do them so soon." He brought out a file from the case. "You know I never really understood her."
He gave the file to Helen who took them not knowing what she was supposed to find there. She opened the file and was going through the documents. A phrase caught her attention and stayed fixed on the page. Had she read it right? Of course not. There was no way she had read read what she read. It is not possible. She closed her eyes and took a really deep breathe. She was convinced she would have to see a psychologist after now. She opened her eyes again and looked at the document again. "Miss Martins willed you fifty per cent of her assets and properties."
Helen looked up at the Barrister with confusion. "She did what?" She was panting now like though she was having a panic attack except it wasn't that bad. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat then tool a calming breathe.
"According to her wishes, fifty per cent of her entirety goes to her uncle, her mother's younger brother. Being that he is the only family that kept in touch with her. The remaining fifty per cent goes to you, Miss Ezeani, as her only friend and sister. She..."
The Barrister stopped short of seeing the tears flowing down Helen's checks. If he was paying attention he would have noticed when the tears welled up in her eyes. "Uhm..." He searched frantically in his pocket and found a handkerchief which he tried to pass to her.
"Uhm... I'm... I'm sorry." Helen took the handkerchief to dry her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." She heaved a sigh and sniffed. "I'm sorry. Forgive me."
"It's fine. I think you need a minute..."
"No. I'm okay. I'm... I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" The Barrister was genuinely concerned about her.
"I'm fine, Barrister." Helen took another deep breathe, placing the document on the table. She looked out for the word window for a while before looking back at the Barrister. "Do you know how young she was?"
The Barrister sighed. "I agree that what happened to Miss Martins was tragic. But here we are now. We just have to make sure her wishes are granted. So let's get to it." He took out his pen and gave it to Helen. "I'm going to need you to sign here, here and here." He said, turning the pages of the document to show her where to sign.
"Can you walk me through what's written here?"
"Sure. Uhm. Fifty percent of Miss Martins entirety in your possession now include the art gallery and 7.5 million naira in a bank in her name. I can help you get access to that." Helen nodded absently skimming through the document as she penned her signature. "Also, about the gallery, Nature's Feel has forty per cent of Onuorah's shares. You're at liberty to do what you want concerning that."
Helen finished signing on the last page and gave the file back to the Barrister. He then brought out another file and handed them over to her. "These are the necessary documents."
"You sure had time to prepare all these before meeting me." Helen said with a light laugh.
"Yeah... I wanted it to be done with once and for all." He answered with a light smile of his own.
"I'll just take this and go through them at home. If that's okay by you."
"Sure. Of course. Here is my card. Call me if there's anything." They stood up and shook hands again before Helen walked out of the restaurant.
*********
Since Helen got back from meeting with Barrister Johnpaul, she had been in her room going through the documents he had given her. They the company's C of O, a typed document stating her shares in Onuorah's Arts and Graphics, statements of account for the past ten months and other vital documents, all scattered all over her bed, as she sat on her bed going through them. There was a light rapping on the door before Ezeani entered carrying a tray of food.
"Dad." Helen called out, alarmed as soon as she saw him. "Why didn't you ask the cook to bring it?"
"I wanted to see my daughter." He said, going to set the tray down on her bedside table. "How are you?" He asked, sitting down beside her on the bed.
"I'm okay Dad."
"Are you sure? At least tell me who hurt you that much for you to have cried like that. Who is he?"
Helen chuckled at the question. "It's not a man, dad. No man can make me like that."
"Then what happened. That sight of you yesterday broke my heart. I never want to see you like that again." He was serious.
"I promise never to scare you like that again daddy." She patted his check and pouted her mouth, making him laugh in response.
"What's all these?" Ezeani finally took notice of the papers lying over the bed. He picked one of them up and read out loud; "certificate of ownership?" He kept reading for a while before looking up at his daughter. "Where did you get this?" He asked with concern. Had Helen been secretly running a business without telling him? But she didn't interest herself with art, how then is the certificate of ownership of an art gallery in her possession and in her name? "Helen?"
"I got them." Helen said without much of a shrug.
"How? From who or where?"
"I had this friend that used to own the gallery. She was more like a sister to me."
"Had?" Ezeani wasn't getting it. "Why the past tense?"
"She's dead."
"Oh my God."
"It's been over three months now. She's the reason I've so withdrawn. She's the reason I was like that yesterday. A part of me died with her." The gloom was back in her eyes. It was definitely going to take a while for Helen to talk about Stella without sinking into melancholy.
"I don't get it. If you two were that close, why didn't you bring her to the house even if it was once?"
"I tried to. She promised she'd come some day... I guess that day will never come now.
Ezeani gazed intently at Helen. He wasn't thrilled at this news. "And what strings comes with a these arrangements?"
"Daddy, calm down. I didn't even know my name was in the Will until her lawyer called me today. God! I didn't even know Stella had a Will. She was young. Sure she was older than I am but she wasn't even up to thirty."
Ezeani was quiet. He wasn't sure what he would say concerning the matter. After a while, he sighed. "Well," He shrugged. "You'll put these away for now and eat something. And when you're done with your food, I'll look at these documents with you. Hm?"
"Sure thing, dad." She packed the papers to one side of the bed then got down, went to pick up the tray of food and returned to sit on the bed.
"Are you going to eat on the bed, young lady?"
"When my dad serves me food, it definitely is eaten in bed."
"Okay then. But better find yourself a husband because this bag of bones is getting old." He teased her.
"Don't worry. Let me stay married to you for now." She teased back
Ezeani smiled as he watched his daughter eat the food he brought her. But inside him, he wasn't entirely comfortable. There were a lot of questions he had to ask her. Who was this Stella of a lady? Does it mean she had no family member that she would will and asset worth millions to his daughter who was just a friend to her? He felt there was more to it than meets the eye but he wasn't going to say anything just yet. As he promised, he would go through the documents with his Helen. That, at least, would answer a few of his questions. Then, he would seems satisfied with the answers he get, he'd see Chief Onuorah before he invited his lawyer.