Move out of your comfort zone,you can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and comfortable when you try something new.
•|•|•
At the Okafor mansion,the two bodyguards that found Katherine are reporting back to the Don.
"...sir,we found miss Katherine but a man in a bike came and took her away" The bodyguard said. "We couldn't see his face so we don't know who he is".
"Oh no,what if Kath is in danger" Kath's mother, Meredith whispered. Liz is next to her,bowing her head shamefully. "You shouldn't have let her leave Elizabeth".
"I am sorry" Liz answered,looking more upset.
"Keep searching for Katherine,you must find her" John,popularly known as the Don Okafor,ordered.
•|•|•|•|•
Katherine's POV
It turned out that the idiot that saved me is the same guy from the club. At first when he came up to me in his bike,i was a bit hesitant,because I didn't know it was him and it seemed convenient that when I needed to escape someone came but i got in. I'm glad i did,he seems to have no connection with my father or rival gangs,my luck was good.
When he asked me where my home was,I panicked. I couldn't tell him "hey,my name is Katherine. My dad is the dangerous crime boss John Okafor. Don't take me home please". He would report to the police and he would die in the end so I saved his life by not telling him.
I instead threatened-,sorry,warned him of how my dad would kill him the second he(dad) found out he helped me. I wasn't lying and he seemed to sense it so he called me back. He is wise.
I can't truly trust him but he is the only hope I got. Liz won't be able to help me,my dad will keep an eye on her so he can find out my whereabouts,I can't let that happen.
Dave didn't look very happy. I couldn't blame him,for him to have saved someone who ran away from home is truly not something someone would want. His bitterness though,seemed to have been present before I arrived. I wonder why he is so bitter.
Whatever,that is not for me to worry about. Dave stopped after sometime in a bungalow. The compound was okay and spacious. He left me to hold the bike and went to open the gate. We walked in and I studied my new surroundings. The building didn't look like a flat,it had a zinc roof and a broken door that led inside.
"Is this where you live?" I asked.
"Yes" he answered gruffly. I ignored him and walked towards the veranda. This place looked so different from where I lived,it felt exciting to see something new.
Dave seemed to notice the bright smile on my face because he scowled. "Why do you have a smile on your face? You look like you've never seen something like this before".
"That's because I haven't" I said,twirling round to get a better view. "I told you I have never left the four walls of my home".
Dave looked shocked. "Wait you were serious?". He was about to put a key into the keyhole of the fourth door to the right.
"Yeah" I said turning to him. He seemed to be paying genuine attention to me now. "I know it sounds unrealistic and untrue but it is true. For twenty three years of my life,I have never really stepped out to see the world. It's really sad". I pouted.
Dave nodded and opened the door. I followed him into his apartment and it was a self contain room. I had read about them online. Dave's apartment was quite spacious for a self contain. A two-seater's couch rested on the wall opposite the TV. A small brown wooden table lay in the middle and a small dining set was by the left.
"Wow,from what I heard about boys houses,I thought they would be dirty" I said inspecting everything. Dave looked at me like I came from the planet mars.
He sat on the couch. "Okay,Katherine,explain yourself. Who are you and who is your father?".
Oh no,I thought we were past this stage. I turned my back to him "I am Katherine and my father is a very influential man. You don't need to know his name".
"Yes I do".
"No way,you might try to contact him to come and take me. I won't let that happen,besides I am doing you a favor. They won't kill you since I am with you".
"Is your father a politician?" Dave guessed.
I chuckled. "No but he is extremely powerful. Guessing will get you nowhere. What you have to worry about now is me".
"Great" Dave mumbled then looked at me. "You do know you are burden right?".
"No worries. I have money to satisfy my wants" I said flashing an ATM card. I tucked it back in my pocket.
"Of course,you are rich" Dave grumbled. "Now can you explain why your parents kept you in your house for twenty three years? I am surprised you are not autistic after less human contact".
"Hey,just because I didn't leave my house didn't mean I didn't have friends. I do,I have my sister,Liz,my father's men and business associates. I also studied a lot of the outside world,i had a lot of social media accounts-".
"You are forgetting the question" Dave pointed out. "Why did your parents keep you in your house for twenty three years? And second of all,who is Liz?".
"Oh Liz is my-".
Dave glared at me and I knew I couldn't hold off telling him why any longer.
I sighed in resignation and shrugged. "I don't know,my parents never told me. Ever since I was a kid,my parents never let me go out,they said the world is a dangerous place and I am safer in doors but honestly,it was just being trapped".
I sat down next to Dave,not turning to him. "I did leave the house once. I was fifteen and it was with help from my uncle. He was a really fun guy,he made me realize that there were so many things I could achieve. I wanted to do them all with him but he died and I was taken back home".
The air around us became sad with me saying that. "After that,my father put more measures to make sure I wouldn't escape,but here I am". I smiled at Dave who still couldn't believe what he heard.
"I just can't believe it" Dave said shaking his head in disbelief. "You...your mental health is still fine after being isolated from other people for so long. I am surprised you aren't crazy".
"Well,I had my family and people visit me everyday plus I found things to which I kept myself busy" I said,seemingly making it not a big deal when it was in fact painful. I had to be homeschooled all my life,I never really made a friend-it was terrible. Just thought made me sniff.
"And to think a real life Rapunzel is right in front of me" Dave said with an amusing smile as he looked me up and down. "Where is your long hair Rapunzel?".
"I used it to escape" I joked,catching on to Dave's words. I smiled happy that he warmed up to me hearing my life story.
"So,why didn't you try to convince your parents that you didn't need to be protected from the world?" Dave asked. "I mean,won't you eventually get married and leave them?".
"I tried but they didn't listen. Why do you think I escaped?".
"So what do you plan to do now that you're out? Prove to them you can take care of yourself?".
"Oh,no" I replied,getting a bit excited now that I was about to reveal my real goal. "I escaped for this sole purpose,to fulfill the rest of my wishes". I pulled out a neatly folded paper from my pocket and tossed it to Dave.
Dave shot me a look before turning his attention to the paper. I bit my bottom lip,shaking in anticipation and excitement for him to see my wishes.
"What the...13 wishes I wish to fulfill" Dave read out loud,glancing at me. "Visit a beach...go to a carnival...build a time capsule...". Dave turned to me confused "what is this?".
"Those are my 13 Wishes. My uncle and I made a list of things I wanted to do,I had 36 back then and I managed to cross 21 on the list. As for the rest,I had a lot of them to narrow and refine them to the most important ones" I explained excitedly. "I plan to do all those before I return home".
"With whom?! You barely know the city".
"With you silly" I goaded,nudging him in the side,smiling widely at him. On the contrary,his face fell.
"Katherine no,no!" Dave looked at me distressed. "Why me?! Why not your friend,what did you call her,Liz?".
"Liz and my family are close,if I contact her,they will find out".
"Did you come into my life to make it unbearable?" Dave said with a hint of helplessness and frustration. I smirked in satisfaction.
I knew Dave would be unable to refuse me. He has a kind heart otherwise,he wouldn't have saved me,a total stranger. Plus,I threatened him with my father and the sad story of my childhood is enough for him to feel bad. The effect had the desired results.
"I can't help you Katherine,I have a life too-".
"I'll pay you".
"It's not about the money. I can tell there is something strange about you,not to talk of dangerous" Dave frowned. "Can't you just go back to your house and try to convince them to set you free?".
"I have tried for twenty years,they will never listened to me and i won't go back without fulfilling my 13 wishes,it's important".
"Oh God,what have you gotten yourself into Dave?". Dave held his hands over his head.
"There there" I said,patting his back consolingly,though with a mocking smile on my lips. Dave noticed that and scowled at me.
I got up. "Now dear Dave,I need to have a bath and I have no clothes so help me out".
Dave lifted his head. "Do you even know where the bathroom is?". I shook my head and a smirk crept unto his lip,that gave me a chilling feeling.
A few moments later,I was in a dark corner of the bathroom which was at the end of the hall of the building. I almost cried when a rat bigger than my foot ran across me. I ran back to Dave's apartment clad in Dave's pink-orange towel as soon as I finished bathing. My heart pounded furiously at that scare and I glared at a laughing Dave opposite me.
"Not funny Dave" I gritted out in between my teeth. Dave seemed to find it funnier than usual because he plopped on the couch shaking in laughter. I suddenly felt the cold hit me and I shuddered.
Dave got up with a smirk stepping closer to me till my back hit the door. He leaned in and whispered in my ear causing me to feel strange tingles I had never felt before. "Welcome to freedom rich girl".
He stepped away and went into the room leaving a shirt and pair of trousers. I gritted my teeth in annoyance. This round...
Dave 1,Katherine 0
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I liked this chapter,it was super fun to write,especially the ending. Have you ever met someone who were able to talk to so easily seconds after meeting? Raise your hands.