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After what looked like forever, Fred finally agreed to grant the long-term request of his darling daughter, Sharon, who felt she was grown and should be permitted to go out at will. While this was practically impossible, she'd pleaded to be allowed to shop for herself for the first time since she was born. And although her request was not completely granted, her bodyguard of a Father said to go shopping with her. Otherwise, she could remain indoors for all he cared. 

For a man who'd been overprotective of his only daughter from day one, her mother had been responsible for getting every pin she ever needed (as a child, then, now as a fifteen-year-old).  

Sharon peeped through the wing mirror, hoping to see her father appearing out of their apartment, but his delay was rather alarming. She'd been in the car for how long now? Twenty-five good minutes! Yet, her father, who did not have to spend ‘forever’ on facial make-up, or scouting for what to wear, was nowhere to be found. Mother was still at work, so what in heaven's name was keeping her father?

Picking her Samsung Galaxy, she glanced through her notepad, adding to the list of what she intended to shop. She recalculated the amount — an estimate of seven hundred thousand Nigerian currency. What a huge sum of money! For a moment she paused to think of what it'd feel like to start working and earning up to that amount. But the thoughts of her father crept into her head and stared at her silly thoughts. Again, Fred would not allow his teenage daughter to work for money, at least not now when he could foot any bill without a drop of sweat. At age forty, Fred was swimming in massive wealth, and everything about him spoke of affluence. 

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Sharon stormed out of the car and headed to the door of their duplex. She went straight to the master bedroom and planted three knocks on the door. No reply. She knocked again. A mumbled voice followed. 

“Wait, what?” she uttered in disbelief as she helped herself in. Fred lay with his belly on the bed like a vegetable. His trousers hung loosely on his waist, and there was a pair of luxury leather palms some meters from the bed. Beside his pillow was a laptop with a blank screen. Sharon could not believe her eyes.

“Daddy!” she yelled, and like one under an electric shock, her father jerked back to reality. 

He found his voice immediately. “I... I slept off in the middle of a meeting.”

A meeting? What meeting? Sharon stood agape, stunned for words. After three seconds of curious gaze, Fred got the message. He apologized immediately. 

“Dad, I've been waiting for you in the car. You told me you were coming, and...” She held the rest words in her throat and continued out of the room, her murmuring words accompanying her back to the car.

Shortly, Fred burst out in a pair of blue jeans and a white polo. He hopped into the driver's seat and started the ignition, his mouth full of endless apologies. 

‘Dad, if you had allowed me to go shopping all by myself, we wouldn't be here dragging words,’ she had rehearsed these words in different tones to spill them as her father sped out of the compound, but she knew better than to resurrect such line of discussion. Her father was the most stubborn human on Earth. If he said something, he meant it. Plus, she couldn't get him to change his mind that way. Patience was the only option, and patience would she adopt.

The drive was quiet, except for the million thoughts competing for Sharon's attention. She, however, picked up her phone and skimmed through her list again. By the time they arrived at Nita's Shopping Mall, one of the biggest in the city of Benin, Sharon smiled satisfactorily, pleased that her Father would now let her shop by herself. 

“Daddy,” she began, smiling. “You haven't given me your debit card.” She ransacked her head to be sure she had used the right tone since minutes ago, she was too mad at her father to request his card.

Fred picked up his iPhone in a bid to alight. “Nah, it's safe with me. Let's go.”

If Sharon was mad, her gritting teeth gave her off. She suppressed every emotion and alighted from the car. Both father and daughter stepped into Nita's Shopping Mall, a large multi-storeyed building with different stores on different floors. A place where one could get any good at all — both branded and non-branded. And although the items were sold at outrageous prices, Nita's Mall was known for its top-notch deliveries. Sharon made a mental note to have a taste of international cuisine later.

They shopped in silence. Sharon moved from store to store, and wing to wing, stuffing items into the cart and ticking them on her phone while her father walked beside her, his eyes fixed on every move she made. At a point, Sharon felt her father's eyes were suffocating her. 

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Twenty minutes later, before Sharon would conclude that this was the first and yet worst shopping ever, there was a breath of fresh air. Her father's phone rang and he paused to take his call while she continued to shop. Soon, he was done and walked up to her, his face a bit gloomy. 

“Princess, I have an urgent appointment to attend to.” 

Instinctively, she grinned. “Okay, Dad. I can handle the rest.”

“No.” He frowned. “I mean to say we should split the remaining chore. You shop for some, while I walk around and do the same.” 

Sharon scanned her head; the idea was still okay. She spent the next minutes having a good time with herself, smiling and nodding to the imaginary music playing in her head. She arrived at a store where breathtaking wristwatches dragged people's attention. Purchasing one was not part of her list but she felt she needed a new one. Scratch that — the beautiful golden wristwatch her eyes just met, was heavenly. As she stretched her hands to get it, she felt a hand picking it up. She turned immediately; a tall-looking guy, well-built-up, broad-chested, stood, his neatly carved hair teleporting her to cloud nine. 

‘Who is this human?’ The words echoed in her head. She suddenly found her breath, having returned to planet Earth. 

The guy cleared his throat and gave out a smile that could melt one. “Hi,” he said in a soft and collected tone, revealing a perfect set of dentition. “My name is Dennis, and you are?” 

She lost her voice. Yes, she had never had close contact with the opposite gender before — having spent six years in an only-girls boarding school. But this guy must be what the fairy tale movies described as Prince Charming. 

Sharon suddenly remembered. “Oh, sorry, I am Sharon. I didn't expect to...” She fought back the words and stretched out her palm. “Nice to meet you, anyway.” 

He took her hands in his, returning a smile. “I've been observing you for a while now...” 

Sharon thought for a second. “Oh...” 

“...and I've been wondering, where on Earth has this beauty goddess been? You know, but I had to slap some senses into my brain when I realized you must have come shopping with your erm... your boyfriend.” 

Sharon didn't think she heard well. 

“Nice to meet you anyway. C... can I get your digits?” 

Oh, no, Prince Charming's romantic voice was shaking. As Sharon collected his iPhone to input her digits, her father appeared from nowhere. She froze. What was he doing here? It took all the courage within to feign a smile. “Dad, you're here. Are you done? I never knew you could be this fast. How about I call you Mr fast and furious?“ She giggled, wondering what else to say to either her prince charming or her fury-looking father. 

“Relax, Dad, I was just admiring his phone. You see, iPhone 16 PM is the talk of the town.” She handed the phone to Dennis, not sure if she'd input all the digits. 

Without a word, Fred seized his daughter's hand most dramatically and walked out of that store. Sharon had to look back intermittently to send a message to Dennis, who stood agape. She could tell what was running in his mind. 

“You mean this young, handsome man is your father? You got to be kidding me.” 

As they walked to the cashier, Sharon could not help but laugh out loud. She had to pause. 

“Dad, be calming down. This drama isn't necessary. No one is taking me away from you.” 

Fred made his face the more but before he knew it, he burst into laughter, lifting his hands in surrender. 

© Delightedpen
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