chapter 2

“You look so good Harmony.”

She scoffed at Michael’s compliment. They were in a restaurant, the three of them but Tracy was busy fiddling with the new tab her father had brought her, she had huge earphones attached to her ears, shutting her out of the adults’ conversation.

“Save your compliments Michael, I don’t need them.” Harmony replied, taking a bite of her food.

“You have also done such a remarkable work with our daughter, she has ....”

“Hold on right there.” Harmony cut in. “Did you just saw ‘our’ daughter?”

Michael nodded but she scoffed.

“Seems you have forgotten that you told me you didn’t want her so she is not your daughter.”

“Come on, this is why I am here Harmony. I want to make things right.”

“What things are you talking about? There is nothing that you need to set right here. Wait, where were you those years ago? Where were you when I was in the labor room? Now all of a sudden you want to make things right?”

Michael sighed. “Look, I never wanted a child then but I do now. I want to be part of her life...your lives.”

Harmony laughed, “hold it right there Michael. Hold on, what were you thinking? That we would just welcome you back into our lives with open arms?”

“I will do anything you want me to , I swear. Look, I am not getting any younger and she is my blood, my daughter. Please allow me to be part of her life, let her bear my last name and everything...”

Harmony laughed loud. “Really? Your last name? You must be joking. I have not even accepted you and you are talking about me changing my daughter’s name. That is never going to happen!”

Michael observed her for a minute and then smiled. “God I have missed your stubbornness! Let me show you I can be the best father in the whole world baby. Please. Just one month trial. I will do anything.”

Harmony gave him a condescending look but then waved her hands, “I will think about it.”

“Awesome!’’ Michael shouted, then he took her hands into his and kissed it. “I brought you a gift.” He said.

“What?” She asked with a languid interest. She watched as he brought out a little pink jewelry box from his pocket and opened it. In it lay a silver necklace that was adorned with diamonds. Her face brightened up a little.

“Oh my God! Those are real diamonds.”

“Yes, they are.” He replied proudly, then took it out and walked towards her before fastening it around her neck. He didn’t hesitate to kiss her on the cheek while he fastened the jewelry.

“It’s beautiful.” Harmony said with a smile.

“Glad you liked it.” He replied, walking back to his seat. “So, how have you been?”

“Great. I’ve been great.”

He beckoned to a waiter. “So any interesting man in your life?”

She frowned but ignored him as her phone chimed. She opened her bag which was on the table and was beginning to find her phone when she caught sight of the document she had picked up that morning. Her facial expression suddenly changed.

“Are you okay?” Michael asked and she quickly nodded.

“Mum, I need to pee.” Tracy said, pouting her lips.

“Ok, darling, come with me. “ She said standing up. “Excuse us.”

“Sure, no problem my beautiful ladies.” Michael said before they both left.

When he realized they had left, he dipped a hand into her bag and brought out the document that had changed her mood within seconds. 

He brought out a resume of someone named ‘’Ichabod Nuel.”’ He frowned, that was the strangest name he had ever heard. What could she be hiring for anyway? He thought to himself but he put the document back. It was probably nothing, he thought

**.

Adams led Ichabod to a small house close to the market’s street. They had parked Simon’s car somewhere close, so they had to trek. It was already getting dark and only few houses around had electricity. Ichabod followed, wondering whom they were about to meet. Was she a sort of witch or a demon? He couldn’t say, yet his curiosity got the better part of him.

As they got to the balcony of the house, Adams pushed the door opened and they were enveloped by the blackness of the interior. Ichabod could perceive the scent of dried herbs mixed with chemicals.

“Is there no one here?” Ichabod asked quietly, peering into the darkness to see Adam;s wrinkled face but somehow, the whole place was brightened up for him to see they were in what looked like a very old pharmacy with shelves and chemicals, yet there was no one in sight. So who had put on the light?

Adams walked to the sales counter which had a small bell on it, Adams tipped against it but no sound could be heard. He did it again but yet no sound. With a grown, he shouted. “Johnny get your wrinkly self over here, your stupid bell is not working again!”

Icahbod frowed. “Is a woman bearing the name Johnny in this century?”

“No, why would you ask that?”

“You said we were coming to meet a woman.”

“Oh yea, he is the one who will bring her to us, she is his daughter but you have to see the father first.”

“Oh, ok.”

Minutes later, Ichabod could hear a swift movement behind the shelves and out came a short man in a black tail coat and a large hat which made him look like all those wizards you see in movies like Harry Potter.

“Ah! If it isn’t my old friend.” Johhny said cheerfully. “It has been a while since I last saw you. Are you having nightmares again?”

“No.” Adams replied, “I would like you to meet someone.” He said, “this is Ichabod Nuel.”

Johnny laid his eyes on Ichabod and scanned him from head to toe. A serious smile cracked upon his lips. “Ah. I can see you haven’t come alone young man.”

Ichabod frowned, could the man be seeing Odin as well. “I don’t understand.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do. This is interesting. A beast within a man, Rasheedat must hear of this. Please take a seat.” He said, pointing to two chairs behind him.

The two men sat down. Ichabod watched as Johnny brought out a phone and began to dial a number.

“Are you calling Rasheedat?”Adams asked.

“Oh yes. She will be the one to help you. She has been researching on something like this for years, she will be so thrilled to see it finally happened.” The man said happily, beaming at Ichabod who shifted uncontrollably in his seat.

“Hello daughter, we have customers , you should know that he has duality...yes...no, you have to come, they are right here, ok.” After this he hung up and turned to them. “So what exactly is it that you want her to do for you.”

“Look, I need to suppress the beast in me.” Ichabod said, “I need to be able to control it. Wait, I don’t understand, what is it that you and your daughter do exactly?”

“Well, she is my student as well as my daughter. I have the gift of sight, she has the whole package. I can see what is wrong with you but she offers the solution even though she can also see, you can’t come to my daughter except through me. You see, our family has for years believed in the supernatural and we have the gifts to see what normal eyes do not see....”

“Too much info father, you don’t want to scare our visitors away...” said a female voice and they all turned around to see Rashidat in the room with them.

She was a pretty young lady with a low cut. She hugged Adams before facing Ichabod.

“Wow. My father was right. This is remarkable. I have read so much on duality but I have never seen anything like it before. This is too good to be true.”

“Well, lady, as long as I appreciate being the first of my kind, I don’t have much time left. Please can you help me?”

She smiled looking at Ichabod’s hand. “Your ring is getting weaker so are you. Yes I can help you but don’t mind my father, he alone has the sight to read people, he can see supernatural things, my gifts are just pure science. What I have read about duality suggested that, one rules the day while another rules the night. Yet when one, that is the human side fails to get emotional balance, the other can take over. The emotional level must always be at a balance, if it goes slightly above probably due to emotions or anger, the other one will always take over.”

“Well then I need something to get me emotionally balanced please.” Ichabod pleaded.

Rasheedat walked to the shelf and took a little bottle of something red.

“This is monocane. Doctors use it in small doses as a pain killer but you need it to reduce the power of that beast in you.”

“Oh my God!” Ichabod’s face brightened up. “You really think this will work?”

Rasheedat shrugged. “ I have been working on this for years and you will be the first to try it. Just a drop on your tongue should do the trick. Let me know if it works.”

Ichabod collected it excitedly, “how much are we...?”

“No, don’t pay yet, first, let’s hope it works, then you can tell me all about you. I wanna know everything and how you got to be the carrier of this curse. That will be enough payment plus, it will be an achievement for my career.”

Ichabod smiled. He was touched and excited at the same time “Thank you.”

While they spoke Adam’s phone vibrated....

“Ichabod, there’s a message from the hiring site, you are to come back tomorrow, to start the job.”