Reason To Stay

Chapter two

You are only thirteen, you still have a lot of time to make a difference.

Her mother's words were on repeat in her head as she walked towards the direction of the modeling agency where she cleans the place in exchange for a few cash.

Lot of time? Yes, as it looked like death wasn't ready to claim her.  Making a difference? How?

Lots of questions swirled in her head, the prominent one being how  she will ever be able to make a difference if the only thing she's good at was totally frowned upon in the society. Since the age of eight after she watched a fashion show with her dad, Zoe has wanted to be a model.

Although she hadn't voiced it out to anyone yet , it was no secrete that her prayer warrior of a mother and the society would never accept her, Richard, the CEO of Model's Heaven being a living prove. After her, he was the most hated person in their town. Some had even gone as far as throwing stuffs at him when he walked on the street that the law enforcement agencies had to intervene. Even the girls that trained under him were either orphaned, from another community or disowned. Because of this fact, Zoe knew that the only way she could pursue a dream like hers is if she gets away from there.   Her hometown could only support a handful of profession and hers wasn't one of them.

"Uncle Richard," She shouted, spotting him on a bench, his elbow propped on his lap with his face in his hands, as she walked into the agency.

Richard alarmingly looked at his wrist watch. The little devil was not supposed to be here today, he thought as he looked up, finding her glaring at him. "It's seven A.M on a Sunday Zoe, what in Christ name are you doing here?" He asked, wondering how she was so full of energy that early, whereas he was still struggling to keep his eyes open, the reason he ordered the models to catch a break.

"Oh whose fault is it eh?" She rested her hand on her hips as she glared at him. "Because Uncle Richard, a certain someone would not let me sleep in peace."

Richard silently cursed himself as he remembered shouting out instructions to annoy her. It was just a spur of the moment and he didn't expect her to show up. He sighed and wished she was only there to scold him and leave like every other days and wasn't planning on staying. "You still haven't answered my question." He met her gaze, finding her narrowing her eyes at him, one hands on her hip. "What are you doing here?" He asked again.

"To work of course!" She exclaimed, pulling him by his hand, urging him to stand.

"But it's Sunday." He groaned in frustration, standing.

"You have said it before, Uncle Richard." She linked her arm with his as they walked further into the agency, more like he was being dragged.

"But you don't usually work on a Sunday morning". He cried out in frustration. "And how many times have I told you not to call me Uncle? it's Richard for you. I'm only twenty five."

"And how many times have I told you its either that or daddy?" She retorted ignoring his first statement. He raised his brows and scoffed. If there was one thing he knew about Zoe, it is that she wasn't  just talk. Zoe, one time called him daddy while he was wooing a lady and that did not end well at all.

They walked into the changing room and she scrunched up her nose in disgust. "What died in here Uncle Richard?" She asked, unhooking her arm from his to cover her nose.

"Your childhood." He retorted laughing, feeling proud of his comeback. She paced round the room as if she was looking for something. "What are you looking for?" He inquired.

"I'm trying to find the joke Uncle." She replied with a smirk.

Colors rose to his cheek in embarrassment as he looked at her with the urge to throw something at her. He didn't even know why he tried to compete with her. Sarcasm and comebacks were her specialty. "Now tell me, Why are you angry?". He said, trying to steer the conversation away from himself. "Because from my experience, I know you are only this energetic when you feel the need to throw someone off the cliff".

She walked to the window and opened the curtain to allow sunshine into the room, opening it for proper ventilation. "Uncle, I think the real question here is, when am I not angry?". She bent down to pick the cloths that were littered on the floor.

"Exactly Zoe, this needs to stop". He said. "You are only-".

"Thirteen!" She interrupted. "You and my mommy have been doing a great job reminding me, how could I ever forget?" She dumped the cloths in her hands inside a basket.

"What do you want?" He asked, his voice low after he noticed the pain in her face.

"Teach me Uncle". She replied, turning to face him. "Teach me everything I need to know to be a model". She bent down to pick up a broom to sweep.

His eyes grew wide, you would think she just confessed to a murder crime. "What?" He asked in shock, silently praying it was his ears playing a trick on him. She more than anyone knew what the neighbors puts him through. He was certain he would have quitted   if it was just another way of earning money and not a life long dream. Richard has always wanted to be a runway model too, but he discovered   he couldn't because he couldn't meet the height criteria, so he took it upon himself to train models instead.

"I said, I want to be a model, so teach me". She spelt it out to him. At the moment, she felt a weight lift off her shoulder, this was the first time she admitted it to someone other than her father.

"Are you crazy?". He shouted, pacing round the room. "Okay lets accept that you are indeed crazy, but are you blind too?" He asked "Look around you, they would never accept you". He cried out. "Never!".

"But Uncle-"

"No!" He interrupted, stopping to look at her. "Be a doctor, a lawyer, a banker, anything professional. Not just a model Zoe, not a model. They will mock you". He tried to reason with her. He could not help but fear that her mother's fear was becoming a reality.'I don't want my daughter selling her body so stay away from her' he remembered her harsh words and now she wants to be what her mother would never accept.

"They don't accept me anyways". She snapped. "Everyday its Zoe this, Zoe that". She looked up at him, her eyes filled with un-shed tears. "I'm not good at anything" She cried. "I don't like school, my classmates and teachers hate me, "I only know how to cook and chefs are mocked here too". She brushed the tears off her face. " So if I want to rebel then let it at least be for something I love doing" She cried out. "Please Uncle". She whispered.

"Zoe". He persuaded. He was already loosing the will to go against her when he noticed her dejected look.

"Don't worry about them not accepting me, when have they ever?" She asked.

There's a reason why she is called the Little devil in the neighborhood, She has always been one to voice out her thought irrespective of the circumstance, and that attitude was totally frowned upon in their hometown especially for a female child. They were of the opinion that the opinion of the female child does not matter.

Richard smiled at her, he walked over to her and put her head into a head lock, ruffling her hair. "Okay trouble maker". He said. "But it is going to be our little secrete. No one is to know about it".

She wrestled herself out of his grasp and stared at him with a smile on her face. "Really?" She asked, squeaking in joy

"Really". He confirmed, smiling at her. "But you are not telling anyone about this. Your training will hold in the mirror room instead. He said. "Now do the work I pay you for". He laughed, proceeding to walk out the room.

"Yes Uncle". She saluted. "And Uncle". She called after him. He turned back to look at her. "Don't you think I deserve a raise?" She asked sheepishly, gesturing her hand to the pile of mess the models had made.

He shook his head at her and laughed as he walked out. Zoe watched his retreating form and could not help but feel that just maybe life was beginning to make sense.

•••
Did you know? The first alarm clock could only ring by 4 AM.