Daddy blocked her hand and barked angrily:

“Maimuna, what is wrong with your brain?!”

“You call it madness? Yes I’m mad today! I swear I’ll injure this useless girl today!” she shouted, trying to reach Zainab again.

“Go ahead and injure her! I said do it! Maimuna are you normal? You chased a small girl with this thick charger wire — what was your intention? Don’t tell me you were going to strike her with it? Because with the way you lack mercy, if you had caught her you WOULD have beaten her! How old is she that you keep tormenting her like this? I don’t want it! I said I don’t want it! Don’t ever try this again. She’s my daughter. I don’t joke with her. If you don’t like her, I LOVE her!” he shouted furiously.

Mummy stood there trembling and crying. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, dropped the charger wire and stormed out, slamming the door.

Zainab fell onto the chair breathing heavily, blowing out air harshly.

Daddy felt terrible seeing how mummy stormed out. He moved closer and pulled Zainab into his arms.

“My baby, I hope you’re okay?” he asked gently.

She jerked away angrily.

“How can I be okay, Dad? This woman is making my life miserable! Imagine — she wanted to beat me! If she had caught me she would have beaten me! I’m almost 21 but I don’t have peace in my own house!”

Daddy hugged her again trying to calm her.

She snatched her body again and snapped:

"When, Dad? You've been saying you'll handle it but nothing happens! I swear I don’t even believe she’s my mother. She hates to see me happy. Nothing I do is right to her. I’m tired! In my own father’s house I have no freedom? Me? The daughter of Alhaji Farouq Dan Faranshi? Others who have nothing live freely, but me? The great Zainab Farouq Dan Faranshi?!" she cried loudly.

Daddy sighed deeply, feeling her tears pierce him.

“It’s okay, darling. Please stop crying. I swear I’ll handle this.”

“Till when?! I told you to send me abroad for studies — you refused! You just follow whatever mummy says! First you agreed to UK, then after she spoke to you, you changed to UMYAU! Me? In Umaru Musa Yar’adua University? Please!” she hissed.

Daddy sighed again helplessly.

“It’s okay. I don’t want you upset. About studying abroad… it's not because your mother opposed it. I just can’t bear staying far from you for long. You know I love you. You’re my life. You’re my joy. I can’t stand anything hurting you. I’ll make sure you get the freedom you want, okay?”