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1 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
2 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
DISCLAIMER
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
3 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
DISCLAIMER
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
places, and incidents either are the product of the
author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or
dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2020 by E.C. Emmanuel
All rights reserved. No part of this book may
be reproduced or used in any manner without
written permission of the copyright owner.
4 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
Mine Will Come Tomorrow
E.C. Emmanuel
Published by E.C. Emmanuel, 2020.
5 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
INTRODUCTION
achel Okoye is a highly
Successful business woman in her late
thirties. Despite her achievements, she is
dealing with a vacuum in her life. A series of
bad luck with men and love have left her
feeling like a puzzle missing its final piece.
Realizing she was wrong to think a husband
would automatically fall in place after
accumulating material possessions, Rachel
finds herself getting desperate for a husband
and becoming less satisfied with life in the
process.
Mine Will Come Tomorrow shines some
light on the pressures and struggles that come
with finding love as an older woman, dealing
R
6 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
with the loss of a loved one and investing in
men who turn up to be living secret lives. We
all love to see people win at love and this
story sure ends with hope. It’s a relatable
read.
7 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
CHAPTER ONE
ith a glass of strawberry
juice in her left hand and her right hand
firmly gripping the rails of the balcony, she
allowed her eyes roam the entire compound
as tears snaked down her face like they had
every right to. From the garage where her two
cars were packed to the garden that was
carefully beautified with flowers and trees of
different varieties. She sipped her drink and
nodded in satisfaction, she nodded to the
thought that she had made name for herself in
the recent years; she had gotten a house of
her own, a mansion at that plus her two cars;
an ash colored Toyota Avalon and a black
Lexus RX350. She had a beautiful well-
W
8 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
furnished three bedroom flat and a beauty
salon at Victoria Island, Lagos where she had
started her journey of success and also in
Texas U.S.A. She was a beautician and a
fashion designer whose dexterity had
projected her internationally; she had about
two large boutiques in two different states in
Nigeria, Port Harcourt and Aba, the clothes
sold there, were designed and made by her.
Despite all these, she could still feel sharp
pain somewhere within her as she looked
around the environment. It was just two years
after her breakup with Kunle albeit she still
couldn’t believe he could hurt her. Kunle, a
bank manager; tall, slim, dark, handsome and
well educated, was her boyfriend whom she
had dated for four years. For the four solid
years she had been with him, she tried
9 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
building her world around him as she felt it
revolved around him. Though they had been
having series of misunderstanding, she tried
her best to secure her relationship. Being
quite obsessed about him, she dared not give
space for any girl to come around him. She
watched him and his activities with an eagle
eye. On one occasion, she had visited and
found some female stuffs in his room. She
didn’t make a fuss but rather went to the
sitting room and furiously waited for the
‘trespasser’ who came in minutes later. She
didn’t wait for the younger woman to settle
down before she flared up and lashed at her.
The young lady, feeling embarrassed walked
into Kunle’s room and lay down on the bed as
if daring her to do her worst. Fortunately,
Kunle came in when the matter would have
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escalated and asked her to calm down after
explaining that the girl was his closest cousin.
She felt quite ashamed and had no other
option but to apologize to Kunle’s cousin and
after then, the two ladies started getting along
and in the process, she got to know all of
Kunle’s relatives especially the females and
never failed to dole out money to them
anytime they asked and at a point, they all
started referring to her as ‘our wife’. It did
gladden her heart. All she ever dreamed of
was getting married to him as soon as
possible because she felt age was no more on
her side, she was twenty-nine and obviously
mama would be looking forward to seeing her
get married. Kunle also showed her love the
best way he could, he took her shopping and
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often to eateries even though he knew she
earned as well.
“Kunle, we need to talk,” she had said one
early Sunday morning; she spent the
weekends with him. Kunle dragged himself
up, wiped his sleepy eyes and turned to face
her.
“Sweetheart, what is it?”
“Good morning, love.” She started after
Kunle had nodded to her greeting. “I’m sorry;
I didn’t mean to disturb you. It’s just that
something has been bothering me.” She
paused to make sure Kunle was giving her
rapt attention. “You know that in three weeks’
time, our relationship will be five years old. I
was just wondering if you’re actually thinking
what I’m thinking.”
“What could that be?”
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“Kunle?” she stared at him in utter
disbelief. “Are you that naïve? You know I’m
not getting any younger, when are you going
to engage me for marriage? When are you
going to meet my people?”
“Oh, that?” Kunle scratched his head and
adjusted. “I’ll do that soon.”
“Soon? Soon, you say? Kunle, you said that,
twelve months ago.” She whined. “Am I not
good for you? Have I not done almost
everything a girlfriend would do for her man?
I’ve always loved, respected and adored you, I
cook for you, I wash your clothes, and I’ve not
denied you access to my body, what else are
you waiting for?” she sounded a bit desperate.
“Baby, let’s not go over this again, we
quarreled the last time this issue was raised,
right? It’s not as if I don’t know the right thing
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to do. You know that I just got this promotion
as a bank manager, I worked so hard for it
and right now I’m too concerned about this
job and marriage is the least thing on my
mind. Please, don’t misunderstand me.” He
pleaded. With her mouth agape, she glared at
him not knowing what to say again. She
slipped out of the bed into the bathroom, took
a shower, packed her things and stomped out
of the house amidst Kunle’s pleas. Two days
later, Kunle called trying to apologize but she
got enraged when he mentioned his job again,
“Kunle, it is clear that you prefer your job to
me. I know that I didn’t attend university but
that does not make me a fool, Kunle...yeah,
actually, I must have been a fool all this while
but I’ve had enough. It’s over between us.”
That was how her relationship with Kunle
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ended, another sad and painful memory. She
cried bitterly that night as she couldn’t get
over the disappointment. She had been in one
before Kunle came into her life.
Ugonna was the first man she had ever
loved, although death took him away from
her. It was the most painful memory for her.
They were childhood friends, they had even
graduated from the same primary and
secondary school together, everyone in the
village knew about them and even concluded
they’d finally get married as a result of the
obvious intimacy but no, their friendship
clashed. Ugonna after his secondary school
education was sent abroad by his family to
further his education but unfortunately the
plane he had boarded crashed and Ugonna
died in the crash. She was with him the
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previous day at their normal hanging out
joint; the community school field. They were
sitting down on one of the fallen trees
discussing and expressing their feelings.
“Obim, promise me you will not marry any
other man because I will return for you. I
won’t spend so many years over there.”
“I promise my love, you’re the only one for
me. You will also promise not to flirt or even
marry any of those white girls.” They giggled
at each other as Ugonna nodded and gently
squeezed her palms.
Had someone told her it would be the last
time she would see him, she would have
shunned that person and avoid relating with
that person at any slightest cause. Ugonna’s
mother couldn’t survive the pain; the loss of
an only child, she died of cardiac arrest two
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days later. It wasn’t so easy for her because
every night she saw him in her dreams,
sometimes they were playing in the field like
they used to when he was alive and
sometimes he was crying heartbreakingly. It
took her years before she could get over him.
A GLANCE AT HER ACHIEVEMENT energized
her willpower but one thing bothered her, she
still felt shattered. She smiled wryly in a bid
to rid herself of thinking about the past. She
licked her lips dry after gulping down the last
content in her glass. Finally, she concluded
she needed to cool her nerves with a cold
bath since the weather was hot so she headed
to the bathroom. She turned on the cold water
tap and filled the tub, wore her shower cap
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and stepped into the tub after loosening the
towel around her chest. While in the bathtub,
she paused as she stared at the tiled walls of
the bathroom admiring nothing in particular,
she nodded. Yeah, she had it all but she still
felt incomplete, why? What was that thing
that was missing? Could it be Kunle? Was a
part of her still yearning for him? She thought
to herself. After breaking up with Kunle, she
had never thought of dating again. She saw
relationships as a stress and waste of time,
just get yourself busy and hustle to make
money and you will be admired and
worshipped like a god. Her mobile phone; a
gold packed iPhone7 model beeped. She
quickly dried her hand with a towel and
reached out for it. A text written in capital
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letter, “I WANT TO SEE YOU”; it was her
mother.
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CHAPTER TWO
he got to Awka, her
hometown a day after she received the text.
Mama was in good health; a relief to her. She
drained the car’s trunk of all she got for her
mother and called out to the maid to help take
them inside. Rachel Okoye, a native of Awka
was born into the family of late Mr. Paul and
Mrs. Charity Okoye who were Anglicans. Her
father was a businessman; he owned a shop
where he sold soft drinks in wholesale and
retail, her mother was just a mere housewife.
Even though her father wasn’t stupendously
rich, they hardly quarreled and they managed
whatever her father could bring to the
table.Papa would come back from his shop at
Emma Nnaemeka Street around 9PM and
S
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mama would serve him food. Before eating,
he’d call out to his little princess to join him,
“my jewel, come.” Rachel would run to join
him; she cherished the small piece of meat or
fish he left for her every time they ate
together. Rachel’s father never joked with her,
he saw her as his mother who had come back
to the world to be with him. They were one
happy family and Rachel would always
wonder how her parents met and how they
lived together for so long and that too, in
harmony. She had dared ask her mother the
question one day and she didn’t hesitate to
tell her the story; she told it with a confident
smile on her face.
“I’ve never liked your father; as a matter
of fact I used to hate him.”
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“Why? Why did you hate him?” she found
it hard to believe that her mother married the
person she hated and their relationship never
seemed like where hate had been.
“When I first saw him, he was looking so
wretched and my dream had always been to
marry a rich man. The first day he talked to
me, I felt like...I can’t describe how I felt but I
really despised him then. I would always
ignore him and to some extent, I started
dodging him, I had to avoid him at all cost
until one day, I saw him in my mother’s shop
eating goat meat pepper soup with fresh palm
wine, I was coming back from work, I used to
work as a primary school teacher before I
resigned when we got married. I did not talk
to him still; my mother started suspecting I
knew something about him. I told her how I
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had seen him and how he had tried talking to
me and how I’ve been ignoring him. She
scolded me and told me that I was cruel but I
told her that he was too wretched for my
liking and she scolded me the more, telling
me how she knew him, how rich he used to be
and how he lost his wealth and became
wretched and then, she concluded by telling
me that money never defines a good man.
After that advice, I realized my hatred
towards him had reduced; I started replying
his greetings. But something happened that
brought us together.” She paused and stared
at Rachel to make sure she was getting
everything she was saying.
“What happened?”
“I was coming back from a midweek
service, it was late and intensely dark, I was
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walking with my friend and we were very
much engrossed in one discussion like that
when I noticed someone’s presence, it was as
though we were being followed. I dragged my
friend and we started running while
screaming for help. We ran into the hands of a
stranger who was supposedly coming back
from the market where he sold his wares. He
saved us, it was later we found out that those
men that were after us were kidnappers. It
was your father who saved us that night. The
circumstance drew me closer to him, his kind,
jovial and social attitude was endearing. From
there, we became friends for...I think six abi
seven months before we got married. I really
thank God for giving me your father as a
husband; he’ll still be one in my next world.”
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She grinned. Just seven months? Rachel asked
herself after listening to the story.
She gave her mother a hearty hug and
suddenly her eyes averted towards a heap of
sand at the other end of the compound, a tear
dropped but she tried to restrain the rest.
That was her father’s grave, he died six years
after her birth and after his death, his elder
brothers took over all his properties and left
them with nothing but the house. They had to
keep swallowing hard and bitter pills just to
survive. The perdition forced her to swear in
her tender age to break the shackles of
poverty and incessant sufferings and bring
smiles to mama’s face, she was very avid
about it.
Growing up, life had never been easy; she
took up some menial jobs like working in
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people’s farms with her mother so she could
go to school. She got a job as a receptionist in
a hotel outside town after she graduated from
secondary school. She used the money she
saved up to put herself through a fashion
design school; she also added to her skill and
became a beautician too. She was able to set
up a two in one shop; that was three years
later where she made different clothing
designs and used the remaining space for her
beautician skill. Mama contributed her quota
even though little, she had never failed to
support her daughter’s hard work. It had
never been easy, how she finally made it to
her current level was still a big surprise to her
though she never doubted she’d succeed. You
can’t be successful if you are not connected
with the right persons; that was her belief. She
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remembered how her journey to success
started; she was in her two-in-one shop that
fateful day, doing what she does best.
“Who’s here?” a lady in her late thirties
rushed in, in a frenetic manner. She looked
strange as she trotted further into Rachel’s
beauty salon. Rachel was treating someone’s
hair; she looked up at the lady in a confused
state, and nearly mistook her for a lunatic.
She was so mortified at the sight that she
nearly sent the lady out and never let her in
but it was never her principle to be rude to
anyone.
“How may I help you?” she finally spoke
up.
“I...I...uhm, I’m not a lunatic. I have a flight
to board in the next three hours but
unfortunately, I was attacked by some
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gunmen, I managed to escape, that’s why I’m
looking like this. Please, I need your help, I
can’t miss this flight, it’s as important as my
life.” She ran her hands through her messed
up hair.
Rachel stood there watching, not knowing
what to do, what if the gunmen run into her
shop and ruin everything, what would
become of her just because she was trying to
help. The next cry from the lady pushed her
hand to pick up the hand drier and start doing
something. In the next forty-five minutes, she
was done, she went to the next room and
picked a dress she’d already made and gave it
to the lady to wear. “Your bill is five thousand
Naira, ma.” The lady rummaged through her
purse, got a three thousand naira note and
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gave it to Rachel with her complimentary
card.
“I’m sorry; this is all I can spare.” With
this, she ran off giving deaf ears to Rachel’s
beckoning for her to stop and give her the
complete money. Rachel, enraged with the
lady’s theft-like action, tore the card in shreds
and sat down somewhere sobbing her loss.
Six months later, a familiar person walked
into her shop with some men in black suit,
she was scared to the wits as she thought they
were policemen or even assassins but the
lady had introduced herself and Rachel
breathed out comfortably. The meeting ended
with the lady wishing to help her travel
abroad and make an investment with her
skills which she claimed to be passionate
about. That was how she found herself in
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Texas U.S.A trying to live up to the lady’s
expectations by working passionately hard.
Within the range of two years and with the
help of the lady, she was able to set up a
medium sized beauty salon bearing her name,
both whites and the blacks patronized her
indiscriminately.
All these happened ten years ago, and
whenever Rachel looked back at how she
made it she couldn’t stop thanking God and
her mother.
“Come inside.” Her mother’s voice called
her back to reality. “You must be hungry after
the long ride; I cooked rice, brown beans and
ofe akwu, your favorite. Chimma!”
“Yes, mama,” a young girl of about fifteen
years rushed out from the backyard wiping
her two hands on the apron tied around her
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waist. Her hair was neatly plaited, her dark
skin glistened in the sun, and her smiles made
her look more beautiful. She was sweating but
smiling to show no stress.
“Have you finished with the clothes?”
“Yes mama, I was about to put water for
your bath when you called me.”
“Okay, set the table for lunch, after that,
you can resume from where you stopped.”
Mama said and Chimma left after nodding to
the instruction. After the sumptuous meal,
mama and Rachel retired to the balcony to
rest and perhaps have a mother-child chat.
Daddy, welcome. A fair plump and
beautiful lady who should be in her mid-
thirties said as she took her husband’s
briefcase and hugged him, the man; slim and
dark, wrapped his hand around her waist and
31 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
kissed her forehead, a little girl ran out of the
house with a doll in her hand and hugged him
with a warm smile, the man lifted the little
girl up, swirled her and put her down after
some seconds. He handed the little girl
something packaged in a yellow cellophane
bag and she ran inside the house with glee.
Oh! What a happy family. Rachel thought to
herself. “Mama, who are they?” she pointed at
them.
“Oh! My new tenants,” mama answered as
she picked at her teeth with a broomstick.
“Okay, mama, what about that land? The
one beside Dee Agu’s plantain plantation?”
“What about it?” mama asked
expressionlessly.
“I want to set up a branch of my
establishment in this town, a beauty salon to
32 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
be precise, my fashion designing business at
Aba is moving just fine, I just want to set up
something in my own village but before I do
that, I want to build a hospital in this village.
Papa died of malaria and typhoid, he died out
of negligence, if there was a good hospital
around, I’m sure he wouldn’t have died. So,
mama I want you to help me get information
on how to go about this and...” Rachel was
almost going on and on breathlessly till mama
bid her to take a break.
“My dear, I know how passionate and
humane you are; how you’ll not rest until you
see that you help people. That’s a good thing,
but that’s not why I called you.” Mama paused
and glanced at her daughter whose eyes were
focused on her. “Rachel, how old are you?”
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“Thirty-two. Mama why do you ask?”
Rachel scratched her forehead and stared at
mama confusedly.
“Ada’m, what do you think? You’re my
only daughter; I’m in no way getting younger
neither are you, you’re too rich, you have this,
you have that but you don’t have a man to
complete you, how does that sound?”
“Mama, if I’m not wrong, you’re talking
about marriage, right?” she affirmed and
rolled her eyes. Rachel shut her eyes, now she
realized how busy she’d been not to have
thought about getting married. She
remembered promising herself not to get
married until she made sure she could stand
on her own, she didn’t want any man to insult
her or try to subdue her or subject her to
become a housewife, but that was before
34 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
Kunle came into her life. Now mama has
thought about it, perhaps I should open up my
heart again and look for a man to call my own.
She thought to herself. “Mama, I’ve heard you,
it’s just that I’ve been too busy to realize I
need a man in my life. Now that I have it all, I
think my next target is to get a husband.”
Mama smiled and appreciated her
understanding. While they continued
chatting, mama mentioned her pastor,
advocating on how powerful and greatly God
was using him to get ladies like her connected
to their husband.
“Nne eh, during the last crusade, if you see
miracle, chai,” she clapped her hands in
wonder. “There was this lady, she’s even
older than you but she got married a year
later after some deliverance prayers were
35 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
conducted on her. People are evil oh, do you
know that it was her father’s sister that tied
her down with charm and said she will never
get married until she dies. I heard the woman
died two days after the lady got married.”
Mama adjusted her wrapper. Rachel stared at
her mother in bewilderment, she couldn’t
believe the story. “Don’t you think we should
meet my pastor so that he will pray for you?”
“No mama, don’t worry. I’ve not paid some
attention to myself of recent, so that’s why
and besides I’m not ready to start doling out
my money to any man just because he prayed
for me.” Rachel recounted how she’d fallen
into the hands of some pastors who exploited
her big time, she had gone to a church; a
white garment church in a bid to get
delivered from whatever it could be that was
36 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
holding her from getting married. They’d told
her to get some things like two white pigeons,
one he-goat and a sum of thirty thousand;
they also told her that she needed to be
cleansed from the evil lurking around her, she
agreed. That fateful day, the prophetess sent
her off with a servant; a male servant, to the
river a few miles away from the temple to
bathe her. As instructed, the young man killed
the pigeons and sprinkled the blood on her
body before bathing her. From scrubbing her
back, he transcended to her bosom, to her
waist, then her groin. Rachel was too weak to
shun him, the romance had climaxed and
before she knew it, they had coitus a
countless number of times, inside the river;
Rachel had become ashamed of herself
afterwards as she cursed the young man
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before retreating to her car. She had also met
another pastor some months later and the
man had kept demanding for money from her
on grounds of different excuses and finally he
slept with her. Rachel blinked her eyes in
spite as she remembered all these, she stared
at the disappointed look on her mother’s face
but she could do nothing, she’d lost respect
for anybody wearing the cloak of a servant of
God, she wasn’t ready to fall into the hand of
another devil. She however promised her
mother that she’d do something about her
singleness and get her a son-in-law. The next
day, Rachel packed her bags and left silently,
none of her uncles’ knew she came in or even
left. She was trying to be careful to avoid
story that touches the heart. She had heard
about people that came back home with a lot
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of wealth but days after returning to the city
or town where they had come from, they
started witnessing one problem or the other,
some even lost their lives.
39 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
CHAPTER THREE
adam, welcome, good
day, ma.” About four girls hailed; they
were putting on a red polo over a pair of black
trousers, in front of the polo was a bold
inscription, ‘AT YOUR HUMBLE SERVICES’,
then at the back, ‘RACHY BEAUTY HOME. One
who was shampooing a lady’s hair paused
and stared at Rachel with a smirk on her face,
“do you know she’s not married yet?” she
referred to the lady she was attending to.
“But why? She’s young, beautiful and rich,
why doesn’t she want to marry.” The lady
tried lifting her head.
“Young ke? Nancy no sabi anything oh! Na
she know.”
“M
40 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
“Nancy, did anyone look for me?”
“No ma, nobody.” She resumed her duty
while mumbling some inaudible words to her
client. Rachel having surveyed the salon got
up to leave, “I’m rushing off to somewhere,
and I’ll be back by five.” She glanced at her
watch and trotted out. She turned the ignition
and the car’s engine roared back to life and
she hit the road whilst nodding her head to a
song coming from the car’s stereo.
Unfortunately, her car bumped into another
car just close to a culvert, she halted and
stepped out to check what happened. The
car’s bumper was off already; that was her
Toyota Avalon, her favorite car. She didn’t
know whether to get angry or just maintain.
“I’m sincerely sorry, I don’t mean to...” that
was a guy who had just stepped out of his car
41 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
to see the damage he had done. She stared at
him, he’s cute. I don’t have to be angry, it
happens, I shouldn’t show my anger. She
thought.
“It’s ok but you just need to be careful next
time,” she told him with a stern look and
walked back to look at the damage again.
“God, this is my favorite car,” she whined. She
got into the car and slammed the door hard.
She wound down the glass as she heard a
knock on it.
“I’ve called my mechanic, he’ll be here in
no distant time, he’ll fix it for you, I’m really
sorry, please.” He clasped his hands.
“You shouldn’t have bothered. I’ll get it
fixed.”
“I insist, fixing it myself will free me of
some guilt.” Just then, a dark skinned man
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wearing a dirty blue jacket got down from a
bike and headed towards them. “Ah-hah, he’s
here.” Both got talking as the mechanic
started fixing the car. “My name is Andrew
but my friends call me Andy or sometimes,
the crazy ones call me ALS.” Andrew watched
Rachel stare at him askance. “A-L-S, Andrew
Liver Salt.” Rachel laughed, that was funny.
“I’m studying law at the university of
California, I came back to attend a close
friend’s burial. His name is Frank Funky, he
was a real dude, we’ve been friends since high
school but unfortunately he died in South
Africa, he was tryna, uhm, sell his kidney, I
don’t know what really went bad, he died. I
miss him.” He shook his head sideways and
looked at Rachel, “I’m sorry, I think I talk too
43 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
much, forgive my manners, what’s your
name.”
You really do. She thought. “Perhaps, it’s
normal for guys. My name is Rachel; I own a
beauty Salon here, and one in Texas.”
“Big girl, but permit me to confess this,
you look damn beautiful and hot too.” Rachel
was shy a bit. She said thanks. Both
exchanged contacts as soon as the car got
fixed and ready to be used.
“Bye,” she said and zoomed off with a
Cheshire cat smile. That was how Rachel met
Andy and two weeks into their friendship, he
asked her out and she accepted. Rachel who
was madly and deeply in love with Andy kept
sending money to him even when he didn’t
ask for it; she would go any length just to
keep him happy despite her friend’s advice.
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Arit was her friend; a very close one at that,
they had met four years earlier in a bus
heading to her place at Victoria Island from
Calabar where she had gone to attend the
Calabar carnival. During their discussion they
realized they had attended the same fashion
school, they became close friends afterwards.
The only difference was that Arit was a
degree holder and just two years younger
than Rachel. Arit had told her a countless
number of times not to be the one giving out
herself and all that she had, “Rachel, if this
guy also loves you like you claim, he should
be the one spending on you not the other way
round. I can’t imagine myself spending on a
guy more than he does to me.”
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“Arit, I’ve told you, this guy loves me. I
don’t care who does the spending here, he’s a
student, and I’m not.”
“But he studies abroad and his father has
money, I’m sure he’s even doing what his
mates are doing over there to make money.
Check this thing, you’re older than him and
you think he doesn’t know, and you’re quite
naïve, Rachy, this guy fit play you oh. I’m not
sounding this way because I’m jealous or
something, no. I’ve been with guys like this,
I’ve got the experience, and I don’t want you
to face the hurt I faced.”
“But experience, they say, is the best
teacher.” She was becoming uncomfortable
with Arit’s words.
“Wisdom says you don’t wait to get hit
before you learn, you learn from other
46 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
people’s experience. Ok, how many times
does he call you?”
“Does it matter? Ok, I do most of the
calling, although I don’t see who calls most
and who doesn’t call most as parameter for
defining love in a relationship.”
“Rachy, Frank calls me twice in a day, in
the morning and in the night. Even though I
call him too but he calls mostly. It does show
his attention on me. Now what is the
guarantee that Andy loves you? None.” Arit
stared at Rachel as she wiped some balls of
sweat off her forehead. “I don’t like this guy,
he doesn’t look real to me. Rachy, be careful.
I’m going.” Arit stood up. She had come to the
salon to relax her hair and the ladies started
chatting. After Arit left, Rachel was faced with
a bout of doubt, can Andy break my heart?
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Twice while they were in her house, Andy had
demanded for sex but she wouldn’t allow him
and he had gotten upset and left. If I yield to
him, would it make him stay? A lot of
questions raced through her mind, yeah, she
wanted to keep him but she wasn’t ready to
sleep with him just yet. God, what if he has
another lady who is perhaps younger than I
am? Am I that old? She queried herself and
later got up to leave, leaving the salon in
Nancy’s care. From there, she drove to the
market, bought some things and headed
straight to Andy’s house, she wanted to make
up for their last quarrel. She reached and
packed outside the gate, she got to the door, it
was locked from inside, she knocked until
after what seemed like ages, a girl came out to
the door putting on a pink singlet and bum
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shot. “Yes, who are you looking for?” she
sounded rude.
Rachel sized the girl up with her eyes and
with a frown and an air of authority, she
asked, “I’m looking for Andy, I’m his
girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend?” she stifled some bouts of
laughter. She glared at Rachel and turned
back into the house, “Andy!” she screamed as
if she had power over him. Andy came out
and met a shocking sight; he stared at Rachel
for some minutes not knowing what to say.
“Honey, who is she?” Rachel asked and both
ladies exchanged fierce looks.
“Honey? Andy? Who is she? What’s going
on here, Andy? What is this slut doing here...”
before she could finish her statement, a slap
transcended on her left cheek.
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“Who are you calling a slut, you old hag?”
Rachel stood transfixed, as if a soul music
was being played slowly in her head, when
she came back to reality seconds later, she
picked up her bag and left without saying
anything, Andy tried chasing after her but she
quickly ran into her car blinded by tears.
Andy came back breathing heavily, only to
receive a hot slap from his girlfriend.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Now
you get out of here, bitch!” he yelled as he
dragged her out throwing her bag at her in
fury.
“Bastard, I don’t blame you. You’re also
sleeping a woman quite older than you,
shameless baboon, you dey do fine oyibo boy
ba, sango never strike you. You no dey shame!
You are flirting with an old mama and you’ve
50 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
been deceiving me with marriage. Oh! She’s
not even a side chick but a side mama, I’m
ashamed of you, the thunder that will strike
you still dey gym dey do press up.” she was
still ranting when Andy rushed into the
house, brought out his pistol and shot at her,
he intentionally missed hitting her as she ran
for her dear life.
Rachel stood in front of her dressing
mirror and sniffled a little, her eyes were
puffy and wet. She ran her hand over her
swollen face continuously checking out for
freckles and wrinkles as she interviewed
herself. Am I that old? But there are no
wrinkles, God, am I ugly? I loved Andy, why did
he do this to me? Why do men have to treat me
this way? She picked up her phone and placed
a call across to Arit.
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“Rachy, what is it? Why are you crying?”
for the next few seconds Rachel was still
crying over the phone, Arit disconnected the
line the moment she realized Rachel was
never going to talk. Twenty minutes later, Arit
was rushing in to Rachel’s room where she
was. “Oh, no.” she shook her head and went
over to the bed where her friend was sitting.
“Rachy, talk to me, what happened? Is it
Andy?” no reply was forthcoming; Rachel just
let her head fall on Arit’s shoulder as she
sobbed the more.
“Andy...I loved him, I had great plans for
us. I was ready and always willing to do
anything for him. Why did he do this to me,
Arit?”
“What did he do?”
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“He’s cheating on me, I caught him red-
handed.” She went ahead to fill her in on what
she witnessed some minutes ago.
“I knew it, I warned you, I knew that boy
was just using and playing you. It’s okay my
dear, don’t worry your head, he’s an ingrate
and a bastard. Stop crying, man never finish
for this world, there are still many men out
there willing to treat you well, forget Andy, he
doesn’t worth your tears, mbok.” Arit
consoled.
“I love him so much, I don’t know if I can
be able to forget him.” She sniffed and sighed,
“I’m booking a flight to Texas, I think I’ll stay
there for a while so I’ll forget all these...Arit,
thanks for coming over, I really appreciate.”
She hugged Arit and dried her tears. “Perhaps,
I might find a nice guy there sha.”
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”Abeg no go fall in love with oyibo boy oh. E
get as their love life dey be so oh.” Both ladies
laughed, Rachel suggested they go out and get
some ice cream and burger for themselves
and Arit agreed. “Rachy, why don’t you go
through university education? Do you still
think it’s a waste of time?” Arit posed the
question which sounded like a time bomb to
her friend, they’d just taken their seats in the
eatery. Rachel’s heart thumped faster,
butterflies churned crazily in her stomach.
Yeah, she had always thought that going to
the university was waste of time but for the
persistence of Arit, she imagined giving the
suggestion a thought. She was speechless for
some seconds before she gathered words to
reply her friend.
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“Arit, what do I need the university
education for? I have achieved more than a
degree holder can achieve...and besides, I’m
too old to face the stress involved. Just look at
you, you have a perfect relationship and very
soon Frank will walk you down to the aisle. I
just want to get married; age is no more on
my side.” She stuffed her mouth with burger
and chewed breathlessly, she was getting
nervous. Just then, she saw a young couple
walk in holding hands. Her emotions swayed
at the sight, suddenly she imagined how life
would be when her husband comes into view,
she remembered Kunle, then Andy. She shut
her eyes and inhaled slowly. God, when will I
find someone who truly loves me? When will
mine come? Arit saw the desperation and
anxiety in her friend, she was short of words,
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it took her minutes before she could finally
say something, “Rachel, marriage is not an
achievement, stop seeing it as one.”
THREE WEEKS LATER, Rachel was in Texas
doing some clean up; dusting and cleaning
and around evening when she was tired, she
ordered for dinner; chicken-fried steak, pecan
pie and cantaloupes. The next day, she went
to her salon to see what was happening, she
was impressed, Anne Warder, her manager
and friend was doing a great job. She had
more clients than she used to, more of whites.
She was happy for the progress but would it
get her the joy she lacked at the moment? Were
men dealing with her wrongly because of her
56 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
wealth? What if she became poor, would it
change anything?
“Rachel!” a warm hug brought her back to
reality. It was Anne, her Texan friend. She
took her around the salon and requested they
talk over a cup of coffee and hamburger,
Rachel obliged.“Rachel,” Anne began, “I’ve
been looking forward to see you because I’ve
got something to tell you.” Rachel took a bite
on her burger and chewed nervously as if she
knew what Anne wanted to say. “My fiancé
got a job at Chicago Illinois and since we’d be
getting married soon, we decided to move
there together...I wrote this letter of
resignation.” She passed an envelope over to
Rachel who took it and opened it. Rachel
nodded and scooped a spoonful of the
strawberry ice cream into her mouth. “I got
57 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
someone for you to handle my post in my
absence.” Anne smiled warmly and twirled
her head.
“You shouldn’t have bothered. I’d already
made up my mind to sell the salon.” Anne’s
cheeks turned pink, she couldn’t believe
Rachel was about to give up something that
looked like a lifetime achievement, she asked
her why. “I want to go back to school; I want
to get a degree.”
“But you can do that and still keep the
salon.”
“I know, I just want to give this all up. I
have a personal reason though; don’t worry
Anne, thanks for your concern and your hard
work so far. I wish you well, a happy home
and many children.” They laughed and
continued licking their melting ice cream with
58 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
relish. Rachel put up the beauty salon for sale
and with Anne’s help; it was bought by an
Indian-African woman based in Texas.
59 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
CHAPTER FOUR
bioma walked into
her life during her third year at the
University of Lagos where she’d applied to
study Business Administration. They’d met
twice; once at the school’s library and again at
the beach where she’d gone to relax and
watch the ocean. She was always at the beach
every Friday evening with Arit but this time
around, she was alone because Arit had
travelled home to see her sick father. She sat
on the sandy floor and gazed at people having
fun especially married couples, she seemed
carried away with the romance they
displayed; she was putting on a colorful tank
top and a bum short. Her hair followed the
O
60 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
rhythm of the wind, some strands of hair
trespassing into her face, she pushed them
back softly and pinned them behind her ears.
She was gazing at nothing in particular but
someone would easily reveal she was
thinking of something. She spooned some
fruit salad into her mouth at intervals and
sipped her strawberry juice which had always
been her favorite.
“Hello pretty.” that was a masculine voice,
Rachel looked up to see who the intruder was,
he was holding a red disposable cup whose
content she couldn’t name, she replied his
greeting.“Medical doctors said it’s not healthy
for a beautiful lady to sit and eat alone when
single guys like us are still around,” he teased
and sat down on the fine sand with her,
Rachel tried stifling her laughter. It didn’t
61 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
take Rachel time to fall in love with his
nature; he always made her laugh throughout
the period they sat down discussing
randomly. Not too long, the smell of grilled
chicken and beef normally called suya wafted
their nostrils, Rachel was not able to ignore
the aroma as she paid more attention to it
than the ‘blabbing’ guy beside her, kukuma go
and buy this suya for me if you want me to
listen to you, can’t you at least notice the sign
I’m giving you. She giggled at her thought and
thanked her stars it was just within her.“I’m
coming,” he said and walked away. She tinted
her face with a smile and followed him with
her eyes. After some minutes, he came back
with a small black cellophane bag which he
set down before them and opened the
package, she smiled and took a deep breath.
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“Thank you,” she exhaled and made for
the toothpick which she used to pick some
slices of the suya into her mouth and she
chewed with every relish. “How did you know
I wanted this?” she smiled after picking a slice
of tomato.
“Trust me, I saw through your heart. Well,
my name is Obioma Kenneth but you can call
me Obim,” he raised his brows and winked at
her. “I’m from Orlu in Imo state but I’m based
in Victoria Island Lagos where I work.
Actually, I’m the CEO of KEN-O Technology
and Survey Estate, we create and design Apps,
we also help people sell their properties like
lands, houses etcetera. Take a look at these
designs.” He passed his mobile phone to her
in the process of revealing his work.
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“Wow, this is beautiful.” Rachel gasped.
She scrolled past the current page to view
more of the designs. “They’re beautiful; this
house must be around 30 or 45 million naira.”
She paused the moment Obioma gave her a
stare. “I have a friend who is into this kind of
business; he’s an estate manager too.”Rachel
gave him back his phone and stood up to
leave.
“Pass me not oh pretty la...ady, give me
your contact, I don’t want to miss this
be...auty, help me know you more. Tell me at
least a little about you.” Rachel burst into a
thought provoking laughter. She took his
phone, punched her digits into it and dialed it.
“My name is Rachel Adaeze, I’m from
Awka in Anambra state. I’m a third year
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student of Business Administration, UNILAG.”
Rachel said as she sat down again.
“Wow, the school is my alma mater, I
studied Estate Management. I graduated
three years ago, served the nation the same
year I graduated. You know when I look at
you, I see something behind those beautiful
innocent cute smiles of yours.” Rachel
blushed. “But first of all, the headline is, do
you have a boyfriend? Are you married?” she
kept silent for some seconds before shaking
her head sideways. He looked at the
darkening skies and sighed, “Thank God, it
seems like it’s gonna rain.” Rachel looked
around and nodded in confirmation. “We
should get going then.”He took Rachel’s hand
and gently drew her up. Rachel dusted her
butt and followed suit. He quickly grabbed his
65 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
car keys from his pocket and they stumbled
out of the beach, with Rachel grinning at
intervals. Rachel lay on her bed lazily, she
couldn’t stop thinking about him; their little
conversation kept playing in her head, he had
also kissed her forehead the moment he had
stopped for her to alight. She counted her
minutes as she waited for his call like a
faithful Christian waiting for rapture. Each
time she remembered him, she tried
imagining him as her husband, and how it
would feel like to be his wife. They became
friends and after some weeks, Obioma asked
her out and she agreed.
A YEAR LATER, TUESDAY morning, Rachel
was in her beauty salon busy with work, it
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was her lecture free day so she decided to
work the whole day with her girls since she
didn’t intend going out. She was weaving
someone’s hair when Bridget, her
receptionist ran in frantically and breathing
heavily. She thought it was some task force
officials. She stopped and peered into
Bridget’s face; she was rather smiling and
jumping up and down. “Madam...madam...”
she stuttered, Rachel pushed her slightly and
walked to the small reception hall only to
behold a bag of surprise, there was a little
decoration going on. “What’s going on here?”
she asked no one in particular, everyone was
busy going about with work.
“Your birthday, baby, is what’s going on.”
Obioma walked in from one corner and gave
her a heart hug, “happy birthday my love.”
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Rachel tapped her head gently as if she
remembered something.
“Oh! My God, how could I’ve forgotten a
day like this?” she covered her agape mouth
with her hands which she later clasped below
her jaw. “This is amazing, this is so romantic,
thanks baby, for remembering. I love you.”
She kissed him back. “I’ll be back in some
minutes, let me finish up with a customer.”
She walked back to continue from where she
stopped. She called Arit to fill her in with
what was happening; she came down to the
salon in less than an hour. Rachel was happy
to see her; she stared lustfully at her
protruding belly after they hugged. Arit had
gotten married to her heartthrob, Frank,
some months ago and her rounded stomach
was the evidence of their love. Rachel was her
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maid of honor. After the birthday bash which
ended around 3AM, Rachel was looking so
worried and tensed. Occasionally, she threw
some vicious stares at Obioma lying down on
the couch in the reception hall and snoring
noisily. Arit yawned, rubbed her belly and
walked up to where Rachel was sitting alone
with her hands supporting her jaw.
“Rachy, what is it? Why are you staring at
him in such manner?” Arit held her shoulder
and caressed it. Rachel sighed and turned to
face her friend.
“Nothing really, just that I thought...I...I
thought he was going to use this opportunity
to propose.” She whined.
“You aren’t serious. Rachy, you just met
this guy how many months ago? Come on, my
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friend, I sense desperation all over you. Why
are you in a hurry to rush into marriage?”
“Arit, look at me. I’m getting old; I’m
almost forty. Look at you, happily married,
when will mine come?” Arit ran short of
words, she tried talking to Rachel but she
wouldn’t stop lamenting. “All I want is a ring
on this finger, all I want is a man to call my
husband, God is it too much to ask from you?”
she looked up to heaven.
“Easy, Rachel, don’t let him see this
desperation of yours, he’ll take full advantage
of it.” Arit cautioned. Rachel burst into tears
all of a sudden and cursed herself. The next
day, mama called asking her to come home.
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MAMA WAS LYING AT THE center of the
living room terribly sick and was almost at
the point of death by the time Rachel arrived;
Chimma was sitting at a corner crying
bitterly. Rachel became jittery the moment
she saw her mother in such state, the last
time she saw her which was two weeks ago,
she was strong and healthy. She quickly made
some arrangement and took her mother to
the community’s General hospital where she
was diagnosed of breast cancer; the cancer
had eaten very deep. She called Obioma and
wept over the phone, telling her of the
situation at hand, she informed Arit as well.
Obioma on arrival rushed to meet Rachel who
was sitting like someone who had lost all
hope for living, he hugged her and tried
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consoling her, later he went to meet the
doctor to know what the problem really was.
“Young man, the cancer is so severe and
has eaten so deep, I doubt if there’s anything
that can be done to save her.” The doctor said
with a sad look on her face.
“What if we fly her abroad, will she be
saved?”
“I doubt.”
Rachel was sitting beside mama crying
heartbreakingly, she drew her mother’s left
hand close to her face and kissed it, “mama,
why did you hide this information from me
for a very long time? You had breast cancer
and you never told me, why mama? Why?”
“Nne m, I did not want you to be bothered,
you have a lot on your head and adding my
72 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
problem will worsen the whole thing, I didn’t
want you to worry about me.”
“This is not fair, I’m already worried.
Mama, the doctor said you have few days to
live, how do you expect me to take that?” just
then, Obioma walked in and sat beside Rachel.
Mama looked at him and turned to Rachel, the
stare told her she wanted to ask who the
young man was.
“Mama, this is the man in my life now; all
is going well with us. Please, don’t die, I don’t
want you to miss out on my wedding day,
please mama.” She took his hand and rubbed
it gently. Obioma faced the floor as he tapped
his foot on it noiselessly. Mama gave Rachel
an ‘I don’t like him’ look. “Mama, he’s a nice
man, he has being so kind to me, you’ll love
him, just get well for me biko.” Rachel slept
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over in the hospital and left the next day to
get breakfast for her mother only to come
back and meet two nurses dressing the bed,
the flask she was carrying slipped and fell,
“where’s my mother?” the nurses looked
solemn and couldn’t reply. It soon dawned on
her that her mother had left the world, she
threw herself to the floor, screaming and
kicking, Obioma was there holding and
comforting her the best way he could.
“No wonder, when I was in the kitchen
preparing breakfast, I heard mama’s voice.
She told me that she loves me, that she’s sorry
she’s leaving me.” She stopped to wipe the
mucus from her nose which was already
rolling down towards her mouth. She was
talking in a calmer way, staring at nothing in
particular with tears flowing down freely.
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Obioma used his hankie to wipe her tears, he
was feeling very bad for her, he understood
the pains of losing a mother, he had been in
her shoes before. “After losing father when I
was tender, mama had been my only source
of strength and hope. Everything I’ve ever
achieved, all for her, I promised her she’d see
her son-in-law and grandchildren, now I
failed her.” At this, she wailed louder. Obioma
grabbed her gently by the shoulders and led
her to sit down at the reception.
“Hello.” A nurse waved at them, “the
doctor wants to see you.” Rachel stood up but
the nurse wagged her index at her, “not you
ma, your husband.” Rachel and Obioma
exchanged glances, they swallowed every
word they had thought of letting out in
defense of the claim.
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“I’ll be right back, sweetie.” He kissed her
forehead and left. Soon, someone’s phone was
vibrating, Rachel searched with her hand
instead of her eyes which were too clouded
with endless tears; she got hold of the phone
and picked the call.
“Honey, Junior is terribly ill, he’s vibrating
here. Where are you because we need to take
him to the hospital?” A lady said in a panicky
manner.
“Sorry, wrong number please.” Rachel
disconnected the line but the lady kept
calling, she picked at the second attempt.
“Ken, I told you our son is dying, who the
hell is that lady?”
Rachel stared at the phone; it wasn’t hers,
who has this phone? Ken? She clicked on the
number, it was saved as ‘wifey’, who could
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that be? She talked about Junior, who was
Junior? Whose son? Her tear bank suddenly
ran dry, she gazed at the phone for a moment,
then decided to see what he used to store her
number; Rachel. Just that? But she had stored
his with ‘sweetheart’, what game was he
playing with her?
“Sweetie, let’s go.” Obioma motioned for
them to leave. She stood up and silently
walked to the car without asking him the
outcome of the doctor’s invitation. As they
drove home, he spoke, “the doctor asked me
to sign some documents after which she
started asking me some questions, seems like
she knows me from somewhere, I got to find
out she was an ex to my roommate during my
university days.” He kept throwing short
stares at her and wondered what went wrong,
77 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
“honey, what’s the problem? Why are you so
cold and...”
“Your wife called, Junior is terribly sick.”
She sighed tiredly, Obioma pulled the car to a
sudden halt and probed her with his eyes.
“What? How did you...how did you
know...” he darted into his pocket and brought
out a phone which he soon realized belonged
to Rachel, “how?” he stared at the phone in
surprise, his mind soon flashed back to when
the nurse had called, he left and quickly came
back to collect his phone which he had
pocketed before walking into the doctor’s
office. So, he had taken Rachel’s phone instead.
He suddenly felt goose bumps and his head
pound a bit, “honey, I can explain.” He
pleaded.
78 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
“Explain what? Explain that you’re
married and you even have a son, yet you
deceived me? Why?” A tear had escaped her
eyes but she tried to restrain the rest, the
heartbreak she felt at that moment coupled
with her mother’s death was choking and
suffocating her, she was seething inside but
she suppressed her rage believing it wouldn’t
help. “I believed in you, I believed in us. I gave
you everything a woman would give her
man.” She was crying and unusually talking
calmly. He stared apologetically at her, really
sorry for his actions, he knew he had hurt. He
realized he had only been using her as she
feltalthough he really loved her. He had fallen
into her arms of love ever since his wife
started nagging him sore and sometimes, he
would come back late just because he wanted
79 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
to avoid his wife. That day, they first met at
the beach, he had only come back to cool his
nerves and go back afterwards to his nagging
wife but then he had met her and fell for her
natural charms.
“Baby, I’m so sorry it had to happen this
way but I love you, I really do, I swear. Ever
since I met you, I’ve enjoyed the joy I long lost
in my marriage. You are really the one for me,
I wish I met you before her; I’m ready to do
anything just to prove to you that I love you
and I mean it. I am ready to divorce her just
so we could be together forever, I love you
and I’m sorry for withholding the truth from
you for long. Please, don’t leave me.” He
sounded like he wanted to cry, she saw the
remorse in his eyes and wished she could do
anything at that moment but she couldn’t, she
80 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
never in her life wished or even planned to
date a married man, she was already feeling
bad for the other woman, even if she wasn’t
doing well, both deserve each other because
of their marital vows. She blinked back her
eyes and turned to focus her gaze on him.
“Ken, I’ve always loved you, I’ve dreamed
of being with you forever a thousand times,
I’m so hurt right now but even at that, I’m not
ready to hurt my fellow woman and for the
fact that you have a son who needs your
attention, come on, I’m not that heartless or
even desperate.” She wiped her forehead and
sniffed back some tears, “Ken, it’s obvious we
are not destined for each other, go back to
your family. Your son is terribly sick; you
can’t lose him for anything. I love you but I’m
not going to fight for what will never be.
81 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
You’re not mine.” She searched his eyes for
some seconds and made for the door. Obioma
stared at her with a pleading look but she
looked away intending not to fall for anything,
she’d made up her mind to walk away. She
turned back, said goodbye and walked out of
the car with her swollen face but she cared
less of what people’s thoughts would be. Mine
will come tomorrow, she believed strongly in
her thought as she kept walking down the
road until Obioma could see her no more.
Rachel branched to the market to get
something. She got tired of life, she got tired
of everything, her mother who has been her
strong pillar of support was no more. Her
heart broke into grain sized pieces. She saw
no reason to live. She got home, brought her
bible, her rosary and a prayer book. She
82 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
picked up her phone and dialed her lawyer’s
number, “Hello sir, I signed the papers
already. I have a daughter who I willed
everything to, she is somewhere in
Johannesburg, help me look for her. Mrs. Arit
Essien will help you on anything you need to
know. Please make sure the five hundred
thousand Naira goes to Christ the King
orphanage home. Thank you very much.” She
opened her prayer book and muttered some
words in it. She had so many questions in her
heart but they were yet to be answered. She
wished she could see God face to face so she
could ask Him why He had allowed her face
all she had faced. She thought of her daughter
who she had sent to Johannesburg many
years ago purposely to get rid of some painful
memories even though she already concluded
83 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
she wouldn’t make a good mother to her. She
opened the bottle of sniper, shook her head
sadly and was about pouring it into her
mouth when her door went ajar. It was Father
Mark Anthony, embarrassment flushed
through her face.
A DROP OF TEAR ESCAPED from a corner of
her eye, it was enough to express what was
going on in her mind. She kept shaking her
head and not saying a word.
“Babe, what’s the problem? Is the baby
kicking?” Kainos asked as he looked up from
his laptop where he had been typing away.
“Nothing my love, I was just lost in
thought. God has remembered me, mine has
finally come.” She rubbed her swollen
stomach looked up with a smile. She recalled
how she had given up on life and had wanted
84 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
to commit suicide before Father Mark
Anthony intruded. He had come to inform her
that his younger brother who had been in
Kenya for many years had returned with a
specific description of a woman whom he had
seen countless in his dreams; he had been
seeing her for the past two years but he
hadn’t paid attention until a sudden pressure
had come on him to search for her. Father
Mark Anthony after some deliberations
realized that she had fallen into the exact
description. Additionally, she had been a
committed and helpful member of his parish.
So, he decided to visit personally and saw her
about to take her life. That was last year.
“Kainos, thank you so much, for choosing me,
for showing me so much love but I have a
confession to make.”
85 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
“Go on babe.” He smiled.
“I’m sorry I haven’t told you all these. I
have a daughter who has been staying in
Johannesburg. She is the product of the first
man I had ever loved, unfortunately he had
died in a plane crash many years ago”
“I know.”
“How?”
“Father Mark told me. Actually, I have
been waiting for you to tell me yourself and
you just did now. Let’s make preparation for
her return. I’d like to meet my daughter,”
Kainos said and hugged his teary wife.
“I love you.” she smiled amidst tears.
Mine Will Come Tomorrow
THE END
Thanks you for reading!
Thank you bonus free books below
86 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
As a way of saying thank you for reading
my book, I have decided to give you free
access to download another of my interesting
book “Tales of Kelvin” and “The Invisible
Entrepreneur” jointly written by my mentors-
Anik Singal and Robert Kiyosaki. for your
reading pleasure!
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Please Read below before you click
(Download Note and Additional Free Book)
1. The download link will take you to the
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But please do well to leave us a positive
review and stars to encourage us.
87 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
2. And this link to download the free copy of
“The Invisible Entrepreneur” written by
my greatest Mentors- Anik Singal and
Robert Kiyosaki (on How to Start an
Online Business with Other People’s
Products.) Is a book you don’t want to
miss! The book is absolutely FREE.
You only register for their FREE
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Learning and reading the writings of
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With that said, go ahead and click on the
said books below to download right away.
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88 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
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Thank you!

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Mine will come tomorrow

  • 1. 1 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w
  • 2. 2 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page DISCLAIMER INTRODUCTION CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR
  • 3. 3 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w DISCLAIMER This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Copyright © 2020 by E.C. Emmanuel All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner.
  • 4. 4 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w Mine Will Come Tomorrow E.C. Emmanuel Published by E.C. Emmanuel, 2020.
  • 5. 5 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w INTRODUCTION achel Okoye is a highly Successful business woman in her late thirties. Despite her achievements, she is dealing with a vacuum in her life. A series of bad luck with men and love have left her feeling like a puzzle missing its final piece. Realizing she was wrong to think a husband would automatically fall in place after accumulating material possessions, Rachel finds herself getting desperate for a husband and becoming less satisfied with life in the process. Mine Will Come Tomorrow shines some light on the pressures and struggles that come with finding love as an older woman, dealing R
  • 6. 6 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w with the loss of a loved one and investing in men who turn up to be living secret lives. We all love to see people win at love and this story sure ends with hope. It’s a relatable read.
  • 7. 7 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w CHAPTER ONE ith a glass of strawberry juice in her left hand and her right hand firmly gripping the rails of the balcony, she allowed her eyes roam the entire compound as tears snaked down her face like they had every right to. From the garage where her two cars were packed to the garden that was carefully beautified with flowers and trees of different varieties. She sipped her drink and nodded in satisfaction, she nodded to the thought that she had made name for herself in the recent years; she had gotten a house of her own, a mansion at that plus her two cars; an ash colored Toyota Avalon and a black Lexus RX350. She had a beautiful well- W
  • 8. 8 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w furnished three bedroom flat and a beauty salon at Victoria Island, Lagos where she had started her journey of success and also in Texas U.S.A. She was a beautician and a fashion designer whose dexterity had projected her internationally; she had about two large boutiques in two different states in Nigeria, Port Harcourt and Aba, the clothes sold there, were designed and made by her. Despite all these, she could still feel sharp pain somewhere within her as she looked around the environment. It was just two years after her breakup with Kunle albeit she still couldn’t believe he could hurt her. Kunle, a bank manager; tall, slim, dark, handsome and well educated, was her boyfriend whom she had dated for four years. For the four solid years she had been with him, she tried
  • 9. 9 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w building her world around him as she felt it revolved around him. Though they had been having series of misunderstanding, she tried her best to secure her relationship. Being quite obsessed about him, she dared not give space for any girl to come around him. She watched him and his activities with an eagle eye. On one occasion, she had visited and found some female stuffs in his room. She didn’t make a fuss but rather went to the sitting room and furiously waited for the ‘trespasser’ who came in minutes later. She didn’t wait for the younger woman to settle down before she flared up and lashed at her. The young lady, feeling embarrassed walked into Kunle’s room and lay down on the bed as if daring her to do her worst. Fortunately, Kunle came in when the matter would have
  • 10. 10 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w escalated and asked her to calm down after explaining that the girl was his closest cousin. She felt quite ashamed and had no other option but to apologize to Kunle’s cousin and after then, the two ladies started getting along and in the process, she got to know all of Kunle’s relatives especially the females and never failed to dole out money to them anytime they asked and at a point, they all started referring to her as ‘our wife’. It did gladden her heart. All she ever dreamed of was getting married to him as soon as possible because she felt age was no more on her side, she was twenty-nine and obviously mama would be looking forward to seeing her get married. Kunle also showed her love the best way he could, he took her shopping and
  • 11. 11 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w often to eateries even though he knew she earned as well. “Kunle, we need to talk,” she had said one early Sunday morning; she spent the weekends with him. Kunle dragged himself up, wiped his sleepy eyes and turned to face her. “Sweetheart, what is it?” “Good morning, love.” She started after Kunle had nodded to her greeting. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to disturb you. It’s just that something has been bothering me.” She paused to make sure Kunle was giving her rapt attention. “You know that in three weeks’ time, our relationship will be five years old. I was just wondering if you’re actually thinking what I’m thinking.” “What could that be?”
  • 12. 12 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w “Kunle?” she stared at him in utter disbelief. “Are you that naïve? You know I’m not getting any younger, when are you going to engage me for marriage? When are you going to meet my people?” “Oh, that?” Kunle scratched his head and adjusted. “I’ll do that soon.” “Soon? Soon, you say? Kunle, you said that, twelve months ago.” She whined. “Am I not good for you? Have I not done almost everything a girlfriend would do for her man? I’ve always loved, respected and adored you, I cook for you, I wash your clothes, and I’ve not denied you access to my body, what else are you waiting for?” she sounded a bit desperate. “Baby, let’s not go over this again, we quarreled the last time this issue was raised, right? It’s not as if I don’t know the right thing
  • 13. 13 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w to do. You know that I just got this promotion as a bank manager, I worked so hard for it and right now I’m too concerned about this job and marriage is the least thing on my mind. Please, don’t misunderstand me.” He pleaded. With her mouth agape, she glared at him not knowing what to say again. She slipped out of the bed into the bathroom, took a shower, packed her things and stomped out of the house amidst Kunle’s pleas. Two days later, Kunle called trying to apologize but she got enraged when he mentioned his job again, “Kunle, it is clear that you prefer your job to me. I know that I didn’t attend university but that does not make me a fool, Kunle...yeah, actually, I must have been a fool all this while but I’ve had enough. It’s over between us.” That was how her relationship with Kunle
  • 14. 14 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w ended, another sad and painful memory. She cried bitterly that night as she couldn’t get over the disappointment. She had been in one before Kunle came into her life. Ugonna was the first man she had ever loved, although death took him away from her. It was the most painful memory for her. They were childhood friends, they had even graduated from the same primary and secondary school together, everyone in the village knew about them and even concluded they’d finally get married as a result of the obvious intimacy but no, their friendship clashed. Ugonna after his secondary school education was sent abroad by his family to further his education but unfortunately the plane he had boarded crashed and Ugonna died in the crash. She was with him the
  • 15. 15 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w previous day at their normal hanging out joint; the community school field. They were sitting down on one of the fallen trees discussing and expressing their feelings. “Obim, promise me you will not marry any other man because I will return for you. I won’t spend so many years over there.” “I promise my love, you’re the only one for me. You will also promise not to flirt or even marry any of those white girls.” They giggled at each other as Ugonna nodded and gently squeezed her palms. Had someone told her it would be the last time she would see him, she would have shunned that person and avoid relating with that person at any slightest cause. Ugonna’s mother couldn’t survive the pain; the loss of an only child, she died of cardiac arrest two
  • 16. 16 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w days later. It wasn’t so easy for her because every night she saw him in her dreams, sometimes they were playing in the field like they used to when he was alive and sometimes he was crying heartbreakingly. It took her years before she could get over him. A GLANCE AT HER ACHIEVEMENT energized her willpower but one thing bothered her, she still felt shattered. She smiled wryly in a bid to rid herself of thinking about the past. She licked her lips dry after gulping down the last content in her glass. Finally, she concluded she needed to cool her nerves with a cold bath since the weather was hot so she headed to the bathroom. She turned on the cold water tap and filled the tub, wore her shower cap
  • 17. 17 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w and stepped into the tub after loosening the towel around her chest. While in the bathtub, she paused as she stared at the tiled walls of the bathroom admiring nothing in particular, she nodded. Yeah, she had it all but she still felt incomplete, why? What was that thing that was missing? Could it be Kunle? Was a part of her still yearning for him? She thought to herself. After breaking up with Kunle, she had never thought of dating again. She saw relationships as a stress and waste of time, just get yourself busy and hustle to make money and you will be admired and worshipped like a god. Her mobile phone; a gold packed iPhone7 model beeped. She quickly dried her hand with a towel and reached out for it. A text written in capital
  • 18. 18 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w letter, “I WANT TO SEE YOU”; it was her mother.
  • 19. 19 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w CHAPTER TWO he got to Awka, her hometown a day after she received the text. Mama was in good health; a relief to her. She drained the car’s trunk of all she got for her mother and called out to the maid to help take them inside. Rachel Okoye, a native of Awka was born into the family of late Mr. Paul and Mrs. Charity Okoye who were Anglicans. Her father was a businessman; he owned a shop where he sold soft drinks in wholesale and retail, her mother was just a mere housewife. Even though her father wasn’t stupendously rich, they hardly quarreled and they managed whatever her father could bring to the table.Papa would come back from his shop at Emma Nnaemeka Street around 9PM and S
  • 20. 20 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w mama would serve him food. Before eating, he’d call out to his little princess to join him, “my jewel, come.” Rachel would run to join him; she cherished the small piece of meat or fish he left for her every time they ate together. Rachel’s father never joked with her, he saw her as his mother who had come back to the world to be with him. They were one happy family and Rachel would always wonder how her parents met and how they lived together for so long and that too, in harmony. She had dared ask her mother the question one day and she didn’t hesitate to tell her the story; she told it with a confident smile on her face. “I’ve never liked your father; as a matter of fact I used to hate him.”
  • 21. 21 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w “Why? Why did you hate him?” she found it hard to believe that her mother married the person she hated and their relationship never seemed like where hate had been. “When I first saw him, he was looking so wretched and my dream had always been to marry a rich man. The first day he talked to me, I felt like...I can’t describe how I felt but I really despised him then. I would always ignore him and to some extent, I started dodging him, I had to avoid him at all cost until one day, I saw him in my mother’s shop eating goat meat pepper soup with fresh palm wine, I was coming back from work, I used to work as a primary school teacher before I resigned when we got married. I did not talk to him still; my mother started suspecting I knew something about him. I told her how I
  • 22. 22 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w had seen him and how he had tried talking to me and how I’ve been ignoring him. She scolded me and told me that I was cruel but I told her that he was too wretched for my liking and she scolded me the more, telling me how she knew him, how rich he used to be and how he lost his wealth and became wretched and then, she concluded by telling me that money never defines a good man. After that advice, I realized my hatred towards him had reduced; I started replying his greetings. But something happened that brought us together.” She paused and stared at Rachel to make sure she was getting everything she was saying. “What happened?” “I was coming back from a midweek service, it was late and intensely dark, I was
  • 23. 23 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w walking with my friend and we were very much engrossed in one discussion like that when I noticed someone’s presence, it was as though we were being followed. I dragged my friend and we started running while screaming for help. We ran into the hands of a stranger who was supposedly coming back from the market where he sold his wares. He saved us, it was later we found out that those men that were after us were kidnappers. It was your father who saved us that night. The circumstance drew me closer to him, his kind, jovial and social attitude was endearing. From there, we became friends for...I think six abi seven months before we got married. I really thank God for giving me your father as a husband; he’ll still be one in my next world.”
  • 24. 24 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w She grinned. Just seven months? Rachel asked herself after listening to the story. She gave her mother a hearty hug and suddenly her eyes averted towards a heap of sand at the other end of the compound, a tear dropped but she tried to restrain the rest. That was her father’s grave, he died six years after her birth and after his death, his elder brothers took over all his properties and left them with nothing but the house. They had to keep swallowing hard and bitter pills just to survive. The perdition forced her to swear in her tender age to break the shackles of poverty and incessant sufferings and bring smiles to mama’s face, she was very avid about it. Growing up, life had never been easy; she took up some menial jobs like working in
  • 25. 25 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w people’s farms with her mother so she could go to school. She got a job as a receptionist in a hotel outside town after she graduated from secondary school. She used the money she saved up to put herself through a fashion design school; she also added to her skill and became a beautician too. She was able to set up a two in one shop; that was three years later where she made different clothing designs and used the remaining space for her beautician skill. Mama contributed her quota even though little, she had never failed to support her daughter’s hard work. It had never been easy, how she finally made it to her current level was still a big surprise to her though she never doubted she’d succeed. You can’t be successful if you are not connected with the right persons; that was her belief. She
  • 26. 26 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w remembered how her journey to success started; she was in her two-in-one shop that fateful day, doing what she does best. “Who’s here?” a lady in her late thirties rushed in, in a frenetic manner. She looked strange as she trotted further into Rachel’s beauty salon. Rachel was treating someone’s hair; she looked up at the lady in a confused state, and nearly mistook her for a lunatic. She was so mortified at the sight that she nearly sent the lady out and never let her in but it was never her principle to be rude to anyone. “How may I help you?” she finally spoke up. “I...I...uhm, I’m not a lunatic. I have a flight to board in the next three hours but unfortunately, I was attacked by some
  • 27. 27 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w gunmen, I managed to escape, that’s why I’m looking like this. Please, I need your help, I can’t miss this flight, it’s as important as my life.” She ran her hands through her messed up hair. Rachel stood there watching, not knowing what to do, what if the gunmen run into her shop and ruin everything, what would become of her just because she was trying to help. The next cry from the lady pushed her hand to pick up the hand drier and start doing something. In the next forty-five minutes, she was done, she went to the next room and picked a dress she’d already made and gave it to the lady to wear. “Your bill is five thousand Naira, ma.” The lady rummaged through her purse, got a three thousand naira note and
  • 28. 28 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w gave it to Rachel with her complimentary card. “I’m sorry; this is all I can spare.” With this, she ran off giving deaf ears to Rachel’s beckoning for her to stop and give her the complete money. Rachel, enraged with the lady’s theft-like action, tore the card in shreds and sat down somewhere sobbing her loss. Six months later, a familiar person walked into her shop with some men in black suit, she was scared to the wits as she thought they were policemen or even assassins but the lady had introduced herself and Rachel breathed out comfortably. The meeting ended with the lady wishing to help her travel abroad and make an investment with her skills which she claimed to be passionate about. That was how she found herself in
  • 29. 29 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w Texas U.S.A trying to live up to the lady’s expectations by working passionately hard. Within the range of two years and with the help of the lady, she was able to set up a medium sized beauty salon bearing her name, both whites and the blacks patronized her indiscriminately. All these happened ten years ago, and whenever Rachel looked back at how she made it she couldn’t stop thanking God and her mother. “Come inside.” Her mother’s voice called her back to reality. “You must be hungry after the long ride; I cooked rice, brown beans and ofe akwu, your favorite. Chimma!” “Yes, mama,” a young girl of about fifteen years rushed out from the backyard wiping her two hands on the apron tied around her
  • 30. 30 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w waist. Her hair was neatly plaited, her dark skin glistened in the sun, and her smiles made her look more beautiful. She was sweating but smiling to show no stress. “Have you finished with the clothes?” “Yes mama, I was about to put water for your bath when you called me.” “Okay, set the table for lunch, after that, you can resume from where you stopped.” Mama said and Chimma left after nodding to the instruction. After the sumptuous meal, mama and Rachel retired to the balcony to rest and perhaps have a mother-child chat. Daddy, welcome. A fair plump and beautiful lady who should be in her mid- thirties said as she took her husband’s briefcase and hugged him, the man; slim and dark, wrapped his hand around her waist and
  • 31. 31 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w kissed her forehead, a little girl ran out of the house with a doll in her hand and hugged him with a warm smile, the man lifted the little girl up, swirled her and put her down after some seconds. He handed the little girl something packaged in a yellow cellophane bag and she ran inside the house with glee. Oh! What a happy family. Rachel thought to herself. “Mama, who are they?” she pointed at them. “Oh! My new tenants,” mama answered as she picked at her teeth with a broomstick. “Okay, mama, what about that land? The one beside Dee Agu’s plantain plantation?” “What about it?” mama asked expressionlessly. “I want to set up a branch of my establishment in this town, a beauty salon to
  • 32. 32 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w be precise, my fashion designing business at Aba is moving just fine, I just want to set up something in my own village but before I do that, I want to build a hospital in this village. Papa died of malaria and typhoid, he died out of negligence, if there was a good hospital around, I’m sure he wouldn’t have died. So, mama I want you to help me get information on how to go about this and...” Rachel was almost going on and on breathlessly till mama bid her to take a break. “My dear, I know how passionate and humane you are; how you’ll not rest until you see that you help people. That’s a good thing, but that’s not why I called you.” Mama paused and glanced at her daughter whose eyes were focused on her. “Rachel, how old are you?”
  • 33. 33 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w “Thirty-two. Mama why do you ask?” Rachel scratched her forehead and stared at mama confusedly. “Ada’m, what do you think? You’re my only daughter; I’m in no way getting younger neither are you, you’re too rich, you have this, you have that but you don’t have a man to complete you, how does that sound?” “Mama, if I’m not wrong, you’re talking about marriage, right?” she affirmed and rolled her eyes. Rachel shut her eyes, now she realized how busy she’d been not to have thought about getting married. She remembered promising herself not to get married until she made sure she could stand on her own, she didn’t want any man to insult her or try to subdue her or subject her to become a housewife, but that was before
  • 34. 34 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w Kunle came into her life. Now mama has thought about it, perhaps I should open up my heart again and look for a man to call my own. She thought to herself. “Mama, I’ve heard you, it’s just that I’ve been too busy to realize I need a man in my life. Now that I have it all, I think my next target is to get a husband.” Mama smiled and appreciated her understanding. While they continued chatting, mama mentioned her pastor, advocating on how powerful and greatly God was using him to get ladies like her connected to their husband. “Nne eh, during the last crusade, if you see miracle, chai,” she clapped her hands in wonder. “There was this lady, she’s even older than you but she got married a year later after some deliverance prayers were
  • 35. 35 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w conducted on her. People are evil oh, do you know that it was her father’s sister that tied her down with charm and said she will never get married until she dies. I heard the woman died two days after the lady got married.” Mama adjusted her wrapper. Rachel stared at her mother in bewilderment, she couldn’t believe the story. “Don’t you think we should meet my pastor so that he will pray for you?” “No mama, don’t worry. I’ve not paid some attention to myself of recent, so that’s why and besides I’m not ready to start doling out my money to any man just because he prayed for me.” Rachel recounted how she’d fallen into the hands of some pastors who exploited her big time, she had gone to a church; a white garment church in a bid to get delivered from whatever it could be that was
  • 36. 36 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w holding her from getting married. They’d told her to get some things like two white pigeons, one he-goat and a sum of thirty thousand; they also told her that she needed to be cleansed from the evil lurking around her, she agreed. That fateful day, the prophetess sent her off with a servant; a male servant, to the river a few miles away from the temple to bathe her. As instructed, the young man killed the pigeons and sprinkled the blood on her body before bathing her. From scrubbing her back, he transcended to her bosom, to her waist, then her groin. Rachel was too weak to shun him, the romance had climaxed and before she knew it, they had coitus a countless number of times, inside the river; Rachel had become ashamed of herself afterwards as she cursed the young man
  • 37. 37 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w before retreating to her car. She had also met another pastor some months later and the man had kept demanding for money from her on grounds of different excuses and finally he slept with her. Rachel blinked her eyes in spite as she remembered all these, she stared at the disappointed look on her mother’s face but she could do nothing, she’d lost respect for anybody wearing the cloak of a servant of God, she wasn’t ready to fall into the hand of another devil. She however promised her mother that she’d do something about her singleness and get her a son-in-law. The next day, Rachel packed her bags and left silently, none of her uncles’ knew she came in or even left. She was trying to be careful to avoid story that touches the heart. She had heard about people that came back home with a lot
  • 38. 38 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w of wealth but days after returning to the city or town where they had come from, they started witnessing one problem or the other, some even lost their lives.
  • 39. 39 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w CHAPTER THREE adam, welcome, good day, ma.” About four girls hailed; they were putting on a red polo over a pair of black trousers, in front of the polo was a bold inscription, ‘AT YOUR HUMBLE SERVICES’, then at the back, ‘RACHY BEAUTY HOME. One who was shampooing a lady’s hair paused and stared at Rachel with a smirk on her face, “do you know she’s not married yet?” she referred to the lady she was attending to. “But why? She’s young, beautiful and rich, why doesn’t she want to marry.” The lady tried lifting her head. “Young ke? Nancy no sabi anything oh! Na she know.” “M
  • 40. 40 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w “Nancy, did anyone look for me?” “No ma, nobody.” She resumed her duty while mumbling some inaudible words to her client. Rachel having surveyed the salon got up to leave, “I’m rushing off to somewhere, and I’ll be back by five.” She glanced at her watch and trotted out. She turned the ignition and the car’s engine roared back to life and she hit the road whilst nodding her head to a song coming from the car’s stereo. Unfortunately, her car bumped into another car just close to a culvert, she halted and stepped out to check what happened. The car’s bumper was off already; that was her Toyota Avalon, her favorite car. She didn’t know whether to get angry or just maintain. “I’m sincerely sorry, I don’t mean to...” that was a guy who had just stepped out of his car
  • 41. 41 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w to see the damage he had done. She stared at him, he’s cute. I don’t have to be angry, it happens, I shouldn’t show my anger. She thought. “It’s ok but you just need to be careful next time,” she told him with a stern look and walked back to look at the damage again. “God, this is my favorite car,” she whined. She got into the car and slammed the door hard. She wound down the glass as she heard a knock on it. “I’ve called my mechanic, he’ll be here in no distant time, he’ll fix it for you, I’m really sorry, please.” He clasped his hands. “You shouldn’t have bothered. I’ll get it fixed.” “I insist, fixing it myself will free me of some guilt.” Just then, a dark skinned man
  • 42. 42 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w wearing a dirty blue jacket got down from a bike and headed towards them. “Ah-hah, he’s here.” Both got talking as the mechanic started fixing the car. “My name is Andrew but my friends call me Andy or sometimes, the crazy ones call me ALS.” Andrew watched Rachel stare at him askance. “A-L-S, Andrew Liver Salt.” Rachel laughed, that was funny. “I’m studying law at the university of California, I came back to attend a close friend’s burial. His name is Frank Funky, he was a real dude, we’ve been friends since high school but unfortunately he died in South Africa, he was tryna, uhm, sell his kidney, I don’t know what really went bad, he died. I miss him.” He shook his head sideways and looked at Rachel, “I’m sorry, I think I talk too
  • 43. 43 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w much, forgive my manners, what’s your name.” You really do. She thought. “Perhaps, it’s normal for guys. My name is Rachel; I own a beauty Salon here, and one in Texas.” “Big girl, but permit me to confess this, you look damn beautiful and hot too.” Rachel was shy a bit. She said thanks. Both exchanged contacts as soon as the car got fixed and ready to be used. “Bye,” she said and zoomed off with a Cheshire cat smile. That was how Rachel met Andy and two weeks into their friendship, he asked her out and she accepted. Rachel who was madly and deeply in love with Andy kept sending money to him even when he didn’t ask for it; she would go any length just to keep him happy despite her friend’s advice.
  • 44. 44 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w Arit was her friend; a very close one at that, they had met four years earlier in a bus heading to her place at Victoria Island from Calabar where she had gone to attend the Calabar carnival. During their discussion they realized they had attended the same fashion school, they became close friends afterwards. The only difference was that Arit was a degree holder and just two years younger than Rachel. Arit had told her a countless number of times not to be the one giving out herself and all that she had, “Rachel, if this guy also loves you like you claim, he should be the one spending on you not the other way round. I can’t imagine myself spending on a guy more than he does to me.”
  • 45. 45 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w “Arit, I’ve told you, this guy loves me. I don’t care who does the spending here, he’s a student, and I’m not.” “But he studies abroad and his father has money, I’m sure he’s even doing what his mates are doing over there to make money. Check this thing, you’re older than him and you think he doesn’t know, and you’re quite naïve, Rachy, this guy fit play you oh. I’m not sounding this way because I’m jealous or something, no. I’ve been with guys like this, I’ve got the experience, and I don’t want you to face the hurt I faced.” “But experience, they say, is the best teacher.” She was becoming uncomfortable with Arit’s words. “Wisdom says you don’t wait to get hit before you learn, you learn from other
  • 46. 46 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w people’s experience. Ok, how many times does he call you?” “Does it matter? Ok, I do most of the calling, although I don’t see who calls most and who doesn’t call most as parameter for defining love in a relationship.” “Rachy, Frank calls me twice in a day, in the morning and in the night. Even though I call him too but he calls mostly. It does show his attention on me. Now what is the guarantee that Andy loves you? None.” Arit stared at Rachel as she wiped some balls of sweat off her forehead. “I don’t like this guy, he doesn’t look real to me. Rachy, be careful. I’m going.” Arit stood up. She had come to the salon to relax her hair and the ladies started chatting. After Arit left, Rachel was faced with a bout of doubt, can Andy break my heart?
  • 47. 47 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w Twice while they were in her house, Andy had demanded for sex but she wouldn’t allow him and he had gotten upset and left. If I yield to him, would it make him stay? A lot of questions raced through her mind, yeah, she wanted to keep him but she wasn’t ready to sleep with him just yet. God, what if he has another lady who is perhaps younger than I am? Am I that old? She queried herself and later got up to leave, leaving the salon in Nancy’s care. From there, she drove to the market, bought some things and headed straight to Andy’s house, she wanted to make up for their last quarrel. She reached and packed outside the gate, she got to the door, it was locked from inside, she knocked until after what seemed like ages, a girl came out to the door putting on a pink singlet and bum
  • 48. 48 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w shot. “Yes, who are you looking for?” she sounded rude. Rachel sized the girl up with her eyes and with a frown and an air of authority, she asked, “I’m looking for Andy, I’m his girlfriend.” “Girlfriend?” she stifled some bouts of laughter. She glared at Rachel and turned back into the house, “Andy!” she screamed as if she had power over him. Andy came out and met a shocking sight; he stared at Rachel for some minutes not knowing what to say. “Honey, who is she?” Rachel asked and both ladies exchanged fierce looks. “Honey? Andy? Who is she? What’s going on here, Andy? What is this slut doing here...” before she could finish her statement, a slap transcended on her left cheek.
  • 49. 49 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w “Who are you calling a slut, you old hag?” Rachel stood transfixed, as if a soul music was being played slowly in her head, when she came back to reality seconds later, she picked up her bag and left without saying anything, Andy tried chasing after her but she quickly ran into her car blinded by tears. Andy came back breathing heavily, only to receive a hot slap from his girlfriend. “What the hell is wrong with you? Now you get out of here, bitch!” he yelled as he dragged her out throwing her bag at her in fury. “Bastard, I don’t blame you. You’re also sleeping a woman quite older than you, shameless baboon, you dey do fine oyibo boy ba, sango never strike you. You no dey shame! You are flirting with an old mama and you’ve
  • 50. 50 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w been deceiving me with marriage. Oh! She’s not even a side chick but a side mama, I’m ashamed of you, the thunder that will strike you still dey gym dey do press up.” she was still ranting when Andy rushed into the house, brought out his pistol and shot at her, he intentionally missed hitting her as she ran for her dear life. Rachel stood in front of her dressing mirror and sniffled a little, her eyes were puffy and wet. She ran her hand over her swollen face continuously checking out for freckles and wrinkles as she interviewed herself. Am I that old? But there are no wrinkles, God, am I ugly? I loved Andy, why did he do this to me? Why do men have to treat me this way? She picked up her phone and placed a call across to Arit.
  • 51. 51 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w “Rachy, what is it? Why are you crying?” for the next few seconds Rachel was still crying over the phone, Arit disconnected the line the moment she realized Rachel was never going to talk. Twenty minutes later, Arit was rushing in to Rachel’s room where she was. “Oh, no.” she shook her head and went over to the bed where her friend was sitting. “Rachy, talk to me, what happened? Is it Andy?” no reply was forthcoming; Rachel just let her head fall on Arit’s shoulder as she sobbed the more. “Andy...I loved him, I had great plans for us. I was ready and always willing to do anything for him. Why did he do this to me, Arit?” “What did he do?”
  • 52. 52 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w “He’s cheating on me, I caught him red- handed.” She went ahead to fill her in on what she witnessed some minutes ago. “I knew it, I warned you, I knew that boy was just using and playing you. It’s okay my dear, don’t worry your head, he’s an ingrate and a bastard. Stop crying, man never finish for this world, there are still many men out there willing to treat you well, forget Andy, he doesn’t worth your tears, mbok.” Arit consoled. “I love him so much, I don’t know if I can be able to forget him.” She sniffed and sighed, “I’m booking a flight to Texas, I think I’ll stay there for a while so I’ll forget all these...Arit, thanks for coming over, I really appreciate.” She hugged Arit and dried her tears. “Perhaps, I might find a nice guy there sha.”
  • 53. 53 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w ”Abeg no go fall in love with oyibo boy oh. E get as their love life dey be so oh.” Both ladies laughed, Rachel suggested they go out and get some ice cream and burger for themselves and Arit agreed. “Rachy, why don’t you go through university education? Do you still think it’s a waste of time?” Arit posed the question which sounded like a time bomb to her friend, they’d just taken their seats in the eatery. Rachel’s heart thumped faster, butterflies churned crazily in her stomach. Yeah, she had always thought that going to the university was waste of time but for the persistence of Arit, she imagined giving the suggestion a thought. She was speechless for some seconds before she gathered words to reply her friend.
  • 54. 54 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w “Arit, what do I need the university education for? I have achieved more than a degree holder can achieve...and besides, I’m too old to face the stress involved. Just look at you, you have a perfect relationship and very soon Frank will walk you down to the aisle. I just want to get married; age is no more on my side.” She stuffed her mouth with burger and chewed breathlessly, she was getting nervous. Just then, she saw a young couple walk in holding hands. Her emotions swayed at the sight, suddenly she imagined how life would be when her husband comes into view, she remembered Kunle, then Andy. She shut her eyes and inhaled slowly. God, when will I find someone who truly loves me? When will mine come? Arit saw the desperation and anxiety in her friend, she was short of words,
  • 55. 55 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w it took her minutes before she could finally say something, “Rachel, marriage is not an achievement, stop seeing it as one.” THREE WEEKS LATER, Rachel was in Texas doing some clean up; dusting and cleaning and around evening when she was tired, she ordered for dinner; chicken-fried steak, pecan pie and cantaloupes. The next day, she went to her salon to see what was happening, she was impressed, Anne Warder, her manager and friend was doing a great job. She had more clients than she used to, more of whites. She was happy for the progress but would it get her the joy she lacked at the moment? Were men dealing with her wrongly because of her
  • 56. 56 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w wealth? What if she became poor, would it change anything? “Rachel!” a warm hug brought her back to reality. It was Anne, her Texan friend. She took her around the salon and requested they talk over a cup of coffee and hamburger, Rachel obliged.“Rachel,” Anne began, “I’ve been looking forward to see you because I’ve got something to tell you.” Rachel took a bite on her burger and chewed nervously as if she knew what Anne wanted to say. “My fiancé got a job at Chicago Illinois and since we’d be getting married soon, we decided to move there together...I wrote this letter of resignation.” She passed an envelope over to Rachel who took it and opened it. Rachel nodded and scooped a spoonful of the strawberry ice cream into her mouth. “I got
  • 57. 57 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w someone for you to handle my post in my absence.” Anne smiled warmly and twirled her head. “You shouldn’t have bothered. I’d already made up my mind to sell the salon.” Anne’s cheeks turned pink, she couldn’t believe Rachel was about to give up something that looked like a lifetime achievement, she asked her why. “I want to go back to school; I want to get a degree.” “But you can do that and still keep the salon.” “I know, I just want to give this all up. I have a personal reason though; don’t worry Anne, thanks for your concern and your hard work so far. I wish you well, a happy home and many children.” They laughed and continued licking their melting ice cream with
  • 58. 58 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w relish. Rachel put up the beauty salon for sale and with Anne’s help; it was bought by an Indian-African woman based in Texas.
  • 59. 59 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w CHAPTER FOUR bioma walked into her life during her third year at the University of Lagos where she’d applied to study Business Administration. They’d met twice; once at the school’s library and again at the beach where she’d gone to relax and watch the ocean. She was always at the beach every Friday evening with Arit but this time around, she was alone because Arit had travelled home to see her sick father. She sat on the sandy floor and gazed at people having fun especially married couples, she seemed carried away with the romance they displayed; she was putting on a colorful tank top and a bum short. Her hair followed the O
  • 60. 60 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w rhythm of the wind, some strands of hair trespassing into her face, she pushed them back softly and pinned them behind her ears. She was gazing at nothing in particular but someone would easily reveal she was thinking of something. She spooned some fruit salad into her mouth at intervals and sipped her strawberry juice which had always been her favorite. “Hello pretty.” that was a masculine voice, Rachel looked up to see who the intruder was, he was holding a red disposable cup whose content she couldn’t name, she replied his greeting.“Medical doctors said it’s not healthy for a beautiful lady to sit and eat alone when single guys like us are still around,” he teased and sat down on the fine sand with her, Rachel tried stifling her laughter. It didn’t
  • 61. 61 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w take Rachel time to fall in love with his nature; he always made her laugh throughout the period they sat down discussing randomly. Not too long, the smell of grilled chicken and beef normally called suya wafted their nostrils, Rachel was not able to ignore the aroma as she paid more attention to it than the ‘blabbing’ guy beside her, kukuma go and buy this suya for me if you want me to listen to you, can’t you at least notice the sign I’m giving you. She giggled at her thought and thanked her stars it was just within her.“I’m coming,” he said and walked away. She tinted her face with a smile and followed him with her eyes. After some minutes, he came back with a small black cellophane bag which he set down before them and opened the package, she smiled and took a deep breath.
  • 62. 62 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w “Thank you,” she exhaled and made for the toothpick which she used to pick some slices of the suya into her mouth and she chewed with every relish. “How did you know I wanted this?” she smiled after picking a slice of tomato. “Trust me, I saw through your heart. Well, my name is Obioma Kenneth but you can call me Obim,” he raised his brows and winked at her. “I’m from Orlu in Imo state but I’m based in Victoria Island Lagos where I work. Actually, I’m the CEO of KEN-O Technology and Survey Estate, we create and design Apps, we also help people sell their properties like lands, houses etcetera. Take a look at these designs.” He passed his mobile phone to her in the process of revealing his work.
  • 63. 63 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w “Wow, this is beautiful.” Rachel gasped. She scrolled past the current page to view more of the designs. “They’re beautiful; this house must be around 30 or 45 million naira.” She paused the moment Obioma gave her a stare. “I have a friend who is into this kind of business; he’s an estate manager too.”Rachel gave him back his phone and stood up to leave. “Pass me not oh pretty la...ady, give me your contact, I don’t want to miss this be...auty, help me know you more. Tell me at least a little about you.” Rachel burst into a thought provoking laughter. She took his phone, punched her digits into it and dialed it. “My name is Rachel Adaeze, I’m from Awka in Anambra state. I’m a third year
  • 64. 64 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w student of Business Administration, UNILAG.” Rachel said as she sat down again. “Wow, the school is my alma mater, I studied Estate Management. I graduated three years ago, served the nation the same year I graduated. You know when I look at you, I see something behind those beautiful innocent cute smiles of yours.” Rachel blushed. “But first of all, the headline is, do you have a boyfriend? Are you married?” she kept silent for some seconds before shaking her head sideways. He looked at the darkening skies and sighed, “Thank God, it seems like it’s gonna rain.” Rachel looked around and nodded in confirmation. “We should get going then.”He took Rachel’s hand and gently drew her up. Rachel dusted her butt and followed suit. He quickly grabbed his
  • 65. 65 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w car keys from his pocket and they stumbled out of the beach, with Rachel grinning at intervals. Rachel lay on her bed lazily, she couldn’t stop thinking about him; their little conversation kept playing in her head, he had also kissed her forehead the moment he had stopped for her to alight. She counted her minutes as she waited for his call like a faithful Christian waiting for rapture. Each time she remembered him, she tried imagining him as her husband, and how it would feel like to be his wife. They became friends and after some weeks, Obioma asked her out and she agreed. A YEAR LATER, TUESDAY morning, Rachel was in her beauty salon busy with work, it
  • 66. 66 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w was her lecture free day so she decided to work the whole day with her girls since she didn’t intend going out. She was weaving someone’s hair when Bridget, her receptionist ran in frantically and breathing heavily. She thought it was some task force officials. She stopped and peered into Bridget’s face; she was rather smiling and jumping up and down. “Madam...madam...” she stuttered, Rachel pushed her slightly and walked to the small reception hall only to behold a bag of surprise, there was a little decoration going on. “What’s going on here?” she asked no one in particular, everyone was busy going about with work. “Your birthday, baby, is what’s going on.” Obioma walked in from one corner and gave her a heart hug, “happy birthday my love.”
  • 67. 67 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w Rachel tapped her head gently as if she remembered something. “Oh! My God, how could I’ve forgotten a day like this?” she covered her agape mouth with her hands which she later clasped below her jaw. “This is amazing, this is so romantic, thanks baby, for remembering. I love you.” She kissed him back. “I’ll be back in some minutes, let me finish up with a customer.” She walked back to continue from where she stopped. She called Arit to fill her in with what was happening; she came down to the salon in less than an hour. Rachel was happy to see her; she stared lustfully at her protruding belly after they hugged. Arit had gotten married to her heartthrob, Frank, some months ago and her rounded stomach was the evidence of their love. Rachel was her
  • 68. 68 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w maid of honor. After the birthday bash which ended around 3AM, Rachel was looking so worried and tensed. Occasionally, she threw some vicious stares at Obioma lying down on the couch in the reception hall and snoring noisily. Arit yawned, rubbed her belly and walked up to where Rachel was sitting alone with her hands supporting her jaw. “Rachy, what is it? Why are you staring at him in such manner?” Arit held her shoulder and caressed it. Rachel sighed and turned to face her friend. “Nothing really, just that I thought...I...I thought he was going to use this opportunity to propose.” She whined. “You aren’t serious. Rachy, you just met this guy how many months ago? Come on, my
  • 69. 69 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w friend, I sense desperation all over you. Why are you in a hurry to rush into marriage?” “Arit, look at me. I’m getting old; I’m almost forty. Look at you, happily married, when will mine come?” Arit ran short of words, she tried talking to Rachel but she wouldn’t stop lamenting. “All I want is a ring on this finger, all I want is a man to call my husband, God is it too much to ask from you?” she looked up to heaven. “Easy, Rachel, don’t let him see this desperation of yours, he’ll take full advantage of it.” Arit cautioned. Rachel burst into tears all of a sudden and cursed herself. The next day, mama called asking her to come home.
  • 70. 70 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w MAMA WAS LYING AT THE center of the living room terribly sick and was almost at the point of death by the time Rachel arrived; Chimma was sitting at a corner crying bitterly. Rachel became jittery the moment she saw her mother in such state, the last time she saw her which was two weeks ago, she was strong and healthy. She quickly made some arrangement and took her mother to the community’s General hospital where she was diagnosed of breast cancer; the cancer had eaten very deep. She called Obioma and wept over the phone, telling her of the situation at hand, she informed Arit as well. Obioma on arrival rushed to meet Rachel who was sitting like someone who had lost all hope for living, he hugged her and tried
  • 71. 71 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w consoling her, later he went to meet the doctor to know what the problem really was. “Young man, the cancer is so severe and has eaten so deep, I doubt if there’s anything that can be done to save her.” The doctor said with a sad look on her face. “What if we fly her abroad, will she be saved?” “I doubt.” Rachel was sitting beside mama crying heartbreakingly, she drew her mother’s left hand close to her face and kissed it, “mama, why did you hide this information from me for a very long time? You had breast cancer and you never told me, why mama? Why?” “Nne m, I did not want you to be bothered, you have a lot on your head and adding my
  • 72. 72 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w problem will worsen the whole thing, I didn’t want you to worry about me.” “This is not fair, I’m already worried. Mama, the doctor said you have few days to live, how do you expect me to take that?” just then, Obioma walked in and sat beside Rachel. Mama looked at him and turned to Rachel, the stare told her she wanted to ask who the young man was. “Mama, this is the man in my life now; all is going well with us. Please, don’t die, I don’t want you to miss out on my wedding day, please mama.” She took his hand and rubbed it gently. Obioma faced the floor as he tapped his foot on it noiselessly. Mama gave Rachel an ‘I don’t like him’ look. “Mama, he’s a nice man, he has being so kind to me, you’ll love him, just get well for me biko.” Rachel slept
  • 73. 73 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w over in the hospital and left the next day to get breakfast for her mother only to come back and meet two nurses dressing the bed, the flask she was carrying slipped and fell, “where’s my mother?” the nurses looked solemn and couldn’t reply. It soon dawned on her that her mother had left the world, she threw herself to the floor, screaming and kicking, Obioma was there holding and comforting her the best way he could. “No wonder, when I was in the kitchen preparing breakfast, I heard mama’s voice. She told me that she loves me, that she’s sorry she’s leaving me.” She stopped to wipe the mucus from her nose which was already rolling down towards her mouth. She was talking in a calmer way, staring at nothing in particular with tears flowing down freely.
  • 74. 74 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w Obioma used his hankie to wipe her tears, he was feeling very bad for her, he understood the pains of losing a mother, he had been in her shoes before. “After losing father when I was tender, mama had been my only source of strength and hope. Everything I’ve ever achieved, all for her, I promised her she’d see her son-in-law and grandchildren, now I failed her.” At this, she wailed louder. Obioma grabbed her gently by the shoulders and led her to sit down at the reception. “Hello.” A nurse waved at them, “the doctor wants to see you.” Rachel stood up but the nurse wagged her index at her, “not you ma, your husband.” Rachel and Obioma exchanged glances, they swallowed every word they had thought of letting out in defense of the claim.
  • 75. 75 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w “I’ll be right back, sweetie.” He kissed her forehead and left. Soon, someone’s phone was vibrating, Rachel searched with her hand instead of her eyes which were too clouded with endless tears; she got hold of the phone and picked the call. “Honey, Junior is terribly ill, he’s vibrating here. Where are you because we need to take him to the hospital?” A lady said in a panicky manner. “Sorry, wrong number please.” Rachel disconnected the line but the lady kept calling, she picked at the second attempt. “Ken, I told you our son is dying, who the hell is that lady?” Rachel stared at the phone; it wasn’t hers, who has this phone? Ken? She clicked on the number, it was saved as ‘wifey’, who could
  • 76. 76 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w that be? She talked about Junior, who was Junior? Whose son? Her tear bank suddenly ran dry, she gazed at the phone for a moment, then decided to see what he used to store her number; Rachel. Just that? But she had stored his with ‘sweetheart’, what game was he playing with her? “Sweetie, let’s go.” Obioma motioned for them to leave. She stood up and silently walked to the car without asking him the outcome of the doctor’s invitation. As they drove home, he spoke, “the doctor asked me to sign some documents after which she started asking me some questions, seems like she knows me from somewhere, I got to find out she was an ex to my roommate during my university days.” He kept throwing short stares at her and wondered what went wrong,
  • 77. 77 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w “honey, what’s the problem? Why are you so cold and...” “Your wife called, Junior is terribly sick.” She sighed tiredly, Obioma pulled the car to a sudden halt and probed her with his eyes. “What? How did you...how did you know...” he darted into his pocket and brought out a phone which he soon realized belonged to Rachel, “how?” he stared at the phone in surprise, his mind soon flashed back to when the nurse had called, he left and quickly came back to collect his phone which he had pocketed before walking into the doctor’s office. So, he had taken Rachel’s phone instead. He suddenly felt goose bumps and his head pound a bit, “honey, I can explain.” He pleaded.
  • 78. 78 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w “Explain what? Explain that you’re married and you even have a son, yet you deceived me? Why?” A tear had escaped her eyes but she tried to restrain the rest, the heartbreak she felt at that moment coupled with her mother’s death was choking and suffocating her, she was seething inside but she suppressed her rage believing it wouldn’t help. “I believed in you, I believed in us. I gave you everything a woman would give her man.” She was crying and unusually talking calmly. He stared apologetically at her, really sorry for his actions, he knew he had hurt. He realized he had only been using her as she feltalthough he really loved her. He had fallen into her arms of love ever since his wife started nagging him sore and sometimes, he would come back late just because he wanted
  • 79. 79 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w to avoid his wife. That day, they first met at the beach, he had only come back to cool his nerves and go back afterwards to his nagging wife but then he had met her and fell for her natural charms. “Baby, I’m so sorry it had to happen this way but I love you, I really do, I swear. Ever since I met you, I’ve enjoyed the joy I long lost in my marriage. You are really the one for me, I wish I met you before her; I’m ready to do anything just to prove to you that I love you and I mean it. I am ready to divorce her just so we could be together forever, I love you and I’m sorry for withholding the truth from you for long. Please, don’t leave me.” He sounded like he wanted to cry, she saw the remorse in his eyes and wished she could do anything at that moment but she couldn’t, she
  • 80. 80 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w never in her life wished or even planned to date a married man, she was already feeling bad for the other woman, even if she wasn’t doing well, both deserve each other because of their marital vows. She blinked back her eyes and turned to focus her gaze on him. “Ken, I’ve always loved you, I’ve dreamed of being with you forever a thousand times, I’m so hurt right now but even at that, I’m not ready to hurt my fellow woman and for the fact that you have a son who needs your attention, come on, I’m not that heartless or even desperate.” She wiped her forehead and sniffed back some tears, “Ken, it’s obvious we are not destined for each other, go back to your family. Your son is terribly sick; you can’t lose him for anything. I love you but I’m not going to fight for what will never be.
  • 81. 81 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w You’re not mine.” She searched his eyes for some seconds and made for the door. Obioma stared at her with a pleading look but she looked away intending not to fall for anything, she’d made up her mind to walk away. She turned back, said goodbye and walked out of the car with her swollen face but she cared less of what people’s thoughts would be. Mine will come tomorrow, she believed strongly in her thought as she kept walking down the road until Obioma could see her no more. Rachel branched to the market to get something. She got tired of life, she got tired of everything, her mother who has been her strong pillar of support was no more. Her heart broke into grain sized pieces. She saw no reason to live. She got home, brought her bible, her rosary and a prayer book. She
  • 82. 82 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w picked up her phone and dialed her lawyer’s number, “Hello sir, I signed the papers already. I have a daughter who I willed everything to, she is somewhere in Johannesburg, help me look for her. Mrs. Arit Essien will help you on anything you need to know. Please make sure the five hundred thousand Naira goes to Christ the King orphanage home. Thank you very much.” She opened her prayer book and muttered some words in it. She had so many questions in her heart but they were yet to be answered. She wished she could see God face to face so she could ask Him why He had allowed her face all she had faced. She thought of her daughter who she had sent to Johannesburg many years ago purposely to get rid of some painful memories even though she already concluded
  • 83. 83 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w she wouldn’t make a good mother to her. She opened the bottle of sniper, shook her head sadly and was about pouring it into her mouth when her door went ajar. It was Father Mark Anthony, embarrassment flushed through her face. A DROP OF TEAR ESCAPED from a corner of her eye, it was enough to express what was going on in her mind. She kept shaking her head and not saying a word. “Babe, what’s the problem? Is the baby kicking?” Kainos asked as he looked up from his laptop where he had been typing away. “Nothing my love, I was just lost in thought. God has remembered me, mine has finally come.” She rubbed her swollen stomach looked up with a smile. She recalled how she had given up on life and had wanted
  • 84. 84 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w to commit suicide before Father Mark Anthony intruded. He had come to inform her that his younger brother who had been in Kenya for many years had returned with a specific description of a woman whom he had seen countless in his dreams; he had been seeing her for the past two years but he hadn’t paid attention until a sudden pressure had come on him to search for her. Father Mark Anthony after some deliberations realized that she had fallen into the exact description. Additionally, she had been a committed and helpful member of his parish. So, he decided to visit personally and saw her about to take her life. That was last year. “Kainos, thank you so much, for choosing me, for showing me so much love but I have a confession to make.”
  • 85. 85 | M i n e W i l l C o m e T o m o r r o w “Go on babe.” He smiled. “I’m sorry I haven’t told you all these. I have a daughter who has been staying in Johannesburg. She is the product of the first man I had ever loved, unfortunately he had died in a plane crash many years ago” “I know.” “How?” “Father Mark told me. Actually, I have been waiting for you to tell me yourself and you just did now. Let’s make preparation for her return. I’d like to meet my daughter,” Kainos said and hugged his teary wife. “I love you.” she smiled amidst tears. Mine Will Come Tomorrow THE END Thanks you for reading! Thank you bonus free books below
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