Black Rays

CHAPTER 56

Laura hated loss the most, the day she buried her own mother years ago she had felt like she had thrown away a piece of her life. She had had a hard time accepting that they were gone forever. She thought of it as a joke mostly; how can someone just depart for an unknown destination and never come back? Then she lost her lovely daughter; Monica, she felt like a bad mother who was too weak to protect her children. Then she remembered there were some bastards after her daughter all the while. It felt lighter but she could never forget the experience.

The memories kept her sane, and the other children, not to mention her husband who was now her favorite company.

And life went on, working to keep the bad thoughts away, laughing to make sure her daughter was not sad from the heavens and moving on because life did not come to a stop the day she departed. That was how she managed to go through the months after her daughter's departure. It was hard but she had to. She was almost over it until someone who was very much like her showed up as the fifth investor in her daughter's company.

The young woman named Sandra Makai. She looked a lot like Monica, but she behaved differently, she didn't have Monica's beauty mark under her left eye, she was bolder and spoke as if she had everything thought over for months before saying it. Laura almost had a heart attack when the woman had entered the meeting room that day, she almost called out to her but she remembered her own was dead. Then she didn't even glance at her or give a hint that she knew her, no. she spoke her part and left with her assistant afterwards.

Maya had the same doubts, but when she sought the woman's information she found exactly what she had presented before them. An orphan, raised in a children's home, studied in Dubai under a scholarship and lived in South Africa where she owned a few properties.

It crushed her hopes because there was a part of her that hoped that she was her daughter; Monica.

"Madam Laura, you have an appointment" the secretary called from the door. She looked up and yawned closing the file on the table.

"I thought I was free, is it not lunch hours?"

"You said you had an unofficial meeting with someone at...7th Heaven's Hotel?"

"Who is it?"

"The name is Royce Odin... he called an hour ago hoping you won't boycott the meeting"

Laura chuckled standing up "where is Stacy"

"You sent him away at10:00 am you gave her a day off"

"Goodness" she whined "Now I have to drive myself" she picked her purse heading out of the office "Please photocopy those files on the desk, scan them and send them to Maya before 2:00 pm then send me the emails of the contracts I told you to review earlier today. You can leave once you are done, I can handle the rest of my appointments"

"I will, thank you madam"

"Announce that everyone can leave early today if they don't have extra work to do, we worked hard the past three weeks to raise the profits; we should relax a little"

"Yes ma'am"

"Alright, see you tomorrow"

Laura walked away leaving the young secretary jumping around in joy, oh yeah she had a date in the evening and it was as if her lovely boss was god sent.

Seventh heavens hotel was one familiar building to Laura, she spent much time in the conference room with her other business partners and also the owner was her good friend. Mr. Yusuf, the man who taught her how to handle business and he also walked with her until her company became independent. One unique character about Yusuf was how generous he was and oh, he was a man of god. He attended church every Sunday and made donations every month to the orphans and old people. He was the one who taught her that; generosity and the art of giving. He said 'the more you give, the more you receive. The hand that gives is more blessed than the one that receives'