CHAPTER ONE
Today was the day Joanne would find out if she was finally getting that promotion she had been pushing for a year now, it was very difficult to get up in the Ugandan tourism industry especially with the increasing number of young beautiful graduates looking for jobs compared to her who was thirty years, single and the bread winner of her family.
“God Life can be so hard! but please big man let me get this promotion, you know I have to pay for Cindy’s tuition and mother has to go for surgery soon, please baby Jesus help me out here,” Joanne prayed quietly seated in waiting area to the Minster of tourism’s office.
“Miss Malaika, the Minster will see you now,” the secretary informed Joanne. She moved and made for the door knocking before entering. The minister gestured for her to take a sit, which she did fingers crossed she pray and hoped.
“Ah miss Malaika how have you been?
“Fine sir, thanks for asking”
“I have good news for you and may I say you do have a lot of people routing for your promotion and who am I to deny it. So my dear congratulations you’re the new permanent sectary the Minister of tourism.
Joanne was so happy she jumped running to the Minster giving him a hug as she shouted thanking him for recommending her for the job.
“You’re welcome young lady. You start on Monday, your office does need organizing but it’s down the hallway”.
“Thank you sir”, she repeated again as she left the Minister’s office.
That evening after having moved her files and personal staff in to her new office she sent off her new secretary and also left to catch a taxi back home. As she was moving down the street to the city square, a situation caught her eye, there right in front her was an old American couple about to be cheated by a boda boda man, who was charging the couple more fare than what was usually charged and come to think of it was funny. She decided to intervene, as the assistant to the Minister of tourism she oat to help the couple out since they seem to be on vacation.
“Excuse me. Hello”, she greeted the couple, then turned to the other man and told him off, threatening to report his to the central police station for stealing. He hurriedly started his motorcycle and drove off.
“Are you guys okay”, she asked the couple who were smiling at her.
“We are okay dear. Thanks to you”.
“Okay am off then, have a lovely evening and vacation, she told the couple leaving but the old lady caught her hand.
“Hold up sweetie, why you don’t join us for tea at our hotel”
“I would love to ma’am but it’s getting late”.
“Just tea here at the Sheraton, please sweetie. Mathew here will get a taxi to take you straight to your door step. And please call me Jessica”.
“Okay, I guess one cup of tea wouldn’t hurt,” Joanne answered walking with the hunters towards the Sheraton.
After a ten minute walk to the Sheraton, they were finally seated in the hotel’s restaurant waiting for their orders to arrive when Jessica decided to introduce herself fully,
“By the way am Jessica Hunter and this is my husband Mathew Hunter”.
“Well I am Malaika Joanne”
“What a lovely name sweetie. How old are?”
“Twenty eight”
“And what do you for a living sweetie?
“Jessie give the girl a break” Mathew said reaching for his wife’s hand”
“But Matt”
“No je....”
“It’s okay sir I am a permanent sectary the Minister of tourism.”
“Oh sweetie that’s wonderful. Independent, beautiful and caring, you’re everything. She said thoughtfully.
It was a fresh week and everything was moving on smoothly, she was looking in to the grants the government had set up for the maintenance of the western game parks when her secretary interrupted.
“Sorry to disturb you miss but there is lady waiting to see you in the langue”
“Please send her in” Joanne quipped turning back to her computer and typing away.
“Hello sweetie, I hope am not disturbing. I have to say you have a beautiful office” Jessica said entering Joanne’s office.
Joanne stopped her attack on the keyboard when she heard Mrs Hunter’s voice, looking up “Oh no you are not, it’s just that am surprised to see you”, Joanne finished standing up to meet Jessica.
“Sweetie with the internet now days, you can’t get lost but to be on the safe side I had the hotel taxi bring me to the ministry today. How are you dear? I brought you some lunch”.
“Am okay Mrs Hunter and you didn’t have to bring me lunch besides I usually skip cause of the workload”, Joanne said moving from her chair to seat across Jessica in the sitting area.
“No it’s not a bather and its Jessica to you. You’re like a daughter to me. Now come eat your food,” she said laying out the food containers on her cherry wood table.
“Please join me. I am sure I can’t finish all the on my own” Joanne spoke pointing at the food before her. They both ate while chatting when Jessica surprised her again.
“I would love to meet your parents?” Jessica declared and Joanne literally choked on her mango juice. Are you okay sweetie? Jessica asked rubbing her back.
“Am okay just surprised. It’s actually only my mother Dorothy, Sister Cindy and me now. My father left or died, I really don’t know, he just disappeared when I was twenty. We tried looking for him but we never found him. It’s been eight years now”.
“Oh I am so sorry sweetie”.
“It’s okay we have moved on. You can meet my mom though, am taking her and Cindy out to dinner this Saturday to celebrate my mom birthday. You and Mr Hunter can join us this Saturday at Istanbul restaurant.
“Thank you sweetie we will be there. And now I have to let you work, it was nice seeing” Jessica said packing the containers. Joanne walked her out they hugged saying their goodbyes.
Jessica sighed as she threw her head back and enjoyed the scenery as they drove her back to the hotel. On entering their suite she found her husband video conferencing with the acting CEO of his company.
“Sir they won’t sign the final papers if it’s not you”
“Okay I get it just call my son and tell to head straight to Tokyo as soon as possible and get them to sign the deal. Am sure they will sign besides his a Hunter and this company is already his,” Mathew answered as his deposited herself in his lap.
“Hey darling how was your lunch? Oh hello James”, Jessica greeted.
“Hello Mrs Hunter. Sir I will call Kenneth immediately. Good bye sir”. The connection was cut as Jessica turned back to her husband.
“Darling she is the one, there is no doubt about, she the perfect match”
“Hold your horses’ Jessica you haven’t even talked to her parents?”
“Actually we are going to meet her mother this Saturday at the Istanbul restaurant. She is taking them out for a birthday dinner and we have been invited”.
Just then Mathew’s phone started ringing
“Hello dad what’s this am hearing from your assistant that I have to deal with something in Japan?
“Hello and how are you doing? And about the Japan deal I want you to see it through, it’s an important deal”.
“You do know I have my own companies to run”.
“Yes but my companies are also yours, be it in my presence or absence”.
“Alright dad I will deal with the Tokyo situation. Please greet mom for...
“Hey sweetie am here, how are you?
“Am okay mom, how you guys. Enjoying the sun?
“It’s all beautiful Uganda is wonderful and the people are so hospitable nice, you should come by some time.
“Well even if I wanted to my work wouldn’t allow, sorry mum”.
“Huh, you have time for that Britney wanna be girl. Oh and by the way I still don’t like her.
“Sorry mum I would love to chat with you some more but I have to go, talk soon”.
“Okay dear take care of yourself don’t over work and eat well. Love you kisses bye.
Joanne’s phone kept going off as she quickly wrapped a towel around dripping wet curvy body then rushed to her bedside table to answer her phone. Swiping to answer,
“Hello sweetie did I catch you at a bad time” Jessica asked
“No, I was just in the shower, is anything the matter?”
“I just want to know what time we should arrive.”
“At eight exactly, everyone is ready, except me I had something to do at the office but you will find us at the restaurant”.
Joanne and her family arrived at the restaurant all dolled up their mother in a maroon baby silk dress maxi with lace long sleeve while Cindy wore a short golden bubble dress and Joanne adorned a black maxi dress with a plunging back.
They settle in their seats just as their waiter for the night arrived and asked them how they wanted to start out the night.
