On Sunday morning, Emily told her relatives that she had been suspended from work. "What did you do?" her aunt inquired casually as she prepared for church service. "Madam Lovelace said I failed to record a job I did for a client in the cash book," she began to explain. "Here, iron this cloth for me," her aunt interjected, extending her cloth. "And do it quickly because we're running late."
"Oh, does this mean you'll be home tomorrow?" her uncle asked. "That's good news. I've been wondering how to get to Aduana Shop to collect some money they owe me. Go there first thing tomorrow morning and collect the cheque for me. I'll provide you with a note for introduction." Emily's eyes welled up with tears as she pressed her aunt's clothes, but she quickly brushed them away; a skill she had acquired over the years. She realized that she could have told them that a vehicle had hit her and she was returning from the hospital, and none of them would have been concerned. She thought of this with sorrow as she assisted them in getting ready for church. After the Narhs left in the family car, Emily completed her chores and then prepared for church service.
The Narhs attended the prestigious High Country Church, while Emily went to the neighboring Hopeville Church. She had been a member of Hopeville Church since she was ten, introduced by her aunt due to its proximity to their house.
"You'll be able to return home earlier than the rest of us to prepare lunch and have it ready by the time we get back," her aunt had explained her choice of Hopeville Church for Emily.
However, Hopeville Church had turned out to be a blessing because Emily met Auntie Okaibea, her Sunday School teacher, who became a mother figure to her. Emily loved the members of the small church, and they all loved her. By the time she became a teenager, she had been a member longer than most of its current members. Church service brought her pure joy. She sang in the choir and cherished every moment of the spirit-filled praise and worship segment, which she and the choir leader led. After the church service, Emily looked for Auntie Okaibea and informed her about her two-week work suspension.
"Oh dear!" Auntie Okaibea exclaimed with concern. "That's truly unfortunate, but don't let it get you down. I believe that all things work together for good for those who love the Lord. If you are a child of God, nothing will happen to you outside the will of God for your life. The devil may scheme to bring us down, attempting to make us lose faith in our Almighty God, but God transforms all the missiles the devil throws at us into stepping stones in our journey to success. Don't be disheartened by what has happened. Use this time away from the salon to explore other opportunities. Reach out to some of our prominent church members and offer your services. I'm going to announce to our women's group that you are offering home services. I believe that within these two weeks, you will make so much money that you'll wonder why you didn't venture out on your own earlier." She offered Emily some money as she spoke.
"Oh no," Emily objected, "I have saved enough to cover my expenses. Thank you for your offer."
Auntie Okaibea was however insistent, pressing so hard that Emily finally accepted the money. Later, Emily informed her that she was heading to Mrs. Adams' house.
"May you experience God's favor as you enter the Adams' residence," Auntie Okaibea prayed.
Emily arrived at Mrs. Adams' home just as the older woman and a middle-aged man emerged from the living room onto the porch.
"Oh, my Dear you're here!" Mrs. Adams greeted Emily with a warm smile. "Please wait in the smaller hall; I'll be with you shortly."
As they descended the stairs to the courtyard, the man glanced back at Emily, who met his gaze. She scrutinized Mrs. Adams' companion closely; his face seemed familiar, but she couldn't recall where she had seen him. Emily settled on a sofa and waited, her thoughts wandering. She hoped that Mrs. Adams would continue to require her services and perhaps introduce her to other influential women. She contemplated building her own clientele rather than poaching clients from Madam Lovelace, as many of them might be unaware of her current predicament.
"What's her full name?" the man asked.
"No idea."
"Hmm... why don't you find out? It'll make it easier for me to investigate her background. Nevertheless, I'll try to gather some information about her. Cheer up!"
Emily overheard their conversation and glanced over to see Stephen and the young man walking away from where she was seated. Once again, the young man's face looked familiar. Emily wracked her brain but couldn't place it. She wondered who they were discussing.
Stephen appeared troubled, and Emily assumed it had something to do with a woman, based on their earlier conversation.
"Now, young lady, you must be hungry," Mrs. Adams remarked upon entering the room. "Go to the kitchen and find something to eat."
Emily got up and made her way to the kitchen, feeling uneasy. It was the first time she had been asked to help herself in Mrs. Adams' kitchen. She hoped to avoid any mistakes under the watchful eye of her hostess. However, she froze as she entered the spacious kitchen, where the occupants turned to stare at her.
"Emily," Stephen called her name casually, noticing her confusion. "Please, join us."
"Let me get something to eat for the beautiful lady," the young man with Stephen offered. "We have rice, yam, banku, okro stew, spinach, and chicken stew. What would you like?"
"I'll have some rice and chicken stew, please," Emily replied as she made eye contact with Stephen. Since he didn't seem pleased to see her, Emily chose a seat away from him after accepting the tray from the young man.
"I'm Kojo Ganyo, and I specialize in finding out what others are up to," the young man introduced himself playfully. Emily smiled back.
"I'm Emily, and I'm a beautician."
"Oh, I see," Kojo said, raising an eyebrow. "Miss Emily..." he trailed off, hoping Emily would provide her last name.
"Emily Dua," she supplied her family name.
"My friend here is called Stephen Adams. He's a Public Relations Executive and has been in town barely a year," Kojo said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Stephen remained silent, ignoring Kojo's remark about him.
"I've met your friend before, but it seems he doesn't recognize me," Emily teased further, but Stephen continued to stay silent.
"You heard the lady, didn't you?" Kojo asked his friend and poked him playfully.
When Stephen still didn't respond, Kojo gave up and they all fell into a brief silence. A few minutes later, Mrs. Adams sent a message that Emily should join her in the living room after lunch.
At that point, Emily decided that she had had enough to eat and picked up her tray to wash her plate. There was still an air of tension in the kitchen as she retrieved her handbag from the chair. "Nice to have met you," she addressed Kojo and then walked out.
"What's the matter with you?" Emily overheard Kojo ask Stephen as she headed towards the living room, where Mrs. Adams was waiting for her.
"You look smart in your outfit," Mrs. Adams remarked as she admired Emily. She had chosen her attire carefully, opting for a colorful local wax print fabric and allowing her hair to hang loose, framing her oval face. Mrs. Adams had never seen Emily with her hair down; she always tied it up into a ponytail at work.
"I'd like to sponsor your university education if you'd allow me," Mrs. Adams got straight to the point. "You can work for me as my personal beautician, but it won't restrict you to just me. You can still attend to other clients if you wish. You can even set up your own salon as you've planned, but my condition is that I come first. If I need you at any time of the day, you must be available. That's what I mean by working for me. Take some time to think about this offer and let me know if you accept it."
Emily was taken aback, rendered speechless for a moment. The generous offer overwhelmed her. She was silent for a while and Mrs Adams wondered whether Emily had heard her. She called out Emily's name after getting no response from her. "Emily!" she shouted loud enough for the young lady to hear her well enough. "Yes, Madam, I'll accept to work for you, and God bless you for offering to sponsor my education," Emily finally managed to say, tears welling up in her eyes, which she quickly blinked away.
"I expected you to accept because such opportunities come once in a lifetime," Mrs. Adams replied. "I've talked to a few friends who have agreed to have you work for them as well. I've sung your praises, so I hope you won't disappoint me. I once went to a salon where I picked up an infection from unsanitary towels and contaminated water. It took me three years to fully recover, so I'm very cautious about the salons I choose."
Emily nodded her understanding, and after giving her an hour-long lecture on safety, etiquette, and professionalism, Mrs. Adams handed her half of her monthly salary and sent her on her way.
Overjoyed, Emily sang all the way home. What she had received was more than two months' salary at Premier Beauty Salon. It was clear how accurate Auntie Estelle's prophecy had been.
While she was preparing lunch for the Narhs, Emily received a call from an unknown number. "Is this Emily? Am I speaking with Emily?" the caller asked the same question twice. "Yes Madam, this is Emily," she answered the caller. "That's great. My name is Afia and a friend of mine recommended you to me. I need a retouch. Is it possible for you to come over to my place to retouch my hair?" Afia asked. Emily looked at the clock on the wall. It was three o'clock and the Narhs would be returning home from church any moment. "When would you like me to come over Madam?" she asked her new client. "Well,as soon as you can," the caller answered quickly and proceeded to give her directions to her house. "Call me if you encounter any difficulty," she added. After laying the table for the household, Emily picked up the beauty case and was ready to set off. She left a note on the table for her aunt, stating where she was going and what she was going to do.
Afia turned out to be a lively, single woman with a lot of humor, casual conversation, and lots of good money to spend.
"I'd also like to get a manicure and pedicure. Maybe next time, you can pamper me with a massage," Afia declared. She was thoroughly impressed with Emily's work and couldn't contain her delight when she glimpsed at her reflection in the mirror.
"Wow!" Afia exclaimed. "This is amazing! How many hands do you have?" She inquired with a beaming smile.
Emily took a moment to scrutinize her client. "Do you think you'll be able to handle the jobs that are coming your way?" she asked. "Once the ladies see me tomorrow, they might overwhelm you with requests."
Emily had given Afia a stylish haircut that had effortlessly shaved years off her appearance.
"The ladies will be green with envy, and who knows, this new hairstyle might help me catch the eye of Mr. Right!" Afia declared with enthusiasm.
Afia had an instant connection with Emily; from the moment she laid eyes on her, she felt comfortable sharing almost everything about herself. Emily listened attentively, occasionally interjecting when she felt it was appropriate.
"Emily, I would need your services every Sunday, same time!" Afia stated after Emily finally closed her beauty case. She left Afia's place richer than she had imagined. So far, she had made in a day more than what Lovelace paid her in months.
"In all things, I must learn to give thanks to God," Emily thought as she rode in the taxi arranged for her by Afia, who not only wanted a beautician but also someone to talk to and share her company.
"You and I will be friends," Afia had predicted.
Emily returned home very late that night to find her parents waiting for her. Their somber expressions instantly alarmed her. "Mom, is something wrong?" she whispered anxiously.
"Yes," her mother replied in a hushed tone. "Your aunt Ama, summoned us urgently. We rushed here from Techiman as soon as we could."
"What's happened?" Emily inquired, her voice barely audible.
"She insists you need to leave the house," her mother revealed."Really?" Emily gasped, caught off guard. "But what did I do?"
Auntie Ama entered the room, followed by her husband, their faces grave. It became evident to Emily that she needed to find accommodation that very night, but to her surprise, Auntie Ama and her husband expressed more compassion than she had anticipated."Tomorrow morning, when you head back to the village, take her with you," Auntie Ama declared.
Despite her parents' heartfelt pleas, the couple remained resolute in their decision."Ama, Akua is your own blood. If she has erred, you have the right to discipline her," Emily's mother implored. "Since you took her in, I've never interfered when you've disciplined her. Techiman is no place for a young girl. You know the curse there continues. For thirty years, no girl born and raised in that village has had a child."
Emily's mother went down on her knees. "Please, Ama, forgive your own daughter. Punish her as you see fit, but don't send her back to Techiman. She'll only be harmed."
Her father joined his wife in beseeching Auntie Ama, but she claimed she could no longer tolerate Emily's troublesome behavior."This is why she should have behaved more responsibly," Auntie Ama retorted. "When we returned from church, the food was so cold, and I had to drag my tired body to the kitchen to heat it up. If she leaves, I'll find someone more humble to cook and clean for me."
Emily knelt beside her parents, desperately pleading with her aunt and uncle, but the Narhs remained resolute: Emily had to leave.