17. MAY THE BEST MAN WIN

"Hurry up Isa, else you're going to be late." Louisa shouted from the kitchen. For the first time in a long time, she was having a morning meal... a cup of coffee and some bread and scrambled eggs, at home. She had woken up very early today, so she had a lot of time on her hands and could even manage some breakfast.

Mrs. Mensah sat at the table across from her, a pleased look on her face. Louisa could tell it was definitely because she was eating breakfast, so she decided to pretend to not have noticed the look on her mother's face.

"You were up very early today." She heard her mother say as she fetched a forkful of scrambled eggs into her mouth.

Louisa chewed slowly to delay her reply but eventually had to when everything was swallowed.

"I couldn't sleep Mama, I guess it's just work stress... nothing to worry about."

Mrs. Mensah gave her daughter a look that clearly said she didn't buy the lie she was selling but made no comment. Instead, she said. "Well, I