They say money cannot buy happiness but neither can poverty. Everything in life is linked one way or another to money. The rich grow richer while the impoverished are trapped in a cycle of poverty, despite all strategies to skedaddle; that is the tragedy of life. Every single day, there are billions of people rushing to work for the rich and they are paid just enough money to keep them poor and wretched.
This is a story of the post-colonial edge in the third world. It provides an introspective view of the turmoil and peace, the joy and sadness, the abundance and lack, experienced in this world as reflected in the life of Peter Ekwani - a young innocent victim.
Peter Ekwani, was born and raised by middle class parents. So far, life had been smooth, but the reality of his corrupt world, will soon take him unaware. Maybe money is not everything, but in his world, it sure seems so.
WATTYS WINNER
When her fiancé ends up in a coma and his secret mistress, Halley, shows up, Mary feels like her world is falling apart. What she doesn't realize is she's actually falling in love...with Halley.
*****
Eight years after a traumatizing accident that killed one of her loved ones, Mary Kincaid is about to marry her childhood sweetheart when the universe yanks the rug out from under her yet again, leaving her fiancé badly injured and in a coma. Of course this is when his secret mistress shows up, a beautiful person whom Mary should by all rights hate - so why does she find herself inviting her to stay in the spare bedroom? She soon learns that sometimes the person you're looking for comes when you're not looking at all.
Content and/or trigger warning: This story mentions violence, addiction, and childhood trauma, which may be triggering for some readers.
[[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]]