Christmas In July: You’re My Number One Lady

Hey there!

Welcome to another #ChristmasInJuly snippet. This time we are visiting the Rices. Well at this time they weren’t the Rices. They were Abayomi Rice and Olanma Obinze. This book was my first official Christmas story ~ The Christmas Ultimatum.

This scene meets Abayomi on the phone with his mom trying to finagle his way out of going home for Christmas. How do you think that went? Well, let’s see.

“Seth Abayomi Rice, you are not missing Christmas for the second year in a row. Make sure you get yourself here by hook or by crook before Christmas day,” his mother, Lara Rice insisted. He could just imagine her now, walking around their Lekki home with her hands on her hips. After his dad died when he was just three, his mother moved him and his sister back to Nigeria. She needed to be closer to her family. She, however, made sure that every holiday was spent with his grandparents, since he and Zara were the only reminders his grandparents had of their son.

His mother loved to call him by all three names when she wanted to stress a point. Abayomi stared at his reflection in the mirror as he buttoned up his blue Ralph Lauren dress shirt which he wore over black dress pants. It was fifteen minutes ‘til eight o clock and he didn’t want to be late.
“Okay, Ma. I’ll be there, but I have to make a stop in SA. Grandpa needs me to close this deal on this multi-million dollar complex we have been negotiating. When we’re done, I’ll take the first flight out.” He picked up his comb to put his unruly curls in order. His mother was quiet.
“You’ll stay for New Year’s abi?”
“Yes, you know you’re my number one lady.”
“Your tongue is always laced with sugar,” his mother said with a laugh. He loved to hear her laugh. She had mourned his father for such a long time. He figured she still did but at least she now laughed more.
“See you soon. Love you.” As he hung up the phone, he contemplated whether to tell Olanma now that about the change in plans, or wait ‘til they were on their way to South Africa. Either way he knew she’d put up a fight. She was simply stunning when angry, so it just might be worth seeing.

If you haven’t met the Abayomi and Olanma, now would be a good time to do so. While you are at it, check out the sequel, The Final Ultimatum.

Till next week, peace & blessings

Unoma