11:17

“Where is Latifah?” I asked Maria after she missed her grand appearance at our end of tour photoshoot.

“I don’t know! We were on the patio last night for hours then we left and went to bed”

“Okay, maybe she slept in today. We can always take some pictures with her tomorrow before we leave”

Latifah would hate that we started taking pictures without her, and with all honesty I do too, because I enjoy our healthy disagreements.

Maria, Latifah and I are three dark skin girls who share both parents, but we do not have much in common.

I am talented, ambitious, and quiet. Maria is goofy, loving, talented and has the best heart. Latifah is just annoying. She is overconfident and not skilled at anything, except being beautiful.

Before our grand father died, the financial expert in Smyrna the smallest town in South Carolina, we had to shadow him on all his client meetings and presentations, to equip ourselves to take over the company.

I grasped the information more quickly than my sisters because I was studying accounting at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington Dc. Where the ultimate financial experts are.

No shade poppa.

Between my classes, internships at CPA firms and my poppa’s experience, I was well on my way to becoming the leader of the pack.

Two semesters before graduation poppa died, I contemplated attending the funeral. It was too much. We had our first tour at Universities in South Carolina that poppa would join us on, and he did not get to see it.

~

Build healthier financial habits.

The theme of our tour.

How can Latifah be the one giving a speech when the only thing she knows about money is spending it.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, give it up for Ms. Latifah. She is a financial expert who attended the University of the District of Columbia and has served in the field for over five years. Today she will be talking to us about ways to build better financial habits.”

*Applauses*

“What? Did she go to UDC? I puzzled.

“Thank you all so much for joining us today. For the next 2 hours, we will be talking everything money, Everyone ready?”

The crowd barely responded.

“Seems I am not the only one who finds your very existence annoying, liar” I smirked in a low tone.

“Everyone ready” she repeated.

“Yes” I shouted to end her misery.

As the session ended, Maria walked over to me all energized showing her whites.

“That was so good what you did back there”

“What?”

“When you supported sis”

“Oh, right? Yea, that’s what sisters do”

~

“Maria!!!”

“Yes? Why are you yelling my name?”

“Have you seen my circle earrings with the three diamond crystals?”

“No, did you check your purse?

“Yes, it’s not there”

I paced around the room feeling as if I was bout to explode.

It was the second day of the tour, and I was supposed to give my speech today.

Those were my lucky earrings. All my best speeches were in those earrings.

“It’s just an earring” Latifah said rolling her eyes as she walked past me dazzling from head to toe in her triangular diamond earring that never leaves her ear.

When granddaddy past a way he left us all jewelry, that have been passed down to all the women in the family.

I was looking to past this off to my daughter, but more importantly to not disappoint granddaddy.

“We are going to find it” assured Maria

“For now, let’s go down to the ballroom and after your speech we can resume our search”

~

“Next up we have Ms. Green, who also attended the University of the District of Columbia with over five years of experience in the financial field. Give her a round of applause.

*Applause*

“Thank you all, I want to share a story that complements our theme and if you are a good audience at the end everyone will get a slice of freshly baked Hershey chocolate cake from Mon Delice.

The applause grew louder because that is a community favorite.

“Two men were given a contract to build a bridge. The first man started the same day. He went home, gathered his one-man tool kit, and started building the bridge. Five weeks later, he just reached a quarter of the way. He felt proud because even now the second man did not start. Two weeks later he went to check on his competition’s bridge and it just started. The following week as he reached his halfway mark, his competition finished his.

The man who started late, assembled a team of electricians, construction workers, architects, engineers, and he was the one overseeing the work. He contracted them on a Paid in arrears basis, so he did not have to put a lump sum of money upfront. This enabled him to get the best service, collect his pay and pay his workers.

He saved a lot of money and time, and he became the number one requested project manager, all because his efficiency saved money.

Be the second guy. First is last. Thank you”

*Standing ovation with applauses*

“You are awesome. As promised, you can all go over to Mon delice for your cake, the venue has been rented out for the day.

Before I walked off the stage, I saw Latifah walk out. I was upset because I supported her when she stole my credentials and I sat there and listened to her tiresome speech.

I clutched onto Maria and accepted her embrace as she realized what I saw.

“Well, we are off to Mon Delice, are you coming?” asked Maria

We both chuckled.

~

The entire community showed up, what did I do?

“Bonjour” I greeted the staff as I walked in.

I am elated they accepted my request to deviate from their menu for this special event, but I did not expect more than two hundred people to show up.

After Maria and I enjoyed our slices of cake, one of the sous chefs brought over a special request she called it, as she handed it to her.

Tomorrow was the final day of our tour, and it was a case study competition. Maria was supposed to give a speech, but she opted out from the first day we planned on speaking.

At the end we organized a photoshoot and Latifah was ready.

She packed three suitcases for this shoot. Maria and I brought three outfits incase two went wrong.

The camera crew arrived and Latifah was nowhere to be found. This is highly unlikely for someone who lives for the spotlight.

At the end of the shoot, we went to her hotel suite to find her lying on the floor. I always wished she would disappear but not like this.

A few hours later, the Autopsy revealed she was poisoned.

“Oh my gosh, how did that happen?”

Maria shoved me out of the room and told me that she hired a student to pretend to be the room service guy after they left the patio.

“And oh, the special package that I received at the Delice was a poisoned slice of chocolate cake”

“Unbelievable, you seemed so close to her. If anyone would kill her, I thought it would be me”

“Keep your enemies closer” she laughed as she held up my earrings.

“Told you we would find it”

I had no idea Maria had that in her. Oh well the world could do better without terrible people in it.

“It’s 11:17 Maria, it’s time to check out”

“Am coming, rest in pieces sis”