THE 24-HOUR SEARCH

FINDING A WIFE

PRINCE ADAMS POV

I was driving to the barber’s shop when it hit me—one of those memories that doesn’t ask for permission before barging in.

*Flashback*

I saw myself again as that little boy, tiptoeing through Granny’s living room. She was sitting on her wooden chair—the one that squeaked whenever she moved—holding a photograph close to her chest. Before I could ask, she lifted it to her lips and kissed it softly.

Curious, I crept closer, stretching my tiny neck just to see.

"That’s my husband,” she said without even looking at me, like she’d heard my thoughts.

"Your grandpa". He died in a car accident on his way to work.

My heart squeezed in that childlike way that felt too big for my small body. I wrapped my little arms around her waist and told her I would take care of her. I promised—so boldly—that I would study hard, become a great man, and give her everything that could ever make her happy.

Granny laughed, that warm, shaking laugh that made her eyes disappear, and she placed a hand on my head to bless me. But the moment she pulled back, her smile fell.

“What happened to your arm?” she asked, frowning at the scratch on my lower arm. “Did you fall? And don’t you dare lie to me.”

I sighed. There was no escaping her.

I got into a fight again, I admitted.

A boy laughed at me… because I don’t have a father.

Her face softened with a sadness she tried to hide. She held my hand gently.

"Prince", she said, “boys like that only bully others so they can feel powerful. The best response is silence. You hear me? Silence.”

I nodded quickly. “I’m sorry, Granny.”

To change the mood—like children do—I picked up the picture again. Grandpa looked young and handsome in it, smiling like he had no idea life would end too soon.

“He was lucky to have you,” I told her. “I just wish I’d seen him.”

Granny pulled me into another hug, then squeezed my cheeks between her palms with a seriousness that almost made me laugh.

“Listen to me,” she said, “if you want to marry a good woman one day, you must first become a good man. Just like your grandpa.”

“Eeww,” I groaned, scrunching my nose.

She burst out laughing. “I can’t wait to hear you talk about women when you grow up.”

The memory faded right there—with her laughter echoing softly.

And I found myself back behind the wheel, headed to the barber’s shop, wondering how many of those childhood promises I was still trying to keep.

* End of flashback *

_______________________________________

Daniel called to check up on me, asking if I was okay. I told him I wasn’t a woman who had just gotten her heart broken and that he should mind his business in my house. He laughed it off and then threatened that if I didn’t come back early, he would throw a party in my house.

I chuckled, because I knew Daniel—my best friend—would never throw a party. He was the third son of a pastor, with a little sister and twin brothers who were the first borns. All of them were influential people in the country. Daniel had never seen poverty a day in his life.

Unlike me, there were days I had to eat whatever Granny could afford, even when it wasn’t what I wanted. Still, I would always appreciate her for one thing: using all her savings to send me to the best schools in the country. And in one of those schools, I met Daniel. We have been friends ever since.

His parents were pastors of a big church in the city, so he grew up knowing Christ and living right under their watch. He was now engaged to Emmy—a sweet lady who happened to be the daughter of a bishop from another church. I couldn’t wait to see my best friend tie the knot soon. Daniel has always been my brother. He showed up any and every time I needed him. I have a big surprise planned out for him as his wedding gift. He would love it for sure.

But right now, I have bigger things on my mind.

I have to find my wife.

_______________________________________

*FLASHBACK*

Granny stood at the edge of the pavement, staring at the coffee shop as if the glass door itself were a living threat. Her palms were damp, her fingers trembling uncontrollably. Every breath she dragged into her lungs felt thin and shallow—barely enough to steady the pounding in her chest. People moved in and out of the café with the casual confidence of those who were not hiding from ghosts. The warm lights inside flickered against her face, and the noise spilled out in waves: clinking cups, grinding coffee beans, soft laughter, orders being called out, and chairs scraping. It was a busy afternoon rush, but to Granny, the world felt suffocatingly small.

Still, she forced one shaky hand to reach for the door.

Just then, her phone buzzed. Prince Adams.

She closed her eyes as she answered, trying to keep her voice from cracking. I’m okay… I just wanted to leave alone; that’s why I asked the driver not to drop me, she whispered. Prince’s voice sharpened in concern. He reminded her to take care of herself and warned her not to go out alone again. Then he told her to turn on her location. Her thumb hesitated, just for a heartbeat, before she quietly complied.

When she hung up, she breathed out, squared her shoulders, and pushed the door.

Warm air and louder noise wrapped around her immediately. The shop was bustling—baristas moving quickly behind the counter, a couple arguing softly in a corner, students with laptops typing, and the smell of roasted beans thick in the air. Granny barely took in any of it. Her eyes had already found her.

The woman.

Their gazes locked across the room—two pairs of widened eyes, equally shocked and shaken. The woman shot to her feet, clutching her purse to her chest as if it might shield her from old memories. Granny’s stomach twisted violently. She turned at once, fleeing toward the door, but the woman was faster.

A hand caught her trembling wrist.

“Please, Nurse Cindy… don’t go.”

Granny pulled, her voice low and tight. “I have nothing to discuss with you. Let go of my hand.”

The woman stepped closer, desperation in her eyes. “You came all the way here just to leave without saying a word?” she asked, her voice unsteady.

Granny swallowed hard. The entire café seemed to tilt around her. “What do you want from me?”

“I want answers, Nurse Cindy.” The woman’s voice trembled, but her grip remained strong. “When I went to the house you sent me to, the family there didn’t know I was coming. I stood outside the whole evening. I had to sleep in a hotel. When I went back the next day… thank God they took me in.”

Granny’s expression tightened instantly—panic flickering beneath her features. Her lips parted slightly as though she wanted to interrupt, to silence the woman before she reached the part Granny dreaded. Her eyes darted around the café, almost pleading with the room to swallow the conversation. Her breath hitched; her body stiffened. There was a terror in her gaze—a past she had buried trying to claw its way out.

The woman’s voice dropped to a shaky whisper, tears bright in her eyes. “Why did you lie to me, Nurse Cindy? Why did you say they knew I was coming when they didn’t? Yes, I’m grateful they cared for me until I got a job… but that first day, they hadn’t heard a word about me.”

“I want to take my leave now,” Granny said abruptly, her voice barely steady as she turned away.

But then— “I want to see his grave.”

Granny froze.

It was as if her entire body turned to stone. Her breath stopped mid-air. Her fingers stiffened, and a cold ripple ran from her spine down into her legs, rooting her to the floor. Her eyes widened—not in surprise but in raw, quiet horror. The shop noises faded into a distant hum. She didn’t blink. Didn’t exhale. Her whole world narrowed to that simple sentence.

His grave..