Amanda walked out of the bathroom just as she heard Tasha's question, "Kelvin, do you have any brothers?"
Amanda interjected and asked, "Why do you ask Tasha?"
Tasha looked at her with a fake annoyed expression on her face but before she could answer, Ding dong! Ding dong! Was heard by all of them. Amanda who was still approaching the table turned and went to answer the door.
"Hi mum, you really came!" she almost shouted with a huge grin on her face when she saw Yvonne at the door. Then she asked, "But you have the key so why do you always knock?"
"How else will I be treated like a queen and the door held open for me like this,"
Amanda, "…."
Tasha, "hahahahaha!" she laughed loudly when she overheard that because they had talked out loud.
Amanda bowed to her mother in an exaggerated way and said, "welcome my queen."
Yvonne rolled her eyes at her daughter's antics, but she was secretly happy because she knew that Amanda only expressed herself playfully like this when she was happy. She had been worried prior to make the morning visit as she felt that Amanda might still be thinking about the drama from the engagement dinner. She then made her way inside.
"Welcome mum," was the next thing she heard, and it was from Kelvin. She nodded and masked her surprise as he still had his apron on.
"Please have breakfast with us," he added, and she took a seat. They all started eating but then, they heard another Ding dong! Ding dong!
This time, Kelvin stopped Amanda from going and he answered the door himself. He came back a few moments with an envelope in his hands.
"What is that?" Amanda and Tasha asked at the same time but in response, Kelvin handed it to Amanda. It read,
To: Mr & Mrs Kelvin Kay
Beo Grade 'G' Apartments and Housing, Unit # 202, BeoCity
Amanda's eyes widened when she realised what it was. She had had no doubt about the old man they had met the evening before as he seemed powerful enough to even summon the registrar of marriages, but she was still surprised at the swiftness of the service rendered.
She had yet to tell her mother and Tasha about the registered marriage. She looked at Kelvin who gave her a nod. Then she took in a deep breath.
Before I open the envelope, we have something to tell you.
The 'we' she used did not go unnoticed by the two women, but they patiently waited for her to let them know what she wanted to say.
A few moments later, their looks changed from surprised to happy as Amanda and Kelvin took turns narrating everything from the past evening with the strange gentleman to them.
Yvonne broke the silence that ensued by asking, as she looked at the envelope, "So that is…"
"Yes, the certificate," Amanda said and opened the envelope. She put the newly issued certificate which was dated the prior week on a clear part of the table while they all took a glance at it.
Yvonne picked it up and examined it carefully as she had never heard of a marriage certificate being delivered or the process that her daughter had explained in all her time in Beo City. But it was as genuine as could be, with the watermark seal glaring at her.
Amanda expected her mother to be dissatisfied but surprisingly, she placed her hands on her chest and sighed deeply, then she said, "Finally, it all should be okay now. Mitch cannot touch you anymore."
"I am sorry that I failed as a mother, Amanda."
She turned towards Kelvin and said sternly, "I saw your sincerity and that is why I backed you up when you tried to help my daughter but if you disrespect or mistreat her, you will have a lot to answer for."
Then she softened her tone and added, "I leave her in your hands now to protect and to cherish."
"Thank you for trusting me, mum, I will cherish and protect Amanda with my life!" he vowed in front of all of them.
Amanda felt very safe with this group of people and that is why she had no qualms in baring her heart to them as well as even letting them in on the secret of the marriage certificate.
They kept quiet and continued to each the breakfast. Yvonne asked again, "What of accommodation? Will you stay here with them, or you'll move with Amanda elsewhere?"
Amanda who had seen Kelvin's previous place started saying, "Mum, we wi-," but Kelvin stopped her by placing his hands on hers as he was seated right beside her. Then he rather said,
"I want Amanda to be comfortable and close to her family, so I have rented the apartment next door,"
Both Amanda and Tasha gasped as they heard this information.
But the owner refused to rent this out for a long time, how did you manage to convince him in less than a day? Amanda asked with curiosity.
But instead of replying, he just smiled, and Tasha was left star-struck as she observed from the sidelines,
"He has a dimple too, what of the rest of us?" she asked herself.
"Do you have a brother?" she asked with all seriousness again. She had just remembered that her initial question was never answered.
Kelvin shook his head, but Tasha persisted and asked,
"What of a friend? Do you have any friends?"
"They say that birds of the same feathers flock together so even a friend will be like you,"
Kelvin chuckled in amusement as he got the direction of the conversation, but Tasha seemed serious. This even earned then an open laugh from Amanda whose heart secretly swelled with pride for … her man of course. She had also now just examined his features when he had smiled and seen that dimple too on the left side of his cheeks.
"So, who was the man that helped you get the certificate?" Yvonne interrupted and asked. She had been observing them bicker, but she found that part of the story was a bit fuzzy.