The couple walked hand in hand on the street as if they hadn't cussed eachother a few nights ago. They were wearing all white from head to toe with black, yellow, and red stripped long sleeved shirt. And dark brown shades to hide their swollen eyes.
"...I was really so happy but then you shoved the cake in my face and I did the same to you with the remaining cake" Anna said. She was narrating to him the dream she had had about their wedding.
"That's how stubborn I hope my wife to be in future."
"Don't worry dear husband, the future is today. Just wait patiently 'cause I got it full in the store" Anna said swinging their intertwined hands.
"I know" He said, "When would you want us to get married?"
Anna looked at him with a sweet smile, "When we're ready to have a family. It had always been my wish to get pregnant in honeymoon."
"How many kids would like to have?" Liam asked looking back at her.
"Twelve"
"Get out! You want to break my back?"
Anna giggled, "Don't worry about that, I will pray for the biblical Solomon's anointing to fall on you"
"Isn't he the one who had one thousand plus women?" He asked and she nodded, "You want me to have all those women too?"
"No, i meant his energy to fuck them all"
Liam raised a brow, "What's spoiling you rapidly madam? The shy Nana I know feared uttering such vulgar words."
"That's Nana, this is Belle besides you!" Anna said.
"And what's the difference?"
"Nana is this girl whose brother, mother, uncles, Aunty and cousin sister call her baby to date and she likes it like that 'cause she feels loved but always a kid and little to express herself to them.
Anna is this known most beautiful girl the world is dying for who is irritated by her own self, she's always bitter and lonely which makes her hate her existence.
Then Belle is this crazy girl who feels free, secure, most beautiful, happier, prouder and wanted. She sees the value in herself because of this one person who looks at her with adoration.
As much as I love Nana and feel at peace with her, I would still choose Belle over and over again. I know I have anger issues but I've never expressed it to anybody else like I did to you because I had a feeling that you wouldn't call me a bipolar or get tired of me. Even when I said shit on you, I still knew that you'd look for me. So, I feel free to say anything and everything to you and only you. Not even my best friend."
Liam kissed her on the lips, not minding the passer-by. They had stopped walking, Liam had been leaning on a tree folding one leg listening to her as he looked deep in her eyes after adjusting their shades. He kissed her on the forehead and wrapped his arms around her.
Unknown to the couple, somebody not far from them was filming them.
"You make me stay sane in bad times." Was all he said as he soothed her with the back of his fingers on her cheeks.
"My family wants to meet you" Liam said after sometime of silence.
Anna tilted her head to look at him in the eyes, "Really?"
"Uhm! Are you scared?"
"Yes, I don't know if you're parents will like me?" She said.
"That shouldn't be your concern, the big deal is that I love you and that's what matters the most."
Anna stayed silent for a while, "When?"
"Next weekend, it will be a family gathering. Lewis and Rocky will bring their girlfriends as well."
"Okay, we shall go"
They walked slowly conversing to themselves till they reached in the town the hotel was located in. They found born again Christians holding a crusade in the centre of the town. Anna pushed herself through the crowd and climbed on a raised platform where girls and boys of her age and above were dancing and praising the lord. She started dancing rhythmically to their moves with a wide smile on her face. She didn't care that she was the only one wearing pants while other girls were in skirts, she was only gratefully dancing to God in thanks giving.
Liam shook his head in amusement, he stood folding his arms on his chest just staring at her. He at least preferred seeing her like this than how he had found her like earlier.
The crusade lit up as more and more people on feet and vehicles stopped by just staring at a beauty covered in sweat shamelessly dancing. In some parts of Africa, born again Christians were considered crazy and poor. So seeing pretty young high class girl with peasants amazed them.
When the praising time ended, Anna got down where Liam was but heard a man with a microphone call her to go back on the pulpit. She went back and a guy gave her a microphone.
"Praise God, child of God?" A middle aged man who seemed to be the senior pastor asked.
"Amen pastor!" Anna replied.
"Why do you love God to that extent. You seem to lack nothing. It's not always people like you willingly and happily do what you did." The man said.
"I have a lot of reasons as to why I love God so much, pastor. You see my eyes?" Anna asked putting the shades,
"Yes" Pastor said, "They're red and swollen"
"Uh huh. I drunk alcohol last night and day crying my eyes out because of the problems I had but neither did I get peace nor did my problems go away. At the end of the day, it's only God who helps his people. I have a lot of testimonies but I want to share some in your church this coming Sunday, just give me your address." Anna said.
All church members applauded in joy for her. They gave her a small paper having the name of the church and where it is located.
"Today is Thursday, right?"
"Yes Pastor" Anna said,
"Thank you so much child of God, see you on Sunday" Pastor said and Anna climbed down again.
"Are you really going?" Liam asked after walking away from the crowd.
"We" She corrected, "Are we going at church on Sunday? Yes, we're. I had it in my plans anyway, this was just a reminder."
"Child of God, huh?" Liam teased.
"Hell yeah! I am....."
The couple went on talking, teasing eachother, laughing alone just alone in a cool and calm atmosphere till they returned back at the hotel. They showered together ate dinner and tiredly slept. Given that Liam had had a long sleepless depressed flight he was tired to bones to do anything else.
The next morning, the couple made love from 3am to 9am nonstop till the whole bed got wet by their love juices. They were covering for all days they had been apart. After cleaning up and having a heavy breakfast, they left for Anna's place.
"I'm scared of facing Fiona" Anna said when they were about to reach the place "She defended me for so long from our neighbors for bad mouthing me but I ungratefully cussed her in front of them. Worst of all, I left her the next morning in the place she didn't know about. What a shame?"
Liam touched her thing to comfort her, "She will understand"
"Understanding, forgiving and forgetting are three different things. Even if she forgives me, she won't forget about every mean word I said. I don't want her to distance herself from me." She said her eyes moisturising.
"It's okay. How about I take you two in a nice place to wash it off?" Liam asked, he had heard everything so he understood how she was feeling.
"For reall?" She asked, "But, what if she refuses?"
"I know that she won't. If she willingly followed you at that time of the night, she still loves you." Liam confirmed.
"Okay." She murmured under her breath.
Liam parked the car in his parking spot and Anna got out with slow strides towards Fiona's door. She humbly waved at four women sitting together nextdoor. She glanced at Liam who was unlocking their house and he gave her a reassuring nod. She knocked thrice but there wasn't any response. With a loud pounding her heart, she called her name twice but there wasn't anything still. She turned around to go heavyhearted but heard Fiona call her name from afar.
"Anna wait" Fiona said running towards Anna, she was holding a black polythene bag and a phone which seemed like she was coming from a grocery store. The braids were swaying on either sides as she ran.
Anna beamed with a smile when she saw Fiona smile at her. To her surprise, Fiona wrapped her arms around her when she got closer.
"Thank God your back, I missed you." Fiona said with a high spirit.
Anna confusedly hugged her back. She had hoped for an opposite reaction from her but this warmed her heart.
"That's Liam's car, does it mean you guys are good now?" Fiona asked wispering for only Anna to hear.
"Yes"
"Yeah! I knew!" Fiona exclaimed dancing a little. "My God always hears my prayers and he heard me this time too. Thank you lord."
Anna felt a ting in her heart, "Are you not mad at me?"
Fiona frowned, "For what?"
"For everything I did to you"
"Come on, Anna, that's in past. Come on in." She said pulling Anna inside her house. "See, I'm also trying to copy your house arrangement."
Anna sighed inwardly, the turn of events calmed her nerves. She looked around the room with a small smile. There weren't many thing in the room but it was clean and organized. A small TV on a wooden table, a small well laid bed, a clean plastic carpet. A plastic chair where she sat. The only expensive thing inside were a suitcase and everything they had bought together a few days prior.
"What a good student I have here!" Anna complemented.
"Guess what," Fiona started excitedly, "Max took me in a big hotel for breakfast after you left. Girl, it was massive, I ate what I had never eaten before. I wished you were there with me to enjoy better. I was so scared of Max to eat the whole plate but thankfully, he ordered the waitress to pack everything for me. Gosh, those people can cook, chai!"
"Chai" Anna laughed, "That explains the glow on your face. Weren't you scared of him for having a gun?"
"I was. I had never heard a gunshot sound in real life and it terrified me but that wasn't the case by then. First, there came a girl whose name I've forgotten asking me to be her brother's girlfriend in English. I told her I'm marriage and she got angry. I thought Max would get mad at me for annoying her."
Anna laughed out loud, "Kim said that?"
"Ahaaa! Kim. She must be a spoilt kid for sure. Eh! I wonder if she's not scared of Max. He's always angry and tough."
Anna nodded remembering Kim's conversation with Liam. 'Now that you reminded me, I have to ask Liam that sad story Christine told me about before I forget again.'
"She's not spoilt, she's just looking for suitable girl for her brother...." Anna said.
"Ehee...She said that I'm pretty and that I suit her brother."
Anna laughed at how Fiona was pointing at her as if to emphasize her point.