Every body was in stitches except of course Max who kept a strait face. He deep inside liked the attention and topic.
"That wasn't me, I swear to God" Nancy tried to defend herself but all was futile.
"Did you find out though?" One the guests asked.
"Uh-hmmm?" All the guest asked curiously which deepened Nancy's embarrassment.
Anna was just overwhelmed as the scenario replayed in her head. How could it be that neither she or Nancy had remembered them? At this moment she had a lot to care about than to rely on that. She laid her temple on Liam's shoulder without care as she watched Nancy being introgated.
"Please tell us, did you come to know his length or the research is still ongoing?" Eric asked with a skeptical expression but he was rather joking and teasing her.
Nancy hid behind Eric's back when she couldn't take the embarrassment anymore. Not that she was the shy type to fail to answer the question but knowing that her relatives with them and those on video call were listening ashamed her. Not to think of the millions of people watching them live at the moment on different social media platforms. She buried her face in his back whilst chuckling.
Max felt a penetrating stare coming from a certain direction. And he knew who it was. Not that all people present weren't looking at him but there was this particular person who was lately governing his mind. He turned his face in that direction to see the short brown skinned girl avert her eyes quickly. He smirked. He wondered what could be running in her mind right now.
"The battle isn't over yet, ma'am" Liam said trying to change the topic as they had a child in the midst of them who didn't need to hear all the nasty conversations. "I have to find justice for me and my fellas, that accusation of not wanting to shower is too huge on us"
The crowd laughed in unison.
"The case is in court and I'm the judge" Lexy said through the phone as she was also facetiming.
"Poor thing!" Debby said feigning empathy for Nancy, she turned to Liam. "So what was the aftermath, how comes that it took three whole years without hooking up when you had the chance to get her?"
All people adjusted themselves from the laughing and noisy state to attentiveness. They were like inside the movie it's self___not even the cinema hall.
"Well!" Liam continued, "We unfortunately had to leave that evening before getting enough time to collect myself as a man and approach the mystery girl. But that wasn't the worst part." He paused.
"It took me two weeks to finalize what exactly I was feeling about this girl. I didn't want to rush off with my unidentified feelings. But by the time I sorted myself out, I received bad news from the men I had sent back to find all the details about her. They told me that both girls had left the place. At first I thought it was merely a joke and that I will get her in my power but I think God proved me wrong. The villagers were in much unity and so secretive that however much you bribed them nobody could utter out more information on Anna___and I liked it somehow."
"Not to forget about how I would compare my pictures to Justin Bieber's to see who was more handsome. I hated him with passion for taking my girl's fancy that I wanted to find him and kill him___and I still do." Liam said with a very serious face but very funny at the same time. He turned to the camera.
"In case you see this mister Bieber, am more handsome and cute than you for your information."
Everyone laughed at his ridiculous protest including Max this time.
Comfort knew the assignment well enough who was behind the camera to zoom him in clearly with a grin.
He continued without letting anybody chime in this time, "All I had collected was her full name so I hopefully visited her Facebook page but it was inactive. All I could get was her pics.
One day after three years, Max called me with the most exciting news I have ever received in my life. He had coincidentally met Nancy and stalked her to their residence by then___which is where Anna have been staying till today. To be honest enough, I do not know how I reached Max but all I remember was that I came back to my senses when I was already at the place___fully excited to see her. Max got in touch with Phiona and employed her as our primary spy at the very base. And that's how the plot to get her to myself began." He concluded the flashback.
Everyone clapped for his victory. Anna wordlessly hugged him tighter with inexpressible joy and appreciation.
"After employing her at the café I built this house for us hoping to have the future together. I wanted to give it to her as my wedding gift once we get married but this thing here blew my mind yesterday when she stood before a congregation bigger than your number ten times plus and thanked the Lord for having me with an offertory of a million shillings. I just imagined how she had collected all that sum of money slowly for months on her small income___I couldn't sleep all night." He paused and turned her wet face for her to face him up.
"So my lady, I hear by tell you that this house now belongs to you and you alone. Nobody else has control or authority over it. Not even me myself. Even if I die right now, none of family members can take it away from you. And even if you find somebody better than me in future, never will I ever take back whatever....." Liam was silenced by Anna's sudden kiss.
She didn't mind whether people were watching her do one of the most private intimate acts in her African culture___Not even her mother, father and siblings both young and old who were over the phone. She just wanted to silence him from spewing nonsense.
"I love you so much, Liam, so so much." She said bawling, she clang to his neck and hugged him suffocatingly.
"Ewwww!" Almost everyone said with different emotions going through their heads. The well wishers were genuinely happy for the couple while others were wishing it for them___envious.
"I want to thank her parents and relatives for nurturing and taking good care of her," Liam said after a while, "but more specifically I want to thank Mr Nathaniel and Miss Nancy with a great gratitude. For as much as I know, you're some of the core people in her life that has driven her life safely and securely except God. She's the most intelligent, humble, careful and trustworthy reliable young lady I've ever met in my life. She taught me a lot in life without saying a word. Never had I ever seen a mostly selfless person who cares about other people's feelings not minding whether they like her back or not, she's mature at managing her emotions. So good at cooking, so clean and organized. She's an unearthly gem."
"I'm not crying!" Nathaniel said to see their proud uncle wiping tears.
"Something tells me that she will not live long because such pure hearted people live short. Never had I seen a perfect person in all aspects of life. Mr Nathaniel, your sister was still a maiden when I first touched her. I want you to know that your girl never disappointed you in that case and I am ready to pay for all cost of defiling her purity and virtue before proper marriage. Just name all sort of the bride price, I will gladly pay."
Phiona sternly glared at her female neighbors for always accusing Anna of harlotry. As if they clearly read her mind they shamefully lowered their heads in unison.
Even Nancy was looking like a proud mother, remembering how Anna's siblings had always accused her of sleeping around and aborting severally. She couldn't believe that it was Anna who was the most unwanted person in her family who was being celebrated this much right now. Deferent people had left their jobs relentlessly just to attend the party___including the elites! Not to talk of those who were using costly data bundles to watch them live. She reached out to Anna when she saw Nathaniel and hug Liam.
Anna hugged her back. It was always her bestie who understood her pain and joy___the ups and downs.
"I want to thank all the people who helped organise this party" Liam continued after receiving passionate hugs from Nathaniel, Eric and Enock. "I didn't know where to start from until I thought of Nancy. I called her at two late night and gave her the plan. Guess she managed the task completely fine as she mobilised almost y'all here. I want to appreciate Phiona, she's been here the whole day exhausting herself with work yet she has a sick child to..."
Max looked for Fiona to see her reaction but she wasn't anywhere to be seen. He looked for Paul to see if he was perhaps with her but he together with the daughter were around. He sneakily stepped out of the party ground unnoticed and rotated around the house in pursuit for her.
He finally found after minutes of searching, standing alone with her phone staring blankly in an open space. She seemed to be in a daze as she wasn't blinking or shifting her body. She looked so sad and exhausted.
"Fiona!" Max called once, twice and thrice but there wasn't any response from the girl. He felt a tinge of pain in his heart. He drew closer to her to see what was the matter but when he tapped on her, she jolted terribly that startled the both of them.
Max held her still, "What is it?"
"N-Nothing....am fine" Fiona said holding her terrified heart. She tried to wiggle out of his arms but he instead tightened the grip.
"I won't leave you untill you tell me what the matter is. You can't be fine and stand here in sadness alone when others are partying. I know you like partying." Max said with much concern in his voice and eyes.
Fiona sighed defeatedly, she started looking around, blinking back the stinging tears in her eyes and making sure nobody found them in such an intimate position.
As if Max had read her exact mind, he pulled her gently out of Liam or now Anna's gate and into his mansion. To make her feel more safer and secure, he took her directly into his room which was like rather a full house of its own. He made her sit down on the couch and sat right in front of her.
"I'm all ears" He said leaning back.
Instead of saying a word, Fiona burst into hot tears. It was as if all she wanted at the moment was someone to listen to her. She cried heavily and loudly that breathing became a problem.
Max merely pulled her in and just let her cry all the pain out as it was the primary reliever. She kept digging her long nails into his skin but that didn't matter to him. He instead wanted her to even bite him if it would make her feel good. He pretty sure understood what pain, sorrow, darkness, despair and deep depression felt like. He didn't wish any of those experiences to locate this fragile innocent girl but the world was so wicked to excuse her.
When crying aloud felt too heavy for her, she started humming weakly. Max kept on soothing her back untill she felt her strength come back to her bones. She was now strong enough to speak her mind out.
"My paternal side relatives have been calling me all day, threatening to kill me and my daughter for causing their brother and sister-in-law's arrest. Most especially my Aunty who is like the head of them.