"And he was like, are you okay, Miss?" Maryann mimicked as she explained the whole scenario to Gran.
"And what did you do, Ann gurl?" Granny wanted to know more.
"I...I...I....." Maryann began to stutter.
"You did what?"
"I...I...I talked back" Maryann said.
"You insulted someone who just saved your life?!" Granny screamed angrily.
"But Gran, I wondered how he saved my life, because even if I had fallen I would have stood up on my own….there is really no big deal about it"
"Even if you had gotten up on your own…. I promise you, five of your teeth would have gone missing."
"I'm sorry, Gran"
"Sorry?! Sorry won't solve anything…. You gotta find that young man and apologize to him for that insulting mess you put him through."
"How Gran? I don't even know him, talk less of finding him" Maryann was confused.
Even though Maryann stole a lot without refraining from it no matter how bad the situation she got in may seem to be.
Granny always taught her good morals and she carried them out perfectly, but why didn't she apply it to the young man who saved her from losing her teeth is what sounded strange because it was unlike her to behave like that.
"You must find him today. Apologize to him today. Now take me out for air"
When Granny said this…it meant Maryann had to push her along the street with Granny in her wheelchair.
Granny Mia being a good woman made people love her so much, but hating her granddaughter would never be an exception.
Every day she receives bad reports about Maryann.
Some days she gets mad at Maryann, some days she is soaked in tears.
"Why wouldn't her granddaughter change?" Granny thought as Maryann pushed her along the sidewalk.
So many people greeted her as she passed by, some ignored her while some rumored loudly;
"Hi, Granny Mia"
"Where have you been?"
"How are you feeling?"
And some rumored like;
"Granny Mia, did you hear what happened at the market today?"
"Your granddaughter is really an annoying girl."
"I'm sure she has stolen your panties and bra too."
Granny Mia waved to those giving good compliments and ignored those giving bad compliments.
Maryann kept mute throughout the walk, because things like that didn't make her flinch.
She was called names in life to the point she just didn't care anymore and got used to criticism and, funny enough, nothing could stop her from stealing.
As Maryann pushed Granny Mia forward, they were shocked at what they saw.
On a broad billboard was boldly written 'WANTED' with Maryann's picture roughly sketched on it
"What?!" Mary screamed.
Granny turned her head to stare at Maryann; "Told ya several times, not everybody you mess with, now how you gon clean it up with just a rag?" Granny shouted.
Maryann became so confused because she didn't think it would go this far and the worst was she had been in worse situations than the one from earlier, but nothing ever came out. "I didn't know, it gon be this serious."
"Let's get back home, take the left lane, the streets are not safe for you" Granny Mia ordered.
"Okay Granny"
As she pushed Granny along the left lane, a few minutes later they were home inside their laundry house.
Granny Mia ordered her to put the television on and what they saw was really shocking:
NEWS HEADLINES
A FEMALE THIEF WANTED BY THE ARMED FORCES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, MUST BE FOUND IN BETWEEN FOUR DAYS TIME.
'President Cyril Brown ordered the CIA and FBI agents to get the female suspect known to be a thief who stole from the market a few hours ago. In the new written constitution, it is said that the penalty for theft is torture before five years and half a year jail time without trial.'
'A female suspect was caught in the market stealing oranges from a kiosk. Some said it was a mere orange.'
'But Mister David Oliver, the personal secretary to the President said'...."Theft grows rapidly as time goes by, and the thief will start in the market square and end up in the bank."'
'According to President Cyril Brown, he said that even if the armed forces couldn't find her, anyone who knew her or where she lives should report her immediately to the FBI and CIA agents and the individual would be rewarded with fifty thousand pounds.'
THANK YOU FOR CO-OPERATING
WITH US IN WORLD NEWS
Granny Mia shivered.
Maryann sat on the floor out of shock, this was the United States and there was no way they wouldn't find Maryann.
"How can you explain this to the world?" Granny cried.
"I don't know Gran, I didn't know it would be this serious", Maryann defended.
Before they knew it, they heard a knock on the door.
They didn't know who it was. They both froze, but they didn't have a choice…
Maryann stood up and opened the door…lo and behold!
"Freeze!!!"
"Here she is…take her away" A Police officer said while pointing a gun at Maryann.
Granny began to wail.
Maryann did as she was told as she lifted both her hands up in the air.
Granny used her hand to cover her mouth from wailing aloud.
Another police officer walked towards Maryann and showed her his ID card.
"Miss Maryann Taylor…you are under arrest for stealing…please come with us, and you don't have any right to an attorney, no matter what you say will be used to increase your number of years in prison, so please do well to co-operate with us" The police officer said as he handcuffed her.
Granny Mia rode the wheelchair towards them. "Please it was a mistake, she won't do it again…please…." Granny's voice trailed off.
They ignored Granny Mia as they grabbed Maryann by both shoulders.
"Let go of me" Maryann cried as she struggled.
"Please leave my granddaughter…."
"Don't say anything, ma'am. This is an order from the president himself."
Granny Mia did nothing but mumble her cries.
They took Maryann out, leaving Granny Mia crying without a comforter.
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
The White House was booming with activities.
Cyril couldn't think straight.
But why was he thinking about the thief at the market earlier?
He began to regret whether this was the worst decision he had ever made since he got elected as president four weeks ago.
He knew that if anyone found out he was trying to protect and defend her…it was going to go viral and things would get out of hand.
She was the first criminal to be caught during his reign, which made things confusing for him, because why was she a thief?
Sheriff Edward walked towards Cyril, removed his cowboy hat and bowed, then stood silent until Cyril ordered him to.
"What happened?" Cyril asked.
"We found her, Sir". Edward didn't add another statement unless Cyril told him to
"Where is she now?"
"She is at the headquarters with the others" Edward said.
"Good, is there anything else I am supposed to know?"
"Yes Sir"
"Okayyyyyyyy??…"
"It's about the PBP next week"
PBP known as the Position Banquet Party, was a day set out by the White House where the President hires young, less privileged citizens who committed petty crimes and were caught on the spot, shares them in different groups and classes and gives them positions in the White House as work that they will do every day and get paid for it still by the President
"What about it?"
"She is supposed to be in prison, because that's what the people know, so this going live, and the people find out she is among the workers, it will cause an uproar….."
Edward laid things out
"Was her face shown on the news?" Cyril asked.
"Just a rough sketch"
"You think they will still recognize her?"
"Ninety percent sure, rumors have it that everyone knows her as a thief"
"And why wasn't she reported all these while?" Cyril asked.
"The police got tired because she never stopped", Edward said.
"Okay, let's do this, we can't let anybody know she is the one". Cyril suggested
"But….this is ...."
Cyril cut Edward short. "It's gonna be a secret between you and I"
"So sir, are you saying that you are going to give her a class", Edward asked in surprise, because this is not how Cyril was, is and will be
"I don't know yet, but let's just see, I might even change my mind before next week and put her in prison," Cyril said as he tucked his hand into the pocket of his pants and walked out, and his men followed him from behind.
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
Maryann looked around where she stood and saw people her age all over the room, including males.
She looked around and found the room surrounded by people, but it seemed to be more occupied with dry hay and wood.
Her eyes spotted a door at the end of the large room and found out it was the only entrance and exit door with one window, but it had no bars.
She rushed to open the door, bent the handle and found out it was locked.
Everyone turned around and looked at her in shock, but no one said anything to her.
She caught sight of the window and she smiled.
It was her normal entrance, so it was nothing new.
She rushed to climb the wall and fly out the window when she was dragged down by a girl almost close to her age, "What do you think you are doing?" The girl asked.
"I want to go home, my Granny is alone". Maryann answered.
"If you step out there, you will be in big trouble" The girl said.
Two more people walked up to them.
"My name is Sarah. Sarah Michael" The girl who dragged her down said
"My name is Lisa. Lisa Duncan" The second girl who came forward, towards them said
"I'm James Peterson". The guy who followed Lisa to meet them said "What's yours?"
"I'm Maryann Taylor, please can you tell me where I am and who are you people."
"We are all citizens but we each have one crime we have committed, but instead of taking us to prison, the President orders us to be brought in here and at the end of the day…. He gives us jobs at the White House to fend for ourselves and keep all of us in check too," Lisa explained.
"Not big crimes though, just petty crimes…" James added.
"This is a cottage built for us…behind the headquarters generally inside the White House," Lisa continued.
"Isn't our president so sweet…..the former president would've jailed us in no time" Sarah blushed.
"How come I didn't see when I was brought in here?" Maryann asked.
"Maybe you were too strong so they had to give you a relaxing muscle and sleep injection", Lisa said.
Maryann recalled when she was struggling while the police were trying to put her in the car, when she was resisting too stubbornly, they inserted something into her neck and that's all she could remember, and now she was there in the middle of three friendly strangers locked up in a room full of hay and logs.
"Everyone here is the least helper of the president, and we choose to serve him for saving us from prison, and we will be having a PBP next week", Lisa said.
"PBP!!! What does that even mean? And how long have you guys been here?" Maryann asked surprisingly.
"We have been here for two weeks and three days" Sarah answered.
"You counted!!!" James asked.
Sarah laughed. "Yes."
"PBP is the Position Banquet Party, for us when the President categorizes us into different positions and classes to work " Lisa continued.
As they were explaining things around to Maryann, the door to the cottage creaked open and a plumpy tall white woman came in.
Everyone exclaimed and positioned themselves in order and knelt down.
They all chorused; "Welcome Miss Hallington!!"