Fan Turned Hater.

Dearest Diary,

You heard what he said, right? Do you believe it? I believe i have framed that wrongly. What i mean to ask is, do you agree with him? Should i abandon you now that i seem to have finally gotten it together?

I don't know...I seem to have grown quite attached to you and who knows, maybe i will publish you one day. At the same time, I know that i haven't been as attentive to you as i would like but, I hope that you know that it's not intentional...

I would like to say more but I have a bride to attend to and she's going crazy because i am not paying attention to her.

See you around and as always...lots of love from me.

Signing out,

★ALD★

*********

A smile breaks upon my face as i save the journal entry and turn my attention to the raging bride to be.

"ATTARA!" A frustrated Lydia snaps at me and flash a dazzling smile at her.

"Attara..." she whines and a chuckle escapes my lips. "Please...she's so cute and i'd love to have her as my flower girl."

"I don't know Lydia..."

"Please..." she begs and i can't help but feel guilty.

"I know i said she would but things have changed." I reply with a hint of regret in my words. "Her father and I are thinking of changing schools..."

"But Attara it's not like it will be on a school day..Ah!" She gasps. "Are you taking her to a boarding school?"

I mull it over in my head and give her a nod.

"Something like that. We are thinking of taking her back home. So you see why that would be a problem."

"You're leaving? Does David know about this?"

I smile awkwardly at her realising how my cryptic words must sound to her. "Lydia please...let's talk about this later. Will you show me how you tie this Lesso things?" I add with a frustrated look on my face. It works and a smile cracks on Lydia's face.

"Like this..." the girl twirls me around and wraps the Kanga around my waist before taking a second piece which she uses to cover the upper parts of my body. "Now hold it in place like this to hide your face and your hands." She adds with another laugh.

"And what is the purpose of this?" I ask alluding to my get up and that of almost ten other girls in the room and the rooms beyond.

"The groom is supposed to identify his bride from among the girls of this household. It goes to show if he truly knows her."

"Why go to all that trouble?" I ask with a laugh.

"It's entertaining plus if he can't then he pays a fine..."

"In short it's another way for your clan elders to siphon money."

Lydia laughs again. "Something like that..."

"Girls...girls! It's time." Linda bursts through the doorway and turns to look at Lydia in dismay. "Cover yourself up...we are going,"

Lydia hurries up and covers her head and torso completely hiding the mermaid kitenge outfit underneath. Since we can't see with our faces covered...Linda and the other chaperones guide us outside to the waiting crowd who begin to cheer with our arrival.

As we are moved along i trip more than once as my feet are caught by between blades of drying grass and i finally understand why Linda insisted thet i wear flat shoes.

Our chaperones halt our progress and the master of ceremony moves on to taunt David.

"Hawa ndio wasichana wa boma hili...unaweza kumtambua unaye mchumbia?"

I don't hear how he responds but I assume that he has nodded in the affirmative.

"Ebu paza sauti watu wote wakusikie"

"Ndio baba." David responds and the crowds burst out laughing.

"Mmeskia, Daudi amesema kwamba anamtambua. Lakini kuna kusema na kuna kutenda. Ebu toka sasa uende ukamlete mpenzio..."

I hear the shuffling of feet and they move towards us.

"Ndio huyo Daudi, anatembea hunyo hunyo...Na askari wenzake," the crowdsclaugh again. " Wanamsaidia kumpambana na the giant. The Goliath of finding a wife." The master of ceremony switches languages as he commentates on the events that are now happening.

"Wanajadiliana sasa on the best course of action..." the MC trails off and he pauses for a moment. "Unauhakika ni yeye ama unataka kubadilisha chaguo lako?" The crowd laughs again and I am also tempted to snigger.

"Ndio. Niko sure."

Our chaperones whisper for us to pull down our wrappers and a cheer goes up in the crowd to signify that David has been successful. Beside stands a grinning Lydia and two gentleman who i assume are his brothers.

"Sawa...wasichana wa boma, mnaweza rudi ndani sasa." One by one we file back into the house leaving Lydia behind and the ceremony continues.

***

"What did I miss?" I ask as i slip into the seat between my mum and Troy.

"Nothing much. Just a few speeches and the total humiliation of the two lovebirds." Troy laughs as his fingers slip between mine. My mother looks at our intertwined hands and smiles at us eliciting a scoff from Shea who is seated next to her.

"You haven't told her?" I nod back at Troy.

"I haven't found the time yet."

"She's murdering me with her eyes." The man chuckles back at me.

"If i were you i would be extremely worried."

"I am not. I know you will protect me." He leans down to whisper back and a disgusted sound escapes my sister's mouth.

"Are you okay dear?" Mother asks her and i stifle back a laugh.

"You're evil! Why don't you just deal with it and put her out of her misery?" He tells me.

"And miss out watching your number one fan turned hater sending you filthy looks? I am sorry but i am having too much fun to care."

"Wait until she hears that we are getting married..." At that my head snaps back and i eye him curiously.

"We are?"

"Don't tell me that you don't find that attractive..."he says jutting his chin out to the blushing couple.

"Mmm...I have been to busy to think about it." The man gives me a knowing look but i look away too embarassed to meet his eye.

"Really?" He taunts me.

"Shea! Could you help me out?" I say standing up and Troy has the decency to shoot me a horrified expression.

"You want me to strangle him?"

"Shea!" Mother exclaims and i laugh at her bewildered expression.

"No...the car." I start leading the way and my sister follows closely behind me.

"He did not do it..." I say as i turn back to look at my sister. We have stopped beside the monstrosity that is Bridget and I can see that she is trying hard to process my words.

"How can you be sure?"

"I saw the time tags on the photos. He couldn't have done since i know where he was at the time."

"But still..." she attempts to protest but i cut her off.

"Yes, he got me the house and Camilla but everything else is mine."

"How? I have seen your payslips. You don't earn that much."

"Yea...about that. I have not been completely open..." she gives me a look and i take that as my cue to continue."The books..."

"Your silly novels," she scoffs at me.

"Hey, they are not silly. They got published and that's where i have been getting my money from."

"Still it doesn't explain anything."Shea responds skeptically.

"It does when the said books have been made into school reading material...I am selling thousands of copies in a month, plus i also have other investments." I go on to explain my business to her and as my words sink in, i see the wonder and light in her eyes. All her anger and skeptism is replaced by awe and adoration and i xan tell that i have been propelled to the position of an idol in her life.

"Does mum know?"

"Not yet. But i spoke with dad and he will tell her when we get back home."

"Wait, he knew!" I nod. "I see what you are doing there. You want her to explode on him and not you."

"One can dream."

"She'll still find a way to make you pay for it you know."

"I'll handle it when it comes."

We are quiet for a while as we all digest what has just transpired between us. Then Shea speaks and bursts the bubble.

"So, about Troy should i turn around now or should i make him sweat a little?"