THE NATION'S FAIRY

4 DAYS TO THE WEDDING.....

Nancy rolled over on her bed to face the balcony through which the morning sun illuminated the room, she opened her sleepy eyes slowly and looked at the beautiful sky and a lazy smile graced her lips.

She didn't have a care in world, I mean how could she, she lived the perfect life of a princess, she had a man who loved her, friends who cared about her and kept her company without restraint, a father who loved her and made time for her. Her life was just as beautiful as this morning sun that she stared at through the annealed glass pane of her French window. What was there to worry about?

Her sleepy eyes drifted from the beautiful sky to the dress that stood elegantly in the middle of the room and her smile broadened. It was exquisite. Yesterday when she tried on the dress, Nicole had been so excited saying that it was a dress that would make headlines, and she was right.

Now that Nancy looked at it, she was glad she had put in so much effort, time, and patience to look for the dress, and now that she looked at it, she couldn't wait to wear it and stand in front of the whole world while they took pictures of it. She was satisfied.

But she wasn't sure if Martha was satisfied with her dress, every other person had tried on their dresses yesterday and had admired it proudly, all her friends were so happy that after the fitting they decided to celebrate and then see a movie they had been eying at the theatre. The celebration went well, but the movie, not so much.

After they saw the first movie, Lucy who was a movie addict begged them to see another, then another and so they spent the entire day in the theatre watching comedies and laughing their heart out happily while they shared popcorn and drinks.

By the time it was past midnight, they were thrown out of the theatre, as it was past the closing time, she had come back home tired and with a headache. The only person whose dress they haven't seen was Martha's and because it was late, the other girls decided to come over and have a look today.

Throwing aside the bed cover in excitement, Nancy climbed out of her bed and stretched a little before running out of her room barefooted in nothing but her light pink pajamas which had flower prints design on it. The thing that excited her the most wasn't just the dress that she was going to see or the wedding dress that stood in her room, it was the fact that her wedding was just around the corner.

In just a few days she would be Mrs. Nancy Rodriguez. How perfect. She thought as she knocked on Martha's door.

"Marthy, open up!" She shouted with excitement but got no response.

"Martha?" She said as she turned the doorknob opened the door and walked in slowly. She frowned a little as she looked at the room. It was strangely clean and had no sign of life.

"Martha?" she called again as she walked in but got no response.

"Did she have another meeting today?" Nancy wondered as she looked around at the room one more time before heading downstairs.

"Miss Joyce." She called as she walked down the stairs.

"Miss Joyce?" She called again holding onto the acrylic stair rails and looking down the stairwell to see if the person she sort was anywhere near, but she got no response nor did she see anyone. She hurried down the stairs still oblivious of the fact that she was walking barefooted.

When she got to the last staircase, she headed for the dining room where she heard the clinking of utensils, as she walked in, she saw her father seated in the dining room having breakfast.

"Hello, Dad." Nancy said with a smile as she went to kiss his cheek.

"My angel!" Allman Bloom said looking at his over-pampered daughter. He didn't care if she woke up at a time like 10. am in the morning, neither did he care that she didn't work at his company or any company at all despite having a degree in business administration.

If his daughter didn't want to work, then let her seat at home and enjoy life. After all she had suffered a lot growing up without a mother. If he didn't pamper her enough, how could he possible face his wife who he had mistreated in the past? The only thing he was grateful for was that she had a man who loved her, a capable man at that.

"Seat down and join your father for breakfast." Allman said.

"Dad I haven't brushed my teeth. I came down to look for Miss Joyce." Nancy replied as she looked at the dishes laid out on the table, fighting the urge to take a bite of the pancake that had syrup all over it.

"Who cares about that? You can just brush when you're done eating." Allman indulged, guessing by the look in his daughter's eyes that she really wanted to eat.

"Dad!" Nancy exclaimed but her father smiled and pulled her down on the seat beside him.

"Just eat." He said and she sat down immediately and began to pile up pancakes into her plate.

"I heard you finally went to pick up your gown yesterday." Allman began as he watched his daughter pour the strawberry syrup that was her favorite all over the pile of pancakes generously.

"Yes, I did. You should come, see the dress, Dad. It is a killer!" Nancy said with excitement as she closed her eyes to savor the taste of the pancakes with syrup in her mouth.

"I'd see it on your wedding day. I would love to be marveled at how beautiful my daughter looks on her day just like everyone else." Allman Bloom interjected with a smile, one that Nancy mirrored.

"Dad, you are spoiling me. If I continue to eat without brushing my teeth, I would certainly develop a mouth odor." Nancy said as she continued to devour the pancakes.

"I don't mind, if you have one, we can just buy some expensive mouthwash to treat it." Allman replied.

He knew what his daughter was doing. Whenever she really want to do something that she knew was not right, she would put on a puppy look in front of him and say no, a look that made him cajole her to do what she wanted and when she finally did, she would then scold him for indulging her, lecturing him on the disadvantages it would have on her. He knew this trick very well but he still played along with it. He was just glad his daughter had a good heart, if not. God knows the havoc she would have wrecked.

While the father and daughter were enjoying each other's company, Secretary Kim and Miss Joyce walked into the dining room.

"Good morning sir, Miss Nancy," Secretary Kim greeted, he was an elderly man in his fifties. He had been serving the Bloom family since he was young and he knew the Blooms better than any other person.

Nancy gave her best smile, "Good morning Secretary Kim." She repleid to Secretary Kim who nodded and turned to her father.

"Sir, your ride is here." He said and Mr. Bloom immediately took a sip of the tea in the ceramic demitasse and dapped at the corners of his mouth with a napkin before he kissed his daughter on the forehead.

"See you later darling. Have a nice day." He said as he walked out, closely followed by Secretary Kim.

"You too dad," Nancy called after him, then turned to Miss Joyce.

"Miss Joyce, I have been searching all over for you."

"Good morning Miss Nancy. I wasn't in the mansion, I had to see to the cleaning of the garden, the place is a mess and the gardener took ill," she explained.

"Is he okay?" Nancy asked with concern in her eyes.

"Yes, he is." Miss Joyce said with a smile. The Blooms were just as they've always been, kind and compassionate. She thought.

"You need to tell dad if he needs help with his medical bill," Nancy said without giving her words much thought. This was how she always was, this was how things were in her family, they helped those they could.

"Okay miss." Miss Joyce said with a nod, before she asked again, "Why were you looking for me?"

"Oh yes. I didn't see Martha and her room was empty, did she have another meeting today?" Nancy asked glancing at Miss Joyce as she sliced through the remaining pancakes on her plate.

"No Miss, I don't know. Miss Martha left the house yesternight."

"What do you mean, left the house?" Nancy asked with confusion.

"She packed her things and left." Miss Joyce expatiated and Nancy's eyes widened in surprise.

"She left? Like went back to France? Why did something happen? Is her mom okay? Isn't she going to be at the wedding anymore?" series of questions tumbled out of Nancy's lips as she panicked.

"No ma'am, she's still in the country and she would be attending the wedding," Joyce affirmed and Nancy heaved a sigh of relief.

She didn't know why but ever since Martha came back she had always been on edge. That friend of hers has been acting differently and she couldn't ask her out rightly, since they've been separated for years they couldn't just jump right back to their friendship as if nothing happened right? But she's been putting effort, trying to make them as close as they used to be but it seems Martha already lost interest in the friendship they had.

Maybe Nicole was right, maybe they were strangers now. If then was it right to make her, her bridesmaid? Nancy wondered with a sigh, then looked at Joyce.

"Did she tell you why?"

"Yes, she said at the meeting she had yesterday, she was asked to move into the accommodation made available for her, so she has no choice but to obey." Miss Joyce explained and Nancy sighed.

It was obviously an excuse and a lie. What was Martha? A baby who needs to be told where she could or could not stay? Was their seminar the first to occur? How can they tell her to come live in a hotel when she had a better place to stay at?

"Did she tell you which hotel it was?" Nancy asked again as if to confirm her suspicion.

"No. She called a cab and left herself." Miss Joyce explained.

She had a fair understanding of what was going on. What she didn't understand was why? Nancy and Martha had been friends since they were kids.

What could have gone wrong between them to make Martha move out? Joyce wondered, obviously Nancy knew nothing about it as she could clearly see the distress on her face.

But while Joyce brooded on this matter, Nancy stood up sadly losing appetite for the remaining meal, and walked out of the dining room sadly.

She had been right. Martha had no desire to still be friends with her, the person who was forcing it must be her. Maybe that was why she left all those years ago. Nancy thought sadly as she walked back to her room still barefooted.