REUNION

"Those were love and lose are always connected by heartstrings into infinity."

-Terri Guilleement.

"You can't truly heal from a loss until you anchor yourself to feel the loss."

-Mandy Hale.

"Don't grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form."

-Unknown.

This chapter is dedicated to Wattpad KweenieZeeyah midnight701 Deraponder imanuelaroberts

♥Granny Abigail's POV♥

A home is usually a welcoming place, where families live in harmony, peace, joy and happiness. Unfortunately, it has become an empty house with a gloomy atmosphere. Somewhere within, mixed with the pains, where images of flower and Anna. Yet, it still feels stagnant just like a river.

A home is an abiding place of affection. A home is where not just your heart is, but the hearts of those you love and trust. Why call this ginormous building a home when happiness has eluded us. Our major source of joy, heiress to the family's empire has been kidnapped for five days. We don't even know if she is still alive or dead. But sweet Jesus tells me that he is keeping her safe.

Everyone tries to go on their normal business but they wear a sad face always. The house is so silent that you can hear the drop of a pin or a mouse squeaking. Everett tries to mask his feelings by burying himself in work. Anna's mother, Elle tries to appear strong but we all hear her cries as she break down during midnight. Bailey wears long faces all day but she still tries to appear strong, if not for anybody but us. She bakes freshly made Irish cream chocolate chip cookies for anyone as she tries so hard to lift everyone's mood. And as for me, I have buried myself in prayers, knowing only God can intervene.

Elle has refused to go to work and she now occupies Anna's room, sniffing her bedspread and wearing her clothes because she doesn't want her daughter's scent to elude her. She looks leaner and older because she has refused to eat claiming she has no appetite. She looks heartbroken, gloomy and wretched as she wallows in sadness.

"What do we do to Elle now?" Bailey walked towards me with a tray of freshly baked cookies, soft sugar cookies with buttercream frosting.

"I don't know, to be honest. I'm equally worried about Anna, but I'm afraid about Elle's mental health too." I sighed tiredly closing my bible.

"What do we do now? Something needs to be urgently done. We can't keep folding hands, Abigail." She wiped her sweaty face with the hem of her apron.

"Tipo cosa?" My brows furrowed in seriousness.

"You know I don't understand Italian. You need to translate." Bailey blurted out with a confused look.

"Like what?" I fired. "What do you want me to do?"

"Go talk to Elle." She munched on a cookie.

"Talk to Elle?" I spat. "I have been talking to her for the past five days, and where has that gotten me?" I folded my arms, staring at her inquisitively.

"You know what? I will just go and try again. I hope the Aroma of my cookies will revive her." She countered.

"Best of-" I started but was interrupted by the ringing tone of her phone.

"This is important, I will just go and get it." She said hurriedly, abandoning the tray of cookies on the couch next to me.

"Incredibìle." I kept muttering and tapping my feet on the rug. I took a cookie and threw it into my mouth. I stood up with the tray and my mind made up and headed to Anna's room.

I tiptoed into the room trying to navigate my way through the empty beer cans and spirit bottles that lay discarded about the room. Elle had turned to a drunker who uses whiskey to console herself.

Her breakfast was whiskey with a rum chaser. She slurred on her words by lunchtime and passed out by afternoon. She is currently slumped on the floor with a bottle of alcoholic wine in her hands.

I sighed, said a little prayer, dropped the tray of cookies on a table and matched towards an almost passed out Elle.

I pulled her up with all the strength I could mutter and pushed her on the bed. She smiled at me and closed her eyes.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" I started and sat beside her on the bed. She didn't reply.

"May the good Lord restore your soul." I prayed, still no response. Her eyes remained shut.

I shrugged my shoulder and tried to snatch the bottle from her.

"Don't you dare?" She snapped and sat upright. She gulped a large part of the wine and glared at me.

"I'm only trying to help you. Getting drunk all day and looking miserable won't salvage anything. Don't you understand?" I tried to touch her hand but she snatched it away before I could touch it.

"No, you are the one that isn't getting it, woman!" Elle shouted, slamming her fist on the bed. The bottle of beer wobbled dangerously.

"I have been doing just fin- fine by myself. I don't ne- need anybody's help. Not you, not anyone." She spat, tears trickled down her face.

"Senza senso! Let me help you wash away your wretchedness. You haven't even had a bath in days now." I tried to grab the bottle from her again.

She kept punching my hands. "You can't take away my only euphoria as they took away my daughter from me." She burst into tears and flung the bottle across the room.

"This is the time to turn to God, this is just a test of faith. Pray to God and he will answer our prayers." I touched her shoulders while she teared up more. "You look so pale and you stink badly, you should take a bath." I continued.

"Pray?" She chuckled. "Where was God when my daughter was stolen from me?" She fired.

"God is the only one that can save your daughter. God wasn't the one who kidnapped your daughter, humans did."

"Why did God fold his hands and watch while they took my only source of joy away from me?" She stood up, walked towards the mirror to stare at her reflection.

"Because he wants you to mend your ways. He knew this is the only way you will remember he exists." I replied, stood up from the bed and walked towards her.

"When was the last time you prayed?"

Her head jerked up in surprise and she stared at me like I was a ghost.

"Last year Christmas. That was when I went for mass prayer." She wobbled.

"And it is almost January Elle." I gasped. "You didn't pray for a year." My hands flew to my mouth in surprise.

She broke down into tiny sobs. "Will he ever forgive me?" She asked, tear-eyed.

"If you ask for forgiveness and pray to him, he will."

"And will he bring back my daughter?" Her brow scrunched up.

"Definitely." I smiled and she gave a small smile in response.

She walked towards me and threw her body in a hug. I almost fell, but I stood firmly and tapped her back in a reassuring hug.

I called the maids to help her with a bathe. She walked leisurely to the shower, toes flinching as they touched the chilled ceramic floor. The steam of the shower filled the room. The perfect pressure-temperature. They washed her hair with different shampoos, combed and air-dried her previously messy hair to a silky straight jet black hair.

They helped Elle to the bathroom, they washed her hair with all sort of sweet-smelling shampoos, conditioners, hair treatments, they bathe her carefully and made sure she is very clean.

They used herbal ointments and balm for her forehead, chest, hands, and legs. They clothed her in warm comfortable clothes and fed her french toast and hot chocolate and gave her some aspirin to use.

Elle looked at the bright sun reflecting in the room and saw it as a sign of betterment in their lives. She turned to granny Abigail and madam Bailey who sat at beside her, whispering comforting words to her.

"I know I let my emotions get the better part of me. I have acted stupidly by not praying in a year. All I was concerned about was money and work." Elle blurted out and hugged herself.

"You don't need to tell me this. Pray to God, confess your sins and you will be marvelled at the outcome of things." I preached, then signalled to Bailey to leave her to herself.

"You can do this because you are strong and God loves you." I smiled at her, patted her shoulders and exited the room.

Elle fell on her knees, she took a matching gold scarf to her dress and tied it on her head.

"Dear Lord, I thank you for existence, thank you for life, thank you for food, clothing, shelter, free oxygen to breathe in, thank you for wealth, thank you for the good and bad things that has happened..." Elle's loud voice prayed as she broke down in tears.

The prayer session went on for 2hours, as Elle let go, she smiled when she finished praying and felt better. She felt better and hummed a song quietly while working on her laptop.

She said with Faith, that her daughter will soon be back, that her daughter went for a little journey that was meant to happen because it had been written predestined. It was bound to happen.

I felt happy, called Everett and told him over the phone the progress I have made with Elle, and that his wife is in good shape.

Everett, in turn, told me that he won't relent in his effort of looking for Anna.

____

As the cooks and maids prepared to get dinner set, they talked in hushed whispers about how Madam Elle has become better and prayed for Anna to return quickly and safely.

The sound of a car that zoomed into the compound picked their curiosity, they went to check whose car it was.

And behold it was none other than Ralph and their kidnapped little heiress. They screamed with joy and ran to hug an already weak Anna, while some thanked Ralph and his friends, others ran into the house to inform Elle and granny Abigail.

Ralph carried the weak body of Anna inside the house as they all crowded her, Elle and granny rushed in and hugged Anna tightly while they shouted Thank you, God, Thank you, Jesus!!

Everett having heard the good news came in and saw his daughter almost passed out figure lying on the couch, after a family hug...

And Ralph announced he wanted to take his leave, the family turned to him to stay and eat dinner with them.

While Mr Everett was more concerned about questioning the young lad and his friends. He invited to them tomorrow. I told the cooks to resume cooking, the bodyguards all looked happily, Elle didn't move an inch as she stared at her daughter lovingly.

"I think she needs bathe, food, water, warm clothes and sleep, she will answer any questionings tomorrow when she is properly rested, the FBI should be informed that we have found her, the security should be tighter this night, and everyone should just have a good night," I said authoritatively.

Elle took charge of bathing Anna alongside madam Bailey, as they tried to scrub all dirt from her. Anna complained of migraine, body ache, there were bruises and scars on her skin. Her face also looked broken.

They fed her soup and gave her medicines, they called the family doctor to come examine her.

It became a joyous house that night, everyone had on a smiley face aside Mr Everett who pondered on how to get revenge.

___

~~No matter how difficult a situation might seem for you, never neglect God....~~