After keeping keen eyes on two figures at the systematized Arciniegaz party, Carmella walked to one after the other was called away.

"Hello." She said in a crisp and light voice when she got to the figure.

Wanjiku turned to the voice that got her attention, "Oh, hello." She responded back cordially.

"I am Carmella, and you are?"

"Wanjiku, Wanjiku Kavinji." Wanjiku outstretched her hand for a shake, but Carmella only looked at it, then came back to her face. This made Wanjiku edgy, and immediately, she realized the tense atmosphere around her.

"Fernandez talks a lot about you." Carmella inflexibly said, with English that was hard to put, "But the topic has not yet reached his parents."

Wanjiku forced a smile, "Well... we have a lot in common, and I am happy to hear that."

"It wasn't a compliment, because your topic will cause alarm to his parents."

Wanjiku now openly hesitated, "Why is that?"

Carmella grimly smiled, "Why is that? Because we are people who respect our culture and its ways. We belong to each other. That is how we live."

Wanjiku clearly understood her message, and it further put discomfort in her. She had known that this could have been likely, but Fernandez had shown her a soft and lenient nature filled with invariable kindness and gentleness.

So much was the leniency that it made her believe the gentleman's family were also like him. She eliminated the possibility that they could have been racists.

But she was wrong, "Well, thank you for the information." She did her best to calm her nerves, but to no avail.

Carmella clearly noticed her evident displeasure, and it pleased her inwardly. She shortly smiled and walked away without any other word, knowing that she would be easily putting fear in the enemy until she found it unbearable and walk out of Fernandez's life. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this good inwardly.

Wanjiku saw her leaving, her anxiety and hesitation bringing about perturbative thoughts. Maybe nobody will like me here! She looked at them enjoying and having fun in the backyard of the house- some swimming in the compound swimming pool, others playing and relaxing around the pool, yet still others making barbecues, and some ladies arranging tables that would be shortly used for eateries and drinks.

They all looked to be having an incredible time, all but her. She began to wonder if it was a good idea to have come to the party, for she felt odd one out and completely out of place around them.

Fernandez stared at his father in his office room, uncertain how to answer the onerous and perplexing question he had just asked.

"Don't just look at me!" Mr. Arciniegaz's deep and penetrating voice filled the entire room, "Do you see the girl you have come with a family or friend?"

"She is my friend at the university." Fernandez found confidence and said.

"Is this the type of friends we invite to our functions?" The father said with some annoyance.

"Dad, she is somebody close to me."

Mr. Arciniegaz briefly turned to the wife who was also present in the room before getting back to the son, "Close to you?"

"She is... someone special to me."

Mr. Arciniegaz felt an emergence of adrenaline, "I want a clear meaning of what you mean!" He was hoping the son was not stupid and thoughtless as to get involved with an alien kind far from their own.

At that moment, the room door swung open and the house butler walked in and stood at the entrance of the room with hands clasped behind his back, "Sir, madam, the Pablos are here." He humbly informed his bosses.

Mr. Arciniegaz got up from his seat, "We will resume this conversation!" He glared at the son and walked out of the room with the woman that gave birth to him.

Fernandez remained behind and looked at them going.

After minutes passing without being able to socialize with anybody, Wanjiku decided to get back in the house from the backyard.

When she was walking inside the house, she heard soft sensuous music playing on the background, as well as getting a scent of aromatic fragrance coming from French fries and toast that filled the air.

As she walked on inside the house, Rodriguez called her from behind. She stopped and waited for him to approach.

"I am guessing you are bored?" He said after getting to her, his body and hair wet from the swimming water.

"Not really." Wanjiku forced a smile at him, "Have you seen Fernandez?"

"He must be around. Let me go and get him."

"Okay. Thanks." Wanjiku said and saw him leave.

Shortly after, Wanjiku saw Fernandez walking to her from inside the house.

"You must be busy." She said as he approached her.

"Not at all." Fernandez showed an enforced expression of a happy spirit. A keen person could be able to notice the actual dull spirit in him that was covered by the happy spirit, "I just left to attend to a small matter." He said with gentleness.

"Okay. So, what do we do now?"

Fernandez sighed, still suppressing his ruffled interior spirit, "I was thinking we leave this place and go somewhere we can happily enjoy ourselves."

Wanjiku stared, "Are you sure?" Even though she actually felt relieved by the suggestion, she looked skeptical because the event seemed important to the gentleman's family, "Is the party not important?"

"I have been attending it ever since I was born, every year, and there is no time I have ever seen any importance in it. Nothing other than keeping families and friends together."

Wanjiku smiled. That's a relief. "Okay, then. Where do you want us to go?"

"Somewhere I am sure you will like." Fernandez got to her hand and they walked out of the house together.