Three Empty Words – Episode 27

#27

 

9|05|18

 

6:02PM

 

I sat quietly as Memory our make-up artist worked her magic on my face, it had been two months from the time Kangwa had proposed to mum. For them it was an affair that had been blessed by the gods, a love story that was engraved on their hearts and they were not willing to wait any more as they just wanted to start a life together. I loved what they had because it looked genuine and mature; I wanted to be like them when I grew up. I wanted a love that was like their’s, a love that was sure, that didn’t doubt, that wasn’t jealous or selfish. I wanted a love that wasn’t going to leave but to stay.

 

I felt my throat go dry when the thoughts couldn’t leave my mind, drifting me to Kelvin. We had not talked since that ordeal; neither Xeno nor mum asked anything. It was like they were waiting for me to tell them the way forward but truth be told; I too didn’t know what was going to happen after the amount of time that had passed.

 

‘Hey you.’ Xeno said coming behind me and squeezing my shoulder a little

 

I smiled, bent my head so that my cheek was rubbing her hand and sandwiching it. ‘You miss him don’t you?’ she asked catching me off guard

 

I smiled weakly avoiding her gaze through the huge mirror in front of us.

 

‘Xenia you can’t keep doing this to yourself, Kelvin is a good man and he is good for you. Please talk to him.’ She said

 

I sighed

 

‘This is about mum, today is about her happiness. Let us not try to ruin it for her.’ I

 

said changing the topic

 

She smiled

 

‘I hope you will finally talk to me about your ‘situationship’ after this.’ She said now kissing my forehead

 

Memory smiled, I liked her. She wasn’t nosy and she just knew how to give us our space.

 

Xeno stood in front of me and started to check her figure, I couldn’t help but laugh. We had wanted to wear matching dresses but mum insisted that she didn’t want us looking the same. So I was in a cream flared shoulder less dress with nu.de heels. I had just washed my hair and applied some black chick in it, it looked bulky and curly. Xeno for the first time did the same to her hair, she actually looked pretty good in it. She rocked it with a mauve flared dress and black heels, her lips were nu.de just like mine.

 

 

‘I think we look pretty good.’ She said checking out herself for the last time and this time I couldn’t help but laugh.

 

We walked out of the room hand in hand and went to Mum’s room.

 

I knocked once then let us in.

 

‘Hey beautiful.’ I said

 

She broke down immediately she turned to face us We walked to where she was and hugged her tightly.

 

After she was calm, we led her to the bed where we sat on each of her side. ‘You look beautiful.’ I complimented

 

She was in a white bridal satin dress, it hugged her figures well and was off the shoulder. On the back it was made of lace and the tail that started from beneath her bottom was lace as well.

 

On her feet were crystal white shoes that matched her jewelry and the fascinator on her hair.

 

‘Thank you.’ She said more tears dropping

 

‘Hush Francie, this is just the beginning of the rest of your life.’ Xeno comforted ‘I don’t know how to be a wife, I don’t even know what to do with a husband. I mean am I supposed to feed it and bath it, then leave it on the sun to dry?’ she asked causing us to laugh

 

‘Mum.’ I said weirdly

 

‘My babies I have only had one responsibility in this life and which has been to take care of the both of you. How do I begin from here? What do I do with a fully grown man? I am scared I will fail at what society expects me to be.’ She said We hugged her again

 

‘You will do just fine and don’t forget we are still here with you, he is now going to be a part of our lives and we won’t and will never forgive ourselves if something ever makes you sad. That is why we are giving you our blessings, to get married to him; he is a good man. Take a day at a time, a journey of a hundred miles starts with a single step. Yes the road will get bumpy, slippery; but all in all remember why you fell in love with him in the first place. I mean why him out of everyone in the universe. If you can honestly answer yourself those questions then you are safe.’ Xeno told her

 

She smiled and hugged us real tight before we heard a knock at the door. ‘Come in.’ I said

 

The door opened and Dad walked in.

 

‘Hai.’ Xeno and I said at the same time

 

‘Hey.’ He responded his hands in his pockets

 

He was in a grey trousers with a crisp shirt with folded hands, he looked older than sure. It was like a million years had been added to his age.

 

‘Can I talk to your mother alone?’ he asked ‘Sure.’ I said getting up

 

Xeno did as well then we left them the two of them.

 

*

 

Scott took in her image, she was still as beautiful as the first time he had set his eyes on her except she had grown and was more mature.

 

‘What are you doing here?’ she asked

 

‘You didn’t invite us to the wedding.’ He said accusingly ‘It is just a small function, for close family and friends.’ He lifted his eyebrow

 

‘I shouldn’t have said that, sounds rather wrong.’

 

He sighed then stood just against the wall so that he was looking directly at her. ‘Francie I am sorry.’ He began

 

‘Scott it has been twenty years, I am not upset with you anymore. We were kids and besides you gave me my life, something to live for.’

 

He shook his head vigorously

 

‘No I didn’t. I took from you, that is what I did.’

 

She sighed, she wasn’t expecting to have this conversation on her wedding day ‘I took your pride, your virginity. I took away your youth, your joy. I took away the chance for you to get married to someone at the age when you were supposed to. And for that I am sorry.’

 

She took a minute and just allowed the images to play of all those times she had wished that he could just show up to apologize to her, she had memorized her speech so many times but surprisingly now all she felt was a certain peace and calm. All she felt now was free.’

 

‘I forgive you Scott, I do.’ She told him

 

‘Thank you.’ He said

 

He walked towards the door but stopped just after touching the knob

 

‘Francie.’

 

‘Scott.’

 

‘Thank you for giving me the girls, for sacrificing your life just so you can raise them.’

 

‘Any mother would do the same.’ She responded

 

‘I guess so, let me run along before the wife thinks I came for something else.’

 

‘Why would she think that?’

 

‘You do know you are an attractive woman right? And quite lovable too huh?’ Francie couldn’t help but laugh

 

‘And tell Kangwa that we need to seat down and talk about who will be the first to beat that Nthando boy.’ He said and I couldn’t help but laugh as he walked out

 

*

 

I wiped away the tears and did a re touch of the make-up, the girls came to tell me that the car was already waiting for us outside. We walked out and the look on my workers’ faces were priceless, I had done everything in my powers to be the best boss I could be and that is why they had stuck with me all these years.

 

We hired a driver that drove us to church, it was just within Chisamba and only a ten minutes’ drive away from home. The church service was free for all and that is why I wasn’t shocked to see a lot of people there.

 

When our car arrived, the people started to go inside the church and I walked out with the girls on each side. They were giving me away. I allowed some tears to fall as I wished for my mother to have stayed in touch with me, that she would have been the one to give me away. Her and my father. But even after inviting them they still didn’t show up. At first they were disappointed in me, they disowned me. But after years of hard work and finally being able to stand on my feet, I believe they began to despise me because I proved to them that I stood above everything that they thought would break me.

 

I smiled as I looked at my girls, we walked to the front door and immediately Mohombi’s match made in heaven began to play. I chose the song, I loved it and even though it was one of the oldies; it still touched a muscle.

 

We walked boldly into the church, I could see people staring on the sides, others were trying to take photos but we gave strict orders that only our camera person would take photos because we wanted professional optics. Just near the alter, we stopped; so did the music.

 

‘Who is giving this lady away?’ the Priest asked

 

‘We are.’ My girls responded and there was jubilation in the church. Kangwa stepped forward and the girls handed me to him I felt my insides turn and I smiled genuinely at him.

 

He looked amazing, if I had never known that he was good looking; in that moment I knew that he was.

 

Clad in his grey tuxedo with a crisp white shirt, he had black shoes on and his hair was well shaved. The way he smiled when he got me into his arm made me just sure that this was the man I had waited for my entire life.

 

 

We walked to where the priest was and the service began, he preached about how marriage is a gift from God which has to be kept sacred and by the time we were saying our vows; my tears were flowing once again.

 

‘I now pronounce you man and wife.’ The priest announced ‘You may now kiss your bride.’ He said

 

I looked shyly at Kangwa, he bit his lower lip and moved closer to where I was. He held my waist then crushed his lips on mine, for a moment I forgot that we were in church until the Priest cleared his throat.

 

The service ended on a good note and we were all on our way to Kafue where dinner was being held.

 

‘This is beautiful.’ I said when we got there looking at the well decorated place. ‘For you baby.’ He said kissing my forehead

 

I was worried for Xenia as she was in the same car with Kelvin and whilst Xeno was on a different vehicle.

 

‘Do you think they are okay?’

 

‘Kelvin is a big boy, besides he loves Xenia. I just don’t know what’s wrong with kids of this generation. I mean what is wrong with telling someone that you love them first unlike waiting for them to say it first?’

 

‘You could ask that again.’ I said as he led us to our room

 

Our plan was that we would stay in this house for a month, just the two of us before we moved into something that we were purchasing in Meanwood.

 

Our guests were already settled into their separate quarters, dinner was set for two hours and so we had time to refresh. Everyone would spend the night here and transport would be provided for them the following day after breakfast together. It was perfect, just as I had imagined it.