‘Are you okay?’ asks Liam, my best friend as we are sitting in my office.
Its lunch time and my mind is somewhere else.
‘Yes, I am fine.’
‘You haven’t touched your food Vusi. Something is wrong, what is it?’
I get up from my seat and strode over to the window. I stood there with hands in my pocket, watching the flowers that were planted just in front of the building.
‘Vusi,’ Liam calls out and I turn my back to look at him.
I sigh and hands on my head I walk back to my chair. Liam is a very good friend of mine and he has been very supportive lately. He helped me with my business; he is actually a lawyer and my lawyer. I told myself that I will never look for another lawyer when my friend is actually one and a very good one amongst the so called best ones.
‘I don’t know what to do,’ I say with my voice almost getting choked with emotions.
I haven’t been sleeping for days without thinking about my situation. Thinking about my wife, I have been married to for 5 years. What if she was going to leave me? I mean eventually she will get fade up right and leave. I loved Marisa with all of my heart and I wouldn’t want her to leave me. +We have been through a lot together but how far is she going to be holding on to our love. I know we made vows and promises but that is meant to be broken. It is always meant to be broken.
‘Is this about you not being able to give her children?’
‘What else would I be so worried about?’
‘Vusi, who doesn’t know that Marisa is deeply in love with you? I just think that you are overthinking.’
‘Do you think so?’
‘You have been together for 5 years and has she never given you any reason to doubt her? Marisa will never leave, you should chill.’
I don’t know maybe he was right, maybe he was just trying to make me feel better but yet still I was worried about the issue. Marisa loved me and yes she has been with me for years but I was just having a bad feeling. I just felt that she was going to leave me one day. Liam finally left my office and I continued with my work. So Marisa and I we are having dinner with her family. She has 3 sisters who are happily married and they have children of their own. I actually feel bad you know, I feel bad because I am not able to give her any children,
‘It doesn’t matter Vusi, as long as you are here with me, that’s what counts the most and nothing else,’ she would always say to me.
‘But Ma…’
‘Shh Vusi, it’s okay. I am happy with you and we can always adopt,’ she would smile at me.
Marisa has the most beautiful smile you know, I am not bragging about my wife. I am not trying to over compliment her but I am just stating out the truth. We met in a restaurant, I was..well I had gone there to meet Liam and it seems we had booked the same table because she was also there to meet her friend. Liam told me that he can’t make it for our dinner and so I stayed behind enjoying a lovely conversation with such a soft spoken person. I was getting to know her and I left later on when her friend had arrived, she actually took longer than we both anticipated. We got in touch, since I had asked for her phone number. I grew very fond of her and the next thing; I asked her out on a date. We met at the same restaurant and the rest is history.
I smile holding our picture frame which I had placed in my office on my table. I would do anything for this woman, I swear if my situation needed me to go on a operation, I was going to do just that, her happiness counted the most, her beautiful smile and her laugh. I never wanted to see her sad or in tears. I work for a while and finally knock off because I don’t want to be late for the dinner. Marisa will be knocking off early at the hospital, she was a doctor and I can imagine how she felt seeing pregnant women at the hospital. I know I shouldn’t think much about the issue but I can’t help it.
I walk out of my office and it’s around 6pm. It’s just a few minutes’ drive to my house and not everyone at my workplace has knocked off. I got into my car and drive off at home. I have to pass by the flower shop to buy some flowers for my mother-in law. She loves flowers and even though she doesn’t like me that much, I have never stopped loving her. When I finally buy the flowers, I head home straight. I don’t want us to be late and I wouldn’t want to keep Marisa’s mother waiting. The gateman opens the gate for me and I drive inside. I park my car at the garage, we will use a different car to go and see Marisa’s mother.
Trust me when I say that I had everything but then I couldn’t give my wife children, that hurt me a lot and sometimes I felt useless. Useless as a man you know.
‘Babe,’ she says with a bright smile spread across her face when I walk inside the house.
She kisses me and hugs me so tightly.
‘The way I missed you hubby.’
‘I missed you more wifey.’
She lets me go.
‘How was your day?’ she asks as we walk to our bedroom.
‘It was okay. Liam paid me a visit.’
‘He is like your side chick,’ she says and I laugh.
I am just so close with Liam than my elder brother. We are just two in our family and my brother is ever serious. He is the CEO at dad’s company and I started my own. Dad wasn’t okay with the idea but he ended up supporting me, I should go and visit my parents this weekend. It’s been a while. During weekends I have been extremely busy but that shouldn’t stop me from seeing my parents’ right? That’s where the blessings come from.
‘You haven’t bathed?’ I eye her.
‘I was waiting for you.’
I laugh out loud. You know what’s with Marisa? She never bath alone, she always wait up for me which is kind of weird right. Like what will she do when I am out on a business trip, I bet she won’t bath, hilarious.
‘I am serious. You know I can’t bath without you,’ she smiles while helping me with my suit jacket.
‘Thank you.’
‘So we should go and have a bath.’
She pulls my hand and walks with me to the bathroom. Damn, this woman is very beautiful, I am watching her back as she is leading the way and boy her curves. Man I was the luckiest man on this earth. I know many men were eyeing on her but I won her and I feel very much proud of myself. We take a bath and you know what happens in the shower when you are bathing together. When we are done, Marisa goes out first and I finish off. When I follow her later, she is struggling with her bra and I help her out while brushing my lips on her back,
‘Babe,’ she giggles, ‘we are going to be late.’
‘Put on some clothes before i…Marisa you are hot.’
‘What?’ she laughs shyly.
She has selected a suit for me and polished my shoes. You see, Marisa I don’t have to tell her what to do but she does her wife duties without being reminded. She is a doctor and some are lazy, they can’t cook but she is different, she is forever busy when she is not going to work, she is too smart. Anyway she helps me with my tie,
‘Thank you.’
‘You are welcome. Cuff links?’
‘Please.’
She walks to my drawer and takes them out. She hands them to me.
‘You are looking beautiful,’ I compliment.
‘Thank you,’ and she is forever smiling.
‘Shall we?’
‘Yes,’ she takes my hand and we walk out of our room.
I am feeling very nervous about the dinner. I mean my mother-in law hates me, my two sister-in laws, they don’t like me and only the older sister likes me. Well it’s like that; Marisa’s mother always tells me that I didn’t deserve to be with her daughter. I guess she had another man in mind for her daughter. I bet she just gave me her blessings because she didn’t want to hurt her daughter. The drive to her mother’s house is quiet. I bet Marisa is thinking about it too. I take her hand and hold it. I kiss it while driving,
‘I love you.’
‘I love you more Vusi,’ she says.
We are finally at her mother’s house and I get out of the car first to open the car door for Marisa. When she is out of the car, I grab the flowers that I had placed at the backseat. We walk in hand in hand and I hope tonight’s atmosphere is going to be different. When the maid opens the door for us, we hear so many laughters. I guess she invited a lot of people.
‘Look who is here,’ says Marisa’s mother as she is getting up.
She walks to us but only hugs her daughter. I am about to greet her when,
‘I have got a surprise for you,’ she says to Marissa, ‘He just went upstairs,’ she says.
‘Who is it?’ asks Marisa.
‘Hie Vusi,’ Marisa’s older sister greets me, the one who likes me.
‘Evening Sarah.’
‘These are f…’
‘Oh he is here,’ says Marisa’s mum ignoring me.
I look up the stairs and there is a man smiling at them.
‘Jay,’ Marisa says in shock, ‘how did you?’
‘Marisa,’ she hugs her in front of me.
I am invisible in that room, Marisa breaks off the hug.
‘When did you come back?’
‘Yesterday,’ he responds still looking at my wife.
‘Oh, sorry Jay this is my husband Vusi and Vusi this is my childhood friend Jay.’
She never told me about her childhood friend.
‘Nice to meet you Vusi,’ he extends his hand and we shake very firmly as he is smiling at me.
‘Well let’s go sit down and have some dinner,’ Marisa’s mother took Jay’s hand as they walk to the table.
‘Thank you for the flowers,’ says Sarah as she takes them.
The other two sisters of Marisa are also in the room. We sit on the table and you know what just happened, Marisa’s mother has made her daughter sit beside Jay and I am in pain. I am trying to let this night pass but I wish I hadn’t come. I hardly touch my food because I don’t seem to be visible in that room. These people are laughing out loud and Jay is the man of the moment.
© tent