HIS ROYAL BRIDE

CHAPTER 33

[NARRATED]

‘Mommy?!’ Rhandzu yells from outside her mother’s newly rented house.
‘Mom?!’ She repeats. Her mother appears through the butler-proof door of the kitchen, with an apron covering the majority of her dress.
‘Why didn’t you call?’
‘I tried. Your phone is off’ she responds. ‘Come and unlock this gate Pamela please. Why is it even locked?’
Her mother laughs at how the child just called her by her second name, while searching the large pocket for the house keys.
‘The battery must’ve died’
She opens the gate and Rhandzu walks ahead of her, then into the house.
‘I know you’re baking. I can smell the vanilla flavouring from here’
‘You know your mother too well. How are you? How’s your father?’
‘Before I answer you, when are you coming back?’ Rhandzu asks before picking up one of the scones – flinching upon touching it because she’d undermined how hot it would be.
‘Sorry. Just took those out of the oven. Isn’t that the question you should be asking him?’
‘I think I deserve to know if you two are going to be getting a divorce, and why’
‘Isn’t it your dear sister went out of her way to bring a bustard child into our home? My only sin was disagreeing with that whole thing’ she continues to take out the rest of the cookies from the oven.
‘You’re not going to like what I’m about to tell you now’ she says while trying to take cautious, minute bites.
‘Out with it. There’s juice in the fridge’
‘She literally brought her into our home. They were there but they never stayed long’
‘What?’ Pamela acts surprised. Rhandzu nods.
‘I don’t like where this is going. All of this is going to divide the family mom’
‘Don’t you worry. These things have a way of working themselves out. What I do not want, is you fighting with your own sister, okay?’
‘But—’
‘No buts. You are gonna go to that wedding and make sure you hug all of this out. I don’t want any bad blood between the two of you’
Rhandzu nods – reluctantly so.
‘But why are you not coming? Is it because dad is going to be there?’
‘I will arrive at the venue a bit later. I still have a few things to sort out. Hold on, my lips are dry’ she scurries into one of the three rooms and closes the door behind her. Rhandzu starts looking for a container to take some of her mother’s famous baked goodies. When she comes back, she finds her daughter already packing them into a transparent Tupperware without permission.
‘You and food’ she says this dismissively while laughing – reaching for a hug. When she has Rhandzu wrapped in her arms, she brushes her back, puts her palms on her shoulders and they stay there.
‘What was that for?’ Rhandzu asks, still chewing.
‘Nothing, I’m just proud of you. You have grown to become a strong and smart young woman and that’s what every mother wants to see. Now go off, and don’t forget to clear the air with your big sister’
‘Okay fine’
‘What did I say you’ll do?’
‘Apologize with a hug’ Rhandzu answers passively while responding to a text on her phone.
‘Good girl. Off you go now’

[KULANI]

My Louboutins don’t fit. Out of all the days my feet could choose to swell up, they just simply agreed on my wedding day. Mabontle is kneeling and trying to get them in. I just know that we’ve failed from that loud breath she has just let out.
‘You are getting married in slippers, I’m afraid’ she says it like it is something of great normalcy.
‘Try again Bontle please’ I beg. These shoes are going to fit me and they’re going to fit me today. My dad keeps calling and I’m not going to answer because the moment I hear his voice, I am going to have a breakdown. I know I am late. Aunty Basani is just as relentless with the phone calls. My make-up artist is already packing her things. She came in her own car so she’s leaving for the venue now. She’s also worried about the predicament I’m facing right now.
‘Just wear your slippers. Your wedding gown is chunky. Nobody is going to see them if you walk carefully’ Bontle is still on this crazy idea of hers.
I end up laughing. She smiles.
‘This is not the only dress I’ll be wearing. Please stop talking’
‘Okay’ – she raises her hands in surrender – ‘I need the bathroom quickly’.
‘Are you going to be fine?’ My MUA asks, ready to leave.
‘I’ll be okay babe. Thank you and please drive safely’
Bontle’s phone starts ringing and I shout for her to come out of the loo.
‘Answer it please’
‘Hello?’
‘WHERE are you guys? Your driver says he’s been waiting for eight billion years now. Kurhula is about to lose his fvcking mind’
Fikani? Why is his number not saved?
‘We’re on the way’ I answer and cut the call. I stand up from the bed and get into my white slippers. Mabontle is right. If I’m careful, I can get away with this. And even if I don’t, I’m pregnant. If this is not enough to convince anybody that I have the right to this, then it’s out of my hands. In this life, you cannot please everybody.

…

We’ve arrived. It’s awfully quiet outside here in the garden area. Everybody is already inside the marquee. One of the waiters politely greets us before walking past. Bontle has left me to go get my dad because he has to walk me down the aisle. The nerves again. Somebody taps me on the shoulder and I almost jump out of my skin. I didn’t even hear her approach.
‘Hey sis’
‘Rhandzu. Where are you coming from? I was convinced you weren’t going to arrive’
‘Now? I needed the loo. Look, I’m sorry about being cold the last time I saw you guys. It was totally unnecessary’
She’s right. She acted like a spoilt brat and the last thing I was planning to do was running after her. She gives me that cute smile of hers. One she knows very well that I cannot resist.
‘Huggy?’
I roll my eyes and laugh.
‘Of course’
She wraps her arms around me and I feel my heart skip a bit.
‘You look gorgeous!’ she loudly compliments. Mabontle appears, along with my father. They all exchange greetings and Bontle is obviously surprised by Rhandzu’s courteous behaviour. She’ll get used to her. If there was a global award to be won for mood swings, it would come with her name engraved on it.
‘Ready?’ dad asks and I nod even though I’m not.
‘Please don’t walk too fast’ Bontle warns him and he pulls a surprised face. I’m laughing because knowing him, he wouldn’t care what type of shoes I have under this dress. The only thing he’s concerned about is if he’s handing me over to the right man. He sends a signal and the music starts. When we appear, I immediately see Kurhula’s face shedding all the worry and his eyes lighting up. Was he worried that I was going to call this thing off? I laugh internally. That’s what you get for treading on thin ice. When we finally get to him and after my dad hands me over, Kurhula whispers and asks what was keeping me.
‘My shoes didn’t fit’ I fail to contain the laughter. He lightly frowns.
‘What? Then what are you wearing now?’
‘Indoor shoes’
We’re still whispering. He turns his face away from the guests and laughs.
‘That’s okay. I still love you the same’
‘As you should. It’s what you get for wanting to marry a pregnant woman. We could’ve done this after birth’
‘I would do it over and over and over again’
The pastor calls us to order and we both clear our throats. I see Aunty Lydia. Of course she’s the most stylish woman in the room.

…

After vowing to be his ride or die and slipping his wedding band on his finger, I feel a sharp pain travel down my spine. It forces me to stop and listen to my body. I’m not trying to alarm him but something is wrong. Almost every elderly woman in here is ululating and this noise is making me dizzy.
‘Are you okay?’ he asks. I suddenly feel very cold. The temperature was just fine when I first walked in here but now I feel like I’m standing in the middle of Antarctica. The pain shoots straight up my tummy and I yell. I can’t keep it inside anymore. Kurhula holds me by my arm and my waist – trying to figure out what’s wrong. There’s liquid travelling down my left thigh. It could be water, it could be blood. Everyone starts panicking. Aunty Basani, my dad and Aunty Lydia come running to where we’re standing. Kurhula picks me up and marches out of there. Fikani is right behind him, along with Mabontle. The slippers that I never wanted anybody to see have fallen off and I am certain I wasn’t hallucinating when I saw a drop of blood on one of them. I am slowly losing consciousness and if what’s happening is what I think it is, death wouldn’t be such a bad idea.