Boyfriend imagines

Arranged I

MKHULULI

This was my life as of a week ago . I was lawfully wedded to a man not of my choice. We didn't love each other , we hadn't even known each other a month ago but today here I am confined to this house among people I don't know . The people I got to invite that meant something to me I could count in one hand not that I was restricted to this many but it's all the friends I kept and that's the way I liked it . A small group of friends , don't attract attention, keep to myself. Those are the rules I lived by. Now I find myself throwing fake smiles at all these fat men with their trophy wives who are a third of their age. All these people seem to occupy every corner of this rather spacious room that seems to suffocate me.

I feel the tears stinging at the back of my eyes. I lower my gaze and I catch sight of the hideously large diamond ring adorning my left ring finger weighing me down to this life of fake smiles ,trophy wives, tea parties meant for discussions of empowering underprivileged women but are just a platform to brag about who's husband is richer and which husband is cheating on their wife .

I plaster on a fake smile as two pretty blondes strut up to me and before they even utter their greetings I know I hate them. And you know what they don't even greet me nor do they introduce themselves. They just run on about God knows what and when they eventually see I'm not very good company they walk away.

The remainder of the night was just similar exchanges with people just as fake as those girls until they all except for my friends and dad ,Mkhululi, my beloved husband and his dad were the only ones left.

I said good bye to my friends walking them out to the drive way trying so hard not to cry as I watched their cars pull out of the driveway.

I walked slowly back into the house and just as I closed see the door and it's sound echoes into the room it blends in with the boisterously loud laughter of my dad and my father in law. I feel the tears of frustration and betrayal itch to be spilt and one does before I quickly wipe it away when I hear footsteps walking towards me and turn to them but don't bother with the strained smile I spared for our visitors. I quietly wish them a safe trip home and when dad leans over for a hug and a kiss on the cheek I move away and that's when I let the tears fall.

"Pass my greetings to mama." Is all I managed to choke out as the tears and anger crept to the surface and I turned and walked away to my room. That was what I put my foot down to. I wanted to have my own room.

I quickly got out of the dress , threw it in the washing basket and headed for the bath tub. After my bath I got out of the tub got into my comfy pajamas and into the bed.

The next morning I was woken up by the obnoxious sound of my alarm. I quickly got up switched it off and headed for the shower before I changed my mind and went back into bed and cocooned myself in the beds warmth for all of eternity. After my shower I did my necessary toilettes pulled on some comfy clothes and made my way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

As I laid the last pancake on the stack of the ones I'd already made Mkhululi strutted into the room already dressed for the work day with his phone to his ear. When he saw the table laid out he ended his call. "Good morning ." Was my mumbled greeting as I turned my back to him and faced the counter where I was making lunch for the pair of us. "Morning. Thank you for breakfast." Was the curt response I got as he sat down and ate his breakfast in silence.

I turned to the sandwiches I was preparing on the counter and cut them into neat triangles before packing them into two lunch boxes along with two extra blueberry muffins each that were left over from the batch I made for breakfast and into our respective lunch bags , well ones I'd bought for us. I wasn't even sure he packed a lunch meal but as of now I guess he did. I added two other containers of diced pineapples, bottles of water and after hesitating a while with Mkhululi's a Danone and a teaspoon and zipped them up.
"Here's your lunch bag." I muttered already walking out of the kitchen to get dressed for work.