Thandolwami (on hold)

Chapter 18

I pursed my lips and sat down again.

Luckily, just then the waiter came with the food we had ordered and we started on our meal.

"So my mom says we should get married as soon as possible"

"Is that what you want?" I questioned him.

"I would have loved to date you a bit, wooe you and show you that I'm actually a good catch" he said good heartedly, "but you are a flight risk, so you will have to experience how charming l am when we are married"

"Hmm, a person of your age and status, why having an arranged marriage? Surely you are not short of women. I saw your Facebook"

Thuso's eyes darkened and he looked sad like l had struck a chord. He put his fork down and said "well, l have never liked to talk about why, but you're my wife to be, you deserve to know"

I nodded encouraging him to go on.

"I did have a girlfriend, we dated for seven years, we were both doctors and l was about to marry her. Then she told me she was pregnant. I was very happy, we set a date to go to her home for lobola negotiations and everything, then the day before lobola, she told me l was not the father of the child she was carrying"

"No!" I gasped.

"Yes" he sighed sadly, "she got herself knocked up by a radiographer at the hospital she was working at."

"Thuso, im so sorry" l said feeling bad for him. I couldn't imagine the level of heartbreak he had been through, the person you loved betraying you like that. I thought l had it bad with Gilbert, but looking at how Thuso became miserable just narrating the story, l realized the guy had, had his own fair share of pain.

"Yeah, it's okay" he replied, "l didn't want to believe her you know. I told her l still wanted to marry her even if she was carrying another man's child. That's how much l loved her."

"Oh Thuso, you are an angel, not many men would do that" l said so touched by his selflessness.

"Yeah, but then she said she didn't love me. I later heard that the radiographer went to pay lobola for her the day l was supposed to pay her lobola."

I was dumb founded, "some women are wicked"

"You know the worst part" he continued, "was that, it was the second time something like this happened to me, before her, l had dated a girl for 4 years and she too cheated just before marriage"

"You have been through the most" l muttered.

"Yeah so l was done with women," Thuso gave me a painful smile, "until my mum told me about you, and you sounded too good to be true. She told me you are beautiful, intelligent, well mannered, and now that I've met you, l see she didn't do you justice. You are truly gorgeous Ntando. You have no idea how happy l am that you are willing to be married to me. Seeing you respecting your parents wishes tells me you will be the sort of wife that will know how to submit to her husband. You are a rare treasure.
Regardless of all l have been through, l still believe in love, l will treat you well and l believe that one day, you will learn to love me too"

I raised an eyebrow, "what about you learning to love me?"

"Oh baby, l have loved you from the first day l laid my eyes on you, that first Sunday we met at church"

I blushed.

**

"Oh my God!" Emerald freaked, "you are what?!"

"I am getting married" l said quietly trying not draw attention to ourselves , we were shopping for some groceries in the supermarket when l broke the news of my upcoming nuptials to her.

"But to who" she asked in bewilderment.

"Thuso" l replied simply, as l moved the trolley and looked on the shelves.

Emerald came infront of the trolley so l couldn't push it further and forced me to look at her.
"But you don't love him!" She gasped.

I rolled my eyes, "love is overrated, plus it's what my parents want" l said shrugging.

"You have got to be kidding me!"

"Nope!" I said popping the P as l reached for a can of peaches. "This is why you are helping me shop right now, this is part of the groceries we will use next week when his family comes to pay my lobola"

"He is coming to pay your lobola next Saturday, my goodness Ntando, you literally broke off with Gilbert a month ago and now you're getting married?"

"White wedding is next year on Valentine's Day" l smiled wistfully.

"But that was your plan with Gilbert!"

"And Gilbert is no longer in the picture. And Thuso is a nice guy, he says he loves me, and so that's good enough"

"This is so wrong Ntando!" Emerald exclaimed holding her face with both hands and walked alongside me, "friend you are making a bad move, you should be taking time to grieve your relationship with Gilbert, healing,finding yourself, not getting married to a guy you barely know for goodness sake!"

Something in me snapped. "What do you want from me Emerald, huh?! 4 weeks ago you were saying what a bad idea it would be for me to end up with Gilbert because he is Shona, and now here is Thuso, not Shona, but still you do not approve of him! Exactly what do you want from me?!"

Emerald's eyes widened so wide if she widened them any further l was sure they would pop out of their sockets, "l ... err... well... this is so unexpected Ntando"

"I Know"

"So do you love him?"

"Of course not, but that's not the point," l said exasperatedly, "look, l want to keep all this very low key, even my wedding, it will be strictly by invitation, l don't want too many people knowing because then they'll be all up in my business asking me unnecessary questions about Gilbert and what not"

"Okayyyyy" Emerald said slowly taking it all in.

"Will you come next Saturday for my lobola?" I asked, "you are my best friend and l could really do with your support"

"Suuuuuuuure" she said again dragging her words.

"And will you be my maid of honor?"

Emerald gave me a tight smile that did not reach her eyes, "sure Besty, anything for you"

"Thank you" l said as l handed her a copy of the shopping list, "we are looking for these items"