My Dream Marriage

I pick my old clothes, the ones that I had come with from my home. I add in a few mummy dresses that my friend gifted me and the baby items. My three mysterious items are also inside my bag. I check every document that I should have, my identification card, my parents memorabilia that I had collected from my parents house including their death certificates. Now I am ready to go.

I descend the stairs slowly, pulling my suitcase behind me. Martha looks at me with pity in her eyes, I know she is sympathizing with me but there is nothing she can do about it. I hug her as she wipes the tears off her eyes.

“I will miss you Neera,” she says amid sobs. “I will miss you too,” I pat her on her back. “Let me help you with this,” she says, taking my suitcase and pulling it towards the door. I follow her getting past the satisfied eyes of Valen, Edward’s expressionless ones while Piper’s seems to wish that I was never here in the first place. I also wish I was never here too.

“Martha, I think you know that you have work to do in this house. Don’t waste your time on worthless things,” Piper says.

We get to the gate and I know this is it, the moment I step outside I am now on my own. What to do, it is my fate anyway.

“Thank you Martha, you have been good to me all this while but I don’t have anything to repay you.” “Neera, you don’t have to repay me anything. I wish you would have stayed longer. I wish you well wherever you are going.”

“I think Piper must be needing you now. Go now or she might get angry at you. I don’t want to be your misfortune on my last day here when we have been doing well all this while.” She could be fired because of me. “No, you can never be a misfortune to me. I know you are the kindest person I have ever met. Do you have somewhere in mind that you are going to?” “I might have. I have friends and I think I might go to one of them.” I say in order to make her feel at ease by my departure.

“Have you called a taxi?” She asks. If only she knew. “I might do that outside. You should be going now and thank you.” She hugs me and leaves immediately, I think she got emotional.Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

I open the gates and step out into this big world, a world I have never really explored. Where am I going? Where should I start? Which direction should I follow? I have nothing, I have no one. I only have my suitcase and my big belly with my unborn bundle of joy growing inside. I can’t call Azila and go to her house because she lives with her parents and I can’t go there given my condition, I don’t want to be a burden to her or her family. Jackie on the other hand lives with her fiance and she should be due anytime so that should be a no go zone to me.

I take a deep breath and take a step forward, one at a time to wherever my legs could carry me to. I walk God knows how many miles and I can feel my legs getting bigger and bigger with every step I take. I am tired, thirsty and even hungry with the sun burning hot in the late afternoon.

I can see a chair a few meters from where I am and I barely manage to walk to it. The ground is better than the seat itself with green grass and the shade gives comfort and breeze that comes in handy under this scorching sun.

I push my suitcase under the chair for safety and lie down. I let out a long sigh of relief and tiredness and close my eyes.

***

“Hey, wake up. This is not a public space,” a male voice wakes me up from my slumber. “Young lady, I am sorry but you can’t be sleeping here. You can be charged for this,” he says pitifully. I got really comfortable in this place and forgot that I was on the move. How long have I been sleeping?

“I am sorry, I should get going.” I look at the man and I can see that he is a security guy from the way he is dressed. He looks oddly familiar though I don’t know if I have ever seen him or rather where I saw him.

“Is this someone’s compound?” I ask him. “Something like that but you can see it is the backyard of a private building.” He says and I look behind me and there stands the beautiful glass building. Familiar too and yes, it is one of the tallest buildings in this city so I might have seen it.

“Thank you sir. I will be on my way.” I pull back my suitcase from under the bench. I prepare to stand but my legs are too heavy and swollen. I can’t stand on my own two feet and when I try to I feel painful and the increased size of my legs protrudes in my sandals.

“Miss, are you okay? Why are you all alone in this condition? Where are you going? Should I order a taxi for you?” He asks endless questions sincerely. “No, don’t do that. I will walk.”

“Don’t tell me that you don’t have money for a taxi. Where is your husband?” He asks. If only he knew. “Husband? No husband.” “Oh, sorry. Forgive me for this but did your husband chase you out of your house?” I don’t blame him for asking me that because anyone could guess from the way I am carrying my big bag and walking around with swollen legs. “No, I don’t have a husband and I am here because I couldn’t afford my house rent.” I can’t tell him the truth.