PROLOGUE
“You what!!!!” Aurora shouted nearly bursting Yvette’s eardrums. Yvette covered her ears dramatically and rolled her eyes as she stared at her best friend who looked more agitated than necessary.
“Before I die from the sharp daggers coming from your eyes can I at least explain?” Yvette implored wryly as she settled down on the couch and patted the spot next to her. Ro exhaled noisily, exasperated and resignedly sat next to her.
“Tea,” Yvette offered as she busied herself with pouring it into the tea cups. The short reprieve helped her contemplate on how she would phrase her story. She was in love but she knew that her best friend wouldn’t understand. She felt comfortable with Jesse, he was easy to talk to and for the first time she didn’t feel the hibby jibbies when he touched her.
“Well I followed your advice and joined the dating site…”
Ro scoffed at that and stated, “I expected you to meet people, not to throw yourself at the first man who befriended you.” Yvette looked affronted when her friend said that. She was always the blunt one and never a mincer with words.
“He wasn’t the first man to befriend me; I don’t get why you are being like this when you kept on insisting that I put myself out there for the finding. Vee you should be open to possibilities, how do you expect to be found if all you do is work and not play at all. Now someone ‘found me’ and you are not happy about it.”
“But I did not advise you to get married after a month of chatting with the man.” Ro interjected as Yvette showed three fingers when she said that. She scowled and gritted out, “As if three months makes it any better. Who is he? Do you know where he comes from? His family? He might be crazy or a serial killer from all we know.” She looked disapprovingly at her friend, cancelling out the serial part since her friend was alive and kicking, sharing her good news with her.
Vee took a sip of the tea that suddenly tasted bland to her tongue before she softly replied, “As you know, he attends the same church with us meaning he is a believer, tick. He is into charity a double tick as it shows that he is a generous man. He likes the same things that I like which is a bonus” she was flipping her hands as she spoke which further irritated Ro. Yvette was always squeamish when it came to men and now apparently she was leg shackled to one.
“Babes where is my toiletry bag, I can’t find it anywhere …oooh you have a visitor,” Jesse abruptly halted when he noticed the lady seated next to his wife on the couch. “Hieeee,” Ro gushed as everything fell into place. The sneaky Yvette had failed to tell her one important aspect about the man, he was dishy, handsome, aah; she was too old to find the right vocabulary. He was very good looking. The shirt he was wearing tautly stretched against his biceps. For a happily married woman she was already drooling especially when he smiled and two dimples appeared on each cheek making him even more charming. “Hello, sorry to have disturbed you”, Jesse apologized as he eyed the beauty next to his wife again. She looked familiar.
“It’s ok, this is my friend Aurora” Yvette introduced. Jesse shook Ro’s hand and grinned again, revealing those two dimples. “She happens to be happily married to our deacon by the way,” She continued with the introduction after observing her cold friend having thawed and almost turning to steam instead as she drooled at her husband. She hoped Jesse wouldn’t get offended by Ro who was still ogling at him. That’s where he must have seen her, at the church conference, Jesse thought. Rescuing her husband from the handshake that had gone on for a while, Yvette advised, “Check for the toiletry bag in my vanity case.”
Finally Ro got her voice back, “Hmmmm, what’s the hurry for, why don’t you let me get to know your husband first,” she giggled like a school girl. “Some other time, it has been nice meeting you.” Jesse replied with a grin and left for their bedroom. After he left, Ro turned to look at her friend.
“It’s not what you are thinking” she stated with a laugh. “I didn’t marry him for his looks.” This was her first time seeing her friend all of a sudden agreeable, nodding as if she had solved the answers pertaining to hunger in the world. Yvette was attracted to his looks when she saw his profile picture on the dating site, but as they chatted she got to know him. If he wasn’t good looking and still possessed the same personality, she would have married him on the spot. Ro sat back more comfortably and asked, “How old is he? And what does he do for a living.”
She nervously laughed before she replied, “Twenty five and his in between jobs, don’t you think the worst. I can see that look; you think I have been sucked in hook line and sinker.”
“You said that not me,” Ro replied with a shrug of her shoulders as she sipped her tea. “I hope for your sake he really is a good guy.”
Yvette sighed relieved as her interview with her best friend was over. She really wanted the two people she cherished to get along. Ro was contemplating on informing her husband to look into Jesse’s history. If he was a member of their church, then he would definitely find something. She gulped the last bits of the tea and stood up. “Well I have to go. Make sure you bring that hunk of a husband to church tomorrow” She advised. Yvette chuckled not believing for a second the sudden change in Aurora. Some minutes ago she had been ready to toss her down the drain after she found out that she got married. She accompanied her outside to her car and watched her drive off.
“Is she gone?” Jesse asked coming into the room and settling down next to her before he pulled her to him. “You are such a superhero. Letting me be skinned alive and showing your charming self after” She chortled. “It worked right,” Jesse retorted as he pulled her away from him to stare into her beautiful eyes. “I saved the day after all” he continued to say. More like he saved his skin by presenting his cute self to her friend. She swatted his arm when he stated that. He was the free spirited one in the relationship while she had to think of the technicalities and intricate details of relationships. Right now she longed to be as spontaneous as she had been when she agreed to marry him.
She shook her head negatively, “You didn’t save the day. You came in when I had already handled the matter,” she retorted hotly as she got up from the couch. Jesse pulled her back to his lap and started tickling her. “Please stoooop,” she shrieked as she couldn’t take it anymore.
“I will stop when you admit that I am your super hero. Me Tarzan, you Jane” He insisted, laughing along with her. “I giiiive up,” she managed to utter amidst the peals of laughter. “Yooou Jane, me Tarzan” she chortled as he continued to tickle her. “Don’t act smart.” She tried to pull away to no avail until she conceded and finally said, “You Tarzan, me Jane,” and was relieved when he stopped tickling her. There was a slight pause before he spoke in his baritone voice. “You know, I love you right.”
“Ha-ha. You are just a sucker for older women.” He pulled her back in his arms before he whispered. “Yes, older women are sweet; especially when they pretend to not be from the same generation that I am in.” He swooped in for the kiss that managed to make her body melt. She definitely was going to enjoy married life.
Yvonne Sibanda 