INICIAR SESIÓNEverybody had left. It remained just me and him-Xavier alone in the wedding hall. Our wedding would make history, because this is the first wedding I knew of, where the bride and groom were the last to leave the hall.
As a little child, I remember attending a wedding with my mum. The bride and groom left the whole guests behind. They drove away in the car they had come with.
It’s now over thirty minutes, since Xavier had been on the phone. Only God knows who he was talking to for that long. His back was turned to my face.
My naughty brain began to fantasize how my first night with him would be and feel like. Stealthily, I walked over to his back trying to eavesdrop. It was just me being curious.
My face fell. It wasn’t long he hung the call. Immediately, Xavier turned. I tried to force a smile through my face. I wondered how it looked to Xavier.
‘Trying to eavesdrop uhn’ He held my cheek and shook it slowly.
My cheeks blushed red on their own, without me forcing it to. But wait his touch? This felt new. Or maybe or just maybe it was me overthinking like I usually do.
I didn’t say anything. I didn’t need to reply, because he already caught me red-handed.
I cleared my throat, my curiosity getting the best of me ‘Who were you on a call with?’.
‘Do you really want to know?’ He replied, taking one step closer to me.
‘Of course, or else why would I be asking?’ I answered.
‘It was a friend. An old friend’
‘Well, that was new’ I thought as my eyes bore into his. However, it wasn’t long when he looked away from me.
‘You are doing it again’ I blurted out unknowingly. It was just a whisper though. He shouldn’t hear it at all.
‘Doing what again?’ He asked, looking above my head.
‘Never mind’ I responded.
‘Remember the reason why I decided that we should choose this flower to our wedding?’
Xavier nodded at my question, but he didn’t mutter anything.
‘Come on’ I tugged at his left arm slightly. I felt it. I couldn’t miss that. His muscles felt stiff at my contact.
Pim. Pim
We heard the blasting of car horn outside.
‘It’s here’
‘What is here?’
‘The taxi is here’
‘Oh!’ I mumbled. I looked at him as we walked side by side. I had asked a stupid question; although, he replied me. It was the same dry reply.
I shook my head and convinced myself that I was just overthinking things again.
We got outside, and the taxi was there indeed, A black Toyota Camry.
‘Get in’ Xavier muttered; he gestured his right forward.
In the bid of trying to get in, my wedding gown got stuck in between the car door. I didn’t try to get it.
I didn’t say anything. I wanted him to notice himself. And finally, he did.
Xavier bent down and carefully removed the fabric from where it hung itself.
‘Thank you!’
The side of his lips curved into a smirk. It didn’t go unnoticed by me. Well, I ignored it and moved my ass on the chair. I adjusted myself on the Camry’s back seat, so he could sit beside me.
Afterall, we were going to our new home together. But his next words weren’t the ones I expected.
‘I will meet you at home’ He bent forward and placed a short kiss on my forehead.
‘But-’
‘Shsssh no buts. I will be back tonight. If you are worried about not knowing my new house. The driver will take you there. Show yourself around’ He winked at me. He gave me no space to respond to him.
‘Slam’
The door was shut.
The driver ignited the engine and pressed the accelerator pedal, causing the car to lurch forward.
My heart raced with fear now. Anxiety creeped in like it had been waiting for me at this perfect moment of its.
I pushed myself sideways, the chair squeaked as I shifted. I wound the window down and stared outside. Ever passing second made him become smaller in my vision.
I couldn’t see him again. He appeared minute.
I slumped to the seat. My head hitting the armrest of the seat that was in the middle.
‘Fucccccck’ I cursed.
‘Hi, Driver’ I called out.
‘Yes, Ma’am’
‘Who the heck leaves his bride on his wedding day to go home alone?’ I started.
The driver adjusted the rear-view mirror to look at me.
‘I am no place to say anything Ma’am’ He replied me.
I stared at my fingers for what felt like forever ‘I guess mine would be the first of such marriage’
I brought out my phone and dialed Xavier’s number. I didn’t get a chance to respond before he shut the car door. But right now? I needed to give him a response.
First ring? Nothing
Second ring? Nothing also.
‘The number you are trying to call is switched off’
‘Fuccckkkk!’ I cursed again. My breath hitched.
Now I couldn’t call my best friend Racheal. And my dad? No go area.
I stamped my feet on the floor, attracting the driver’s attention again.
‘Ma’am is everything alright?’
I shot a dead glare at him ‘Should that really be a question? Do I look alright to you?’
‘Sorry Ma’am’
Instead I hissed, I need him. I want my old Xavier back.
My mind flashed back to our discussions before this whole preparation.
~FLASHBACK~
Xavier and I went to MON’s mountain top. It was a chopper that took us.
We got down from the chopper; although, Xavier was the one who assisted me down it.
The breeze blew my gown sideways. I am a slim girlie so it felt like the breeze was actually strong enough to push me off.
Xavier collected the duffel bag that I held. It contained the few things I thought could make the meeting a success.
‘So, we are here as you wished,’ He dropped the bag down and smiled at me. The smile felt warm and that alone gave me shivers.
That’s true. Being on the mountain top with my boyfriend was one of the things I had on my wish list. I had to keep on reminding Xavier about it. He easily forgets, but I love him that way. Why shouldn’t I? He has a lot of thing on his mind. So, I completely understand every bit of him.
‘The cloth’
He opened the bag and withdrew a green fabric that had a flowery design.
‘Should I spread it’
‘Yeah, Yeah’
I watched him as he did that. When he bent, a black mole on his lower back was visible.
We arranged the necessary things and sat down. We joked a lot and he reminded me of our first meeting.
‘Come on. I don’t want to remember that’ I tapped his shoulders playfully.
‘I want our wedding night to be a memorable one’
‘Of course, I want that for us. I wouldn’t leave you on our wedding day’ He laughed about it.
~
Frankly speaking, he just did that. The same thing he said jokingly on that day.
Am I just overthinking or he really had some important work to do just like the driver had said?
After the close of work, I sauntered outside the building of my workplace, when the blast of horn caught my attention. I looked at the car, unable to detect whose car it whose until the window slid down slowly revealing the person’s face. I gasped when I saw him it was Xavier. My mouth flew open as I mouthed ‘You didn’t tell me you were coming.’ He walked over to where I stood. He cupped my face, a smile elongated over his face as he pressed a kiss to my hair softly. I gazed into his eyes; those unspoken words already meant something to me. ‘I have a surprise for you’ He said, turning his gaze towards his car. I pushed myself forward slightly, trying to squint myself to see it. I didn’t see nothing; I couldn’t catch a glimpse of anything at all. Xavier is always full of surprise isn’t it. ‘I guess your surprise would forever keep coming. Keep it coming’ I said softly, turning my chin upward. My tone going low ‘What surprise is it this time around?’ I asked raising my legs, so that
‘What’s missing here?’He glanced at the photo in his hands, before he spoke ‘I don’t know too.’ I looked at him not convinced at what he had just said and it seemed he picked it up ‘Believe me, I do not know, wifey and it’s just a picture so, nothing that deep’ He said, tucking the picture in between the pages of the photo album.‘Can I text Racheal? I miss her, Xavier’ I asked, waiting for his advice, because it was what I followed.‘You really care a lot about her. Don’t you?’ He paused as he said those words.‘Anyone can tell. It’s that obvious baby. You of all people know that Racheal is like my second life line’ I replied. Still not satisfied, I asked again ‘So can I text her?’‘Go ahead’ He replied looking at me briefly before keeping his photo album away.I punched her digits on my phone, I don’t know why I didn’t search for her name, when I would see it for sure. But it was past that already. The phone rang, indication it was forwarding to the owner of the call’s I.D.She pic
'Renee. Reneee,' he called my name out, but I was silent. 'We are humans. We all have emotions and doubt is inevitable. Although, it hurts that you doubt me, I wouldn’t lie.' I squinted my eyes, and my vision blurred, tears flowing down freely to my cheek, soaking the shirt he had on.'I’m sorry.' 'It’s fine. It’s fine. As long as it isn’t constant, right? That’s all that matters, wifey.' He wrapped his hands around my head. 'I’m so sorry, Xavier, forgive—' I burst out crying the more. A wife is supposed to trust her husband. The solid trust was what a marriage was built on, at least successful marriages, but I lacked it. What had I been thinking? Fuck. 'The truth is,' I said against his chest, inhaling his new crystal cologne at the same time, 'ever since our wedding day, I have been feeling unsettled. I thought you were an entirely different person. Even Racheal, my friend, joked about that I married the wrong man. And now I accused you because of I heard your lit
‘Brother Aiden’ The girl called out again, running past me toward where she pointed the direction of her fingers at. I straightened myself up, turning my whole body to where she went.She ran to Xavier who stood at the top of the staircase, and with the way Grace ran, I began to mumble words of ‘Don’t fall or slip girl’I noticed him go limp. He froze as his eyes settled on Grace who was still running towards him. I also watched as her legs carried her up the stairs. His gaze flew to me, and I smiled at him. At least, I had to before I get an explanation about what was going on. About the name I just heard his little sister mutter like it was his.She hugged Xavier when she finally got to him, she turned to me ‘Sister-in-law, this is brother Aiden.’ She said, pointing at him, and smiling repeatedly.‘That’s enough Grace’ He finally spoke after seconds. Hotness crawled slowly and deep under my skin. I looked at the little girl again glaring at her for seconds again. She couldn’t be mi
The bell rang and I genuinely loved that interruption. David was new around here, so we don’t talk. He was employed weeks ago. The only person I talked to once in a while was Zion, but she betrayed me.I saw the gossips in the office private group chat about her being sanctioned, because she was guilty. It wasn’t my thing to talk in group chats and so I left their chattering.‘We will talk later, Mrs. Renee’ He winked at me. It felt strange that he reminded about my husband, Xavier. But Xavier was better at it, his made me falter.I dropped the coffee cup into the stainless sink of the kitchen, and turned on the water tap creating a hissing noise. I cleaned the coffee cup, turning it down. It was a rule that workers clean the stuffs they use after usage.Back in the office, I scrolled through my own desktop, checking my work email to know if I have been assigned more tasks or not.EMAIL: A reminder to complete your previous task. The retrieved sketch is right in the right drawer.I h
Minutes later, she continued shedding tears even after I tried my best. All efforts proved futile. We stood right outside the morgue, because we were not allowed to enter.Racheal began to bang the door very loudly ‘God damn it. Open this fucking door. You stupid ass set of people. You call yourself doctors, yet you couldn’t do one thing to save her. Why is this a god damn hospital? You all license needs to be seized.’ I watched her continue banging hard, her knuckles would turn weak with the pressure and force she applied with each it.My hand flew to my mouth as I began to sob, tears cascading down my eyes each moment I watch her continue to break away and whither like a leaf that had no life in it.I wanted to reached out to her, but a hand held mine- it was Xavier’s. ‘Xavier.’ I turned to look at him.‘Let her go, she needs space’ He dragged me to him, my chest meeting his. I looked back at her, my body betrayed me again as I tried to force my way out his grip, but he wouldn’t bud







