Chapter 9

AUTHOR
CHAPTER 9
XANDER
When I arrive tonight I freshen up and head to my mother's room, all day I've been thinking about how to tell her the news without making a scene but with my mother really you can never be sure nothing, I take a deep breath before opening the door to his room
Me coming in head: can I come in?
Mom: yes come in
I go in and I sit next to her on the bed, I'm a little hesitant to start, I don't even know where to start
Mom: what's going on? did you come hang out with me or watch me play my video game?
Me stammering: eeuuhhh…no…no I wanted to talk to you about something
Mom putting down her phone: ok I'm listening then
Me snatching the thought: I'm getting married
Startled Mum: Excuse me? I already told him to forget the dowry list huh, I'm not going to go back there and say something else for you, you can believe me
Me cutting her off: no I'm telling you that I'm going to marry a guy and on Friday he will come to see you with the dowry
Mom: but are you sick or what? What kind of education are you being given to you kids today?
Me: you know very well that if it was up to me you will just be informed of the date of the wedding, it is because I would like you to meet my future husband before the wedding that I requested to do the dowry
Mom: ok tomorrow I'll give you the dowry list
Me: mom it won't be necessary I asked her to come with 10,000 FCFA and a cola symbolically
Mom screaming: eeehhhh my God ooohh why didn't I have an abortion? I shit thinking I made a child, look how all your cousins get married, watch their dowry ceremony, look at all that their beautiful family brings as a gift and you my one and only daughter, more beautiful than these girls, you're going to give yourself to a boy for 10,000 FCFA eehhhh I'm cursed, you, the child, you are my punishment
Me: but mom we don't need all that, right you wanted me to get married but it's going to happen now that's the most important right?
As soon as I finish my sentence, I receive jerky blows from my mother.
Mum: Shut your dirty mouth damn girl, since the day your white daddy ran away from her leaving you I knew you wouldn't have a head and I was right you're crazy you want me to go say what to your uncles back home? who is this man who wants to have your hand for 10,000 FCFA?
Me: my boss
Mom lamenting: eehhhh so white also there is his miser? agreed to marry a woman for less than 200 Euro? get out of my room get out, know that I will never accept this, I will not be witnesses to all this, go get married among yourselves there far from me, forget me
Me : ….
My mother shouting louder: I'm telling you to get out, look at me, there are children who shouldn't be born, my 9 months of sacrifice will have been for nothing...
I get up calmly and I leave her room, whether she likes it or not this wedding will take place, and she will quickly forget these 10,000 FCFA when I spoil her more than before
It's her my mother she only thinks of her, she only thinks of her little person, I'm so used to hearing these kinds of things coming from her that now it doesn't mean anything to me anymore, she should have aborted me, that would have even done me a favor and of the two of us, she's the one who would suffer the most because at that time she would be working, not staying in front of the screens or walking around all day, I always prayed to God not to become a mother like her, if really we can say of her that she is a mother of course
She should get ready for Friday since I don't intend to go back whether she likes it or not she will receive the dowry I asked for, I am not a commodity to put on and price before I sell myself, I go into my room I close the door behind me, I'll say that I'm only thinking about how our life as a couple will be once we get married, it's between these beautiful thoughts that I fall asleep tonight, I can't wait
D-Day
Today is the big day, Alexender and his family will come to see us so that we can give him my hand, we will not do things like that, must be done in Togo, it will be a small truck quickly and we separates, I ended up convincing my mother to attend the ceremony, whatever our differences she remains my mother and I want her to be present for everything concerning the most important day of my life, my union with the man I love
She accepted on one condition, that none of my uncles be present, it doesn't really bother me since I'm not really close to them, in addition since my father left my mother and me, they never did anything for us, they stayed in their corner and watched us get away with my mother and me, so whether he was there or not, it doesn't change anything in my life but for my mother I think it is mainly so as not to lose face in front of them, but I think I went a bit overboard with her, huh…I should have let her make a list and redo it later, but hey, it's already done
After my bath I put on a wax dress offered by mum, to tell the truth, I'm a little surprised that she suddenly becomes so nice to me again, whereas the last time when I told her about the event, she was so upset that I even received a few blows even in passing but hey I take advantage of it while waiting for mom Dracula to come back, I put on my dress and I put on a little makeup to look good, I put on a red lipstick and I brush my hair, I remember that evening (the day we kissed) Alexender made me understand that he liked it more, I was in front of the mirror smiling stupidly when my mother entered
Mom: are you done? they are there
Me excited: already? I arrive
I take a last quick look at the mirror before going out to join them in the living room, when I arrive they were already installed, there was Mina, William, Thea and Alexender, he was dressed in a navy blue trouser suit with a sky blue long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up, he was so handsome, as usual, I serve them cold drinks that Alexender declines asking for still water, he really likes to be noticed
When I finish I sit next to mum and the presentations blend in with joy and good humor, we don't do too much fuss, mum immediately gets to the heart of the matter
Mom with a smile on her face: what brings you to our house this morning?
Mina with her usual happy mood: we are here because my son would like to have your daughter's hand and take her as his wife
Mom: it's customary with us when coming to ask for a woman's hand, we generally bring presents for the in-laws generally called a dowry, but I see that you are there with empty hands?
Mina: don't worry we came with presents befitting the beauty of the young lady who is your daughter, and they are already pushing them up
A few minutes later the doors of the apartment open letting in men dressed in the same way, hands full of suitcases, cartons of champagne liqueur and wine, the last person to arrive had a box in hand that I immediately recognize the ring that Alexender gave me the last time
When we opened the suitcases I almost fell backwards, there were wax things that I didn't usually wear, designer shoes, boxes containing jewelry I was really shocked by everything I saw, Mina put the cola on the table and on it was a check for 1 million euros and a car key, I turned to him questioningly with my eyes since that was not what was planned, the I have the impression that people want to buy me and I don't like this smirk at all that he displayed even less