White traditional wedding
“So, man how does it feel to be married and knowing that from now on you shall be ted to one woman for the rest of your life?” Mlu jokingly asks Simo as they are getting ready in one of the rooms at the Botanical gardens where a second session of the wedding will take place.A huge marquee tent is erected in the park yard where people, now dressed in beautiful western dresses and suits are seated and waiting for the ceremony to begin. The decor and the theme colour is beautiful, and the live band is doing the things in there. Simo’s nerves have subsided now that the first part of the wedding is done, Lee-Ann is now Mrs Mthethwa by African tradition. “Oh no man you know there’s always been one for me anyways. And to actually think that she’s Mrs Mthethwa now is mind blowing bro, I can’t even believe it” he says with excited face as he smiles wide at his friends who are just as excited as him about this. He tries to fix his bowtie as he looks at himself in the mirror but he is struggling. But JB comes over to help him out.
“Well we are happy that you feel that way bro, because the last thing we want is keep seeing you showing up at our places for a sleepover, hahaha” JB jokes as he laughs loud while fixing Simo’s tie. They change gear a little bit as they go to sit down with a little bit of a serious look from all three of them. Simo takes out the nip they had early in the day, it seems there’s still something little left there. He pours for the three of them.
“Guys I want to make a toast to the three of us” he says as he lifts his glass, to which both his friends join him. “Guys, I just wanted to say, thank you to you both. We have been through stuff, the three of us, haven’t we?” as he looks at them both. “When things weren’t going right in my life at some point you guys were always there for me. When I had that accident you never left my side. You have been true brothers to me and great friends. We disagreed on some stuff but that never drove us apart. I love you guys so much” he says emotionally as he is about to drink but JB cuts him of, “whoa, whoa, whoa” he says. “seeing that this the only thing left from the good stuff I might as well jump in before we drink” he laughs.
“Look man, we all know how I initially felt about your relationship with Lee-Ann.” As he looks down, embarrassed. “I may have had my reasons but what I have learnt is that true love is very powerful and its shining light can’t be put off. You and Lee-Ann belong together and I’m really happy that after turbulent times you guys found your way back to each other again. I wish you nothing but the best through your journey and you shall always have my support” he concludes as he lifts his glass.
“Oh well, I might as well join in on this hey” Mlu says as he smiles. But suddenly his face changes to be a little bit serious as he says, “Man, I’m really happy for you. I’m very excited for you. You have been a great friend all my life and you have been so supportive of me in every situation I went through. To see you today having your moment of joy makes me really happy. You and Lee-Ann really deserve this. She’s lucky to have you and she’s a very good person, you are lucky to have her. I wish you guys all the best in the world and I love you very much” as he lifts his glass. To that, the three friends toast as they drink.
But their moment is interrupted by a knock at the door. JB goes to open, it’s Debra. For a moment there it becomes a little awkward as the last time these two saw each was the night of the wedding dinner rehearsal and things didn’t end well.
“JB…” Debra says looking at him dead in the eyes. “Mrs Stain…” JB responds nervously. Another awkward moment passes they both continue to look at each other eyes. “Uhmm, can I talk to Simo please, is he in here?” Debra says nervously. JB lets her pass as he moves out of the way. She comes in to Simo and Mlu’s surprise. “Hi Simo, can I talk to you for a moment please. I won’t take long I promise” she says nervously. Simo looks at JB and Mlu trying to think what to say for a second. “Uhmm, guys can you excuse us for a second” he says to his friends who leave the room to give the two space to talk.
Debra comes in and sit on the chair by the dressing room. For a second they both sit there quietly, they both don’t seem to know what to say next.
“Uhmm, I know that we don’t have a lot of time so I will get right into it” Debra says as she breaks the silence. “I spoke to Lee-Ann earlier today before the ceremony and she told me that you guys will be moving to your place when you come back from honeymoon and she tells me that it’s her idea” she looks at Simo who seems relieved to know that at least that part is out of the way.
“So I’m here to ask you a favour” Debra continues to which Simos face says Just as I though. “I know that it wasn’t your idea that you guys move to your own place and I’m here to ask that you please talk to Lee-Ann about it, please. That you guys please hold of that thought a bit and move in with us just for now. I mean, there isn’t any rush for you guys to find your own place now, is there? There’s enough space for all of to…” but Simo, out of being annoyed a little bit cuts Debra off, “There is an urgent need for us to find our own place, Mrs Stain. There is a need” he says to a disappointed Debra.
“I mean, we need our privacy and space where we can make our own decisions and rules that make us happy, than to have to deal with tensions in the house Debra. This is not what me and my wife want” he looks away to avoid eye contact.
“I’m sorry Mrs Stain but I can’t help you with this” he says as he stands to go by the door to lead Debra out. She slowly stands up and heads to the door. She stands there for a second and looks at Simo in the eyes with a look of sadness. Simo looks away to avoid eye contact. Debra goes out as Simo shuts the door behind her.
***
In the other room, Lee-Ann is having a cheerful moment with her friends as they are helping her get dressed. “So Mrs Mthethwa, where are you guys going for your honeymoon?” Melissa asks an excited Lee-Ann sitting next to her in front of this huge dressing mirror. She is busy trying to put her own make up on, she says she doesn’t like when people do it for her.
“Well, if you must know Mel, we are going to Spain, the Netherlands and a few other places” she says with a tongue out. She’s really excited. “Oh wow you guys, that is so supercool” Melissa says as she holds in to her friend in excitement. “Oh guys can I come with you? I promise I won’t make a noise okay, hahaha” Julie jumps in as they all burst out laughing. “Well I’m just jealous of you guys,
that’s all I have to say to all that” Derby jokes too. They all have a good laugh about it as they sit next to each other, looking at the mirror. “Wow I can’t believe you guys went in big like that. What else can do this but pure love hey?” Julie adds as she looks at Lee-Ann through the mirror. At this point the four of them are emotional with excitement, but not as much as Lee-Ann who begins to wipe little tears of joy with a tissue.
“Well, thank you guys for being here with me” she says. “Uhmm, I’ll start with you my friend” as she looks at Melissa. “Where do I even begin with you. Uhmm, for all these years we’ve known each other, you’ve been such a great friend to me so much like my sister. You’ve always been there for me with your honest and genuine advice when I needed it, thank you so much” she kisses her in the cheek.
“And you…” as she turns to Derby. “Little sis you stuck by me on every turn. Even when things turned bad between me and my family, you were in my corner. I shouldn’t have put you in that positon at all, it was unfair of me. But you were there for me and you are pretty wise and mature than I could ever imagine” she says as she hugs her little sister.
She then turns to her cousin Julie. For a second they look at each other and they are both emotional and teary. “Julie, we've been through it, you and I haven’t we?” she wipes a tear as she laughs nervously. “We have had our best and worst days as cousins but managed to overcome that and made our way back to each other. But I must say that over the past few months I have seen a complete change in you and now you have completed my joy by making me an aunt to two adorable little ones. I’m sorry proud of you”
At those words, Julie can’t hold her tears any longer as she let them roll down her cheeks. She goes on to cling to her cousin Lee-Ann as they hug. Suddenly all four ladies are crying tears of joy. “Well it looks like we will have to redo these make ups, don’t we?” Melissa says as they all snap out of it and begin to laugh at her joke. They all go back to looking at themselves in the mirror to fix their make ups.
“So, you and JB what’s the story there, little miss?” Lee-Ann breaks the ice as she looks at her little sister through the mirror. Suddenly all the other ladies look at her as well. Derby thinks for a second, “Well me and Mr Dlomo are doing well thank you. Why do you ask?” she says as she continues to apply her make up. “Well I’m asking because you know…of what happened the other day at the dinner rehearsal. You know, JB's baby mama showing up and crashing the party and all that. So I mean you know…” but Lee-Ann doesn’t finish as Derby cuts her off, “No we are okay. I mean Thuli. just came there to start drama that’s all and JB handled that very well. And…” but Derby herself doesn’t finish as Melissa cuts her off,
“Yeah but doesn’t that bother you at all that at your age you are now dealing with baby mama drama already? I mean is that what you really want?” But Derby doesn’t seem to like this conversation at all, but as she’s about to respond, a knock on the door comes through. She quickly decides to be the one going to open. It’s her dad Morgan at the door.
She decides to let her in as everyone is dressed anyways. Morgan comes and stands behind the girls. “Ladies can you excuse me and Lee-Ann for a minute. I will be quick I promise” he says nervously looking to see Lee-Ann’s reaction to that.
But the ladies don’t wait for Lee-Ann’s response as they quickly move out of the room, leaving the two Slone to talk. Morgan moves in to sit next to his daughter. There’s awkward silence there for a moment as they both look at each other through the mirror. “You really look beautiful my angel” Morgan breaks the ice with a smile to his daughter. “you know you remind me of your mother when
we got married. She looked just as beautiful you know and when I saw her…” Morgan doesn’t finish as Lee-Ann cuts him of, “Daddy if you are here to beg me to change my mind on our decision to move to our own place…” but she also doesn’t finish as well, as Morgan cuts her of, “Oh no sweetheart I’m not here for that” he says nervously. “So you are here on mom’s behalf then? Oh daddy, of all days I don’t really want to do this okay, I’m…” but Lee-Ann is cut off again, “Oh no darling, I’m not here about your mom either” Morgan says.
“I just wanted to see you that’s all. Oh, maybe just to try and see if we can’t fix things before I walk you down the aisle. So many things have gone wrong between us as a family and I really hate it darling, I really do” he becomes sad about it.
“Well, daddy this isn’t my doing, you know that right?” Lee-Ann jumps in. “You and mom just need to let me go and allow me to make my own decisions. I’m not a child anymore. You guys, if you cannot accept Simo as part of this family then you will have to let me go as part of this family, because I am married to him now. Don’t force me to choose dad. Please I beg you okay” Lee-Ann herself is becoming sad and emotional.
“I hear you sweetheart” Morgan says with a low voice. “We don’t want to lose you darling. I know that you and your mom haven’t been seeing eye to eye lately but one thing I know is that she really loves you and she wants you to be happy” as he smiles at his daughter. “The situation with your sister and your mom is also worrying me you know. They are always at each other’s throats lately and I really don’t know what to do with this now” he looks away in sadness.
There’s awkward silence for a moment.
“You see dad? This is exactly what I’m talking about” Lee- Ann jumps in. “Mom wants to control us. Do you guys want what happened with me to happen with Derby? Because I swear dad, that exactly what’s going to happen if you guys don’t stop trying to control her decision. Mom just needs to stop trying to make everything about her, alright?”
As emotions were starting to build, Melissa knocks and comes through the door, “Oh guys really sorry to interrupt you but we are really running out of time. We really need to finish up here. I really apologize Mr Stain” she says nervously. But Morgan stands up and says, “No it’s okay darling, I was leaving” as he looks at his daughter with a sad face and walks out the door.
***
At the tent, Jabu had come to see the Smart at the table where they are reserved. Things between these three hasn’t been great. They are still disagreeing on how best the babies should be raised and none of them are backing down from this. David is also seated with his mom and dad this time. You could feel the tension at this table is on an all time high.
“All I’m saying to you Jabu is that my grandchildren should be here with us, not somewhere in the farms where we aren’t even sure if they are well looked after, since their mother is here. I think it was reckless to leave them there alone…” Stacey says as she looks away to avoid eye contact with Jabu, who seems annoyed at this as she cuts her of, “But they are not alone, Stacey, they are with my mother who is their grandmother as well. So those babies are well looked after. There’s absolutely nothing to worry about okay” she says as she’s trying to avoid raising her voice which may draw attention.
“Well, I’m still saying the babies should be here with us. I’m really not happy with this arrangement and I won’t pretend that I am happy with it” Stacey says as she restores eye contact with Jabu. “Well, but please keep in mind that these are Mlu’s babies as well. We are also their family so we won’t harm them. Our problem is that we are black and you think these babies must be raised as white, which isn’t really your choice, is it?” Jabu jumps in.
But Ben seeing that the situation may soon get out of control if he doesn’t take control of it, he jumps in, “okay, okay ladies” he says. “Can we please calm down about this I beg you both. I mean we can always be adults about it, can’t we?” he asks with a nervous smile, like a man walking on landmine field. But both ladies seem to ignore him as they keep their eyes locked on each other. Luckily there’s only the four of them in the table but David doesn’t look interested in this contest.
“Look Jabu, this isn’t about race okay?” Stacey says as she raises her voice a little. “But I don’t think children should be confused with moving around and seeing many different faces…” but Jabu jumps in immediately as she raises her voice as well, “So whose face must they get used to? A white face because a black face isn’t good for them? Huh?” she says. But David can’t take this anymore. He can see how this may end up becoming the highlight of the day, so he decides to jump in, “Okay, okay, okay guys. That’s enough now, it’s enough. We can’t keep going on like this” he says. “How long has this been going on? Mom, Jabu…this is not your decision how these babies are raised. It’s Julie and Mlu’s. None of us have a say in this matter.
Remember Mlu and Julie are the parents and they will do what they think it’s better for the babies. All of us, we are all family to those babies and want what we think it’s best for them. So what’s it with the hostilities?” he is a little annoyed but his words seem to have calmed everyone down a bit. But this little drama is interrupted by a little noise as people in the tent start to cheer for the groom Simo and his groomsmen Mlu and JB who come in and stand in the front.
Please log in to submit a comment.