Love, Actually...

For a moment there, I did not register what Zeus had said, but once it hit me I just had a panic attack. I was so amazed at what he had to say that I had to excuse myself from the bath and leave the room for air. I was hyperventilating in the bedroom, trying to maintain balance but before I could hit the ground, Zeus had caught me and lay me down on the bed. I didn’t think marriage would freak me out so much, but considering how long Zeus and I have been together, the prospect of marrying him scared me to some degree. I can’t be a wife, not yet. I had given myself a chance to breathe before explaining to Zeus that I needed more time, and wanted to get to know him better before getting into something like that again. He understood, and topped off the night with a few rounds.

The following months with Zeus were bliss. We had gone on vacations and little road trips across the country. He gradually became my best friend, and my soulmate. More than anything, I loved this man. I couldn’t imagine my life without him in it, and I did everything possible to make sure he knew this and felt the same way about me. On occasion, he would send me sweet gifts, some more expensive than others but he made sure I knew I was loved. I also made my man feel special with all the gifts I gave him as well as the little things I did for him every now and then. Over time, we built a beautiful, healthy relationship we both couldn’t picture ourselves getting out of.

After one glorious year with Zeus, I was at a point where I felt that I was ready to take the next step with him. He had met my parents, and they loved him more than me. It took a while persuading him to let me meet his parents, but eventually he buckled. I wasn’t aware that his parents were still in the country until the weekend we were invited to spend time with them at their beach house in Zimbali, KZN. The neighbourhood is quite eloquent and there are estates with gorgeous homes and properties, so the first thing that came to mind was that he had come from a wealthy family. I didn’t know that, but it wasn’t important so it didn’t phase me. We drove along the driveway towards the house, and once we got close to the house, we noticed his parents standing at the front door ready to welcome us into their home.

“Welcome Ona! I’m Joel, and she is my gorgeous wife Noelene. Welcome to our home, and thank you for choosing to spend time with us,," Zeus’ father exclaimed, strangely.

“Hi Dad, meet Ona. She’s the love of my life, and thank you both for welcoming us. Can we take time out to get settled before we talk?”, Zeus responded.

“Sure sweetheart, come inside. I’ll make us all some tea and we’ll talk when you’re settled in. Ona, would you like me to help you get situated?”, Noelene asked.

“Sure Ma, that would be lovely. Thank you so much for having me over,," I responded.

The house was huge, and there were so many rooms! I imagined myself being in a castle once before but I never thought I would actually spend time in one. I was excited to see what this weekend had in store for us, particularly because Zeus’ parents were really nice. Noelene and I spoke about my family and I, how I grew up and what I’m currently doing. We discovered that we have similar interests and hobbies, and that we had a similar upbringing. I guess we spent more time bonding because at some point, Zeus came into the room to check in on us.

“Are you ladies okay? You’ve been up here a long while and father and I want to get dinner prep started. We can't have an amazing dinner without you two.”

“Child, don’t irritate me! I am trying to get to know the woman you’re in love with. She may become my daughter one day, so I have to make sure she’s suited for you. Anyway, let’s go. We'll talk in the kitchen," Noelene responded.

Mama Noelene is a great cook, by the way. Her beef stew is amazing, and she made the most delicious rice recipe I have ever had. One thing I am grateful for is that she loves my cooking too, because there is nothing more disappointing than having your man’s mother hate your cooking. I loved the interior decoration in their home, especially the dining room. There was a gorgeous crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling, and it really made the room glow up and look inviting. The dinner session was interesting, because Zeus’ parents told us how they’d met. They both grew up in Kinshasa, and had met each other while walking to town. Joel saw Noelene walking almost every week, but was afraid to approach her for a while because he wasn’t sure if she was spoken for. Eventually, he gained the courage to just approach her, and ask her out on a date. They met every day thereafter, got married after three years together and moved to South Africa after five years of marriage.

You can tell from their story and the way they’d narrate it that they have always been the best of friends. They had left their home country, the DRC, because Joel’s family wanted him to take a second wife. Fortunately he didn’t want to, so they left. They established their lives in the country and found their “happily ever after” in South Africa. The entire evening was spent hearing stories of their earlier times together as well as some of Zeus’ most embarrassing moments. Needless to say, it was a lovely evening and I got along very well with Zeus’ parents. At the end of the evening, before we left, Zeus’ father gave us his blessing. I felt like I was home, and I haven’t felt that way in a very long time. Zeus and I got into the car, and drove to my place.

Once we got home, I couldn’t help being overwhelmed by the feeling of love. This man is so precious, and I feel blessed to have him in my life. There was a brief moment when I looked at him, and mumbled a short prayer under my breath, thanking God for this blessing of a man and for a second chance at love. I guess Zeus noticed this, because he leaned in to embrace and kiss me.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”, Zeus asked.

“I just love you… this evening was good. At first, I was anxious about meeting your parents. Especially your mother. However as the night went on, I felt more and more at home. I don’t feel this way with my own parents, so you can imagine how this must feel for me. Thank you so much for taking this step with me babe. I love you.”

“I love you too, baby. You mean the world to me, and I have always wanted to be where I am now with you. Thank you for allowing me into your world and giving me a chance to earn your heart. Thank you for being an amazing, understanding woman who has held me down even in the toughest of times. I won't rehash what we’ve been through in the last year that we have been together, but I am truly grateful for your presence in my life. I cannot wait for you to allow me to make you my wife.”, Zeus said.

“Maybe I’m ready now. I want to do this. I want to be your forever… ask me again, but properly. Not today, but soon.”, I responded.

That was one of the biggest steps in a relationship I have ever had to take. I’m not usually that expressive when I’m in a relationship, because I fear sounding needy or ridiculous. Zeus makes doing that easy because I don’t think I could ever be or seem stupid to him… Again, I am grateful for my beautiful African Greek god.

The new day rolled in with a new air about it. I got up before Zeus, made him a breakfast fit for a king, then left the house for work. I don’t know what it was about the morning that made it so chirpy, but I enjoyed it anyway. Got to the office, and my secretary said I had a visitor waiting for me in the office. I thought it might be my mother, wanting to tell me about her recent opera gig in the States (yeah, she moonlights as an opera singer when she has time). When I opened my office door, I found Morena seated on the couches by the windows. He looked a complete wreck, like he had been living on the streets for over a decade.

“Morena, hey… How are you doing? Is everything okay?”

“Obviously I’m not okay. I’m a mess. You need to sit down for this, I have bad news.”

I sat down to hear him out, pouring tea into the cups on my coffee table.

“Ma passed on last night. She had been battling cancer for years, and it finally got rid of her last night. I don’t know how I am going to bury her because I have invested all my money and cant touch it until it matures in five years from now. I need your help burying her, the family has refused to assist me. You’re all I have left.”

“What happened to your new wife? Why can’t she help you?”

“That bitch left me. She took half of everything I had, as well as custody of our baby girl. I have little to my name, and I need that to maintain my child or I'll be in jail by the end of the year. Please Ona, if ever there is something I need you for it’s this… If you can't do it for me, do it for Ma.”

I was put in an awkward situation here because I didn’t want to help Morena after everything he had put me through, but I owe MaMorena the world for accepting me as her own and taking care of me while at my lowest. I agreed to help him, and advised him to give me a list of things he might need for preparations. I then called my mother to go to his family home and see what is needed immediately. Upon his exit, he hugged me. Actually, he squeezed me. I tried to break the hug, but he didn’t seem to want to let me go. Eventually he did, and thanked me before staring into my eyes for what seemed like a lifetime. That was, by far, the most awkward moment I had ever had to endure. He left, and I got to work.

That evening, when I got to MaMorena’s house, I was bombarded with greetings from former in-laws and old friends. Some of the family members thought I was still Morena’s wife, so you can imagine how difficult it was correcting them without making Morena look like the whore he is. I helped out with preparing food for that and the following evening, as well as contacting some friends of mine who’d promised to help with funeral arrangements: from the church hire to the decorations for the church, to the coffin. It helped that I was relatively well-connected because I doubt I would have saved enough to cover everything. MaMorena deserved a dignified funeral, because she was truly an extraordinary woman.

At the vigil, so many of her friends had spoken so well of her, and I wasn’t surprised by some the things they had to say about her. From taking abused children into her home, to saving some of her money for decades to help build the church. She really was a saint. Eventually, the evening vigil ended and just as I was about to leave, Morena’s father approached me at the car. He said he wanted to discuss something with me, but figured he would rather do that the following evening. He also thanked me for helping the family with preparations for MaMorena’s wedding, and that he always valued me as a daughter even though he wasn’t always around to show it. Ntate Mogale works for the SANDF, so he is always away on these missions or whatever it is that our defence force does outside the country. It felt good to know he had me in mind anyway.

I got home, my man had made a delicious pasta dinner and ran me a bath. I told him about my day, and he commended me for being a good person. The rest of the evening was spent just loving my gorgeous man, still feeling the love I felt in the morning. Nothing beats being with the one you love most, doing what you love most, and loving everyone around you as much as possible. Absolutely nothing.