My Dream Marriage

I stoop down and pick up the paper. It’s a receipt and I open it to see if it could be important or so. Santa Marina Resort and Spa? Payment for sauna and massage for 2? That’s not mine. The date states that the payment was made yesterday. Is it here by mistake?

There is a knock on the door and Grace calls me from outside, “Neera, are you there? Alex has something for you,” I place the paper back on the table and head to the door. “Okay, I am coming.”

“Neera, your flight is booked at seven in the morning. You won’t be using the private jet like last time so be prepared,” he says. “Oh alright thank you Alex,” I say.

*****

My alarm goes off exactly at five in the morning. In the next thirty minutes I’ll be ready for leaving. I hop into the shower and within a few minutes I am done and looking for something to wear. It’s still early in the morning so I opt for pants and a shirt with a black hoodie to keep me warm although I don’t really like wearing pants.

“I’ll miss you Neera,” Grace says when I hug her. “I’ll miss you too but I will definitely come back to visit, okay?” “Have a nice journey home,” she says. “Thank you.” I get into the car with Alex already in the driver’s seat, heading to the airport.

*****

“Mom,” she is seated at the reception when I enter the hospital premises. I presume she is waiting for me. “You are here, that was quite fast,” she says. “I just came here from the airport mom, I couldn’t wait to come here. Where is dad?” “He is in the ward, come with me,” she says holding my hand and leading the way.

My dad is sleeping quietly and I sit on the bed holding his hand. “Dad I am here, how are you feeling?” I ask even though he is sleeping right now and can’t hear me. He breathes steadily, his chest rising and falling.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“When will he be discharged? I don’t like seeing him here mom,” I say and I can feel tears forming in my eyes.

“The doctor hasn’t confirmed yet, but I hope it will be soon,” she says and I can sense from her tone of voice that she doesn’t like it here either.

My phone starts vibrating in my bag. These days I have been receiving more calls than before. I release my father’s hand, fish it out and check the caller id and it’s Edward calling me. “It’s Edward mom, just a minute,” I say standing up and moving out of the ward to take the call.

“Hello,” I say.

“Neera, where are you? You need to leave whatever you are doing and come here right now,” he says and I wonder what could be the problem.

“I dropped by at the hospital to check up on my dad. He is admitted that is why. I wanted to come here first before I return back to the house.”

“Which hospital?” He asks.

“He is admitted at Haman’s,” I say.

“Oh? Then I think you time there is up. I am sending Marcus to get you,” he says sternly.

“Is there anything wrong? Can I just stay for a little longer before I come back?” I ask. “No Neera, I said you should come back as soon as Marcus gets there. A lot has happened so you should know. I gave Marcus your number so he will call when he gets there. End of discussion,” he says and hungs up.

What could be the matter? Why could make Edward demand for my presence with urgency?

“What happened? Why is your face so gloomy? Cheer up, your dad is going to be fine,” my mom says the moment I enter the ward. “No it’s not about my daddy,” I say. “Then what is it?” “Edward called me saying that it is urgent that I go back to the house,” I say. “Why?” She asks concerned.

“I don’t know. I asked him but he wouldn’t tell me. He only said that he is sending his father’s driver to come and pick me up and that I should go as soon he gets here,” I say with uncertainty hanging in the air. “Okay then, you should go. I’ll take care of your dad,” she says. “But I wanted to stay longer here with dad, whatever Edward said can wait. Dad’s condition is more important, I can go later anyway.”

“No Neera. Are you a doctor?” She asks me. “I am not. Why do you ask?”

“What I mean is that you should go. The doctors are here and they are doing their job at making him feel better. Besides that, I am here, aren’t I?” She says.

“Mom, don’t love me anymore?” I ask feigning hurt. “Of course not, are not my only daughter?” She says pinching my cheeks.

“I just wanted to stay here with him. I want to talk to him when he wakes up.”

“My phone is ringing again, I guess Marcus is here,” I tell her. “Talk to him.” I swipe my phone’s screen and he is connected on the line. “Hello, ma’am it’s Marcus,” he says from the other end. “Hi Marcus you are here already,” I note. “Yes ma’am, I am at the hospital parking lot,” he says. “I will be there in a moment.”

“Mom, I will be off,” I say though I am not happy about it. “Neera, don’t be sad okay? That’s your new home. You should be responsible for Edward now that you are his wife. Whenever he needs you, you should be there for him. Anyway, you aren’t far from us that you can’t make it to visit us, right? You may come some other time but you should seek permission before you come okay?”

“Okay mom, I will. Tell me of any progress,” I say. “I won’t forget. Take care, I love you,” she says kissing one of my cheeks. “I love you too mom, tell dad that I was here,” I kiss my dad’s hand. I take my bag and leave the room closing the door behind me because if I stay a minute longer I won’t want to leave here.

The parking is filled with many cars but the black Mercedes Benz can’t be mistaken. I know it from the time he came to pick us up and a cording to the type of cars that are here, it is like distinguishing a red colour from a selection of white ones. I get a few stares here and there and I don’t get why I am getting such weird glances.

Marcus gets out of the car the moment he sees me and opens the car door for me. “Thank you,” I say. “You are welcome ma’am,” he says and that is the only conversation we have until we get to the mansion.

This is the second time I am here at this magnificent homestead. I can’t believe that this is now my home. I don’t know how to feel about this, I am thinking about my father and definitely why Edward called me in such haste to be honest.

When I get inside the house, everyone is seated with Edward walking aimlessly around the space between the couch and the table. His father is seated holding his chin with one hand and a newspaper with the other hand deep in thought while Dexter, his brother together with his wife are seated quietly looking at him.

“Edward, calm down, this movements of yours are making me feel dizzy,” Piper, his mother remarks disappointedly. “I would faint anytime if he continues like this, can someone please tell him to stop?” Myra, Dexter’s wife complains. “Can you just shut up?” Dexter confronts her, obviously fed up with whatever they have been discussing about. “What did Alex say?” Eric asks.

“He said that they got hold of the guy that gave out the information, although he has said that someone sent him to do that,” Edward says. “Did he say whoever sent him to do that?” Eric asks again. “He hasn’t revealed yet, but Alex is working on it. I will have to talk to him by myself, maybe Alex isn’t asking him properly.” “Where’s the young man?” Dexter asks. “At the warehouse,” Edward says. Warehouse? “Why was she out there with…?” Before his mother could finish her sentence Myra sees me and signals her husband. “There she is.”

I walk to where they are seated and everyone shifts their gaze on me. They aren’t okay with how they are frowning, like they are not too happy to see me. “Why are you coming home now? I thought your flight was seven in the morning?” His mother says. No greetings. It seems Edward didn’t tell them where I have been. I don’t know why they are looking at me like that.

“I arrived earlier but I had to go to the hospital first before coming here,” I say. “And you had to go to the hospital because?” She asks. Myra elbows her husband and tries to talk but he narrows his eyes at her and she pouts, closing her lips for whatever she wanted to say. ” My dad is in the hospital. He was admitted yesterday,” I answer. “Oh Mr Brown is in the hospital? Did you tell anyone about that?” Eric asks. “Yes, I told Edward earlier when he called me,” I say. “When was this? Today? Your father was admitted yesterday and you didn’t bother to tell anyone?” His mother asks. “I was a little shaken yesterday so I didn’t think of telling you, but I was planning on doing so.” “So you think we are not family enough to know what is going on with you right?” “It’s not like that.” I say unsure of what to say since I am receiving endless questions from each one of them.

“Then please make us understand because this needs to stop. You were supposed to be here latest by ten since the flight from Marina to Sura City only takes only two hours. It’s now almost twelve. You didn’t bother to tell your husband whatever is going on. How did you get to the hospital? You didn’t even say the moment you arrived here,” she says.

“I took a taxi from the airport.”

“Do you know that Lawanson family has enough cars?” His father asks. I don’t answer that question because it’s true I didn’t want to wait for their driver to come and pick me up so I just used the readily available taxi to the hospital. “I am sorry. Why did you call me with such urgency? Did something happen?” I ask because I don’t get why I am being interrogated this way. Or did he call me because they are pissed off at me for going to the hospital without telling them. “Neera, don’t you know who you are? Have you forgotten that Edward is your husband? What happened to your father anyway?” Eric asks. “He usually has problems with his heart so yesterday his condition got worse. That’s why I couldn’t wait to see him. I didn’t even get to talk to him,” I say.

“What did the doctor say about his condition?” Eric asks exchanging a look with his wife. “For now he isn’t so well but my mom said that after some treatments he will be better, although there is no guarantee that he would be healed completely. Regular medication will do to sustain him,” I say and he now looks at his son who nods. Maybe that released their tension that their in-law is sick and admitted at the hospital.

“You should have come here first,” Piper says. “Wait. Is that why you called me with urgency that I didn’t come here first?” I ask because that is not making any sense to me at all.

“No, because you didn’t tell anyone where you were so we thought that you were with your lover again,” Myra says and I am taken aback. “What?” I ask, shocked. “You heard me right,” she says. “What is she talking about, Edward?” I ask surprised. “We are talking about this!” Edward snatches the newspaper from his father’s hand and throws it at me. It hits my face and falls down at my feet before I could grasp it.