My Dream Marriage

“I don’t know, any work for now is okay for me. I need to survive in this city.” “Right now they are only menial jobs at my construction site I think,” he says, daring me to accept the offer. “Then we have a deal sir,” I say, and gesture for a handshake but he hides his hand behind his back.

“I am not that heartless young lady. How about I pay you now then you work for me later?” Is he serious? Advance payment? “Great. When do I get the advance?” I am so excited. “Are you in a hurry? We haven’t signed a contract yet so it’s only fair that you get the payment after that. How soon do you think you want to get it?” If only he knew the urgency of the matter. “As soon as now?” I raise my eyebrows at him. “Now? You didn’t answer my question on why you are in such a hurry.”

“Well, for starters I need to look for an apartment. I have nowhere to sleep tonight.” I don’t know where to go to after I leave this hospital. Can he agree to let me stay at his company then? “Is that why you are in a hurry to get the advance payment? Come to think of it, why didn’t you come to my office then, or you should have called me. I remember Sara gave you my card.”

“Oh yes, she did but I forgot where I kept it. I didn’t even think about that when I was leaving that damn house. I might have misplaced it.”NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

“Let me not beat around the bush. I know your situation, Neera. You have nowhere to stay right now so what if I ask you to stay at my place before you find yours then we talk about this? I really want to…help you. If you want to pay me then you do it after you give birth. I can’t just stay and watch you suffer when I can help. I even wish you had come to my office right away the moment you were thrown out of your house but it’s fine. I am here now. I am going to call the doctor and after he checks on you we are leaving, is that alright?” If this is not an angel sent directly from heaven to rescue me then I don’t know who he could be. “Thank you so much Aniston, I will never forget about this for a very long time.” I say.

“I wish you remember me forever,” he says more to himself than to me. “Of course I will never forget you ever. I cross my heart.”

“So, do I get a promise from you?” He asks and I don’t understand. “Promise?” “Yes. You promise me you will never cry about that ever again. What do you say?” When I think of everything that I have been through, I make a vow not only to him, but to myself largely.

“Never again.” I say solemnly as the door opens as Michael and the doctor comes in.

***

Michael comes back with my suitcase and places it in the trunk of the car. “Thank you,” I say as he opens the door for me. I have talked to Charles already and Aniston told him that I am his long lost friend and I didn’t know where he lived. Most of this is true, for real I don’t know where Aniston lives and I am like a friend of his.

“How is Sara?” I ask when we are all settled in the car. I hope she doesn’t throw tantrums the times I’ll be staying in her brother’s house. She was like a sworn enemy the first time we met.

“She is doing great. She doesn’t seem to stop talking about you anytime she gets the chance.” Sara? Talk about me everytime?

“I know you don’t believe what I just said but since that time you escaped from those kidnappers, she has never been the same again. Neera, Sara told me everything from how you saved her from a gunshot to how you two escaped that godforsaken factory. This is one of the reasons I am not hesitant in helping you. You deserve more than this and if you ever ask me for anything in return regarding this, I will do anything. My sister means everything to me and she is one of my greatest responsibilities. You did what I, his brother couldn’t have done.” One of the reasons? Are there more other reasons?

“Aniston, you weren’t there and I did what I did as any other sane human being could have done,” I say.

“I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if anything was to happen to her.”

“God knows you were busy doing something else so he might have used me to do that for you.” He is a good man and good things happen to good people.

“Thank you.”

“Thank you too Aniston.” I say and lean my head on the backrest of the car. “We aren’t far from home. I know you are too tired, you literally had a very long day.” He says as Michael turns to a driveway that is occupied by beautiful townhomes on each side. He comes to the front of a white gate and presses a code on the screen sensor on the side of it and a middle aged security guy opens it. He salutes at the car as Michael goes to park it at a shade that has few other wonderful cars.

Michael shuts off the car engine and opens Aniston’s door and goes on to open the trunk to retrieve my suitcase. Aniston comes to my side, opens my door and helps me out. “Thank you,” I say but he shuts me up. “Don’t say that, I was only doing what gentlemen do.” He says casually and I smile. “So you are a gentleman huh?” I tease him. “I don’t know, you tell me if you think I am,” he challenges. “You are, sir.”

“Don’t call me sir. I thought we were friends,” he says. “I thought I am your subject,” I say. “Not yet. So in the meantime before you become my worker, Aniston is a better option and don’t use the term subject, we are in the 21st century not in the sixteenth.” He corrects and I nod. “Come.”

He leads me to the most magnificent house, I can argue it is the most beautiful mansion in Sura City. The door is opened by a lady, who looks like she could be in her late thirties or could be in her early forties.

“Welcome home, sir.” She says respectively and makes way for us to enter. The inside is as luxurious as I expected it to be.

“Neera!”

Sara shouts as she comes to the living room. She gives me a side hug since my belly cannot accommodate a bear hug. “You look beautiful and kinda… big. I missed you.” She says cheerfully and takes my hand leading me to a nearby couch. “When did this happen?” She asks. “What?” I don’t understand what she means. “I mean, you are going to be a mom. Have it been so long since we saw each other? How time flies.” Yeah right, since that time we were kidnapped.

“It seems someone has forgotten about me,” Aniston complains. “Oh brother, you have been getting those for far too long. It’s time for change,” she says. “Alright then, Betty, is dinner ready? I think someone doesn’t like me anymore.”

“Yes sir.” Betty says.

“Then you show Neera her room. She will be staying with us for a while,” Aniston says.

“Are you serious? Neera, are you going to stay with us? This is a dream come true for me. Betty, she is gonna be staying with me in my room. Michael, take her bag to my room.” Sara is so excited. How come she looks like I am her lost rib?

“Yes little sis, she is going to be with us but she is not going to stay with you. Do you want to suffocate her?” “Oh.” She had forgotten about my condition. She changes her mind after taking into consideration what her brother says and doesn’t question it. She respects him. Aniston makes a good guardian. He could be the best father any wife could ask for.

“Then I will have to take her to her room after dinner. Neera, come and join us for dinner.”

“I think I might have had something to eat before I came here.” I still feel full.

“Oh no you don’t. See, you are now eating for two so count the first one as the baby’s then this one is yours.” She can’t be serious. “Just a little, okay,” I don’t want to make her feel bad given how she is trying her best to make me feel comfortable. I also want to go and freshen up after this. I feel awful after staying like this the whole day.

“Neera, I talked to doctor Earnest and he assured me that he would be more than glad to have you attend your antenatals in his hospital. Unless you want to continue going to the one you usually attend,” Aniston says and it reminds me that I can no longer go to E&PL hospital because it belongs to Edward’s parents. I was even using Edward’s card. Isn’t this a golden opportunity? Aniston might have overlooked my future with everything that he is doing for me. Perhaps he knows I used to go to the Lawanson family hospital and I can’t go back there given the conditions of our divorce.

“Thank you Aniston. I won’t be able to go back to that hospital because it belongs to Edward’s parents. I was given strict instructions so that’s how it is.”

“Then Earnest will be glad to have you,” he says, smiling. “Neera, will you start going tomorrow? I will take you there and when you do your ultrasound, I will be holding your hand. Then I will take you shopping and we will buy all the beautiful baby items we can find. Everything should be in pink colors. Oh my goodness, I am so excited!” Sara exclaims.

“What if it’s a boy? Do you think pink would be a great color for boys?” Aniston asks her. I never thought that he could have ideas on baby colors.

“Then we can make him act like a girl.” Oh dear, now she sounds ridiculous. “It doesn’t happen like that little sis, you have to go with the norm. “Alright then, but she can go for the gender ultrasound. Then I will know which colors to choose for my god baby. What do you think about knowing the gender of your baby?”

God baby? “I decided against that. I want to love the baby the way it would turn out to be. Be it a boy or a girl.”

“Nevertheless, I will be decorating the baby’s room in preparation for her coming. Brother, what about the room next to mine? Don’t say it thank you I love you,” she says even without waiting for her brother’s response. I am just enjoying their cheerful exchange that is less than table manners.

“By the way Neera, I am missing something here or rather a lot. Forgive my questions but what happened? Why are you here, staying with us? Not in a bad way though.”

“I understand but it’s a long story, Sara.”

“I have all night to listen to it.” Sara doesn’t give in easily. “Not tonight Sara, Neera has had a long day so it’s only fair that she rests early,” Aniston tells her. “Alright then, tomorrow you will have to tell me about that long story.”

“I will.”

We are done with dinner and it’s time for a night’s rest. Aniston wishes me a good night’s sleep and retires to his room while Sara insists on taking me to my room.

“Thank you Sara, I am going to freshen up before I go to bed.” I tell her after helping me unpack some of my things. “You have a good rest and I will see you in the morning,” she says leaving the room. I get into the shower and after some minutes, I am out and ready for bed in the most comfortable night dress. I lie on the bed carefully and cover myself and it feels so comfortable that after a long time, I feel at peace and every burden seems to be lifted off my shoulders and I sleep soundly as a baby, with nothing to worry about anymore.