Maid For Marriage

39

We all got in one car and drove to the edge of the village. The bed and breakfast wasn't big but it was nice. We got to reception and they showed us to the restaurant. It wasn't long until an elderly lady came to us.

"Umkwenyana." She said with a friendly smile on her face. So this was his mother-in-law. He got up and hugged her. "MaRadebe, I haven't seen you in years." She hugged Ma too and then she greeted and hugged MaKhumalo.

"And who is this?" She asked Baba. "This is my wife, MaBhengu. MaBhengu, this is my mother-in-law, MaLanga. She is MaCele's mother." I stood up and shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Ma." She just nodded. Her smile wasn't genuine anymore and her handshake was weak.

"I'll let you order. MaCele is here should I tell her you're here?" She asked Baba and he told her to call MaCele. MaCele came and joined us and we ordered breakfast. The girls went to play in the outdoor play area.

My phone vibrated and I check to see a text from MaKhumalo.

MaKhumalo: "I saw that."
Me: "Saw what?"
MaKhumalo: "MaLanga does not like you and I sense it's because someone has been talking about you."
Me: Someone?
MaKhumalo: "Thandi! You need to keep up! MaCele has been talking or lying about you. You better set her straight or you're going to be the skapegoat all your life."

I stopped myself from sighing. I really want to be in this marriage but these other wives are going to be the death of me. "You've disappeared. We were supposed to have a meeting." She rolled her eyes. Oh, now I see the attitude. "Yes, a meeting so you can send me away and I can be tortured. I'm not a slave. I'll cook and clean in my own house but a random auntie's house is where I draw the line."

"Oh?" Ma answered. "My sisters are random aunts?" She cleared her throat awkwardly. "No, don't speak. Where's your mother. Get her so she can see how rude you are." She rolled her eyes and told our waitress to go get her mother. Her mother came back with baby Chumisa. I hadn't seen her in so long and she grew so much. She laid her head on her grandmother's shoulder looking.

"I'm sure by now you know our families were supposed to have a meeting." Ma said and MaLanga shifted in her chair. "Yes, my daughter said something about that." She looked visibly uncomfortable. "So why didn't you come to the meeting?" I kept my head down. I was not going to get myself involved in battles that weren't mine.

"I was honouring my daughter's wishes." Ma looked shocked. "Your daughters wishes?" MaLanga nodded. "She said that her sisterwives have been mistreating her and lying about her. She said that her husband wouldn't believe her and he wanted to send her away." Ma scoffed.

"Really? This child is misleading you. She's wrapping her truths in lies. She's rude, disrespectful, and lazy. She forced this marriage knowing what was expected of her. She ambushed my son with her friends. Now her friends turned on her and I find her crying at my house."

MaLanga looked frustrated. "Yes, she went to your house for help and found this one there." She gestured to me. What did I do. "Ma." She said softly to her mother. "The New wife. Who she didn't agree to. She wasn't even asked by her husband. Now you and the whole family are putting this girl on a pedistol. She came to your house and this girl was disrespectful and made my daughter, who is the senior wife, do her chores. Girly, you're wife number five. Know your place."

What the hell was happening. "Ma." She said again under her breath and I sat there shocked. "On top of that she wouldn't allow my daughter to see her husband. My daughter had to wait hours because this girl was doing everything to keep him away. You got to the village and this girl made my daughter sleep in the hut while she took the house and everyone wonders why my child walked off. Now what do you have to say for yourself?"