NANDI
"Baba nomama wami, Aningiyekeleni, ngoba ngiyamthanda.
Ngiyamthanda, ngayikhethela"
My sister, Slindile leads the song with so much energy while the other ladies back her up and my entire suite erupts in ululation and all sorts of happy noises. This only ignites the passion and excitement that is very much alive in me. Looking at my maid of honor and my cousins who are serving as the rest of my bridal squad only makes this more real than it already was.
This is it, the final part.
Of all sections of our wedding, this final piece right here is what I spent a great amount of time preparing for. Not to belittle the other ceremonies we've had, no, they are just as important and I love them just as much. There's just something extra about this day, this is the day Zwe and I put the final stamp on our wedding and begin with our marriage.
I'd be lying if I said this man hasn't honored any of my requests, he's gone over and beyond, doing and paying for whatever I wanted to make this day special but thinking about it now, the most special thing to me is that I get to marry the love of my life, my soul mate, yes, that's exactly what Bangizwe is to me. Never have I ever felt unwanted or unloved, Bangizwe Mdlalose clearly understood the assignment when it comes to loving me, so much that I've even overlooked the huge hurdle awaiting us.
No matter how much I can sing and dance, At the back of my head it's there. She wasn't there at any of our ceremonies and I know this because I know Zwe, I would've seen it in his face, so I'm expecting that she will be there today. The Mdlalose ancestors have made it clear that number two will be revealed in our wedding day and like I said, this is the last part, and part of me feels it coming, no matter how much I can try to ignore it, she's coming.
"Baby girl! Have you see yourself?" Sli asks stretching out her hands so I can stand up.
My first dress is a red ball gown that has colourful beads suquenced beautifully around it to make it more traditional. I love everything about it. I also love that it covers my feet entirely so I'm wearing flat shoes for comfortability.
I walk to the fill length mirror and my smile comes out to play when I see myself. I look absolutely stunning, damn.
"Sli, please pass me my phone," I ask my sister from behind.
"No,"
"No?"
"I know what you want to do and no, it's not happening. He can wait it out like everyone else,"
"Haibo, Zwe isn't everyone else," Dammit, how did she know I want to take a selfie and send it to him?
"Come on, make this special. Let him be surprised, don't you want to see him shed a tear from seeing all this beauty for the first time," She says all dramatic and I laugh. Zwe never cries or even sheds a tear, Never ever. This one thinks we are in a movie. There's no action cut here, but I let her have her moment. She is after all, the maid of honor.
My mom walks in and she is stunned, if Sli is looking for someone whose going to cry at the sight of my beauty, she's just found one here.
"Mama," I says reaching for her hands when she doesn't say anything. Her eyes are glassy and her lower lip is trembling because she's trying not to cry but that only triggers my own tears, I don't even know why we are crying, well I'm crying because my mom is crying, but why is she crying? I hope she's not sad about today.
"Ungakhathazeki ngami, ngane yami [Don't worry about me, my child] I'm just so overjoyed. You look so beautiful today. You're a real princess, look at yourself," she holds my hand up and makes me twirl in front of her "I really birthed beautiful girls," she says proudly.
