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1949. Perrie Edwards, daughter of the influential General Edwards, lives in affluence and abundance among parties attended by the rich and noble and is betrothed to Sergeant Christopher Taylor.
On the other side of London lives Jade Thir...
I got married on a Saturday morning in September in a small church in the English countryside, the ceremony was long and most of the guests were my father's friends and some family members, my mother didn't look happy at all but, like me, she stuck a fake smile on her face throughout the day.
We both knew that I too was destined to follow her footsteps and live a marriage based on appearances, the day before the ceremony my father told me that a happy marriage can be seen, not as a holy state or something that some can fortunately achieve, but rather the best path, the easiest way and the most correct way of life for everyone.
A/N - The sentence in cursive is actually taken from an instruction book for women in which was explained how it was proper for women to behave, published in '53, that was very successful. Phyllis Whiteman - Speaking as a Woman, (London: Chapman & Hall, 1953), page 67
The 1950s in Britain were traditionally seen as a sensitive period for militant feminism. Following the World War II a new emphasis was placed on official marriage and the traditional family as the foundation of the new welfare state, thus limiting the progress and liberation we were trying to achieve.
The wedding was also attended by Jesy and Leigh-Anne with their families, I was happy to see my Jamaican friend, I felt the closeness and empathy during that day and saw support in her gaze, I thanked my father for introducing her to me, although for him it was just another way to climb the social ladder, for me it turned out to be an encounter that turned into a friendship that lasted for many years to follow.
Watching Jesy, on the other hand, did nothing but further break my heart with the realisation that I had lost my best friend to something over which I had no control. The two of us never spoke of Jade or my feelings for her again.
I was in love with a woman and that was my sin and my burden.
However, that day, right during the wedding I felt the warmth and sweetness I had come to know from my friend, I knew that even though our friendship was over and even though she hated what I had become, or rather, what I had discovered myself to be, Jesy was still close to me.
She was aware that I didn't want to marry Chris and she was aware that I didn't love him, I saw sadness and compassion on her behalf and a part of me was still glad to have her in my life and I recalled with happiness the moments we had had in our friendship and knew, that although things had ended badly, I would treasure the time I had had the opportunity to spend with her.
A few weeks passed, my relationship with Chris was almost non-existent, I took responsibility for the house as I had been taught and he was away most of the day to work. We barely spoke at home and ignored each other the rest of the time, we tried to have a child but to his disappointment it didn't happen.
Then one Monday morning in late October, he had to leave for a mission and was relocated to Ireland.
I once again thanked the strange fate for taking him away from me and took advantage of his absence to go back to doing what I wanted.
With marriage came more independence from my father, whom I had not seen since I had moved in with Chris, and the opportunity to get my driving licence, with Chris leaving without needing his car I found myself with the chance to have his car and free time without anyone keeping an eye on me.
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