How To Love

chapter two

It was 18:39 when we arrived at the Moeti homestead. I expected to arrive to a quiet place, but when I found a tent, albeit smaller than the one set at home, I couldn't stop my groan from escaping.

"I know right? But my family also wanted to be part of the celebrations and they set this whole thing up. After two hours, I will give them a good enough excuse for your early leave, don't worry," Thuso said, as though reading my mind. His voice, deep but smooth, accent very British, shocked me. Since we spent the entire ride to his house in complete silence, I hadn't expected him to speak then, especially not in that accent. They were right, the English accent is one attractive trait, even on a black Tswana man!

"No it's okay, your family deserves this too," I replied after gathering my senses and then got out of the car because it got awkward with him just staring at me and me feeling all sorts of weird feelings just by hearing his voice. I wasn't going to allow this moment of kindness on his part trap me into letting down my walls. I was pretty sure he was  just playing nice now in order for the blow to be that much painful when it came. The accent didn't make it any better, it made the words sound that much sweeter.

When they broke out into song, I took a deep breath in, and mentally readied myself. It was much less formal than back at home. Here, all of his family members, those I remembered and those I didn't know, welcomed me with hugs and warm smiles.

We sat around a long isle of tables set up, and a few people said speeches of well wishes. We ate good food, they even allowed the groom and bride to dish first. As is expected in African culture, I dished up for him too, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. I made sure to plate up the things I knew he hated back when we were younger, and secretly delighted in the grimace he gave me when I plated a huge chunk of steamed carrots on his plate.

We mingled for about an hour, and then Thuso rose to his feet. At this point, I was more than tipsy from all the bubbly I sipped while sitting there. Luckily, the elders had left after dishing up, it was just us the younglings, so they didn't get to see their daughter in law a mess. What could I do? I was in unfamiliar territory and my nerves were at an alarmingly high volume. Besides, the bubbly just kept on coming and I kept on drinking.

"Guys, it was fun celebrating with you, but my wife and I are tired from the day's activities, and we want to call it a night. We shall see you tomorrow morning!" Thuso announced in that British accent of his. A part of me wanted him to speak English all the time, I didn't think I'd get tired of it. I could tell that he wasn't completely sober too and the little stumble he did as he helped me up told me as much.

I waved my goodbye to them shyly, and they all made cooing noises at us as Thuso's arm snaked around my lower back to support me. When my stomach fluttered, I cried internally. Maybe being celibate and abstaining from sex, and all male attention, wasn't a good idea after all. Now I was a virgin, and being touched by the man who tormented me my childhood and adolescent years invoked feelings in me I'm sure weren't going to be invoked had I simply acted my age in varsity, or in this case, not being passed the tipsy point.

The trip up the stairs was a mission, but we finally made it to the last landing, where we walked a few steps to the right and into a room. The room smelled like him, the cologne he wore today, so I came to the conclusion that it was his. It was neat too, and when he let me fall onto his oceanic blue duvet, all I could smell was him. It kind of sobered me, my being aware of his scent, and him in general. I was alone, in a room, with the guy who made my adolescent years hell.

It registered then that I was expected to share a bed with him. The much more immature part of me wanted to complain and negotiate an alternative route. But before I could let my thoughts out into the world, he spoke first.