Alfonso's Bride

Melanie-20

They got in the house silently Alfonso leading while Helena followed. They went up to Alfonso's bedroom where he undressed and got into his silk blue pyjamas. Helena tucked him in and she turned to leave but he caught her arm causing her to pause and turn.

"Do you need anything?" Helena asked her voice calmer than usual. Alfonso rethought his proposal but decided to gain some courage and hang on where he was.

"Lay with me tonight.".

"I... I... Yes...of course I will..but I'll need to go and change first."

"No, I mean lay with me...as a woman and a man do." Her world stilled, everything was silent and for a moment all darkened.
Do not take more than you are offered

"Please... just for tonight. Lay with me in case the results come back positive again tomorrow. I'll have to stay in the hospital then after but if you lay with me then I'll be content."

"You'll be content with... sleeping with me?"

"I want a child, Helen. I want to leave someone who will bear the surname Diego when I die. Do this for the child you are yet to have. Do it for me. Do this for your family- me and you...please,"

"I know about Melanie. I know about how much you wanted a child but why did you..."

"I didn't. She left me." He turned to his side and took out a paper from the side table drawer. "She left this."

He handed her a letter and she opened it.

I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore.

"Is that all she left for you? What couldn't she do?"

"Me. The marriage. Us. I did something wrong, I don't know what."

"It wasn't your fault." She soothed as she realised his eyes were now glazed. "I saw her diary, I put it under the bed..."

She kneeled down and pulled it out. It was a brown antique book with a golden lace at its left edge. It was printed in Edwardian Script: WOMAN.

She handed it to him flipping a couple of pages. He read silently before looking up at her.

"She couldn't cheat on me anymore, that is why she left me. But why did she have to cheat?...I loved her and trusted her so much. I never saw it coming... I thought we were fine together, just that the business was going through a crisis and all."

"She lives with this John Mark now?"

"They are married. I found out tonight. I wanted her to be happy and she said she is happy so all is fine now. I have you now. I'm content with that but now I want a child so I'm happy."

"Have you ever seen him? John Mark, I mean."

"I don't know him. But it seems she is fine with him. Are you fine with me?" He was asking if she loved him and they both knew that was the case. She did love him but was afraid to admit it. She could never admit such.

"I'm safe with you so I'm fine with you."

"I am really falling for you Helen, and I'm falling hard. Since the first time I saw you. I loved you since I was eight. Do you believe me?" Reality time, no kidding grown women and men now.

"I don't know what to believe."

"You were three and when we were leaving I told mother that I one day I will get you when I am rich and put you in my house where I would leave with you forever."

She covered his white knuckles with her palm and placed her forehead on their hands. She was crying as she kneeled next to him. Slowly he pulled her up the bed and they lay together while she placed her head on his cheat.

"My forever ends tomorrow... but yours is still there. After all this is done, promise me you will move on." She shook her head laying her head on his chest. She started singing. Singing, she had come to learn, offered her courage, it had a soothing sensation whenever she was about to cry.

"Imba wimbo wawupepo wakati unajiwana. Imba wimbo wawupepo wakati ndoto tamu...lala mpaka usiku wisheni, wupepo wawusiku wimbo....wangu na. Wimbo... Wanguna inayendeleya milele."

"That is a... I have never heard about the language...it seems somewhat exotic." Alfonso knew the song, Helena had sung it to him before. Maybe he had forgotten.

"I sang it to you before...Its Swahili. I learnt it from Camille's mother. She was a traveller who learnt the song from central Africa."

"What does it mean?"

"Its a lullaby actually. It says sing a song of the wind and in a moment you will be visited by the wind. So if you sing the song you will have sweet dreams, just sleep till morning baby but my song will forever go on. I forgot some parts so I skipped them... that is generally what the song means."

"Its very interesting. But why "baby"?"

"Baby's are scared of the night and like them you are scared of the darkness you may see tomorrow. But don't worry I am sure you will be visited by the wind and all shall go well."

Baby?

"The wind is good luck?"

"Not really, in the African culture the wind carries a message... It carries dreams and wishes. If the wind visits you then it will carry your dreams to God who is in heaven and then you shall be well. When you hear the wind hitting on your window panes and frames tomorrow simply place your hand in your breast and murmur your fears."

He interlocked their fingers together holding her tight. He did not want to go tomorrow but he knew he had to- for both of them.
The wind hit on their window pane and Alfonso remembered he had asked her to sleep with him. She snuggled closer and he hesitated to ask her again but just stared out at the shadows of the trees being swayed by the wind. Did he believe in that African belief? No this was just a stupid myth. He would just find a way to ask her again.

"I will... I will sleep with you." She said and he thought he had not heard her well.

"I didn't get that well..."

"I said I will sleep with you, that is what you are thinking about right?"

"The wind...? Does it work? Does wishing on the wind work?"

"Yes... yes it really does. It's not just a belief it is reality." She stood up looking at him in the eyes.

It was just a leap of faith but at least they both chose to believe in the wind

** ** **

Oops Alfonso taking more than offered now

Enjoy, coz I am

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