I'm more than just the second wife

2

Zikhona and Amy had just arrived. They'd left Saturday afternoon as they had to return to work but as soon as I told them I was getting married they drove all the way back and would be staying the whole week. I was lucky to have friends like them. I was with them with five of my other cousins in my rondavel. It was custom that before a girl gets married she had to gonqa, which meant that she had to remain in a room unseen the week preceding her wedding day with other maidens and none of them were allowed to leave the room. Food and bath water was brought to us.

We even had to do virginity testing. Well all my cousins and I. I put my foot down when great aunt Gugu insisted that Amy and Zikhona had to do it too in order to be allowed to stay with us. How was I supposed to explain that to my white friend atleast Zikhona would understand although her family was pretty modern she knew of these African primal traditions. Amy would see it as Sexual harassment so I said neither of them should do it. She spoke my language fluently, she learnt it from her helper whom practically helped raise her that's about all she understood about my culture. Her speaking IsiZulu helped buffer the communication barrier that would have otherwise arisen with my family as none of them could speak English nor cared to learn the language.

"It's a polygamous marriage too." I rasped out. I'd been crying so much my voice had grown hoarse. "What?!? How many wives does he have?" Came Amy's shrill voice. I shrugged in response as more tears welled up in my eyes. "They're making you marry a man you know nothing about. I can't believe these people. You know you can always come to Pretoria with us. Your spot is still open. You don't have to do this." Zikhona said in attempts to convince me to run away but just like all the other times I shook my head no. "You know why I can't Khona. She sighed at my response "you're too selfless for your own good." She grumbled glaring at me. "You know what aids my aching heart?" Amy asked and I shook my head before I broke out in laughter and everyone cheered as Amy pulled out a bottle of vodka from her bag and Zikhona yelled out booze before she yanked the bottled from Amy and peppered it with kisses.

"Call that stud brother of yours and tell him to get some dash." Zikhona muttered before she brought the bottle to her lips and took a gulp of the vodka before her face screwed up into a sour expression and all of us broke out in gaffaws of laughter as she choked. "That'll keep you from hogging the bottle to yourself now hand it over." Zandi teased as she took the bottle from Zikhona and took a generous gulp herself only she didn't choke like Khona had. "You drunk how do you gulp down vodka like it's water?" Sizakele asked looking at Zandi in bewilderment looking between the bottle and her older sister. "Yeyi I need it if I'm going to face your parents drama all the damn time so let me be." All of us were giggling like a bunch of fools as the bottle went around. Even innocent holier than though Fezeka drank with us and we all fell into a confession/ secret revelation session.

"Mom wants me to marry the pastors son but I hate him. He's a pompous ass that needs a lesson on oral hygiene besides I have Menzi. I love him so much if he asked me to elope with him tomorrow I would but he says he wants to make an honest woman out of me. He'll ask for my hand in marriage next month. He says he'll face my parents head on. I love him you guys." Fezeka said before she started crying on Amy's lap. She kept on being interrupted by hiccups in between her wailing which made us laugh at the sounds. We were laughing at any and everything really though.

I'd misjudged her based on how her mom acts and talks about her and as a result never really had gotten close to her to learn about who she really is.

"I'm pregnant with Dave's child, he cheated on me and his mom hates my guts." She too started bawling her eyes out and everyone started shouting at her. "You're pregnant and you're drinking undiluted vodka, are you crazy or plain right stupid!" Manga screamed at her and Thobeka pulled the bottle from her. "You guys calm down. Amy come here baby." I spoke softly trying to soothe everyone's hackles. Amy got up and walked over to me avoiding an arm here and a leg there as we were all sharing two big mattresses. Fezeka had gotten up from her lap and joined the posse that was yelling at her.