In The Mind of a Zulu Wife

Chapter 4

Today is Siya's graduation day. Its been a year since we started dating, I am now doing my final year, and things have been a bit tougher academically. Things have been wonderful between us, we were supposed to celebrate our anniversary last week, but we couldn't as he went home because his father called an argent family meeting. Speaking of family I am nervous because his whole family will be here, and his family is huge. He is the 5th child of the 7 children from his mom and the eighth to his dad. He comes from a big family where his father has two wives. His mother has 7 kids and his father has 11 children, 4 from the 2nd wife. His family is mostly made up of boys, which is a relief to me I only have to impress his mothers and 2 sisters, his grandmother and that's about it.

He says his family is really close even though they are a huge family, so I can expect to see his whole family at the party, because we couldn't get as many seats for more than 25 people in graduation hall. So they will be having a celebration at Mnqobi's house, Mnqobi is the doctor. I am nervous I don't know how they will treat me when I see them, I may not be the type of girl he brings home, I am stereotyping but I know in such situations his family likes some girl for him because she is a close family friend its probably the case here. Stop over thinking Buntu just stop everything will be fine, but I cant help myself.  My train of thoughts was rudely interrupted by the alarm on my phone and I can't believe I didn't sleep all night because I was tossing and turning thinking about whether they will like me or not.

I look at the time and its 6:30 am I get up from the bed and take out my study material, I am 8 hours away from the ceremony so I have to do something academic related to avoid my nerves and I really do need to make it this year so I can qualify to do my honors in accounting here. I just want to make my parents proud and next year this time of the year I will be graduating also if I play my cards right. I bury myself in my books hoping by the time I look I up it will be 12:30 pm.

Just as I hoped time moved really quickly, and I was done dressing up, I am not a huge fan of dressing up and slaying, its too much admin and work, I can't even put on make up, trust me I would like to slay and look great I just don't have the energy to dress up and I think I look okay with my current looks. I bought a dress for this occasion, so I can at least impress the women in the family, I have braids which I tied to a bun, and face I have no make up on I just put a lip-gloss and that how I 'dress up'. I check my watch its 13:30 I take my bag which has Siya's gift inside and my lady miscellaneous items. I leave the res and I am rushing to be there on time, so I can sit in time without say sorry to hundreds of people and being a big girl its not cute, you be stepping on peoples toes saying all those sorry's, nope not me.

I get there before the ceremony even begins I am 15 minutes early, I see 5 people, two older women who look to be in their 50s, from their grey hair and skin, they still amazing you can tell they were the hotties in their prime, a young woman who looks to be in her late teens or may be we are the same age, she looks like one of the women, a man who is old enough to be my father or older than him, but he can still get it, he is with a man who looks like he can be his son. The men look awfully familiar like I know them from somewhere do I. They sit next to me and the son speaks " Siyabulela said he will be called in at 15:00, so we just be a bit patient." He says. Oh my they talking about my Siyabulela, I recognize the voice of the man I think his name is Mthobisi his brother the peace make in the family. 

I am a bit uncomfortable now, I told him not to get me seats next to his family, he never listens to me. I eavesdrop on their conversation and the old man is talking "Ey lomfana madoda, he made us get here early, we are not here to congratulate everyone. we came here for him . " he says with annoyance in his voice. His wives laugh at him and finally the princess of the family speaks " He knew if he said 15:00 we will be late and miss his moment." She says, that's Nomkhosi I assume. We continue to listen to the boring speeches from the Vice Chancellor, the choir singing the varsity anthem, the faculty dean, and the names of cum laude students being called, and its now 15;00 I will see my man on the stage I prepare my camera start taking recording a video as they his name and I see him ascending the stage and his eyes searching for us, I wave and I hear ululating and clan names being said as he receives his degree, he looks great in the royal blue fitted suit, I chose that by the way. He smiles in our direction, I smile back and I feel eyes on me now, Nomkhosi is looking at me with a suspicious look on her face, and she whispers something to her brother who looks at me also, I look away as fast I could and I take my things and leave the hall to back stage to congratulate him before his family came over.