Marry Me Twice

by Monica Walters

  I smiled. “Nice to meet you also, Mr. Nwachuku.”

  “I appreciate you immensely. Thank you for everything you have done to help our family. I promise, you won’t know we are even there,” he said right before Daraja started screaming. “Well, you won’t know me and Bukola are there.”

  I laughed and said, “Well, Chinara has no clue about you all joining us or what festivities are going on today.”

  He smiled, then said, “I suppose we should get going then.”

  When I turned to get Chinara, Mrs. Nwachuku was standing there. She pulled me in her arms and hugged me tightly as her cane fell to the floor. “You are an amazing man, and I’m glad to have you as a son.”

  I kissed her cheek and said, “I’m grateful to have you as a second mother. Let’s get our day started.”

  She smiled brightly as I escorted her out of the house to the SUV. It was easier to seat her in the front seat. I was sure Chinara didn’t mind. She and Daraja hadn’t stopped talking yet. Once we were all in, Chinara asked, “Haji, where are we going?”

  Everyone kind of chuckled and as she looked around, she realized everyone knew about today’s festivities but her. “Oh, this is messed up. All of you are keeping secrets from me.”

  She sat back and pouted. She would perk up soon enough. When we got to the venue, she looked around and saw flowers being carried in. Her facial expression read complete confusion. As we all got out of the vehicle, I went to her and pulled her in my arms. “Haji—”

  I put my finger over her beautiful lips. “I need to explain something to you. Come over here for a second.”

  Looking back at her parents as they smiled, she stepped to the side with me. The stylists were arriving and carting all their materials inside. “The first time I asked you to marry me, it wasn’t out of love. Although I fell in love with you quickly and before the wedding happened, my intentions weren’t based on love. This time, I wanna give you what you deserve. You deserve a traditional Nigerian wedding and a ceremony which will happen three days from now. I love you so much, baby, and I can’t wait to see just how beautiful you will be. So, will you marry me, again?”

  The tears were building in her eyes as she hugged me tightly. “This wasn’t necessary, Haji. But since you did this, it’s a testament to how much you love me.”

  “Okay, now go get ready,” I responded, rushing her.

  I slapped her ass as Daraja whisked her away. Her mother followed behind them looking extremely happy. Just as I was about to approach Mr. Nwachuku, I heard, “Haji!”

  I turned to see Umaru, Mama, Taj, and Imani approaching us. After greeting me, Taj, Imani, and Mama went to join the women. As I shook Umaru’s hand, I noticed Kevin, his wife, Bisa, and their two children, Fayola and Afolabi. My wall went up around my heart as Umaru stepped aside and allowed them to enter my space. He stretched his hand out to me and said, “Congratulations, brother.”

  I hesitantly shook his hand, waiting for the fuckery. When he released my hand, I hugged Bisa and their kids, then told Bisa and Fayola that they could join the women. I was sure the stylists had brought enough clothing and accessories for them as well. I introduced my brothers to Mr. Nwachuku and we all headed to our area to get ready. I didn’t know what to make of Kevin being here, but he was extremely quiet. That was unusual as well, because he always had his mouth open, spitting venom and bullshit.

  As we were walking inside the room, Kevin grabbed my arm and asked, “Can I talk to you? Privately?”

  “Is it okay if Umaru comes to mediate?”

  He chuckled slightly, but nodded and said, “Yeah.”

  I turned to Mr. Nwachuku and said, “Let the stylist get you set up. I’ll be right back.”

  He nodded with a smile as Kevin instructed his son to stay with Mr. Nwachuku. When we walked into another room, I sat in a chair as did Kevin and Umaru. I was curious as hell about what he could possibly have to say. Me and the nigga hadn’t talked to one another without arguing in years. He kind of fidgeted with his collar, then cleared his throat. “Umaru knows this, because obviously, he was born before me, but for some reason, Mom and Dad didn’t want you to know. But I think had he told you, things might have been easier between us… less animosity. I was adopted. They adopted me about a year before Mama got pregnant with you. The doctors had told her that she wouldn’t get pregnant again because she’d had such a hard time with Umaru.”

  I frowned immediately. So, Kevin’s punk ass wasn’t blood and he got treated better than me? I stood from my seat, fury consuming me. “Haji, I was jealous when you came along. At least that’s what I was told. But as I got older, it got worse. When we were kids, I found out I was adopted by my biological father. My biological mother was Dad’s sister. She’d left me on the doorstep when she moved. But she ended up getting killed not even two days later. They chose to raise me as their son. Mama probably coddled me too much and Daddy didn’t make me really work for what I wanted. I think it was because they felt sorry for me.”

  Umaru had stood with me and put his hand on my shoulder, trying to calm me down. I sat back in my seat as Kevin continued. “Once I found out, I was jealous of you and felt like they would eventually forget about me because they had you. So, throughout life, I’ve always tried to be one up on you. The truth is, we don’t have the same genetic makeup. You’re smart as hell and headstrong just like Dad. I was always trying to prove myself and you didn’t give a fuck. You were and still are strong enough to stand on your own, no matter who’s with you or who isn’t. I was afraid of failing, so I didn’t want to take chances and go against Dad. I needed him and, in my mind, I felt like I needed him more than you. I’m so sorry for the way I’ve treated you over the years… our entire lives. Jealousy is a powerful emotion that can consume you and I allowed it to do just that.”

  He dropped his face in his hands for a moment and swiped them down it. Looking back at me as I tried to process everything he said, he continued. “I beg you for forgiveness and permission to be in your life as your brother.”

  I took a deep breath and exhaled. So, he was coddled because his parents were fuckups. What did that shit have to do with him? “I guess I’m a little lost. I don’t understand what the point of being easy on you was. You didn’t know at first. Had they treated you like they did me, no one would have noticed a difference.”

  “I was addicted to drugs as a baby. Back then, the only advice the doctor had was to gradually ween me off. They said the withdrawals could have killed me. So, I guess they were scared to lose me. Then after my biological dad showed up, they thought I was going to want to go live with him. He’d come to talk to them about taking me from them. I look just like his ass. Before he could make good on his threat, he died of an overdose. I was ten years old.”

  “We got into a huge fight when I was eight. I remember Dad beat the shit out of me because I broke your arm.”

  “The fight happened two days after I met him.”

  “Kevin, we’re grown men. Why did this behavior continue? Regardless of blood, we’re brothers. We’re supposed to love and be there for one another.”

  “The behavior became a part of who I was. When you went to America, man… I developed a whole new level of hatred for you that I’m just finally trying to come out of. It took everybody, including my wife, alienating me to make me see the error of my ways… to understand the brotherhood I’d been missing out on. Now that I see it, I’m ashamed. I’m embarrassed at just how childish this is. I’ve pushed you over the years and I’m just grateful you never got the nerve to back up your words.”

  “What words?”

  “That you’d kill me.”

  He smirked and I ended up grinning as well. Standing from my seat, I stretched out my hand to him. When he took it, I pulled him to his feet and embraced my brother for the first time in years. He patted my back as we hugged, and I did the same. “Let’s just start fresh. Now come on so we can get ready for this Nigerian celebration.”

  20
>
  Chinara

  Haji had totally surprised me, and I couldn’t stop the tears from accumulating in my eye ducts. The makeup artist was getting frustrated with me although she’d said she understood. This man had planned two entire weddings in my hometown of Lagos. I didn’t know how he’d done it or where he’d found the time, but I was beyond emotional about all of it. The authentic ivory accessories that they placed on my head and hung around my neck was more than I could have ever imagined. We were all dressed in very stylish dresses made of Kente cloth. To say I was a loner, I had three women that would be standing with me along with two beautiful, little dolls.

  I was beyond shocked when Kevin’s wife and daughter had joined us. I didn’t know who she was, but when Taj introduced her to me, I was stunned that they were here. I was shocked to see Ms. Afiong and Taj as well, especially since they’d come to the ceremony in Texas. But when I realized that Kevin was here with his family, I immediately thought about Haji and how things were going. I hadn’t heard any commotion, and no one had come to get his wife, Bisa, or their daughter. So, I had to assume that everything was okay.

  As the wedding planner led us and we approached the banquet hall of the venue, I could hear the tribal music and it sounded as if there were a lot of people in attendance. Turning to Daraja, I asked, “You helped him, didn’t you?”

  “Just with the guests and referrals on who to hire and the invitations and the food. But that’s it.”

  I laughed loudly. She was his eyes and legs. “Sounds like you did all the leg work. Thank you, Daraja.”

  Shortly after, the planner alerted us that it was time to enter. I didn’t know what the hell I was supposed to be doing, but thankfully, she talked us all through it. When I walked in and saw my man’s chest partially out, I heated up. He was wearing a Kente cloth draped over one shoulder and one shoulder was out along with part of his chest. They allowed me to stand motionless for a moment, as the guests took me in and people approached me, wrapping me in silk and satin. There were people here that I went to high school with and that I’d worked with at old jobs as a teenager.

  The decorations were gorgeous. It looked like I’d entered a tropical rainforest. The greenery and flowers covered the venue and I was in awe with just how beautiful it was. The scent of the food almost took me out, though. It had been a minute since I’d had goat. My stomach rumbled a little from the smell of the food, but my nerves were also on edge with at least two hundred people’s eyes on me, analyzing every detail about me.

  I was finally escorted to a chair that looked like it was on a thrown by two shirtless, male ushers like I was a queen. Once I sat, a group of people came out to dance to the tribal music as my husband bowed before my parents. When he stood, he approached me and bowed before me with a ring, like he was begging my hand in marriage. I already had two rings and by the time we were done here in Nigeria, I’d have more than I knew what to do with.

  This wedding had all the makings of a traditional Nigerian wedding all the way down to him offering my parents gifts. I was beyond excited about everything and I knew my makeup had to be all messed up with as many tears that had dropped. As we relaxed into the wedding, the music changed. When the DJ spun “Next to Your Love” by Rotimi, the party started. Since Rotimi’s parents were Nigerian, they damn near idolized him here.

  As we danced, he held me by my hips, slightly grinding into me. Feeling him breathing on my neck had probably caused all the hairs back there to stand on end. “You know your sexy ass is mine tonight.”

  I turned to face him, resting my hands on his shoulders. “I’m yours whenever you want me. Didn’t you say anytime, anyplace?”

  “Girl, what’chu tryna say? You wanna fuck me at our wedding?”

  “I’m saying… whenever you want me, I’m yours.”

  He swiftly pulled my hand from his shoulder and led me out the back door where he’d moved the SUV to. After unlocking it, I quickly got in the back seat. Thankfully, the tint was dark. Once he got in with me, he lifted his hips and pulled his pants to his knees and lifted his top. “Come hop on this dick, baby.”

  I hiked my dress up and at that moment I was glad that it was loose-fitting at the bottom. Quickly straddling him, I slid my thong to the side and slid down his dick to properly thank him for surprising me today. “Ooooh yes, daddy. Take me there.”

  He gripped my ass while I quickly bounced on his dick. Not wanting to get caught, I just wanted to put us out of our misery. He groaned as he bit his bottom lip, then closed his eyes for a moment. “Fuck, baby. Take me there, too. I feel them legs trembling. Let that shit go.”

  “Oh… Haji… shit!”

  I released and he did at the same time. Once the tremors passed, I leaned my forehead against his. “You so fucking nasty.”

  “Umm, yo’ ass didn’t object. I’m gon’ tell yo’ mama and papa just how much of a freak their daughter is.”

  I laughed as I practically fell over on the seat next to him. “Damn, girl. Look at all this cream you got on daddy dick. I’m gon’ be feeling all moist the rest of the night.”

  “Just go to the bathroom and clean up, silly. You’re the one that pulled me out here. I can’t help it that your dick is so good to me that I cum whenever he’s inside of me.”

  That shut his ass up. He smirked, then kissed my lips. “You damn right.”

  Once we were presentable, he helped me out as Daraja stood at the back door. I could feel my face heating up as we approached her. “Y’all some nasty muthafuckas. Everybody was looking for your asses.”

  Haji laughed and I did, too, because I’d never heard her use the word y’all. “Shut up and move,” I said as I walked past her, pulling Haji with me.

  We’d worked up an appetite and I planned to tear some goat up.

  As we sat out by the pool with my parents and Daraja, we talked about what’s been going on with them since I’d been gone, i.e. all the shit they weren’t telling me on the phone. We didn’t have much time to really talk yesterday. Last night when we left the venue, after bringing my people home, Haji sped all the way to the hotel. He blew my damn back out. Like, literally… my back was killing me this morning. I went downstairs and had a massage. His ass was a whole savage last night. After my massage, we went got my folks and had breakfast in our suite. Once I showed them the pictures of our ceremony in Texas and we’d talked about how we met, we came out to the pool.

  Knowing that my mother’s health was declining so quickly, I knew I needed to talk to them about moving. I didn’t know if they’d made a decision yet or not, but they surely needed to make one soon. “So, Papa, have y’all decided what you were going to do? Are y’all staying here or moving to Texas?”

  “I thought we still had time to decide. We’re still weighing the pros and cons. That’s an extremely long flight. We’d have to purchase new clothes once we got there because we won’t be able to take everything.”

  I rolled my eyes slightly. They were so stuck on being in Lagos. I mean… I got it. They’d lived here all their lives… over fifty years. But why couldn’t they see how great the benefits were if they moved in with us? Exhaling loudly, I said, “Okay. We leave in five days. I hope we know by then.”

  “Papa, please quit playing with her ass. Girl, we’re coming! I can’t wait!”

  My eyebrows lifted and I couldn’t believe my ears. I hopped out of my seat and asked, “Really?”

  “Yeah, Chi Chi, we’re coming.”

  I hugged my daddy tightly, then my mama. “I’m so excited! I’m about to get in the pool. You coming, Haji?”

  He licked his lips as I took off my wrap and said, “Uh-huh.”

  Just as he stood, his family walked outside. They were staying in the same hotel as us. Ms. Afiong sat next to my mama. They’d gotten acquainted before the wedding yesterday. When I saw Kevin, I kind of shied away from him. I didn’t know how genuine he was. After everyone greeted us, he was the last to approach us. “Hey, you two.”

  “Hi
,” I responded.

  Haji shook his hand as he turned his attention back to me. “I owe you an apology. That wasn’t my place. I was being judgmental, jealous, and just evil. I apologize.”

  He extended his hand to me and I shook it with a slight smile as Haji wrapped his arm around me, resting his hand on my hip. “I accept your apology. Thank you for offering it.”

  He nodded, then walked away to go sit with the rest of the family. Daraja was already in the water and Taj and Imani had joined her. “Baby, did he say why he’s been so mean to you?”

  “Yeah. Jealousy and he’s not my biological brother. Which, I really need to talk to my mama about. Yesterday was the wedding so I didn’t want to bring it up. But I’ll talk to her later today before dinner.”

  “Damn. So, he got preferential treatment because he was adopted?”

  “Pretty much.”

  I shook my head slowly. While there was probably more to the story, that must have been the gist of it. I couldn’t understand how they could treat their own flesh and blood like shit. But I suppose that wasn’t my business. As we stepped down into the pool, Haji lifted me in his arms. “You know that Nigeria sun hit different. We gon’ be black as hell by the time we get out of this water.”

  I laughed so hard, I almost got choked. “You’ll still be my pretty black doll, though.”

  “That I know, baby. We’ll lighten back up eventually,” I said, then chuckled. “Thank you for being so wonderful.”

  “As your husband, I’m supposed to be. You want a drink?”

  “It’s only eleven. What kind of drink?”

  “Looks like frozen drinks.”

  “I’ll pass.”

  Wiggling out of his arms, I went to his back and wrapped my legs around him, gently kissing his back. “Chinara, I was holding you like I was for a reason. I will give it to you in a pool full of people. I know you don’t want that.”