My Dream Marriage

I am in our bedroom waiting for Edward. I hope he makes here on time because it’s already evening and I wanted to make it back to the hospital. The night is creeping in but still there is no sight of him. I want to call him but he could be driving so I decide against it. I have to be patient. I walk to the study area and sit on the chair holding the receipt and anxiously wait for his arrival.

Minutes or is it hours? Pass and my impatience breaks all barriers and I decide to call him. Before I can press the call icon, the door is pushed open and Edward enters. I stand up and he comes to where I am. He looks exhausted but it is a bit odd given the way he looks at me, or rather doesn’t want to look at me. I don’t dwell on that since my father’s health is at stake here.

“Edward, you are back. I have waited for you for so long,” I say wanting to hug him but he puts his hand forward blocking my action. “Neera, get to the point, what is it?” he asks.

“I wanted to talk to you about my father,” I say. “What about your father?” “I have his hospital bill here with me. I wanted to ask you if you could help us settle his bill since my mom and I can only manage only a small part of it,” I say. “I thought he was getting better,” he says. “I thought so too but he went into coma today and now he is in the intensive care. The doctor said that so as to start his treatment his bill has to be settled first,” I say.

“I see, so how much are we talking about here?” He asks. “Here is the bill,” I say handing him the receipt. “Okay, tomorrow morning then. It is too late now and you won’t go back to the hospital at this time. You’ll have to wait till tomorrow,” he says. I wish there was a way that could be possible right now.

“Okay then. Have you had dinner?”

“I did, not so long ago so I am good. I just have to take a shower and go to bed. I have an early day tomorrow,” he says. “When are you going to work?” I ask because I need to know when I should be waking up. “I have to be out of the house by seven,” he says. “Is it your usual time?” “No. I usually get out of the house by eight. There are also times that I get up earlier than that, once in a while,” he says. “Oh, that is good for me too,” I say because I also have to get to work before nine.

“How is it good for you? Aren’t you used to getting up at such a time? Or is it because it isn’t so early?” He asks.

“No, it’s because I also have to get to work by nine,” I say. “Which work? Sorry I didn’t inform you but you won’t be going back to work,” he says and I can’t contain the shock that engulfs me.

“What! Are you crazy? Edward, what do you mean?” I ask my voice raised because there is no way he can say that. How?

“You are the crazy one here, Neera. I just said something simple like not going to work and you seem not to understand. I said you won’t be going to work,” he says firmly.

“What is going on here?” His mother says entering through the door that Edward didn’t close when he came in. She definitely heard our argument. She is the elder here maybe if I tell her about it she could side with my perspective.

“It’s Edward, mother. He says that I can’t go back to work and I don’t know why. I need this job, please. I still have to take care of my student loans and also take care of my parents. I can’t quit right now,” I say hopefully.

“Is that the reason you are making this much noise late in the night?” She asks.

“Yes mom”, Edward answers and I wonder how she doesn’t get that this is about someone’s source of livelihood we are talking about.

“Neera, look around you. Just take a good look around you,” I look at the study table before me and look back at her. I don’t get what she means by that. What is she saying?

“What do you mean?”

“Mom make her understand. I tried to but she didn’t get what I said,” Edward says.

“Neera. This is the Lawanson family. If you think you can live in such a family and still wake up and go to a sales job then you are gravely mistaken. I don’t want people to say that I let a Lawanson daughter-in-law, my daughter-in-law for that matter, do a cheap job for a living. So Edward is right, you can’t go back to that job at all,” she says.

“If you say so, then what will I be doing?” This is serious.

“You will be staying at home and helping Martha around the house,” the second shocker of my life.

“I thought you had more servants in the house?” Martha said so.

“I’ll be laying them off since you are here. Their services are no longer needed,” she says.

“Then who will cater for my parents’ needs?”

“We will discuss about it later but for now, let’s focus on you taking care of this house,” Edward says. “No, I have to know who will be taking care of my family when I’ll be taking care of this house,” I say. “Alright, we shall allocate some funds to be deposited in your mom’s account every end of the month,” is this some tender or what?

“We are almost halfway through the month. Until the month ends, who will be taking care of them? My mother’s savings have been used to pay for my dad’s medical expenses. Now you are telling me to quit. Isn’t that impossible at my end?”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“Isn’t your mom working?”

“She quit recently so as to fully take care of dad,” I say.

“Don’t worry, we will be responsible for them. Just be a good daughter-in-law and everything will be fine. This is now your home so you have to be responsible for it too. As for your student loan, you will provide me with your details then I’ll sort it out with the help of Edward, is that clear?” She asks. Not so bad.

“As long as my parents are doing well then it’s okay with me,” I say. But this house is too huge, how am I supposed to make sure the whole mansion is presentable?

“You said you are going to lay off servants of this house, meaning they were more than two, how will be able to manage the whole house?”

“Neera, they only came here six hours a day for five days a week. You live here twenty-four seven so I’m sure you will manage,” she says, “besides, Martha will still be here so no need to panic. Anyway, how is your father now?” She asks.

“Not so good. He is in the intensive care unit as we speak,” I say. “Oh he got so serious, I hope he recovers quickly,” she says. “I hope so too.”

“I need to go to sleep now, I don’t want to hear any more noise from you two. Come on you are grown-ups so you need to settle whatever that’s between the two of you amicably. Goodnight,” she says.

“Goodnight.”

“Neera, do you have any more questions?” Edward asks. “For now no.”

“Can I take my shower now?” I nod.

I have two phone calls to make. First I have to call my mother. Then I have call Jackie who I don’t know if she is asleep or not. I also have to send my resignation through email to Samara, my boss.

“Hey mom, how is the going?”

“Just the way it was Neera. Your dad hasn’t woken up and the doctor is still waiting for the payment.”

“I talked to Edward and he promised me that he will do it tomorrow. So I can come visit you in the morning after he’s gone to work.”

“What about you? Won’t you be going to work?” She asks. “No I quit,” I say. “Why all of a sudden? Just a few hours ago when you were here you told me about going to work tomorrow. What made you change?” She asks. She is my mom, so let me just tell her the truth.

“Edward and mother in law asked me to. ” I say. “I knew it,” she says. “I knew they wouldn’t let you work where you used to, given the class of people they are. So what will you be doing? Will they give you another job perhaps?”

“No, I will be taking care of the house. Anyway you don’t have to worry about your expenses. Edward will take care of them. His mother assured me that every end month you will be given some money for your upkeep,” I say in way to raise her spirits. “Oh Neera, I hope you are okay with all that is going on,” she says. “I am fine mom. I am just hoping that dad will recover soon.”

“It’s my daily wish too Neera. I was praying for his legs to get better but now, I wish I could even see him back on his wheelchair, talking and eating with me,” she says and I can feel how deeply she is affected by this. “Me too mom. I will see you tomorrow.” “Take care Neera, goodnight,” I don’t think so. With my abrupt quitting of my job and my father’s condition, I only hope for a goodnight.

“Neera, what’s up? What did I do to deserve a call at this time of the night?” She says and from her excited voice I don’t think she was asleep. “Nothing much. I only wanted to tell you that I won’t be coming to work as from tomorrow,” I say. “Neera? Are you serious right now? Quitting? Wait, when did you quit and why did you quit because I don’t understand, when you were clearly excited about going back tomorrow?”

“Jackie, I have a home to take care of that’s why,” I say.

“Please Neera, you can fully take care of a family with as well as take care of your job. You don’t even have kids yet to start with. Take for example me, I found out I am pregnant, do you know how many months? Two but I won’t quit. I will work until I am almost due then take a maternity leave and I will be back to work soon after my leave. Come on Neera, we are in the 21st century,” she says making her point clear. “Did someone make you do it?” She asks. I can’t tell her that it’s my husband and mother-in-law who made me quit.

“It’s my decision to quit okay, don’t make a big deal out of it,” I say. “Okay if you say so, have you told Samara about it?” “Not yet but I am going to send her an email after this call.”

“Neera, I hope you are okay with your decision. I hope we meet again soon,” she says. “Hey, how did your ‘little surprise’ go?” I hope Liam is happy about it. “Not yet, but he is on his way home so he hasn’t got to know about it yet,” she says. “Good luck, enjoy your night.”

“Goodnight Neera.”

I type an email to Samara explaining to her that I won’t be working at the bookstore anymore. I can only tell her that I am only quitting because I have to take care of my new home and that I also decided to quit by my own terms, taking a break from work. I press send and wait for her response which I know will come through tomorrow. I hope she won’t give me a hard time with my resignation.