CHAPTER 60

 Chris and Doja finally decided to start planning their marriage. Doja wanted them to get married before she gives birth but Chris refused as she wants to take her time to plan her marriage as she told him that if she is going to get married, she wants to make it memorable. She made Doja to understand that she is not concerned about pulling crowds as what is most important to her is that she is happy and everything is done according to her taste.

Doja told her that he is a person who respects tradition so according to tradition, he will like to go and visit her family because her father deserves respect. Chris pretended not to hear that part and continued with their conversation of how she wants the wedding to look. Doja knows that she is avoiding the conversation but he promised himself that he will not let her off the hook today as she must tell him something about her family. "Chris can you listen to what I am saying at all? You and I have been together for a while and everytime I try to bring up the topic of your family, you try waving it off. I know that you are not an orphan and you did not fall from the sky so I will not keep you in my house without trying to know anything about your family because that is very disrespectful to them. Chris you know that I am an African and I also occupy an important position in my company. Any wrong move from me will tarnish my image and that of the company so you have to tell me about your family so that we can plan a day to go and visit them. And don't you try telling me that you are an orphan because even if you are an orphan, your parents have families." 

Chris smiled at him and said "will you believe me if I tell you that the story of my family is similar to what happened in Titanic?" 

Doja knew that she was about to say something unrealistic as he said "why don't you tell me what happened in Titanic so that I can understand your story because I have never seen the movie Titanic as I've only heard about it." 

Well, when I was a little girl, my parents and I were traveling and there was an accident. In Titanic it was a shipwreck but in my own case it was a plane crash. The aeroplane separated into two. The part that carried me landed where people could find me but the part that carried my parents has been missing since then and everyone is speculating that maybe it fell in Mars.

Doja was just looking at her as he was shocked that she could joke with things like that. "The moment I heard you mention Titanic, I knew that you were about to say something very unrealistic. Chris you have to stop joking and tell me about your family because we are about to have our own kids and they need to know about their extended family and grandparents. For today, I will let it slide but next time, we must have this conversation for real as my father is already asking when you will take us to meet your parents." 

The whole drama of meeting Chris's parents was already pissing her off as she does not see what is so important about meeting the parents who never cared about her. Chris has a story which she doesn't share and only those who are very close to her knows about it. She feels that this is not the right time for Doja to find out certain things about her and if this marriage cannot happen without them meeting her parents, she thinks it's about time she quits the relationship. She doesn't think that she is ready and strong enough to face her past.

Doja has his suspicions about Chris not wanting to take him to her family. Since he noticed that she doesn't talk about her family, he knew that there was a problem which she never wants to talk about. But he has made it his responsibility to find out that thing that she is trying to hide from him as he feels that they are not supposed to be hiding anything from each other because they have passed that level. Doja doesn't want to say anything but it hurts him that Chris still can't trust him enough to tell him her problems and about her past. He only told himself that there is nothing hidden under the sun and no matter how long Chris tries to hide her family and the story behind her not talking to them, it will most definitely come out someday.

Chris decided to call Jay and have a chat with him because it's been a while since they spoke. When Jay saw Chris's call, he was very happy has he picked it up and said "hello sweetheart, how are the boys doing? I hope that they are healthy and kicking because I am very sure that they are just like me."

Chris laughed and told him that he shouldn't let Doja hear such comments from him else he will be beaten to a pulp by an angry father and a jealous lover. She asked him when he will be coming back and he told her that he will come on this same day but there is someone else coming back with him. When Chris heard Jay mention that someone will be coming back with him, she was excited as she told him that she couldn't wait to meet the person and that it's about time he got a nice girl and get married to her.

Jay laughed and told Chris that she is the only one true love of his life. "How dare I look at another woman when you are still alive? You know that it can never happen because you are the only woman that I have ever loved and will love till the day that I die." 

 You can go ahead and keep deceiving yourself because you can never deceive me. I can't imagine how many innocent girls you have left heartbroken from this tour that you went on. Jay have you forgotten that you are talking to Chris who has known you for many years now? If others do not know you and you are lying to them you should at least respect me and the fact that I know what you are capable of doing when it comes to women. Anyway, I can't wait to see the one that you are bringing home this time.

Jay noticed that Lily was sitting just behind him so he decided to leave the room and continue his conversation with Chris. "Chris, you can't understand. I went and bit more than I could chew and landed myself a girl to take care of. Now I don't want your imagination to run wild because she is not pregnant as you are thinking. I know you Chris, and I know that you can think wrongly most times. It's a long story that I will tell you about when I return that is if Doja can release you from his bed to see me." 

It was now Chris's turn to be amazed at Jay's words. "What is wrong with you Jay? Do you think that all we do everyday is to have sex? Well I can't blame you for thinking that way because it's what you do. You know that sometimes people suspect you of doing the things that they also do as they expect you to be like them." 

Chris was quiet for a few seconds before she said "Jay, I have a new problem and the problem is Doja. You can't believe that he wants to see my parents because we are planning on getting married very soon. You know that I can't take him to see my family because of the issues that we are having. It's been over eight years since I last had any conversation with those people as I have promised myself that I will never associate myself with them anymore. Do you know how degrading that will feel, if I should take Doja to them because I want them to acknowledge him? I swear Jay, I have no regard for them and I do not want Doja to meet them. They don't deserve to share from my happiness and the only thing that I want them to know about me are the things that they read from the media. I have come this far without them because I want them to know that my life will be great without them. Every time that I think of my father, I get very angry as I feel like killing him the day I set my eyes on him. Who is the person that made this rule of taking your spouse to your family? I remember that in books that I have read and in stories I have also heard, we were asked to do that so that in case our spouse decides to harm us, he will know that we have a family and also in case anything happens, our family will know who to hold responsible. But Jay you know that I do not need all of that because what possible harm can anyone cause me that my family has not caused already?" 

Jay decided to tell his friend the truth as he said it doesn't matter how much you are avoiding it Chris, the truth is that you will have to face them someday and better now than later. You know that if you continue to live your life with all that hate bottled up inside you, you will never be free from all the hurt that they have caused you, so it is better you face your fears now. Pull out all your bitterness and let it go. Do you think that your mother will be happy to see you this consumed by anger and hate? Very soon, you will become a mother of two sons. If you do not resolve your issues with your family now, what would you want to teach your sons about forgiveness? Chris, it is enough you have carried the burden of unforgiveness for too long and it's high time you dropped it before it pulls you down. I am your friend and if I don't tell you the truth, I wonder who will. I know that Jade and Candace will avoid this topic because they do not want to hurt your feelings as you are their friend and the three of you are in the same boat. If you are a thief, will you be able to tell another thief to stop stealing that it is bad? That is what is happening between you, Jade, and Candace. Sometimes, the three of you can't seem to tell each other the truth because you are all guilty of the same thing."

 Najiba finally decided not to drag the case with her husband anymore as she collected the present and gave him a hug. She asked him to go take a shower so that she can oversee the serving of their meal before he returns but Zahid refused and said that she must join him in the bathroom.

"Why should I join you in the bathroom? Don't tell me that you are still a child who is afraid to be alone in the bathroom." Her husband walked up to her and said "I want you with me in the bathroom because I can't bathe myself properly. I need you to give me a proper bath because I can't do that on my own. You know that I have been pampered since I was a child so I never knew how to do certain things on my own and that includes having to bathe myself." 

 Najiba rolled her eyes at him because she knew that he was lying and only wanted to get her into the bathroom for his own pleasure. She wondered and asked herself if Zahid was a machine because he never seems to get tired of having sex.

"I would have loved to help you but unfortunately, I fell and hurt my waist in the bathroom yesterday so the doctor said that I should not stress myself by bending to do anything. It's really painful you know, I even find it difficult to walk. Even as I'm standing and talking to you, I am in pains so I would like to get a place to sit before I fall." As Najiba was about sitting, her husband grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him. She was protesting playfully while he dragged her into the bathroom.

As he looked at his wife who was standing in front of him without her clothes on, he couldn't help but praise himself for having beautiful women around him. His wives are so beautiful that he can't even tell who is most beautiful amongst them as everyone of them seem to have one quality which cannot be found in the other. He knows that Najiba is the most shrewd amongst his wives. Sometimes when he looks at her, he fears for his other wives especially the first and second because he knows that they can never keep up with the likes of Najiba and Na'ima when it comes to acting like snakes. He has been purposely ignoring those two because he knows that they can handle themselves real good.

One thing that he cannot deny is that Najiba's shrewdness turns him on. Najiba cannot say a word out of her mouth without calculating where that word will take her and he loves that about her. He looked at her firm plump breasts which were pleading with him to touch them. He smiled as he noticed that she was not aware that he was staring at her because she was busy massaging his feet.

He pulled her in and began to kiss her. From the first day that he met Najiba, he has never been able to resist her till today. Holding her in his arms felt so good that within a few minutes, he has lost every sense of reasoning in him.

They finally came out of the bathroom and Najiba felt very tired from the activities that went on in there. Zahid noticed how his wife was walking and he felt something was wrong because the woman he married never easily gets tired like this. He decided to say nothing about it as people are bound to get tired on some days and his wife is no exception.

They sat to have their dinner and he discovered that his wife has prepared a feast instead of a simple meal and that got him thinking the kind of favour that she wanted to ask him this time.