Breaking Malcolm’s Walls

The Arranged Marriage: A Tale of Tradition and Independence part 2

Santos is our typical loyal friend, the kind of guy everyone needs in their corner.

Almost as if he didn't have any worries in his life.

He lived as free as a bird, his free-spirited nature was the reason why he could become friends with Malcolm, the guy everyone thought acted like he was too good.

Their friendship blossomed just like the spring. Full of cheer and laughter.

They would release themselves into becoming teenagers when they were together and there was never a boring moment.

Malcolm is due to pick up Santos in an hour and he was more than happy to have him over at his place.

He already asked Beatrice to make preparation for one make person and she did.

He took the day off from work already and postponed all he needed to do while he asked Samantha to take care of others.

Santos took a casual stroll towards Malcolm smiling as he spread out his arms for a hug. They had not seen each other in over 6 months.

“Common man, this hug is getting too long” Malcolm playfully said.

“Others might think I'm your husband” He added with as big smile on his face.

“Welcome home, it's good to have you back”

“You do look like you've been under a lot of stress lately. Daddy's here now and hell take care of you” Santos put his hands over his neck and pulled him out of the airport.

Santos asked to drop by a place before they headed home. He needed to see his ex girlfriend Clara.

Life had not been the same without her, he missed her badly but he also knew that he had to let her go because he wanted to pursue the things that were important to him.

He was going to consider moving back to the city if Clara would forgive him.

He wouldn't be able to bear her being another man’s woman.

“You're still stuck on Clara?” Malcolm sputted out to Santos looking at him like trying to search his mind.

“Of course not, I promised her I'll drop by when next I'm in the city.” He replied looking out into space.

Malcolm knew he was lying but decided not to push it any further.

He has known him too long to not be able to tell that about him.

Santos was never like him right from the start of their friendship.

He was a lover boy and he is definitely attached to Clara.

Malcolm never believed in love, infact what is love? When he could have all the women in the world if he wanted to.

He always dated the hottest girls in school and he could have his way with timid girls if he also wanted to.

The wait was finally over, he didn't bother to ask Santos how the meeting with Clara went.

The big smile on his face said it all. He strode back to the car with the contagious happiness, he looked like he had won the lottery.

The air was purged and Malcolm could feel that that was because of Santos who was obviously reminscing on his meeting with Clara.

“You should come visit me in Paris, when you take your leave from work. Not like you need to be here in the first place, we should explore the city like old times.”

Santos was saying as his mind went back to the adventures they used to take together as kids. Skipping classes, running away from home to avoid his father's criticism.

All of that life was now left behind them has they had to take life more seriously because they wouldn't be children forever.

“We really should go on a trip together, the last time we went on one was last year and we didn't even stay up to a week because you had to come back to pick up a project awarded to you at work.”

“I remember that.” Santos added.

“ It really was a tough one but then it was just what I needed, I was stuck in a position at work for a very long time and k needed to garner more experience.” Santos explained with so much grace and retrospection.

He wasn't much of a believer but he was grateful to God.

Everyone thought Malcolm would be a bad influence on him but instead they both grew to the standards of a hardworking adult.

Though Santos was not from a home as wealthy as that of Malcolm he doesn't let that deter him or affect his friendship with Malcolm. Moreover Malcolm never treated him lesser than a good pal that he was.

He knew Malcolm was one of the people most judged and he tried his best to change the mind of people even though Malcolm would tell him not to bother.

___________________________________________________

As they drove back to Malcolm’s place, he couldn't help but think about the marriage arrangement that his parents had made for him. It was something that he had been trying to push to the back of his mind since he received the news a few days ago, but it kept creeping back up.

“Hey, Santos, can I talk to you about something?” Malcolm asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them.

“Sure man, what's up?” Santos replied, turning to face him.

“It's about this arranged marriage my parents have made for me,” Malcolm said, his voice laced with frustration.

Santos looked at him with a furrowed brow, “What about it?”

“I'm just so angry about it, you know? It's like my freedom has been taken away from me,” Malcolm explained, his hands clenching the steering wheel tightly.

Santos let out a sigh, “I get where you're coming from, man, but have you considered giving her a chance? You never know, she could be the one for you.”

Malcolm scoffed, “The one? There's no such thing. And besides, how can I even consider marrying someone I've never even met before?”

“Fair point, but you never know until you try,” Santos said, trying to reason with him.

Malcolm mulled over his friend's words for a few minutes before finally conceding, “Fine, I'll meet her. But I'm not making any promises.”

Santos nodded, “That's all I'm asking, man. Just give her a chance.”

As they pulled into Malcolm's driveway, Beatrice came out to greet them with a smile. “Welcome back, Mr. Malcolm and Mr. Santos. Lunch is served.”

Malcolm and Santos made their way into the house, the aroma of delicious food wafting through the air. Kennedy, the driver, had already set the table and they dug into their meal, catching up on lost time.

After lunch, Malcolm excused himself to his study, needing some time to himself to think. Santos knew better than to follow him and decided to take a walk around the neighborhood.

As he walked, his mind wandered back to Clara. He couldn't help but think about her and the memories they shared together. He knew he had messed up, but he was willing to do whatever it takes to win her back.

He took out his phone and dialed her number, praying that she would pick up. After a few rings, she finally did.

“Hello?” her voice was hesitant.

“Clara, it's me Santos. How are you?” he asked, his heart racing.

“I'm good, thanks,” she replied, her voice still guarded.

“I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for everything that happened between us. I miss you so much and I want us to give it another shot,” Santos said, pouring his heart out.

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Clara finally spoke, “I don't know, Santos. I've been hurt before and I don't think I can go through that again.”

Santos knew he had to do something to win her over, “Please, Clara. I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you. Just give me a chance.”

Clara sighed, “Fine. Let's meet up and talk.”

Santos couldn't believe his luck. He thanked her profusely before hanging up the phone and making his way back to Malcolm's house.

As he entered the house, he found Malcolm in his study, lost in thought.

Hey man, you okay?” Santos asked, concern etched on his face.

Malcolm took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. "Santos, I have to tell you something," he began, looking down at his hands.

Santos turned to face him, his expression serious. "What's going on, Malcolm? You know you can tell me anything."

Malcolm hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "My family has arranged a marriage for me," he said quietly, his eyes focused on the ground.

Santos' eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What? I had no idea. Who is it with?"

Malcolm let out a sigh. "Her name is Penila. I've never met her before, but apparently our families have known each other for years and they think we'd be a good match. I don't know what to do, Santos. I feel like my freedom has been taken away."

Santos listened patiently, his expression sympathetic. "That's tough, man. I can only imagine how you're feeling right now. But have you thought about meeting her first? Maybe she's not as bad as you think."

Malcolm shook his head. "I don't know, Santos. It just feels like such a huge decision. I don't want to spend the rest of my life with someone I don't love."

Santos nodded understandingly. "I get it. But maybe you should give it a chance. Maybe your priorities in life has to change at this point. You know Thomas, as much as he loves you he wouldn't hesitate to also go to extreme lengths to get you to get married to her so he doesn't break his promise to his friend.”

“Remember that one time he had to fly into the city when you beat up a police officer? You of all people know the lengths Irina had to go through to get him to forgive you.”

Santos quickly added not wanting to be cut off by Malcolm.

“Of course, I know that you are an adult now and you have your life in your hands but you still have to think about it deeply, I'll keep reminding you of the importance to be optimistic.”

Malcolm thought about Santos' words for a moment. He knew his friend was right. He couldn't just dismiss the idea of marriage without giving it a fair shot. "You're right, Santos. I'll meet her. But I can't promise I'll like her."

Santos grinned. "That's all I'm asking for, man. Just keep an open mind."

The rest of the day passed by in a blur as Malcolm and Santos caught up on old times. They went to their favorite pizza place and reminisced about their wild adventures as teenagers. Santos even convinced Malcolm to try skydiving, something he had always been too scared to do before.

As they drove back to Malcolm's house, Santos couldn't help but bring up the topic of Penila again. "So, when are you meeting her?" he asked.

Malcolm shrugged. "I don't know yet. My parents haven't given me the details. But I'll let you know as soon as I find out."

Santos nodded. "Just remember to keep an open mind, Malcolm. Who knows, maybe she'll surprise you."

Malcolm couldn't help but smile at his friend's optimism. "Thanks, Santos. I really appreciate your support."

The next few days were a whirlwind of activity as Malcolm tried to come to terms with the idea of marriage. He spent hours talking to his parents and even consulted a therapist to help him sort through his feelings.

His father had decided to grant him a wish, but there was a catch - it couldn't be about not marrying Penila.

Malcolm was taken aback. He had never asked for anything from his father before, and he wasn't sure what to ask for. He thanked his father for the offer and said that he would think about it.

_____________________________________

Santos could still see the conflict in Malcolm's eyes, the war that was raging between his heart and his mind. He knew his friend too well to know that he was contemplating something, and he wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do.

Malcolm remained quiet, contemplating Santos' words. He knew that he had to consider his family's wishes, but he couldn't ignore the fact that he didn't have any feelings for Penila. The thought of marrying someone he didn't love was daunting, but he also couldn't bear the thought of disappointing his family.

Santos noticed his friend's dilemma and added, "Besides, you might actually like Penila. You never know until you give her a chance. At least meet her and see how it goes. Your dad would never consider the marriage if he at least didn't think she would be good enough for his son and the family."

“Whatever it is that is bothering you should wait till after you meet her and before then you should begin to accept her into your life. You're also not getting any younger and you really need to leave all that bad boy life behind you. You've had your fill already.Now your family needs you.”

Malcolm nodded, still unsure of what to do, but he trusted Santos' advice. He decided to go through with the meeting, at least to appease his family.

As the day of the meeting approached, Malcolm couldn't help but feel anxious. He tried to calm his nerves by focusing on work, but his mind kept wandering to the meeting.