My Mother's Boyfriend

Good Behaviour

Maya

“Happy Holidays, Tony,” I say to my brother on the phone with all the cheer I can muster while my fiancé stands beside me. He monitors my every move.

It’s the last week of school and I know how much family means to my little brother, who is about to start his Christmas break. We would visit our cousins that we hadn’t seen in months and stay a night or two, or they would come over to stay with us. It’s movie madness, games, food, music, malls, and on Christmas Eve- toys. No one is allowed to mention school...it was Mama’s law.

At least it used to be so.

His joy at the simple phone call from me wrings at my heart. He misses me as much as I miss him. My eyes flood with unshed tears, but Alejandro only folds his arms, eyebrow perching up to let me know that I only have seconds remaining, as per our agreement.

“Are you coming home?” Tony queries and my tears spill over. It’s his favourite time of the year. But I cannot go home until the marriage is legal, not even for a visit.

“No bug. I’m staying-” my voice cracks, “here-” I clear my throat. “Here for the holidays.”

The black, skivvy-wearing man furrows his forehead as he listens in.

“You are?” my brother’s tiny inquisitive tone, locked in with his innocent belief in my words, almost got to me. But I know he will accept anything I say as the truth, and it crushes my heart.

I am lying to him about the school vacation because it’s the only explanation I have. It’s believable that I am staying on campus. He should think that rather than the horrid truth. Realistically, my parents would never have permitted me to stay where I studied. They would drop me off and pick me back up, religiously.

An ‘n’ shape is my lips. I still haven’t figured out a way to let him know about my upcoming doom. “Do you suppose you could help me with the planets? They have me stuck here with that-”

“Of course, I will help you silly. I’ll make you a note and that way you can come home, and I’ll give you the cards.”

Smiling through my tears, nostrils flared, I nodded my head in agreement, although he could not see me. Then Tony went on to give me some new information about the sun he discovered. Sixty Earths could fit a void there.

Alejandro taps the face of the expensive gold Omega watch at the same time Tony says, “Papa is home, you want to talk to him?”

Recently, I became aware that Rolex and Omega have entered the market of ‘normal gold watches’, which means simply that 18ct gold is used to cover stainless steel cases. Gold-capped watches consist of a solid gold shell that covers the watch's case.

While he is used to expensive brands, my watch is still a simple leather-strapped one that I have inside my school bag. All my belongings that came with me on the day he abducted me are inside that bag, except my shoes which are by the door of Alejandro’s bedroom- this very room.

And I only have three plain ordinary pairs of shoes, while he has a drawer filled with only watches.

“No-” I wiped my cheek with the back of my free hand, feeling the mucus wanting to run down my nose now. “Don’t tell dad- or anyone I called, okay?”

“Why?”

“It’s our secret Bug.” My brother likes it when we have secrets. I swipe at my eyes using the base of my hand, my throat aching from how I am stifling my emotions inside.

“Okay My,” he shortens my already short name just like our mother used to, “I’ll get cracking on the cards for you.”

Again, I nodded away and only the i***t in front of me could see. “No rush, Bug. We can exchange notes when I reach. Love you-”

But my brother hung up before even hearing the word love. It’s something he does, and normally I am fine with it... only this time it hurts me. Because I do not know when I will be permitted to speak with him again- my throat pains more- or when I will see him again.

“A Christmas wedding? Alejandro doesn’t even skip a beat as he grabs my phone away from me.

“I’ll never marry you.” I need to blow my nose.

“Oh, you will, or your father will have such a ball with me in court, remember that.” He shoves his hands in his deep grey, trouser pockets, horizontal lines across his forehead.

Today was our engagement and my gift for my ‘good behaviour’ was a phone call. And last week, when my conversation with his sister convinced everyone that he had been courting me and not my mother, he rewarded me with a phone call then as well. Both times I called my brother and both times I had to fake my happiness at being back at university.

“Why do you want to marry me?” I am finally brave enough to ask, but as usual, he ignores my question and walks away, leaving me in his room alone.

Blowing out a deep breath, I head to the sink where I noisily empty my snot into a sheet of paper towel then I stare at my reflection. Tear-stained cheeks but nothing else was out of place. The mascara was not even smeared, I note with a frown as I turned my head at different angles.

A professional was hired to do my make-up today and I must admit, she did some fine work with me. Gabriella requested she takes some time off the next day to take me shopping and the woman agreed when she was offered the same payment for today’s work.

Caught between being glad that I was finally purchasing make-up and why I should get make-up as I felt it was an acceptance on my part about my near future, I sulked throughout the ring process. But I did not throw a tantrum as expected by Alejandro and hence my cell phone was granted to me for four minutes.

My reflection shows my sad eyes despite the immaculate mask I am about to wash off. My dress is beautiful, but instead of grinning as someone would in this dress, I feel doomed.

Our official engagement is not a happy event...suddenly, I preferred the arranged marriage my elders would have chosen for me. At least that way, I could have had my old life. Finished my studies, got a job, kept some schoolmates as friends, and most importantly, Tony. I do not care much for my father and grandparents much after what I heard them confess about my mother, but I still have some affection for them. And I would have liked to be in contact with them from time to time.

I slipped the white sequin maxi dress with thick arm-less straps down my shoulders, remembering how Gabriella insisted I take this one and not the long-sleeved one her aunt had chosen, instead. I would have preferred the other one because this one had me feeling semi-nude.

It is not something the women in my family would typically wear. Sure, we would wear arm-less blouses, but mostly in our homes and certainly not as a formal dress for an event like this.

But everyone loved the dress, they told me. The only person who did not give me any compliment today was Alejandro himself- not that I wanted him to. But it was noticeable because he was the only person that had not.

Instead, he tells me that in order to bless our unity, we should pay a visit to someone in the hospital. She requires a heart transplant and Don Alejandro thinks that footing the bill her family could never afford is a good way to commence our union together.

Not in any position to argue, I agree to it obediently.