Chapter 10 New Friends and Family #3
“Never that. I’m simply trying to understand what it is that we’re doing and what expectations y’all have of me.”
I didn’t believe that answer for a minute. “Speak plainly, please. I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’m not one to get offended in the slightest when people do so and I won’t start now. Contrary to popular belief, I’m not crazy.”
“Well, that’s not true.” Her laughter seemed to dance around me as though it were mimicking the joy that its owner felt at refuting my claim of sanity.
“What on earth is so funny?”
“Well, why wouldn’t I laugh?”
I took a deep breath and then audibly exhaled because I knew this was going to be a trial and yet it was more frustrating than I assumed it would be.
“Most of the time when people assume that they’re around someone who is…
not mentally balanced, they proceed with caution.
You, on the other hand, are trying to incite me to madness.
So, I’m simply trying to understand what in God’s name I have done that was so wrong my punishment was to endure this.
You’re such a trial.” For as much as everyone spoke positively about her, I knew she had to take some getting used to.
“I’m a trial?” The sparkle in her eyes made her russet hair gleam at the thought of stressing me out.
I put my hand to my forehead and rubbed no longer caring if I messed up my makeup since my duties were done. “Jada… Jada please. I’m beseeching you at this point—”
“Beseeching? That’s far past begging isn’t it?”
“Yes. Yes, it is. That should tell you just how serious I am right now. I am beseeching you to figure out what the point of all of this is. Or to simply answer the question before I lose what’s left of my mind. And let me assure you, there’s not much left to lose. So, would you like to tell me?”
“I know and understand that this isn’t your thing. The marriage. So I’m asking if you want me to do this on my own or if you want to have input.”
“You see how easy that was?”
She shrugged unbothered with my sarcasm. “To be fair, I’d already said all of this.”
“Why isn’t Ori planning this?”
The mask of civility dropped and she looked completely disgusted with my suggestion.
“You want a MAN to plan a wedding? Of this caliber? A man like ORI? Xerxes for sure cause he’s a dandy thug, but Ori?
You know what, you probably are insane if you think someone like him can pull off an event like this. ”
“Yet you think I can?”
“You have style. I’ve seen the way you dress so yeah. I have far more faith in you than I do in him. Men aren’t useful for things like this.” I could only agree since she wasn’t wrong.
“Men aren’t useful for much outside of procreation.”
Unbridled joy came over her face and I was sure she had to have some type of medication she had been derelict in consuming. There was no way someone should flit from one emotion to another so easily. “So you do want littles one day!”
I almost recoiled at the thought wondering what gave her that idea. “Who in God’s name said that?”
“You just said—”
I sighed at her assumption because I’d never thought of having kids, because my own childhood was so messed up. “I’m stating a mere fact, not a heart’s desire. Please keep up.”
“I wasn’t aware that I wasn’t.”
I could only stare at her blankly and do my best to rein in my own emotions. “My. God. People have to be medicated to handle you.”
“Not really. Most just go with the flow. I’m harmless when you think about it.” Her grin was back, the one that was genuine, which meant she took my words as a compliment.
“To everything but my nerves.”
“You’re just fighting the fact that I’m going to be the sunshine to your grumpy. The rainbow to your rain. It won’t be so bad to not hate everything off principle, Asha, I promise.” She grinned and gave me a hug so quick I couldn’t prevent it.
“What an odd thing to say.”
“Is it? Or is it a careful observation founded on the fact that you detest everything so you never have something that you like that you could lose? You don’t want to get wrapped up in the whimsy of a wedding because the reality of this marriage is less than ideal and far from romantic.
You don’t want to put your heart into something because you don’t want it shat on.
You think that sharing your traditions with us and with Ori means that you’ve somehow given in and you don’t think he’s going to do the same. ”
I hated to be read so easily and now I wondered if everyone in this group of people I was being married into had a fucking Ph.D.
in psychology or if my stubbornness just made me that easy to read.
I wasn’t really keen on finding out the answer to either question.
Also, it was clear that Jada was fucking brilliant and well aware of what she was doing playing the loon.
“Since you think you know how I feel, what is your suggestion on what I should do?”
“If your desire is to protect your heart then I've got you. Despite your speaking in cursive, I like you, Posh. I can plan this thing in a few months and I won’t give away any more of your culture than he gives of his. If it’s just food, then it’s just food.
Hell, if he does anything trifling I’ll throw in that English brickle brackle y’all eat and serve him sausage and fizzy wickets or whatever the fuck y’all call it.
Beans on toast, gov’nuh.” Jada switched to a horrific Cockney accent but I had to laugh because it was very accurate.
“Oh, good! I was worried you two were about to fight.”
Vanya walked over looking ethereal in the cream and gold dress with her newly gifted crown resting on the top of her curls.
She leaned over to me, the gold overlay of her gown making her look as though she was glowing.
“She’s going to have your entire day planned within the week if you don’t say something.
This was all planned in like two months. ”
I had to think quickly and pulled out the first thing that I could think of. “Ori doesn’t care enough about any of this to rush anything. Besides, he’s got a big case.”
That would have to be a deterrent because there was no way he’d be able to get away from duty in the middle of the case. Of course, a wedding was just one day and it wasn’t like we were going to have to take a honeymoon…
Oh. Oh no.
“Yeah, but he can’t step fully into his family’s business and away from the government until he’s got a wife. As bad as he wants to be done with them people now that the inmates run the asylum…”
My mouth dropped open involuntarily as the realization that I was going to be backed into a corner hit me full force. “Well, fuck.”
““Exactly. So, what are your favorite colors? And are you Tigrinya or Tigre?” Jada pulled out her phone like she was gonna take notes.
“I’m Tigrinya but how did—”
Vanya stood up on her toes since she was several inches shorter than I was. She still spoke loudly so everyone heard what she said.
“She has already started looking into this I can guarantee you.”
“I’ll give you my number—”
“Already have it. I was just waiting for Pippi’s day to be done before I pestered you. Now, you’re on the clock. Now if y’all will excuse me, I have to show Smoke that lil cubby I was talking about earlier.” Jada’s brows bounced playfully and Smoke wore a big grin on his face.
My brain was spinning, and everyone seemed to wait for me to say something. “Time for your Smoke break?”
Jada’s eyes lit up and she clapped her hands tickled at Vanya making a joke about them. “See, Pippi! You’re learning. I’m not so bad. Tell your friend.” Smoke wrapped his arm around her either oblivious or used to her chaos. Since I wasn’t I was still stunned as the two of them walked away.
Vanya gave my shoulder a squeeze trying to restore normalcy as chaos exited to find a place to fuck. “You’ll get used to her, I promise.”
“No, I don’t think I ever will.”
“I’m sorry there’s no way in the world I’m going to half-ass anything and put my name on it.”
Because of course having a quickie with her man, that had probably not been quick at all judging by the way her updo was fully demolished, hadn’t stopped her from thinking about her next wedding despite the current one being in full swing.
I’d been trying to convince her that she didn’t need to put too much effort into my wedding with Ori but I’d clearly said the wrong thing.
“Why do you care so much?”
“Because this has my name on it. You’re a doctor so you wouldn’t allow some bullshit publication to use your name and likeness and pretend to be happy with the contents of the work if it wasn’t up to your standards, right?” She waited with the patience of a person who knew they were already right.
She had me there and I couldn’t deny it.
“That makes sense.”
“I said it so of course it does.”
Her head tilted to the side once again and I wanted to laugh but I was sure that it wouldn’t be appreciated.
I understood how she felt because it was easy to slip in and out of madness.
There was no doubt that Jada was clinically insane but the same could be said about me.
She was the type of woman who didn’t play about her respect so watching her hold it together had to be how people felt observing me.
“Touché.”
“Glad we can agree, Posh. Now, I’ve already had the designer of your Habesha kemis selected and I ensured it came from the best Tigrinya designer there was.”
I had no clue how she’d only been gone for an hour but had someone in mind that she was going to use to make my dress.
And she’d had sex with her man in that time so maybe they were right and she truly had started to plan this while she was wrapping up details of Vanya’s wedding.
This place had been done beautifully so I could tell she really did care about combining the cultures that would be represented. “It didn’t have to be—”
She wagged her finger her face tilted like a petulant child about to pout. “I don’t half-step, I thought we made that clear? I have your measurements—”