Episode 11 - Did I live this life?

"That truly was a great romantic story. Thank you for sharing it with me." 

"Did it bring back any memories?" Devon asked hopefully.

"If that was my life, it was amazing, romantic, and enjoyable to hear. But somehow, I feel there must have been more in my life. Nothing seemed to jar even the slightest memory or evoked the slighted feeling of love and happiness you describe." 

"Nothing?" Devon asked, concerned. 

"I'm sorry I don't mean to disappoint you. Maybe there was more pain than happiness?" 

"No! Not true!" He exclaimed.

"How can you only remember the bad? And what is this bad that you are recalling?" 

"We both are tired; it's been a long day. Maybe I'll share it with you tomorrow. Good night Dev." Zari said, sashaying out of the dining room to the guest bedroom.

******

After breakfast, Zari found everything hard to believe. She was confused, like she was outside of herself, looking in. It isn't easy to explain. And she will never mention these things again to the lovely gentleman claiming to be her husband. She was curious about the woman he had married. She begins, for the first time looking through her closet. Zari could see she wore costly clothing. Gucci this and Gucci that, Coach, Louis Vuitton, Anne Taylor suits, Fendi, blouses. She snooped in her underwear drawer and saw Victoria's secret panties and lingerie from Bloomingdales with tags still on them. Her eyes popped when she saw a little nightie with a title of $1000.00 attached to it.

"Did I wear these types of things?" She asked herself, rubbing her hands over the silk fabric.

Zari jumped when she heard the door close down the hall to his room. Devon was back; the short drive helped him get some composure after breakfast. But as he lay in bed thinking, someone kidnapped his wife. A man, but what man? Then he thought about the guy, the neighbor who told him that day he could take Zari away from me any time he wanted to because of how she's always smiling at him. Devon regretted letting Zari hold him back! Now he wished he would have beat him to a pulp for even having such thoughts! Could it have been him? Devon thought, staring out the window at the man's house. He had many regrets, like moving his wife into a neighborhood that wasn't interracial. Especially when Zari had begged him to do so, he never thought people would be so against his marrying her. 

She purposely left her room with him in the house to try and interact with Dev. When she came out of the room and went into the kitchen where he was preparing dinner, she could see he was happy to see her. But he looked at her strangely but didn't say anything to her. I knew it had to be the hair and makeup.

 "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. How is work going?"

"Super busy; I took off a few weeks, but I feel bad about my younger brother Evan having all the workload on him, but he can handle it." He said, smiling. 

"So you have a younger brother?" 

"Yes, I have a brother and a sister; my sister's name is Mina. Does it ring a bell?" 

She stood there thinking for a minute or two. "No, I'm sorry it doesn't."

"You and Mina become good friends. She visited you in the hospital. Evan, well, you didn't get to see him because he was always so busy. But you met him at the wedding. I have been asking if you would like to look at the wedding photos and pictures. This may help you recall something. But only after you tell me what memories you are having."

"I don't know."

"You can tell me anything. I won't get upset."

Zari took a seat at the large island in the kitchen. "Where do I start? It's all not in order, but I'll start at where my memory begins." 

"Okay," Devon said, cutting up the seasoning for dinner.

"When I met my husband, he had all the markings of a guy from wealth. The way he spoke and how he dressed. Most times, wearing a suit and tie with a well-manicured beard. His style, I recalled, caught my eye, but I didn't want to be in a relationship and the woman who said she was my mother. I remember her telling me.

I had to tell someone what I had experienced. My mother, I guess she's my mother."

"She is Zari," Devon reassures her.

She tells me, you are beautiful. Open your eyes, child! Who says you have to marry someone just like you? It's a new day and time! Your smooth brown skin, golden-brown eyes,  jet black hair, and figure mama blessed you with. Any man would desire you." 

"Zari, please allow the man to at least buy you dinner, sweetheart, don't take yourself so seriously."

"I've already refused his offer, besides...I don't know, mom. I wasn't planning on dating anyone." 

"That's just it. It's not even a date, and it's certainly not marriage. I'm not going to say anymore. It's your decision."

"I must have listened to her because from there, we had a whirlwind romance and fell in love; it seemed overnight."

Devon leaned on the island. This is getting off to a good start. Did you notice I have a light beard?" 

Zari looks at him. "Anyway, 

I was young and just finished college; "I wholeheartedly trust you," I told my husband, don't break my heart..." I said as we sat in my mom's living room.

 I honestly felt he had given me no reason to worry, especially when he surprised me in front of everyone by asking to marry me."  

After only a few blissful months near the prewar residential homes here in North Caroline, we lay in bed. I bit down on my bottom lip and tried to breathe. I glanced back at him, doing his thing. 

The sex was good for an inexperienced girl like me. After all, he was my first man. Initially, it was confirmed that we couldn't keep our hands off one another. Though we had our challenges, the neighbors didn't like me. His family didn't think I was good enough for him. I was lonely at home and wanted to find a job was one of them. In my career interest, it was a super competitive market for the position I was pursuing. But I kept looking while perfecting my skills in being an excellent wife to my lover. My husband gets particularly bothered when I call him hubby. It was a change he requested me to make, but more and more small things became apparent, nothing significant at first.  

Devon cleared his throat, listening but very uncomfortable.