Friendship

Friendship is not about who came first but about who stayed when things were going south and tough for you. Friendship is about those who endure with you the hard times not only coming to reap the good fruits of your hard labour.

I guess we were all exhausted from the long drive to the game reserve.The queue also to check in to our rooms made things much harder for us. I ended up taking offmu heels ans walking barefoot.i could not keep them on any longer.

I failed to even hear Rosetta wake up to make breakfast for all of us.She is usually the one one who handles the cooking every single time we are out on a trip or we are having a mini gathering in my house.

I warn and stretch myself as I pick up my ringing phone.

"Bree Fischer hello,"I say with my eyes closed.

"Happy birthday Mrs Fischer! Happy birthday to you! How old are you now?"they sang.

I could hear my father's baritone from the back..

"Come on I am not 16 anymore. You are not allowed to sing a happy birthday song to me,"I say.

I am excited that someone has actually remembered it's my birthday because I have forgotten too.

"I did say to your mother that it's a bad idea and we shouldn't do this because you are not going to like it. We no longer know what you like nowadays,"he says.

My father has always loved complaining and criticising me. There's nothing good he has ever done for me rather to compare to his boys. I always come second to my dad. Nothing I ever do is good enough for him. Even niw that I have sacrificed myself to get married to Brian to hide his secret he still makes me feel like I am second best.

"Thank you it's actually a nice surprise,"I say.

"How can you go to a holiday knowing that we have an ancestral ceremony for your big brother Busani?"he asks.

"Dad,I could not postpone my holiday for your lack of planning. I planned this trip way before and you Know it too. Busani not it too.His ceremony is a last minute thing,"I argue.

I am not going to take bullying from my dad with his sonsm I am going to fight for myself because I know my mom won't fight for me.

"Listen to how disrespectful you have become? You refer to an important ceremony as a thing? What did the city do to you? It has made you to turn your back on the tradition and customs! You don't even see that you are talking to your father who gave birth to you! MaShange talk to your daughter please,"he shouts.

He hands the phone to my mom and walks out of the room.

"You should guard your tongue when you speak to your father,"she says.

"No he likes to twist my words. That's the reason why I never visit you at home. You'd swear that I am not his biological daughter,"I say.

"Bree what are you trying to imply? That I cheated on my husband and got pregnant with you?"she asks.

"Then why does your husband hate me so much?What is it that makes him to hate me and never appreciate everything that I do?"I ask.

"I am not going to have this conversation with you! I am not going to argue with a child especially on this day!" she yells.

She hangs up the baby onmy ear. I click my tongue and put the phone away.

I walk to the bathroom to take a quick shower as I was already late for the breakfast. I even regret taking the call from my parents. I shouldn't have.I know our conversations don't end well.

I walk to the breakfast table and find the girls chatting. They kept quiet when I entered tye room. It is clear that they were talking about me.They must have heard me argue with my parents.

"Whatever you were whispering about you can say it on my face,"I say pulling a chair to sit.

"No friend we were not gossiping about you. We just heard how tense things were between you and your parents,"says Rossette.

She ribs my shoulders gently.

"I have survived the worst. I am not going to let them ruin my day and my mood. They can stay with their boys for all I care. I don't need them. I am self made woman,"I say sipping my wine.

Though my heart is aching. I just realized that I couldn't force my dad to love me.

"Hey easy with the wine or else you are not going to see the end of today,"says Rosetta. 

She removes the wine and pours a glass of juice for me.

"I thought since today it's your birthday. I should tJe this fine to cook for you a special breakfast,"says Rosetta.

"We all have something to say to you.I will start,"she says.

They all nod yes in agreement.

"A friend is one person who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. I have made friends before in my life but I have never met someone who is kind and selfless like you baby. You know my story and you know how far we have come in life. Thank you for being such a lovely soul,"she says wiping the tears that were stuck in the weld of her eyes.

I Stand up to give her a hug.

"Bree bang I met you through my twin sis Rossetta. I wouldn't have known you if it was not for her. I believe God had the B plan when He made us meet. He knew and understood what He was doing. I have not just gained a friend but a big sister from you because you are the law and order of this squad,"she says.

We all laugh.

"I sometimes get so afraid when I have done something wrong knowing that I am going to recieve a lecture from you.You are going to reprimand me . I'd be stalling to tell you but I'd decide no man let me tell her and she wilk yetll anz get over it.You are one person that does not hold grudges. You don't go to bed with unresolved issues. I love you,"she says.

She opens her arms widely to give me a hug and kiss on mu lips.

Lola stood up and held both my hands. She looks into my eyes.

"My little sister if i were ti begin our life story as friends and sisters I'd sit down and write a book. I will run out of ink and papers.Thats how long our story is. It's a lifetime story. Thanks for all the years of being a nagging and clingy little sister.I don'twantto be long because I know we are going to cancel this trip and listen to me talk,"she says.

We all giggle.

"Here is a little something from all of us,"she says.

She hands me a gift bag. I peep insides it.

I burst into laughter.

"You girls are naughty!" I say.

"That's an exotic book. You ate are going to use with your husband to spice up things in the bedroom,"she says.

Okay we don't usually get intimate note often with Brian maybe this exotic book is going to help us take things to another level.

I am not complaining with my sex life. I am okay with how the things are in my bedroom.

As long as he gets satisfied it doesn't matter to me whether I reach the orgasm or not. I am not in love with Brian

I am doing it to because it's one of my wifely duties.I might use it the day I meet the love of my life.

We put on our sun hats and ate outside to go see the animals. I had my binoculars with me.

Oh the fresh air and tge sun kissing my sun. We spent months cooped up in tall buildings. We have even forgotten that there I actually life apart from work and having kids and husbands. There's is more to life than being a wife.

Horse riding has to be the highlight of my day.My lobe fir horses is on another level. I have horse which I go to ride on just to calm down my nerves.

We sat by the pool as the sun went down.

I held my glass of giant cocktail with my feet dipped into the pool.

I saw Liam holding a helmet. He has a bike. I am curious to know who has he come with. I saw him heading straight towards us.

How could he follow me here? Yes i have been ignoring his calls but that doesn't give him a right to follow me here. What will the girls say? They are going to tell Brian and Brian will get angry. I am about to lose my marriage. I feel like the world could open and swallow me.

I kept my eyes on the cocktail.

"Hey babe.You made it,"says Rossette.

She stands up to give him a warm hug.

"Whoa! I thought we are coming to this trip as girls only. Do you see Luke here?"asks Lola.

"You are cheating on Riann?"asks Rossetta.

"Cut the bull! My bae and i are not going to give you a hassle! We are going to enjoy the trip! So should you!"shd says.

"Bree come on say something!"she says.

I shrug my shoulders.My throat is dry

"Bree!"she says.

"Rossette is am old woman so there is nothing really i can say,"i sau standing up.

I also follow them but heading to my roo I wanted to soak myself in a warm bath before I go to bed.

I also have a duty to call my husband too.

The water I soathing my heart ache. If i did not collapse when I saw Liam with Rossette I means I'll never collapse again should I see them in bed.

I could not phantom that they are sleeping together. How could he break my heart in this way? Maybe it's for the best nothing happened between us that night.I would have been admitted for heart attack as we speak now. I'd be fighting for my life in between hospital sheets.

I step out of the bathtub to wrap a towel around my body.i rush to answer my ringing phone. Brian I am no mood to speak to him. I am afraid to blurb about myself crying for another man.

I put it on silent and lie down on the bed. I let my tears freely flow onmy cheeks

I lost to love again.

I heard my sliding door being slit gently.

"Who are you?"I ask 

I wake up wiping my tears.

"Its me Bree,"he says.

There was Liam wearing his gown.

"Liam!"I exclaim shocked.