Morning After...

I woke up at the sound of my alarm, turned it off and lay back stretching lazily. I tried closing my eyes to go back to sleep as was my custom, but there was something different about this morning. The room smelled different, the shades were a different color and even my pillow felt different beneath my head.  I opened my eyes again, wondering if I was dreaming, that kind of dream that felt so real you could not tell the difference from reality, and then I realized I was in a strange room. I was so startled I nearly fell from the bed, and while groping for something to hold on to to prevent me from falling, I saw him still fast asleep and I relaxed. The events of the previous day slowly crept into my mind, I took a few minutes to re-play it all, thinking of how pretty I looked and proud I was as I walked around looking for my husband, how my mother danced her heart out because her daughter was finally getting married, how my friends wished they were in my shoes and prayed for their own husbands to find them, I could not stop myself from smiling. My husband stirred beside me and that brought me back to reality. I looked down at him sleeping peacefully and I smiled again, every time I look at him, I can’t seem to stop myself from smiling. I examine his face, he is a handsome man I say to myself, and even the 3 day old beards on his face did nothing but make him look more rugged and masculine.

How would I begin my first day here? Usually, I would wake up, sleep again before finally waking up mostly at the sound of someone calling me. I had younger siblings who usually did the early morning chores so I never bothered with them. My main responsibilities back at my folks were to cook and ensure everyone ate. This meant I always woke up late and no one ever noticed, even if they did, no one ever complained except maybe for my grand-mother, who complained that I always over-slept and always told me that it was not good for a woman and that I would have problems when I eventually got married.

 
I should have listen to her, now I’m married and in my husband’s house and i have no clue where and how to begin. Should I sweep first or do the loads dishes waiting in the kitchen? Is it breakfast first? Would it be inappropriate wearing shorts or should I tie the wrapper my mum packed for me? At that moment I wanted to cry, I wanted to pick up the phone and call my mum to ask for advice but remembering how she always scolded me for over sleeping made me decide against it. I mustered all the courage I had, got dressed (even tied the wrapper to avoid all kinds of bad talk) and went to the living room. Luckily for me, the entire household was still asleep except for my girlfriend and the help who were already working. I let out a sigh of relief, glad it wouldn’t be such an awkward morning and happily joined them, wishing they would all sleep till we were done with all the chores.