**I feel the need to apologize for the shortness of this chapter, and the
fluffiness of the last one. But, enjoy!**
Anju woke the next morning much later than she normally did. Her mother had allowed her to sleep and she was grateful for that. She dressed quickly before hurrying out her bedroom door. She stopped at the top of the stairs when she heard voices and listened. It was her mother and Kafei.
"She's sleeping right now, I don't want to wake her," her mother said impatiently.
"But it's very important. Please?" asked Kafei.
"I'm afraid not. I'll let her know that you came by, though. I promise," her mother said. Anju knew that her mother would be ushering him out the door and she hurried down the stairs.
"I'm here!" she called. "Is someone here to see me?" She rushed into the room in time to see her mother holding the door open for Kafei.
"Good morning, Anju!" he said with a smile.
"Good morning, Kafei. Good morning, mother. I think Kafei and I will go on a walk. We'll be back shortly, I promise." Anju didn't wait for her mother to say anything. She just grabbed Kafei by the elbow and led him out the door.
"I didn't sleep at all last night," Kafei confessed once they were far from the inn. "I just kept thinking about you."
"Well, I fell asleep immediately after I got home. I was exhausted. But I did dream about you, if that makes you feel any better," she said.
Kafei laughed. "Anju, when are we going to tell them?"
Anju stiffened. She knew this was coming, but she hadn't thought that he would bring it up so soon. She knew, of course, that they would have to tell her mother, and his parents eventually, but she had hoped that they would be able to wait. "Tell who?" she asked, trying to buy herself some time.
Kafei sighed and said, "I knew you would want to wait. But, Anju, why wait? You're only putting off the inevitable. We have to tell them. And look at it this way, no one can tell us we can't get married. Even if they don't agree with it, we can still go through with it, right?"
"Yes, it's just that your parents hate me, and my mother, she likes you, it's just that she's suspicious. I mean, you are the mayor's son, and I-"
"Anju, we've been through this. That doesn't matter to me. And my parents don't hate you. They're just not crazy about that idea of us being together, that's all," Kafei said, putting an arm around her shoulder and bringing her closer to him.
"All right, all right. When do you want to tell them?" asked Anju, slightly nervous. She had an idea that she knew what he was about to say.
"Well, you know what they say," said Kafei lightheartedly.
"No, what?" she asked.
"There's no time like the present! Both of my parents are home right now, it would be the perfect opportunity. And when we get back to your house, we can tell your mom. We'll be able to start planning everything right away. It will be perfect. What do you say?" he asked her.
"I don't know-" she started. But Kafei cut her off with a kiss. She was startled, but allowed him to carry it out. When they were finished she pulled away and said, "All right. We'll do it now."
"I knew you'd see it my way," he said. Anju playfully shoved him.
"No. You just don't play fair," she said. He laughed, and they made their way to the mayor's house.
Butterflies flew madly around inside Anju's stomach. She knew that she wasn't what Kafei's parents had dreamed for their son. She knew that they would disapprove of him taking her as a wife. She also know, deep down, that they would allow it. But even that last thought didn't help her nerves calm down. They hit their peak when Kafei opened the door.
The secretary smiled at them and let them know that the mayor and his wife were in their quarters enjoying breakfast. Kafei turned to Anju. "This is perfect! They'll be in a good mood and the news won't be as much of a shock. Are you ready?" he asked her, taking her hand in his.
"I'm ready," she said. She took a deep breath and the two of them walked in the door.
"Good morning, Father. Good morning, Mother," Kafei greeted his parents. They smiled and nodded.
"I see you brought us a visitor," said the mayor, smiling at Anju. "It's lovely to see you again, Anju. You haven't come around here in a while. How is your mother?"
"She's doing fine, sir, thank you," said Anju, her voice shaking slightly.
"To what do you owe the pleasure of your company this morning?" asked Kafei's mother, eyeing the two of them suspiciously.
"Mother, Father, the two of us have some news. Last night I asked Anju to marry me, and she said yes. You are looking at your future daughter-in-law," he said, proudly, gazing at his bride-to-be.
Kafei's mother's hand shot to her chest. The mayor nearly spit out his drink. "Oh, heavens! This is news! Kafei, I had no idea that you and Anju were that close. This is rather sudden isn't it?" asked his mother.
"No, mother. I've always known that Anju was the one," said Kafei, putting a possessive arm around her shoulder. Anju felt safer there. She felt like he was sheltering her from his parents scrutinizing eyes.
"Well," said the mayor, putting a hand on his wife's to keep her quiet, "all I can say is, congratulations! I can't think of another young woman that we would rather have as a wife for our son, Anju. Kafei, you sure do know how to pick them. I'm sure the two of you will be very happy together." He stood up and came to shake his son's hand, and give Anju a hug. Kafei's mother did the same.
"We must go now, we still have to tell her mother," said Kafei. "Thank you for blessing our union." Both of his parents sent them a halfhearted smile as they exited. "See, it wasn't that bad, was it?" asked Kafei.
"We're not done yet. We still have to tell my mother. Oh, well. Let's go get it over with," Anju said.
"Great!"
Anju woke the next morning much later than she normally did. Her mother had allowed her to sleep and she was grateful for that. She dressed quickly before hurrying out her bedroom door. She stopped at the top of the stairs when she heard voices and listened. It was her mother and Kafei.
"She's sleeping right now, I don't want to wake her," her mother said impatiently.
"But it's very important. Please?" asked Kafei.
"I'm afraid not. I'll let her know that you came by, though. I promise," her mother said. Anju knew that her mother would be ushering him out the door and she hurried down the stairs.
"I'm here!" she called. "Is someone here to see me?" She rushed into the room in time to see her mother holding the door open for Kafei.
"Good morning, Anju!" he said with a smile.
"Good morning, Kafei. Good morning, mother. I think Kafei and I will go on a walk. We'll be back shortly, I promise." Anju didn't wait for her mother to say anything. She just grabbed Kafei by the elbow and led him out the door.
"I didn't sleep at all last night," Kafei confessed once they were far from the inn. "I just kept thinking about you."
"Well, I fell asleep immediately after I got home. I was exhausted. But I did dream about you, if that makes you feel any better," she said.
Kafei laughed. "Anju, when are we going to tell them?"
Anju stiffened. She knew this was coming, but she hadn't thought that he would bring it up so soon. She knew, of course, that they would have to tell her mother, and his parents eventually, but she had hoped that they would be able to wait. "Tell who?" she asked, trying to buy herself some time.
Kafei sighed and said, "I knew you would want to wait. But, Anju, why wait? You're only putting off the inevitable. We have to tell them. And look at it this way, no one can tell us we can't get married. Even if they don't agree with it, we can still go through with it, right?"
"Yes, it's just that your parents hate me, and my mother, she likes you, it's just that she's suspicious. I mean, you are the mayor's son, and I-"
"Anju, we've been through this. That doesn't matter to me. And my parents don't hate you. They're just not crazy about that idea of us being together, that's all," Kafei said, putting an arm around her shoulder and bringing her closer to him.
"All right, all right. When do you want to tell them?" asked Anju, slightly nervous. She had an idea that she knew what he was about to say.
"Well, you know what they say," said Kafei lightheartedly.
"No, what?" she asked.
"There's no time like the present! Both of my parents are home right now, it would be the perfect opportunity. And when we get back to your house, we can tell your mom. We'll be able to start planning everything right away. It will be perfect. What do you say?" he asked her.
"I don't know-" she started. But Kafei cut her off with a kiss. She was startled, but allowed him to carry it out. When they were finished she pulled away and said, "All right. We'll do it now."
"I knew you'd see it my way," he said. Anju playfully shoved him.
"No. You just don't play fair," she said. He laughed, and they made their way to the mayor's house.
Butterflies flew madly around inside Anju's stomach. She knew that she wasn't what Kafei's parents had dreamed for their son. She knew that they would disapprove of him taking her as a wife. She also know, deep down, that they would allow it. But even that last thought didn't help her nerves calm down. They hit their peak when Kafei opened the door.
The secretary smiled at them and let them know that the mayor and his wife were in their quarters enjoying breakfast. Kafei turned to Anju. "This is perfect! They'll be in a good mood and the news won't be as much of a shock. Are you ready?" he asked her, taking her hand in his.
"I'm ready," she said. She took a deep breath and the two of them walked in the door.
"Good morning, Father. Good morning, Mother," Kafei greeted his parents. They smiled and nodded.
"I see you brought us a visitor," said the mayor, smiling at Anju. "It's lovely to see you again, Anju. You haven't come around here in a while. How is your mother?"
"She's doing fine, sir, thank you," said Anju, her voice shaking slightly.
"To what do you owe the pleasure of your company this morning?" asked Kafei's mother, eyeing the two of them suspiciously.
"Mother, Father, the two of us have some news. Last night I asked Anju to marry me, and she said yes. You are looking at your future daughter-in-law," he said, proudly, gazing at his bride-to-be.
Kafei's mother's hand shot to her chest. The mayor nearly spit out his drink. "Oh, heavens! This is news! Kafei, I had no idea that you and Anju were that close. This is rather sudden isn't it?" asked his mother.
"No, mother. I've always known that Anju was the one," said Kafei, putting a possessive arm around her shoulder. Anju felt safer there. She felt like he was sheltering her from his parents scrutinizing eyes.
"Well," said the mayor, putting a hand on his wife's to keep her quiet, "all I can say is, congratulations! I can't think of another young woman that we would rather have as a wife for our son, Anju. Kafei, you sure do know how to pick them. I'm sure the two of you will be very happy together." He stood up and came to shake his son's hand, and give Anju a hug. Kafei's mother did the same.
"We must go now, we still have to tell her mother," said Kafei. "Thank you for blessing our union." Both of his parents sent them a halfhearted smile as they exited. "See, it wasn't that bad, was it?" asked Kafei.
"We're not done yet. We still have to tell my mother. Oh, well. Let's go get it over with," Anju said.
"Great!"