Wedding night was so unusual with his parents sleeping in the living on mattresses and his sister, Wynette and future husband, James, in the bedroom next door. Although Wynette and her son Matthew threw some rose petals in our room to make it romantic, we had to cancel the wild affair we wanted and cuddle quietly in each other's arms.
We skipped the honeymoon part now, partly because the holidays were coming and the in-laws returned with us at their home in Ngdowana, a small community located at some 200km from Pretoria and 50km from Nelspruit, the nearest town. Staying with the in-laws was a bit awkward and challenging in the same time - I was invited last time I went to South Africa to spend some days with them, but this time we spent holidays together - that is almost two weeks.
I didn't feel so comfortable until maybe the very last days, when I got to cook a chocolate cake for them using one of my Romanian recipes, but the dough didn't grow at all. It was useless, then his mom helped me, while I kept my idea of the icing - in fact, that was the best part and the tastiest too. Thank God they liked it. I strictly held myself to washing the dishes or serving breakfast - anything else would turn up complicated - I must admit I didn't want to mess up things in others home. I like to keep it simple: my house, my rules. But I was at the in-laws.
I didn't like to stay inside that much. Unfortunately, after some hot days swimming in the dam near the village and riding the boat, the heavy storms kept us inside, watching TV and talking. I wish I could have spoken more, but I didn't know what to say. Most of the days we spent going to Nelspruit to raid the Riverside Mall and play some cash at Emnotweni Casino. I have never been into a casino before, but I was starting to like the whole picture once we doubled our money we played - 300R and came home with 600R.
I took most of my time reading magazines - from the local editions of Cosmopolitan to Elle and Entrepreneur. I knew that once I was back in Pretoria, I must think seriously about what to do with my life. Ricky always suggested to involve in a business I would love to do - he was himself hating the idea of working for a boss, paying your bills and count the money left - always not enough - for savings.
I didn't get much time to think of it - the holidays were at the door and I promised myself to enjoy them with my husband. It was due to be the first tropical Christmas of my life. For 23 years I was living expecting snow on Christmas Eve - now I was only praying for sun and 30 degrees. Perhaps God didn't hear me, because the very 24th of December, on our way to Rick's sister, Wynette, who was now at her workplace in Ulusaba, Sir Richard Branson's private game reserve, the most horrific tropical storm unleashed under our eyes. We were traveling dirty wet roads in the in-laws Mitsubishi Colt 4x4, unable to see what was ahead of us.
Luckily, as we approached the unspoilt road to Ulusaba, I saw my first two big lion males. They were sunbathing so close to the road, unimpressed that we were starring at them with our cameras flashing. Apart for a pack of Impala, there was nothing more of big game to see that day. The rained stopped when we got to Wynette's place, but the rather colder atmosphere remained until the next day.
Christmas Eve in a fetched grass roof-house in the wilderness was something new to me. We had a braai (seriously, what else can South African do? maybe their stew, called Poijtkie Kos) and we exchanged gifts, while the rain started again pouring.
Thursday, 08 January 2009
Wednesday, 07 January 2009
The new life
Basically, everyone was happy about the wedding to come. We were invited to a couple of braais the days before the event, when I finally met some of Rick's close friends, including Darren, the Englishman who now speaks Afrikaans better than myself anyway, Carlene, the blonde girl around the many men, Johann (met Anel, his wife, later), Willem (he brought later his girlfriend, Altie),Marius and Charlene, the couple I knew from my last travel to South Africa and the "coloured" funny Dirk and his wife Tina.
We had the bachelor's party on a Monday night - next day was a public holiday so we made sure everyone has a good time - I went with Charlene and Tina to grab some cocktails at Primi Piatti, an Italian restaurant at Irene Village Mall - we almost got lost on the way. Crashing the boy's party was the next thing - we knew they were leaving Cafe Livingstone's for the Dropzone Club in Hatfield, a center area of Pretoria. That was a blast, a fun night to remember.
Hey, in some days I'll be Ms. Oosthuizen, I encouraged myself. The happy event was on 19th December, on a Friday night, starting at 6pm, with 17 friends and his family attending. I had to overcome the sadness of not having my folks next to me in such an important day. Once I put my short electric blue dress on my pampered body I couldn't help not to fell overjoyed. I kept smiling all the time and greeting the invites, while Charlene and her sister, who owns the magnificent Olive Mystery Wedding Venue at 30km from Pretoria, were preparing the fancy dinner table.
We had white roses everywhere - on the table and also inside the small chapel where we united our destinies in front of Jaco, the marriage officer chosen by us. The ceremony was simple, yet funny and pleasant - I know we enjoyed the mix of English and Afrikaans. The officer even laughed at the fact that my Afrikaans is not that good. I keep on trying, I really do.
The rest is history, shaped in the wedding photos everybody wanted to take. For the first time in my life I felt so nondescriptly beautiful with paparazzi fussing all over us. Ricky looked smart in a petrol suit with matching tie, while I was his princess in electric blue - I wanted a powerful colour that will be reminded afterwards. Of course, I previously assured his friends and family that we will have a large ceremony in late autumn - when my parents come to see me in the white dress and dad will walk me through the aisle and make sure that Ricky has good intentions.
Probably the best question anyone can ask me on this is how did I manage to not falling to emotional. I know that things wouldn't change radically after our marriage - we are still the best lovers and friends we would ever want. We were in fact happy and inpatient to commit to each other and of course there were moments during the ceremony when I felt more emotional than I expected to be. Plus that I had been standing for almost half an hour on high heels during the ceremony praying for the moment when we step forward to signing the papers and make it real. My feet couldn't wait that much...
Make it real - can't believe even now that I actually did it. Some months ago I was in Romania, enjoying my graduation and now I'm enjoying life as a happy married young woman who still has a lot to discover about her husband and this different life in South Africa. Ok, I wondered lots of times if this is the right choice for me and it is, if that makes me going forward, making my own choices and prepare for the big lessons to be learned in life.
We had the bachelor's party on a Monday night - next day was a public holiday so we made sure everyone has a good time - I went with Charlene and Tina to grab some cocktails at Primi Piatti, an Italian restaurant at Irene Village Mall - we almost got lost on the way. Crashing the boy's party was the next thing - we knew they were leaving Cafe Livingstone's for the Dropzone Club in Hatfield, a center area of Pretoria. That was a blast, a fun night to remember.
Hey, in some days I'll be Ms. Oosthuizen, I encouraged myself. The happy event was on 19th December, on a Friday night, starting at 6pm, with 17 friends and his family attending. I had to overcome the sadness of not having my folks next to me in such an important day. Once I put my short electric blue dress on my pampered body I couldn't help not to fell overjoyed. I kept smiling all the time and greeting the invites, while Charlene and her sister, who owns the magnificent Olive Mystery Wedding Venue at 30km from Pretoria, were preparing the fancy dinner table.
We had white roses everywhere - on the table and also inside the small chapel where we united our destinies in front of Jaco, the marriage officer chosen by us. The ceremony was simple, yet funny and pleasant - I know we enjoyed the mix of English and Afrikaans. The officer even laughed at the fact that my Afrikaans is not that good. I keep on trying, I really do.
The rest is history, shaped in the wedding photos everybody wanted to take. For the first time in my life I felt so nondescriptly beautiful with paparazzi fussing all over us. Ricky looked smart in a petrol suit with matching tie, while I was his princess in electric blue - I wanted a powerful colour that will be reminded afterwards. Of course, I previously assured his friends and family that we will have a large ceremony in late autumn - when my parents come to see me in the white dress and dad will walk me through the aisle and make sure that Ricky has good intentions.
Probably the best question anyone can ask me on this is how did I manage to not falling to emotional. I know that things wouldn't change radically after our marriage - we are still the best lovers and friends we would ever want. We were in fact happy and inpatient to commit to each other and of course there were moments during the ceremony when I felt more emotional than I expected to be. Plus that I had been standing for almost half an hour on high heels during the ceremony praying for the moment when we step forward to signing the papers and make it real. My feet couldn't wait that much...
Make it real - can't believe even now that I actually did it. Some months ago I was in Romania, enjoying my graduation and now I'm enjoying life as a happy married young woman who still has a lot to discover about her husband and this different life in South Africa. Ok, I wondered lots of times if this is the right choice for me and it is, if that makes me going forward, making my own choices and prepare for the big lessons to be learned in life.
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