A weak smile spread across Mr Malteng's lips. He wasn't so dumb to believe that Jema hadn't planned this but still there was something he was aiming at.
The young man before him looked responsible, to a reasonable degree. The two seemed to having some sort of liking to each other, something that went beyond their acting and he knew his daughter, if she wasn't comfortable with the man, she would have showed it, regardless.
"That's beautiful Lionel", he said somberly but this time his gaze was fixed on his hands.
Jema was still apprehensive that he might drop at any moment, her grip on his lap tightening while Lionel just stared at the man like he was deliberating something.
The man kept quiet for a long time after that, lost in his own thoughts. Lionel shifted his gaze to the Jema again, she was looking at her father and once again, she looked human. The aristocratic woman was replaced by one more vulnerable looking and he couldn't help but feel for her.
His eyes trailed to her arms on his laps, it did sting as she dug her nails into it.
He placed his hand on hers, squeezing it gently and she turned to face him, eyes swimming with emotions. He then confirmed it, she was also having a difficult time lying to her father. Not knowing what else to do, he only pressed his lips tight.
She almost felt like hugging him and crying but she held back the tears, she didn't even fully know why she was being emotional at the moment.
A cough averted their gaze back to the man on the bed. He was looking at the both of them and as he was about to utter something, Jema's phone rang. She asked to be excused and looked at the phone to see the name of the caller, was her PA, Jim.
Oh No, she had just remembered what had happened at work. She looked at her father who was now looking at her, he would collapse if he heard the news because she was pretty sure he hadn't heard it.
She stood up and walked into the bathroom installed in the ward and picked up the call.
Jim was calling to inform her that she had successfully gotten through to the stakeholders and they had booked the meeting for that evening.
Jema was thrilled by the news, the best news all day. She gave Jim few instructions before she hung the call and just as she prepared to go out of the bathroom another call came in.
This time it was Cilia that was calling her and she had a pretty good guess as to why. She had already registered her for the court marriage at the exact time she had wanted even though there was a while lot of others booked for the same day.
The call was brisk with Cilia updating her on the legal matters concerning the contract marriage. When she had hung up the call something struck her, she hadn't yet informed her dad.
A groan escaped her lips when she realised that she had not realised to inform the person who was the main motivation for the marriage in the first place.
She didn't even know how to break the news to her father, she knew that he was going to be expecting a grande wedding and would probably insist that she does a white wedding.
Telling him and getting him to agree to her decision was a task she hoped went smoothly.
After getting her composure back she opened the door and stepped out of the room to see that her dad and Lionel were in the middle, or ending of a discussion.
Her nerves acted up again when the thought that she wasn't present to hear whatever Lionel would spout. Only God knew what nonsense he might have said in her absence.
They both turned to face her when she stepped out and she could only give them an awkward smile.
"Trouble at work", her father asked her when she walked over to sit beside Lionel this time. She shook her head at his question.
Her father sighed and shook his head.
" Jema, why didn't you tell me you were getting married any sooner",he said causing Jema to lower her head into her palm as she shook her head also. Lionel just rubbed the back of his neck.
She raised her head to face her father putting on a remorseful face.
"I'm sorry dad, I was meaning to tell you soon, I have...", she paused for a few seconds before continuing," I'm sorry",she said meaning that word more than ever and more deeply than that for the lies she had been feeding him.
"Tomorrow, hmm..,you don't plan to have a white wedding do you", her father asked now getting the whole scope of his desperate daughter," This marriage wasn't born out of love was it",he continued and Jema slowly shifted her head to look at Lionel who found that time as the perfect time to be poker face.
She couldn't believe what went wrong in the few minutes she was making a call. Maintaining eye contact with him was impossible, she now really felt like crying. How did everything go so wrong for her all the blasted time.
Tears began to betray her and slithered down her cheeks. He had found out that she was lying to him all along and brought him a joke of an in-law. Feelings began to overwhelm her following the mental pressure she had been under in just two days.
Her shoulders began to tremble as her face remained buried in her palms which was supported by her elbows on her laps.
Lionel and Mr Malteng exchanged a glance, their eyes seemingly exchanging something privy only to them.
Lionel sighed and wrapped his hands around her shoulders, pulling her into his embrace. Her whole body seemed to sit at his actions.