The Wedding Ring

by Jessica Collins

  In just a few days, Ramil and his team will be part of something that they never even thought of achieving after only five university-funded expeditions to Colombia and Peru. This is their big break. This is their chance to become part of the roster of archeological teams that have scoured Egypt. Ramil’s eyes are almost blurry with tears of joy. He never thought of making this far, but he is definitely grateful. Someone is making sure that he fulfills his dreams.

  Ramil’s phone rings as he enters his apartment. He opens the fridge to get the slice of blueberry cheesecake that he was saving for tipsy moments like this one. Just then, a familiar voice speaks to him.

  “Dr. Geoffreys,” one of the evening’s aristocrats starts. “I see that you are alone. She’s a stunning woman yet you turned her down.”

  “Having a female consort was not my goal, sir,” Ramil retorts.

  “She was a test,” the old man confesses. “She is my granddaughter and she wishes to join the expedition. Would you grant her request?”

  “So you trust me enough to let your granddaughter be part of my team,” Ramil answers.

  “I suppose,” the old man replies.

  “Certainly, sir,” Ramil decides. “It would be great exposure for her.”

  “Very good!” the old man exclaims. “For that, I will add a fixed amount to the amount that you will indicate on the blank check that you have been given.”

  Ramil starts to decline, but the aristocrat isn’t used to hearing any word that meant “NO." He finally agrees to the aristocrat’s instructions and ends the call. Everything is just too unbelievable but who is he to resist? When opportunity knocks, let it in because it will most probably change your life. Ramil looks at his blueberry cheesecake and decides to make an espresso smoothie to go with it. He has a feeling that he won’t be sleeping for hours.

  6:10 AM.

  Ramil squints at the morning rays that peek through his thin white bedroom curtains that the housekeeper insisted on hanging up. His alarm just keeps on going off because it was programmed to do so—much to Ramil’s irritation. He’s supposed to meet his team at 9:00 AM. Ramil sent them all e-mails at about two in the morning just before the espresso smoothie started to ne ineffective. Half an hour later, Ramil dozed off, thankfully, in his bed, like a drugged kidnap victim.

  Ramil prepares himself for the coffee shop meeting that has always been a tradition before every expedition they had before. They all agreed to have the same rounds of coffee and bagels every time they would meet up in that coffee shop. The owner started to call them the Caffeine Society, which Ramil took note of if ever he would start up his own coffee shop in the future. Ramil showers, fixes himself, gathers his things, and drives off to the meeting place. He makes it fifteen minutes before nine and to his surprise, everyone’s already there, starting to have their traditional coffee and bagels.

  “Hey, doc! Mornin’!” A brown-haired young man calls out.

  “Hey, Gerry,” Ramil greets back. “I see everyone’s here early. First time!”

  “We couldn’t wait for the rest of the good news, doctor,” A red-haired, petite young woman retorts. “When do we leave?”

  “In a few days, Cynthia,” Ramil answers, trying to calm everyone down. “I think the coffee is getting to you. Did you have extra espresso shots?”

  “When, doc?” The brunette beside Gerry asks. “I have to schedule my Rottie at the pet hotel.”

  “Schedule him for a month, Nomia,” Ramil says as he turns on his netbook. “We’re bound for Egypt in a few days, and we have someone coming along—a ‘she’.”

  “Well, where is she?” Gerry asks as she glances at the doorway. “Is she hot, Doc?”

  “Uh, just see for yourself, Gerry,” Ramils replies. “Hey, I don’t want you too close to her. She’s the granddaughter of one of our philanthropist sponsors. If anything happens to her, this goes south, you hear me?”

  “Sure, doc,” Gerry says. “But you have to instruct her to stay away from me. I’m too irresistible to women who don’t work with me.”

  “Right,” Cynthia says with a look of disgust at Gerry. “Do you have a mother, Gerry?”

  “Cut it out, all right?” Ramil intervenes. “Down to business.”

  The group discusses the specifics of the excavation. Ramil tells the barista to keep their coffees flowing until lunchtime. After hours of information exchange, they all have lunch at the pasta shop across the street. The combined aroma of basil, oregano, thyme, tomato, and cheese drifts into their nostrils and takes over. A few more hours and the group decides to end the meeting. Ramil agrees. He needs the early shut-eye.

  As Ramil drives home, he stops by his favorite magazine stand and notices an edition of The Enigma that he used to subscribe to. On the cover is the owner of the Porteza Museum of Antiquities that he has always wanted to visit. He’s surprised to see the owner. Ramil didn’t expect her to be younger than he is but he admits that Miss Kyra Porteza is a beautiful and powerful woman. He assumes that Porteza has enough strong connections to maintain a museum like that. The Porteza Museum of Antiquities is announcing an annual auction to be held just one evening in the museum auction hall. Ramil starts to consider inquiring about tickets, but he remembers the dig. He has to prepare for it. He convinces himself that he will meet Miss Porteza after his expedition. He buys a copy of The Enigma and gets into his car.

  Ramil isn’t exactly a guy, who has heavy travel luggage because of clothes and shoes. Seventy percent of what he started to pack for Egypt was all reference materials. He stares at his suitcases and travel bags and smiles. He is content with what he will be bringing the next day to Heliopolis. He knows that there is no stopping him and his team now. They have a rich financier and the best accommodations that could ever be given to a team of archeologists. An aristocrat’s granddaughter will never be permitted to sleep in a cheap tent bed. The rich old man arranged for them to have air-conditioned tents, in a well-guarded premise. They won’t be able to stay at a hotel while they’re working on the site.

  The phone rings just as Ramil turns the oven on to roast the chicken and potatoes.

  “Hello, Doctor,” A familiar female voice greets him. “I wasn’t able to introduce myself to you that night. I’m Lyla McDowell. I apologize for the awkward situation I put you in. It was grandfather’s test.”

  “You don’t have to apologize, Miss McDowell,” Ramil says. “I completely understand your grandfather.”

  “He raised me and until now, he sees me as a little girl,” Lyla explains. “It can be difficult, especially when I want to go out with friends.”

  “Well, your grandfather is a rich and powerful man, Miss McDowell, and he wants what’s best for his only grandchild,” Ramil says, trying to keep the tone casual and not lecture-y. “What time will you be at the airport?”

  “Actually, I called because grandfather wants me pick you and your team up from a meeting point before the airport,” Lyla says. “He wants to meet you all at the same time when you get to the airport.”

  “All right,” Ramil replies. “The old coffee shop will be fine. My team and I agreed to meet up there at seven in the morning before we drive to the airport together.”

  “That will be very convenient, Doctor,” Lyla says. “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

  The call ends in a light mood. Ramil doesn’t want to be in an awkward situation with Lyla. He decides that it’s best to call her Miss McDowell until she feels comfortable enough to be called by her first name. He admires her for taking the first step to iron everything out before she gets together with him and his team. Ramil just wishes that Gerry won’t be fresh with her and treat her like all the other girls he met in the past expeditions. He decides to talk to Gerry again before they leave the next day.

  After his evening shower, Ramil turns on his TV and DVD player. He still has about five hours before he sleeps—just enough for two movies that he failed to watch last month. Ramil sets the pizza and cold milk in front of him and starts watch
ing. A few hours into the first movie, he decides to start the other DVD. He isn’t usually like this so it has to be the excitement for tomorrow’s trip. After the movies, he writes down a long letter to his housekeeper, letting her know of specific instructions for safety and emergencies. He also starts to list down every single contact number he has, including his e-mail addresses. The letter looks more of a directory by the time Ramil parks his pen. He suddenly reflects that he made a good choice not to get the German Shepherd puppy until after a month. But he definitely will when he gets back from Egypt.

  Ramil gets into his bed and tries hard to calm himself down.

  He needs to relax to rest up for tomorrow’s flight. Ramil sets his alarms to make sure that he doesn’t sleep in when the main alarm fails.

  Tomorrow will be the day when Ramil’s passion starts to be realized.

  Ramil heaves a relaxed sigh and slumbers quietly.

  Chapter Four: Aisha’s Heart

  “How did you find me?” Aisha asks as she picks lives in one of the densest olive forests in Heliopolis. “You have to leave before my father’s friend sees you.”

  “Why do you always fear that your father will know that I am interested in you?” Ebo asks as he continues to follow Aisha. “I love you and I cannot change my heart’s decision.”

  Ten years ago.

  Aisha remembers how persistent Ebo was when he professed his love for her. She opens her eyes and watches the porridge almost as if in a trance. Tears began to well up in Aisha’s eyes. She just cannot believe how a man can be so loving and then break your heart, ruin your life in a snap. Two years after Ebo professed his love to Aisha, the two got married traditionally. Everyone was there including their parents. The ceremony was simple yet filled with love and endless expectations of married life. Aisha didn’t believe that he actually said yes to one of the most coveted bachelors back then.

  Ebo Mubarak has always been a charmer. He negotiates different businesses with anyone and in just a few explanations, they agree and transact with the other party. He doesn’t stop with only one field. He is known as “The Jack” because he can negotiate and close any business deal he chooses or gets hired to be in. Aisha moves in the same circles as Ebo does but only in a subtler kind of way. She does her negotiations discretely. She chooses her businesses well so that she won’t get into trouble. Unlike Ebo, she still thinks about the people around her and herself when she sets deals. She makes sure that no one gets hurt or placed at a disadvantage because of her.

  Aisha pours the hot porridge in a deep ceramic bowl and adds chopped olives, nuts, and dates in it. She wipes away a tear that almost falls into the bowl. It’s really hard for her to admit it but she still loves Ebo even if he betrayed her. It has already been two years since Aisha and Ebo had an Urfi marriage. Aisha’s parents had an Urfi marriage as well so it really wasn’t a big deal to her that their marriage has only two documents. Back then, she made sure that she had a copy of the marriage certificate.

  It wasn’t a secretly held marriage, but it was simple. Aisha remembers everything as if it just happened.

  Aisha’s wedding day started with a bright ray of sunshine peeking through her bedroom window. With her eyes still closed, she smiled knowing that it was the day she was finally giving up her life as a single woman. It has been half a year already when she and Ebo started getting intimate. They decided to make it all good in the eyes of society, most especially in the eyes of their families. An Urfi marriage was their option because Aisha wanted to do what her parents did. Aisha’s parents have been married for forty years already, even if their marriage was technically not documented. They were Aisha’s inspiration.

  Her breathing was rapid from when he woke up until the ceremony proper. Several witnesses were there even if the law only required two. There was a small feast afterwards and when the couple arrived in their shared home, all of Aisha’s belongings were already set up by her mother and friends. The single copy of their wedding certificate was given to Ebo, but he gave it to Aisha. Aisha took good care of the document because her mother said that it was important to keep that record for future references.

  Five years into the marriage, Ebo was the perfect husband. Aisha kept working. Ebo still gave her money for the house, and for their needs even if the law didn’t require him to do so. They both decided not to have children until they were financially ready for the responsibility. Aisha thought that it was the faultless marriage, and that she ended up with the flawless man. But as with any woman who thinks the same, Aisha was wrong.

  Aisha was walking home from the market that day when from a distance, she saw Ebo enter a small alley. Wondering what her husband was doing there, when she knew he should be in the next town at that moment, Aisha walked towards the alley. Her heart pounded hard and fast as she walked closer and closer towards two voices that were having a heated conversation. One of the voices belonged to Ebo.

  “I never should’ve agreed to meet you here,” Ebo said angrily. “Why do you keep on harassing me? We agreed that it was only for one night!”

  “I love you, Ebo, and your sons need you!” the woman said. “I didn’t know not taking pills for three days would make me pregnant!”

  “You lie!” Ebo argued. “You know that I’m married!”

  “But you still shared a bed with me, Ebo,” the woman argued back. “You have brought this upon yourself! You never said NO to anything that happened that night! And don’t you tell me that I’m the only one! I know about all your other women. Your wife is stupid!”

  Aisha’s heart was crushed into pieces at that very moment. Her breathing stopped for a moment as she tried to digest everything that she heard. All this time, Ebo was unfaithful to their relationship. She couldn’t believe how naïve she was to believe that Ebo would really give up his bachelor life just for one woman.

  With a heavy heart, Aisha immediately went home and took the document of their Urfi marriage. In her hurry, she dropped her favorite hair clip. Ebo saw the hair clip a few minutes later and realized that Aisha had been there. Aisha went straight to court and presented her application for divorce. Ebo was surprised to have received divorce documents that he had to sign. He silently looked at his infuriated wife who never said a word to him. He knew that Aisha already found out about his infidelity. Ebo signed the divorce documents, handed them to Aisha and just watched Aisha leave the house with all her things. Aisha’s mother looked at Ebo in disgust and then followed her daughter out the door.

  Since that day, Aisha learned to hate and distrust Ebo. As if trying to get back at his ex-wife, Ebo steals transactions from under her nose. Presently, Ebo still makes it a point that he gets to very lucrative deals first. Aisha has already lost a number of clients because of Ebo. She can’t believe that he does this to her, even if she divorced him clearly because of his doing.

  Their wedding anniversary is in a few days, Aisha always secretly celebrates the happy moments of her married life by making a cheesecake and eating it with a goblet of red wine. However, she wants to have this year’s wedding anniversary a bit different. She wants to make sure that the excavation site will be hers and Kyra’s. Kyra will be arriving on the day of her wedding anniversary. She won’t have time to make a cheesecake and drink some wine. Instead, Aisha plans to devote the day solely for Kyra’s purpose.

  That particular afternoon, she decides to help her mother with olive picking.

  “Are you all right, my daughter?” Aisha’s mother asks as she places her basket of olives on the bench right nest to where Aisha is sitting. “You look exhausted.”

  “I’m fine, mother,” Aisha replies. “Just contemplating on my life.”

  “Aisha,” her mother starts. “I’m already an old woman. But in this old façade, lies a treasure chest of experiences that no one can ever take from me. You are still young. Every single thing that happens to you helps you fill up your treasure chest.”

  “I just can’t believe it, mother,” Aisha says as she traces
the rim of her collection basket.”He betrayed me and tricked me for years—the man who asks for my hand in marriage.”

  “There are men who can never be ideal husbands or fathers no matter how hard they try,” Aisha’s mother explains. “They even think that marriage would change them. Nevertheless, it’s like thinking that a certain medicine could cure any cancer or even AIDS.”

  Aisha falls silent. She knows that Ebo can never change. He has become the man whom any woman wants for just a time but should be easy to forget after. Yet even in this realization, almost six years of living together as husband and wife can never be taken away that easily. They shared a roof every single day during those years. But as she recalls the conversation that she heard in that alley, it was clear to her that all those times they shared meant nothing to him at all.

  Just then, Satur walks over mother and daughter.

  “Good afternoon, Aisha, Glenda,” he greets as he slightly nods at the two women sitting on the bench under the shade.

  “Good afternoon to you, too, Satur,” Glenda replies as she slowly stands up. She picks up her basket of olives and politely walks away, leaving Satur and Aisha to talk.

  “Aisha,” Satur starts as Aisha slowly stands, her half-full basket in one arm. “Aisha, please talk to me.”

  “Satur,” Aisha finally says. “I cannot be with you.”

  Aisha’s sad eyes slowly meet Satur’s hopeful gaze.

  “I can wait for as long as you want me to, Aisha,” Satur says. Aisha lowers her gaze and starts to walk away. Glenda watches the progress of the conversation from a distance. By the body language that she sees, Glenda knows that her daughter doesn’t want to include Satur in her life. Aisha is still deeply hurt by what Ebo did to her.

  Satur has been Aisha’s admirer since they were teenagers. He is the only son of the most prominent olive oil trader in all major cities in Egypt. For years, he has been trained well by his father in taking care of their businesses. Satur always keeps a secret close eye on Aisha. As much as possible, he tries to keep her safe, even if he knew that she was already married years ago. When Satur knew of the news about Aisha’s marriage to Ebo, he knew that it would only end in ruins. And he was right. Until that very day, Satur tries hard to win Aisha’s affections to prove to her that he is utterly different from Ebo. Even if Aisha repeatedly turns him down, he never gives up because he believes that Aisha will eventually need someone like him—a real man who can only have one woman in his arms.