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Wedding Chronicles – The Priest’s message

The eight brides stood beside their grooms as they faced the priest. They took their vows and exchanged rings. The priest proclaimed each one of them man and wife and blessed their marriages as the church erupted in applause.

They were ushered to their seats and the service progressed with the priest’s message for the day.

He preached about the blessings of marriage and then began to emphasize on remaining pure until marriage. He hammered on abstinence before marriage that it was almost as if he had a personal score to settle. The couples had been joined together, so the purpose of the message seemed a bit confusing.

The service moved to a close and the marriage registers were signed by each couple. It was time for the couple to take photographs with the priests. As the brides lined in front of the church with their grooms, I looked at each one of them. Seven of them had protruding tummies.

I shook my head as I smiled. No wonder the priest was passionate about his message.

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Wedding Chronicles – The Important Parent

The church service was scheduled to start at 10.00am. All the grooms sat expectantly waiting for the commencement of the service. Their brides hung around the church premises. Most of them sat in the cars that brought them to church awaiting when they would be ushered in. 10.00am on the dot, the wedding service started. Vows were said and rings were exchanged. The minister declared the couples; men with their wives and proclaimed them the newest couples in town.

The service lasted one hour; after which friends, family and well-wishers started trooping out of the church to attend the reception of whoever they were there to felicitate with. Most eased into their cars, while those without cars looked for who to attach themselves to.

While this was going on, a woman gaily dressed walked into the church premises. Her headgear rose high. She smiled as she took calculated steps and walked up to me. “My dear, please when is the service starting?”

I looked at her confused. “I don’t understand ma. Which service?” I asked.

“The wedding nau. My son is getting married here today.” She said cheerily.

I opened my mouth as I looked at her. “Ah, the service has ended ma. Everyone is on their way to the reception.”

Her smile suddenly turned into a frown. “Ended like how? How can they start the service without me? Are they not supposed to wait for me to get here?”

I looked at her unable to answer her questions.

When she noticed I couldn’t, she stomped away in anger looking for who could answer her questions. I immediately scurried away before she returned to vent her anger on me.

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Wedding Chronicles – The Last Bride

The church hall was filled with various colourful headgears representing various families.

The nine brides stood by their grooms; an expectant look on their faces. Each bride and groom had a chief bridesmaid and a best man standing behind them. The minister looked at them. “This is to the grooms. Please face your bride and repeat after me. I…..”

“I…..” The grooms chorused.

“Mention your names.” The minister continued. “Do take you, please mention your bride’s name – to be my lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, from this day forward, till death do us part and according to God’s law. This I solemnly vow.” The grooms repeated.

The church gave a round of applause as the minister repeated the same vows to the brides.

The tenth bride put her hands under her veil and dabbed her eyes incessantly. She was the only bride still facing the minister while the others faced their grooms. Even though the air-conditioner was blowing at full blast, her palms were wet with sweat. She moved the bouquet of flowers in her hands from the right to the left and turned to look at the door every minute. Her chief bridesmaid fanned her vigorously when she noticed the beads of sweat on her head. She heard only half of what the minister said. Her mind was in turmoil. She was barely listening when she noticed that the grooms were about unveiling their brides. Tears gathered in her eyes and she bit her lip to stop them from spilling.

 

Two of the grooms’ friends stood outside the church gate while another stood just outside the church hall. The men at the gate fidgeted as they strained their necks and scrutinized every motor bike that passed by. Where could he be? They asked each other every minute. There were no mobile phones and they had no idea where or how to look for him. If they decided to make the journey to his house, they were sure not to meet him at home. It was definite he would be on his way but what could have taken him so long to get to the church when he knew what time the church service was meant to start. Their friend who stood outside the hall monitored the church proceedings. He gasped and put his hand on his head. The minister had declared the newest couples and was about to show them to the whole church.

Just then, the groom ran into the church hall with his best man in tow. He hurriedly unveiled his wife and put the ring on her finger. The minister smiled as he asked the ten couples to face the church and declared them the newest couples in town.

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