GET ME MARRIED

Blessing or Not

My hands shook and turned sweaty as I watched the glass house. From where I stood on the verge of running away from my wedding, I could see the reporters, men, women, and people I barely knew. They were definitely not my people, neither were they people I invited, but they were there. With flashy clothes, cars, and the smell of wealth. Guards with glasses and suits lined up the entire place, and their shades made them extra serious. I feared for myself, for them, for my family and for what I was getting into. Yet, the view was magical. On my left, I could hear the sound of the ocean. I could smell the saltiness in the air and feel the cool air kiss my skin with every wind that blew. By my far left was a garden, filled with flowers of all kinds, kept tidy and beautifully that each blossom glowed from where I stood. I wanted to explore this, to touch the flowers, feel the lawn with my bare feet, to kiss the ocean and touch the sand. But maybe after the wedding.

The thought of the wedding brought me back to the present, and my nerves returned. I took a sniff of the flower I held. A red rose and smiled at the scent of it. Everything was perfect. The gown that hugged my body, the soft fabric that kissed my skin in a soft touch and revealed all my curves till it spread around my knee into a mermaid tail. The wedding venue itself and probably the people there with me.

I had never been so close to this kind of people, with so much power and wealth. Being there with them like that made me scared and beyond nervous.

“Should we leave?” My father’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I turned to him. His eyes held concern, worry, and his forehead was greased with tiredness and fatigue. For a split second, I thought about disappearing. Of doing just that and running as far away from everything as possible. It sounded pleasing to the ears, and it seemed like the only favorable option I had, aside from actually getting married to the richest and most handsome bachelor in town and changing the fate of my life and family.

“Can we?” I smiled sadly at him, knowing the only option I had. We owed a debt. I could not just walk out like it was nothing. It would ruin everything, including the life my family was able to live in just my two weeks of engagement. If I ran, how would they get through the rest of their lives? Would it be spent paying for a debt? Would Ava ever be happy or would she have to work hard as me that she would not live at all but spend her day and time working? Would they ever truly be happy with one of the strongest man in the state on their necks and worst still, would my supposed in laws take it easy with them if I just up and left without looking back? A smile fell on his lips and his eyes turned sadder. I smiled, reassuringly and turned back to the glasshouse before us.

“I will be fine. We had a deal, and I will certainly keep my end of the bargain. Moreover, they saved us by saving Ava. No matter what their intentions were, I appreciate what they did and would want to prove that.”

“Genesis…”

“I will be fine, dad.” I turned to him and smiled. It did not help ease the worry and concern in his eyes.

“Jordan seemed to be a nice guy…” I looked away.

“Yes, I’ve heard the both of you talking countless times.” He mumbled, and my cheeks heated up.

There were so many reasons why I was getting married to a man I had never seen. One of these reasons was because of my family and I wanted to protect them. Nevertheless, the very thought of Jordan in all this had me feeling butterflies in the pit of my stomach. The kind that made me wonder what marriage to him would actually be like.

“Dad…” I turned to him and he let out a sigh. His shoulders fell, and he lowered his gaze.

“I feel like I let you down, Bluey…” his words came with a burden and sadness I had not heard, ever.

“Dad…” my heart broke.

“I was supposed to take care of you. To take you through school, to be there for your plays, school projects and graduations. To warn off boys from you and tell you about the dangers that came with being a woman and the stress that came with being a princess such as yourself. I was supposed to provide and carter for you as your father, yet I did none of those.”

“Each time, I thought, there would be time for that, it slipped from me, so much that you became a queen on your own. You graduated and had your whole life and future in front of you. I wasn’t there once and now, I am out of time and I am selling you out to a wealthy…” he sniffed and rubbed his hands over his eyes. My heart broke and the back of my eyes burned. I shook my head and went closer, placing my hand on his chin until I could stare into his eyes.

“I am who I am today because of you, father. I am where I am today, because of you. The tales you told me about wanting a better life, a happily ever after, a bright future where sadness and pain could not snatch anything away from you. The dreams you had for me, for Ava, are the very reason I am here right now.”

“You are a warrior, a fighter, and I watched you fight every day, for me, for my sister, for our family, for a better life.”

“Yes, you didn’t come to every show, or graduation, but that was because you were being a father, to my sister and mom’s greatest support. However, you were with me every step of the way, in my heart, in my thoughts, in my mind. Your thoughts guarded me to this very moment. And even without your consent or approval, I would still be here, marrying a man I barely know because I love my family. Do not blame yourself for anything, dad. This is going to be a fairy tale story of a pauper who became happy forever. And we will look back to this day to realize that it was all meant to be. So please…” tears blurred my vision, but I tried holding it back. I could definitely not ruin my makeup again.

“Walk your daughter…” a single tear fell down his cheeks. He tried to hide it away from me, but I held his cheeks and used my thumb to wipe it clean. My family was my inspiration for everything I did. To every move, every dream, everything I wished for.

Just in time, the matching in song began playing and my heart did a flip. Whatever calmness I had evoked while prepping my father disappeared into the winds, leaving the erratic beat of my heart beating loudly against my ears. With shaky hands, I ran my hand through my stomach while father fixed his suit. I smiled, and he did, too. Yet, it did not reach his eyes. He gave me his hand, and I intertwined his with mine before we began walking.

“If anything goes wrong, come home immediately.” His warning brought me back to land and my smiled widened.

“If he hits you or does something you are not comfortable with, call me. Tell me everything and do not hide anything from me, you hear me?” I turned to him. He let out a sigh and turned straight ahead, where we found Jordan standing in a blue suit.

“I hate doing this,” he sighed again.

“Believe in your daughter, will you?” he turned back to me and offered a smile.

“I am so very proud of you.”

Camera lights flashed the moment the door opened and my mouth almost fell agape. I stared at the people seated at my right and left, the cameras, the lights on me, and mostly the décor. I paused, shocked to my bones. Dad allowed me to breathe for a second, before he took a step and I did too. The flashes intensified, and the clicks got louder. There were so many reporters and they were on me like wolves to meat. However, none of those things caught my attention, like the glass shaped flowers colored in white and red at the sides of the room. It was exactly as I had imagined. It was exactly as I had told Jordan. He did not just make sure I had the gown I drew a long time ago, but we had the wedding in a glass house, with flowers of all kinds hanging from place to place. Tears blurred my vision, and I turned back in the direction I was heading. My eyes met his and a smile spread across my lips as I wondered what life had installed for me.

It had happened suddenly. I was sold to him, yet it seemed too perfect, too good, like a blessing in disguise, like a prince charming to his princess, and he made all my dreams come through. How could I not be happy marrying such a man? How could I not want to marry such a man? One who saw me, who took note of my every desire, my every word, and my every tone? Was this the way the universe wanted to bless me? For all the lonely, painful nights where I feared, I might wake up to find my sister dead, and was unable to save her.

Maybe it was, maybe this was it. The end of my painful, yet wonderful, story. Something rested in my heart at that thought. Satisfaction, happiness, a sense of relief, a tender affection towards the man whose eyes never left mine, even behind the veil. Whatever it was, I loved it, and for the first time since the talk of this marriage, I was willing to embrace what this was.

We stopped in front of him and the warmth in my heart spread to my cheeks, my hands, my stomach, and my legs. Dad made me turn to him. He still had that look of concern in his eyes, and it glistened with tears. However, he hugged me and gave me a kiss on the head.

“I love you, Bluey…” he announced.

“I love you too, dad,” I responded. He turned back to Jordan, and I did too. And for the first time, I saw a look I did not recognize in his eyes. He was no longer staring at me, but my father and a frown was on his face.

“Take care of her, please.” Dad gently handed my hands over to him. The warmth of his hands sent a spark through my arms, making my cheeks burn with heat. Yet, he stared at me weirdly, with questions in his eyes. I frowned at the look on his face and gently squeezed his hands.

He stiffened, and my heart skipped.