GET ME MARRIED

Bells and warnings

Alarm bells rang, raising their sound so loud, like they had been waiting for something to go wrong. They rang, asking me to wait, to check, to understand.

“Shall we begin…” the priest cut between us and we both turned to him. But Jordan didn’t move forward. It was almost like he didn’t want to. I had watched too many movies and read too many books to actually find myself in a position that the groom might walk out on me. I couldn’t imagine being left at the altar by a man who might not even recognize me from when he almost rammed his car all over my body.

“God..” I would be the laughingstock of the whole town. No one would speak about him and how he walked away. I, the lady, would be the one bashed and dragged. My family would be a laughingstock with everyone’s version of what actually happened.

“Jordan…” someone cut between us and I turned to find mom Leona beside him. She gave me a reassuring smile and turned to him.

“Your hesitance is making people talk. What’s going on?” he didn’t give a response, but he stared at his mom, question in his eyes as well.

“come on…” she pulled his arm away from mine and dragged him away, leaving me there all by myself. The clicks and lights went crazy with just me standing there. There were people mumbling and talking from all corners. And my heart was already in my throat. Yet I stood and looked around the crowd till I found my parents and Ava beside them. They looked confused as well and worried, yet I found myself faking a smile behind my veil.

Almost immediately, Jordan returned and mom Leona found her way back to her sit.

“Shall we begin now?” the priest asked again. This time, Jordan was the one to respond.

“Please, do…” his voice sounded just like it did on the phone, just like it did the first day I met him and my heart melted.

The ceremony began soon after, without a single glitch. I didn’t know how I felt about that. A bride wanted a no glitch wedding, yet I wondered if things were going on well too perfectly or if it was simply in my head. But it might have been because I had always had it hard. Nothing ever went so smoothly, not plan a, b, c or d. There was always a glitch, something to tumble it all around. Maybe it was because I had never had things so easily that seeing the wedding ceremony go on wonderfully had me feeling doubtful and nervous at the same time. Would I really do this? Marry a stranger and believe in a happily ever after? For the sake of my family? Yes, I was doing. But did I really want to do this? Yes. And that made me even more anxious. The fact that it was no longer about them at some point or because I had to pay off a debt. But because I had found myself being interested in the man in front of me, in some kind of way was nerve wrecking.

“You may now exchange the vows..” the priest’s voice broke out and broke me out of my own thoughts and I froze. Jordan stared at me for a while and I stared right back at him as he did so.

“I have waited a long time for this, so long, I didn’t think the day would finally come.”He began with his vows.

“But it came and you are somehow standing in front of me while being the most beautiful woman the world has ever seen at the same time. You choose me, you picked me and you agreed to this and for that, I am honoured and would forever love and appreciate you, to the end of my days. With this very ring, I wed thee and bestow upon you, the treasures of my heart, my mind and hands, to do with it as you please and to love you like no other in this world.” He ended and slowly and gently slide the ring between my fingers. My heart soared and melted all at the same time at his wonderful vows. Then it became my turn.

I didn’t think it was anything and didn’t bother writing up anything. Vows were to come from the heart and I didn’t think we were there yet to write such for each other. But after listening to him, mine became lame.

“How can I compete with that?” I teased, and a brief chuckle escaped his lips. My heart melted at the sound of it.

“I never actually believed in dreams and fantasy.” I decided to improvise.

“I didn’t count myself lucky to be one of those whose dreams could ever come through. But standing here, right now in front of you, I realized that not only am I lucky, but I am honoured, to be your bride and to share the rest of my life with you.”

“So let this ring be a symbol of what we have, for each other, let it be a symbol of my promise to you, a reminder of my devotion to you, a reminder of the trust we place in this and in us. I will stand by you forever.” I ended and slide the ring into his fingers. Applause rose and cheers followed with it. My cheeks heated up, and I turned around to locate my family. They had tears in their eyes. I could tell it was all a mixture of emotions. Happiness, sadness, anxiousness, regret.

“You may now kiss the bride.” The priest announced, and my heart tightened in my chest. Jordan came closer and my heart began racing as he slowly held the hem of my veil. The glass house went quiet and reporters got ready to finally see the face of the woman marry the famous business tycoon. I wondered what his reaction would be. I was sure he had seen a photo of me as I had seen of him, but I still wondered. If he recognized me like I recognize him. I wondered if he would smile genuinely at the sight of me, if I could see the happiness in his eyes when he stared right back at the choice he made for a bride. I wondered if I was enough. He was a rich businessman, popular and well know and I was nothing. From a family whose name wasn’t even known, with no money, no popularity. I was sure he had met a lot of women in his life, yet he chose me after saving my sister from the jaws of death. He could have easily picked anyone else. There were a lot of wealthy, popular women with a nice background that he could have picked from. Women who didn’t need his money to save their sister, yet he picked me and saved my sister. I wondered if he would see me as I saw him, accept me as I did him. If I was enough compared to the more presentable women. I thought about it all. And each thought made my heart race till it actually hurt.

My veil lifted off my face and I expected everything and yet nothing. I jammed my eyes together, scared for myself. I heard cheers, applause, clicks and my racing heart. But nothing. Nothing from him. I slowly opened my eyes and met his brown beautiful ones. Filled with ice, coldness, and anger. My heart stopped and something cold curled around the pit of my stomach as I watched that cold eyes watch me. Of all I expected, that wasn’t it. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel like it was all my fault. Something had warned me about this, all the warning, all the bells, the red flags, the doubts, it all rounded up to this. That very look in his eyes, the one that left a tremor to run down my spine. The one that had me wanting to disappear at the same time go closer till he could tell me what was wrong.

“Jord…..” I tried calling out. My voice was in a whisper, but with the sudden silence around me, it sounded loud and desperate. They were watching, the reporters, the guests, his parents and worst still, my parents, they were watching and if no one could get a heart attack, I was sure that they could.

“Is something wrong?” I moved closer and tried grabbing his hand. He moved them away from my grasp and glared at me. There were so many things in his eyes, emotions I could barely decipher, but right before the worst happened, I saw the tears that glistened in his eyes.

And the worst was his back to me, walking away from me, from the altar and from the glasshouse. He just left.