Groom Absent, Yet The Wedding Commenced

"ADE'S JOURNAL", 26

  It's that time again, I wrap the gele in even layers over my three strand twist braids. My jewelry is gold and loud and my lace is champagne and gold, yes it's almost like Zuhair Murad or Elie Saab picked the lace. I liked the pale stripped almost invisible silver stripes that meet the gold zigzag patterns. Best of all, I am glad I could finish making all four fabrics in the two weeks I had to do it. I love the complements and love that everyone agrees it's haute couture with my unique signature on it. I got confirmation for more work and iLike that they understand that for now, it's just four outfits I can make per month. Minus my collection of course, today was just getting better and better.
Until, an hour later... We were still waiting for the groom to arrive as the Lagos billionaires and millionaires showed up. Ajoke and I laughed at some of the costumes they had on and admired others.
Two additional hours later and we didn't smell his brake lights. Ajoke was calling Celine to inform her of the scandal brewing, I wanted to leave but Ajoke insisted we see the end of this wedding with the Imam looking lost, the bride in tears and a realization that none of the groimsmgr showed up....


     The dark clouds race towards me and angry raindrops approach and inch closer, slamming at the dry dusty earth in its way. I know where I am but I am not sure when, its like my dream about that abandoned room in Benin city. Or that living room in Kaduna or that guest room in Lagos city, all rooms from my childhood. All rooms at some point in my life scared me and then made the imaginative part of me get creative. Not all of it was good, most of it was a nightmare I fought hard to wake up from. But now after three plus decades on earth, the nightmares were like a film in a serious sci-fi movie. A movie that was definitely a borderline horror one but filled with scary sound tracks and no gore. Just fear ruling my highly imaginative gumption. So I walk on and try to find a reflective surface, if I can catch my reflection then I will know which decade I am in. The one where all my clothes were from London or the time my mum made all my clothes because she has learned this new skill. Or maybe it is the decade I had aunties send me clothes or when none did, so I made all mine cloned from fashion magazines or music videos. I see the mirror from my room in the military base I spent my teenage years. That mirror watched me practice my dance moves and admire my beautiful self. That pure love and unfiltered Innocence was priceless, I would give anything to dance that long and for stomach that flat. I hear a voice as he approached my room, the Ade from that decade didn't know his voice but this current one did. It startled me and I race to lock it, but guess what? That room had no key and that shocked me....
I was tired wand feel like I have been running, I used to feel like that with my insomnia, which I believe was long cured.
The voice that woke me up continued to speak, I must have picked it in my sleep.
Daniel asked again if I was there and then he hung up, I was leaning on my room door. And sit on the floor with my legs folded as I rest my back on the wall.
 Ajoke walks in and stared at me as if she was not sure I was awake.
'I was told not to wake you, are you even awake?'
 I nod my head and shut my head.
'Ade, you want to move back in?'
'No need'
'Why are you sleep walking?'
'Too tired'
'Thought you were cured'
'See me see trouble ooo'
 Ajoke yawned and stretched.
'My house, let's go'
'But it's only friday'
'Lets rest today and be energized for tomorrow'
 I yawned and she helps me up and almost falls as she does.
'Bala is out of town, I don't want to be alone with the twins in that massive house'
'I don't want to be alone too'
  I start to pack my toilet bags and change over clothes and Ajoke stops me.
'Celine sent a collection she did before she got bedridden because of her baby. And I have these new organic herbal bath gels...'
  New, was supposed to be good but it usually means a new kind of ingredient and only one thing could cushion my cells endurance. My antihistamine, and to make sure I was well prepared, I took some with some cranberry juice.
'So you agreed to go on a date?'
'What?', I asked Ajoke unsure of what she was talking about.
'You were on speaker and I had to hear it all'
'What did I say?', I asked massaging my forehead.
'That you missed him...'
 Ajoke annoyed me and I sit on the bed and shake my head.
'Check your phone...'
 I did and saw at least ten minutes of conversation with Daniel Ojora, I was going to say more and stopped.
  Nnoye walked in and dumped her bag on my bed, it looked like a limited edition bag and I picked it up.
'These crystals look real'
'Swavorski, Ajoke and Ade you two cut me off from the most scandalous wedding in Lagos state'
'How much did this cost?', Ajoke asked.
'The twins brother got it for me, he wants to be on my show'
'He is giving the wrong person incentives', Ajoke grumbled.
'No he isn't, I am the center of attention'
'Ajoke leaf Nnoye'
'Ade, leaf Ajoke. Tell me the wedding didn't take place'
'It did'
'The groom showed up?'
'Nope'
'So she married a chair?'
 Ajoke fell on the be laughing at the two of us and Nnoye had her time.
'Ko ye mi, help me understand'
'The groom's mother said she had spent too much, called premium Yoruba artists to perform and had all her friends'
 I was still smiling and telling the tale, when Nnoye picked up a trendy food cooling pack with the bride and groom's name monogrammed on it.
'They shared souvenirs?'
'...And made the bride go around and thank everyone for attending the wedding'
'But he didn't show up', Nnoye screamed.
'See eh, I have no comment. I just know that the situation was awkward and no one was ready to tell the bride the truth. The mother of the groom has rights to all the family fortune and reassured the bride he has agreed. Unless he no longer was a part of her family'
'And his father?'
'Late'
'Wonders shall never end', Nnoye adds and claps her hands and bends her lips.
Nnoye eventually forgives us ladies and only on one condition, she too gets to spend the night with Ajoke and i.

The big challenge now is... How I will explain my date with the man that has refused to let her see her baby. I can't even explain it to myself without Sounding selfish.

   Here we go again....






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**"ADE'S JOURNAL", Season 3, Episode 26**
*"ADE'S JOURNAL", 26, COPYRIGHT 2018*
**BUSOLA ELEGBEDE, COPYRIGHT 2018**