18/01/2025
Didi paced up and down in the dressing room of the event area in her magnificent ball-like wedding gown. The room had a central white theme attached to its decor. White wallpapers. White streamers. White balloons. All white.
Didi's head was stirring and her eyes were getting hazy. She blinked her eyes uncontrollably and unsuccessfully heaved breaths, increasing her pace. The arrangements made for the wedding were not going according to plan.
“Abi I said you should hire an event planner, but you like stress,” her sister, Fumnaya, said, sitting cross-legged on the large white sofa close to the bed in the room. Her sunflower-styled bubu gown blended with the color contrast.
Didi threw her left palm in her face momentarily before rechecking her phone. She squeezed her face and her nose, eyes, and mouth contorted at once with frustration. Then, she stomped her feet hard and loosely threw her arms with the expression of someone about to cry.
“Have the people not given you feedback?” Fumnaya asked.
Didi stood, her dolled face was already nothing to write about. She looked like she would throw her phone instantly.
“Call the people nau, let them—
“Fumnaya this is not the time to be giving unsolicited advice!” Didi squealed in her tiny voice.” Nothing is going according to plan. I was only trying to help and coordinate my wedding,” she said on the verge of tears.
“Coordinator,” Fumnaya said, rolling her eyes, then pressing her lips.
Didi's friend, Lena, walked in. Her silk lavender dress was delightful and her Louboutins cackled gracefully as she stepped.
“Fumnaya, you should know better than to aggravate your sister. This is a crucial moment for her,” said Lena upon walking in.
“I think I'll take it up from here and follow up with the arrangements. You're already looking disheveled; try to relax, okay?”
Didi nodded and Lena gave her a hug to compensate for her stress.
“Where's that your husband sef?” Fumnaya asked.
Didi gave her a cross stare.
“I don't like how you address my husband, your tone reeks of condesence,” she said with indignation.
“Sorry oh, sha call him because I've never seen a wedding where the woman will carry all the workload on her head,”
Didi leaned back on the wooden frame behind her.
“I already did that, but he hasn't responded,” she said with her gaze toward the floor.
This was not how we had visualized her grand wedding. Not one bit. From the decorations to the reception to the confectionery and souvenirs, it had all been chaos. And to top it all off, the person she was supposed to do forever with was nonchalant. At this point, all things were unworthy.
Fumnaya stared at Didi, feeling remorseful for her sad countenance.
She got to her feet and walked to her, her flip-flops slapping against her heels as she did.
“Hey, you always get yourself together. No fall your hand today,” Fumnaya admonished with a friendly rub on Didi's shoulders.
Didi forced a smile.
“I feel like all this is worthless,”
Fumnaya heaved a sigh. At this point, she did not want to say the wrong things -which she felt was right anyway- or else it would be used against her.
“I think- I need to speak to Mom,” said Didi.
“Last I checked, Lena mentioned she was in her room upstairs.
Just then, Lena came in with a warming smile etched across her face.
“Didi, I've contacted the people handling your wedding arrangements. The cake is here already, the reception area will be in order in the next few minutes. Everything else is set to perfection,”
“Thank you so much sweet,” Didi said with a dreamy look on her face and held Lena's palm tightly.
“Has Diobi come here?” Lena asked
“No,” Didi and Fumnaya chorused.
“Ah, but he got here past an hour ago,” Lena replied with eyes reading concern.
Fumnaya dusted her hands while Didi and Lena looked at each other in confusion.
Didi did not hesitate to march up the stairs in her ball gown-like wedding gown, with Fumnaya holding up the ruffles of the dress behind her and Lena following suit.
They had already reached the last floor, and Didi, all pent up in her emotions, threw the door of her mother's dress room open to vent her uninterest in the wedding. But perhaps heaven had been trying to warn and deter her from making a glistening mistake and making herself a debacle in society.
Didi stopped short in her tracks when she saw her mother, drowned in her soon-to-be husband's arms, lip locking like teenagers blooming a budding romance in rush hour.
“Jesus!” Fumnaya screamed, “God, I cover my eyes with the blood of Jesus!” she screamed violently, emphasizing Jesus.
Didi stood with her chest heaving, teardrops trickling out every corner of both her eyes. Something erupted in the very core of her being and immediately cooled off right there.
Fumnaya was orally releasing thunder and brimstone but Didi couldn't hear her exact words. There was a brief silence, the one where someone hits your ear and a beep follows.
In an instant, Didi regained consciousness, still reeling from what had just happened.
“Didi, Didi are you alright?” Lena asked.
Didi's mother bent on her knees, rubbing her palms together. Not knowing what to say, she burst into a loud cry, pleading incessantly.
“Ba—babe, I can explain. It's all the mastercraft of the devil, you see—
“Thunder fire you. The first day I laid my eyes on you, I knew you were a mistake,” Fumnaya said.
Lena led Didi out of the room and onto the ground floor while Fumnaya continued her oral attack. Lena booked a ride, cradling Didi who couldn't stop tears from streaming down her face.
When the bolt rider appeared, Lena ushered Didi into the car and entered as well. As they drove out of the premises, Didi leaned on Lena's shoulder and closed her eyes shut, embracing the solace of the dark.
