the bride was late for her wedding.
to no fault of hers. the rental car took its sweet time in picking her up at the hotel. but everyone, including the nervous groom, thought that she had decided to leave him at the altar. it would be fitting revenge given what happened to them last year. but no. that issue has long been settled between them. she was just fashionably late. she usually is for everything else in her life. why not at her own wedding?
the bride had nothing to look forward to in her wedding. she's been saying so to her best friends weeks before it was set to take place. her parents weren't able to make it due to financial difficulties. money was tight. she and her fiance were not seeing eye to eye anymore. some anonymous person was stalking her blog telling her to think twice about trying the knot. her migraine was back full force. worse of all, one of her best friend's sister died the same day her fiance's grandmother was rushed to the hospital and was buried the same day as her wedding day. yes. absolutely nothing to look forward to.
the bride wanted nothing more but to wallow in misery and despair. the wedding was costing her too much. it has cost her a very good friend. but she saw how another friend worked hard to make sure she has a place to stay the night before the wedding. she made sure the bride's beauty kit was in order. she gave the bride tips on how to slim down, told her what cream to put in her underarm so it'll be at its whitest and smoothest on her big day, threatened the anonymous stalker at the bride's blog to extinction, and plain told her to "chillax" while they were having their nails done and their eyelashes permed. her godmother and godfather volunteered themselves to walk her down the aisle in place of her parents. her fiance was up to his neck in debt to pay for the wedding. everything has been paid for her. everything has been done for her. her other friends, those who have never stepped foot in alabang their whole lives waved at her from the pew they occupied at the church. the wedding was at eight in the morning and everyone woke up early, dressed in their best and went to her wedding. she looked around her and everybody was busy trying to make this one, momentous event in her life truly happy and beautiful. and she just didn't have the heart to break theirs by screaming to hell with the wedding.
so... she quit crying and smoking in the corner of the car. she got out of the bridal car. straightened her wedding gown and took the arm her handsome godfather offered to her. her godmother took her other arm and the three of them walked down the aisle. her groom looked so happy and relieved to take her hand at the altar. she said her vows, smiled and posed for pictures. she smiled some more at the reception, wined, dined, laughed, joked and took part in the good time everyone was having.
at the end of the day, the bride told her groom how she didn't quite expect the wedding to turn out so wonderfully. but it did. it was one of the best days in her life. it was the happiest and the saddest. the most bittersweet. she remembered what her friend told her... happiness is always a trade off. the bride thought the price she paid for the happiness she had on her wedding day was pretty steep. but choices had been made and there was no going back.
she looked at the wedding ring on her finger and sighed. try as she might, things will never be the same for her...
