WISHED WORDS

              INTRODUCTION

 She spins around and gives us a big smile. There’s true happiness in her eyes, she believes she has found her true love and tomorrow makes it official. I should be happy for her but I can’t pull myself to do so.  Since it all feels so wrong. Seated on the bed I watch my friend lifts the edges of her gown as the glistening crystals at the bottom are brought to life under the moonlight sipping through the skylight.

‘’I think am not going to change out of this tomorrow night’’ she said enthusiastically

Penny, her best friend snorts at the far end of the room, ‘’ you won’t be able to dance in that,’’

Lydia lowers her gown and heads for the mirror and stares back at her reflection.

‘’Tomorrow will be the best life changing experience!’’ she announces excitedly

But I had a bad feeling about the next day.

Her wide smile suddenly grew nervous for a brief moment but she quickly recovered. I knew she felt it too but she was stubborn convince herself otherwise. I actually made it worse by handing her a copy of my first published book, ‘untwisted’. She’s determined to be the character she had read about it.

Two hours later we are seated at the living room, penny is talking about how she never saw the wedding between Lydia and her fiancé coming, neither did I considering he was my ex-boyfriend. Dating each other’s exes has never been something girls always come in terms with but she was my friend and her happiness comes first. Crazy jealous ex wasn’t the reason I was against this wedding but her past, her promises. Something she mistakenly chose.

‘’this wedding can’t push through Lydia,’’ I spoke an hour later after penny had retired to bed.

‘’what?” she exclaimed rather to loud that for a moment I though penny would be woken, ‘’ no, this wedding is happening, you support this too’’

‘’I don’t,’’ I pulled back shocked at her response, ‘’ I may act around people like I do, but you and I know I don’t.’’

‘’Yes, you do, what about Mel and Travis rewriting their destinies’’

‘’That was a book, its fiction,’’

 She threw her hands in the air, ‘’then why did you write about it, they made something impossible happen, I believe I can too.’’

‘’ That was a freaking book, it’s not reality.’’

‘’Then why do you write it if you don’t believe in it?’’

Tilting my head, I face her in disbelief, ‘’I write, what I wish could be, writing science fiction has freedom of imagination, Lydia, I can write things that can’t be possible.’’

‘’Anne, have some faith in, ‘isn’t believe a powerful tool that can make impossibilities possible’?’’

‘’Stop quoting Travis’s words, you can’t escape what will happen. It won’t end well if you do this.’’

‘’Now you have me thinking that you are jealous,’’ she muttered

‘’Lydia am not, what that woman said…’’

‘’…what?’’ her tone raised, ‘’now you believe some old woman weird thoughts?’’

‘’Its no what you think, I get it, being raised in Europe you don’t get to see or hear of these things but in African culture an old lady words always come to pass and its never pretty… ‘’

‘’Anne, tomorrow is my wedding and I don’t need you feeding me all kind of scary African stereotypical believes. I don’t think I want to talk about this,’’ rising from the sofa she heads for the corridor leading to the bedrooms.

She stops half way and turns,’’ you know this is the reason why I prefer penny, she’s always optimistic and supportive about everything I do.’’

‘’That’s why you chose her as your best friend, she always supports you even when you wrong. I hope you weigh your choices wisely after this Lydia,’’

She turns and walks away

‘’Goodnight!’’ I call after her but she doesn’t reply as she closes her bedroom door behind her.

*******************************

My eyes snap open to meet a dark space, by the silence around me I could guess it was about 2 or 3 in the morning. At this time the mosquitoes are less whiny  the guard dogs are more active and illusions we more active. I once heard that this was the hour of the spirits roaming the land of the living and dogs always barked since they were more sensitivity to spiritual entities and turns out they always saw them. I try not to think of it but it was pops up. My throat is dry and my tongue is bitter, I need water. Placing my head on both sides of my bed I try to wake up but am weak, I push the second time this time I get a bit lit headed as small white dots cloud vision over a dark space, my ears ring and I know I am going to pass out. I have felt his before and I have written about it in my recent published book. When my main character Melissa was under the influence of the outer world shapeshifter, she was being pulled to the illusional gateway to the galaxies.

‘’Marriage is for people who are plan for an early death,’’ Lydia voice rings in my head and suddenly am back to two years ago at retail perfume shop where we first meet and worked together. we both worked here as a cashier.

Failed celebrity and family marriage were our topic. She’s laughs as she keeps pointing out the petty reasons that lead to splitting up. Then she goes silent and looks at the couple that had stepped in holding hands and acting all adorable.

Smiling dreamily, she whispers,’’ I wish I had one like that, but you never know what happens behind closed doors, marriage to me is death, you die a couple of times before you die.’’

‘’Then don’t marry,’’ a voice says in front of us, turning we are meet by an old lady maybe in her late sixties, she pushes two books of a perfume, a brand that had grown monotonous at the cashier’s desk

‘’Huh?’’ Lydia frowns at the old lady

‘’Just don’t get married young lady, if you think that’s the best for you?’’

Lydia laughs, as I bill the woman’s purchases, ‘’ finally someone agrees with me, throwing yourself at the grips of death is never a good idea’’

‘’No young lady, don’t mistake me for agreeing with you,’’ her eyes are still fixed on Lydia as I hand her over her goods and the receipt, ‘’am actually married, what I mean is at times words are wishes in disguises so be careful of your choice of words.’’

She walks away from the shop as Lydia’s mutters something under her breath about old ladies being weird. And it’s all black again as I slowly dip in to my bed.

This wedding isn’t supposed to happen.

Am going to stop it.

***********

I apply the last layer of mascara on Lydia’s eye lashes she looks beautiful, her nose looks smaller and cuter, her lips look like those I see in vogue magazine. Her makeup has a natural look going on, just a pop on her finest features, her hair is sleeked back into a high ponytail, a veil wrapped around it as it tumbles down her back. She’s ready to get married and am ready to prevent her from reaching the wedding.

Smiling she whispers,’’ I fell like Melisa am finally going to be with my Travis, how do I look?’’ by her eyes tell me she doesn’t remember about what I told her last night, she’s cool about it.

Smiling back, I take the veil and cover the face gently,’’ beautiful as ever,’’

Minutes later we walk towards the Mercedes parked in our parking lot, I know

This my moment to save her.

Lydia cusses under her breath as I got in a seat beside her, ‘’ I have forgot my phone.’’

‘’I ‘ll get it,’’ penny says

‘’no, I’ll get it instead,’’

‘’how about we go look for it,’’ penny suggests, not having room for arguing we go together.

Her room is clean when we step in, everything is neatly arranged as we had left it, I scan the open surfaces for her phone but it’s not in view, penny is pulling her bed covers, she’s on her knees searching.

She’s up second later,’’ I think I’ll go ask her where she left it, you can check the living room meanwhile’’

I head for the living room sofas, searching through the cushions and under. I came out with nothing Penny doesn’t turn up after 5 minutes and I decide to go for her.

I pull the living room door but it doesn’t budge I try again it doesn’t budge. Gathering my dress up to my knee I head for the window to alert them about the closed door. Just in time I catch a glimpse of penny stepping into the car and closing the door after her.

What the heck?

Seconds later the car engine roars and drives, am left at the window screaming out for them.

Did they just do this on purpose?

Minutes later my phone rings in my purse, I hurriedly pull it out, as my Lydia’s blinks on the screen.

She’s coming back for me

She remembered

Am going to save her.

I answer, ‘’ Hello, Lydia I got locked up in the house can you come and pick me up,’’

‘’Ooh, Anne am so sorry, but I can’t do that. I knew you were going to stop me, your driver told me about it, so I had to stop you instead,’’

‘’Lydia this isn’t going to end well, please just don’t do this.’’ I pleaded

‘’You don’t know that,’’ the line went dead.

I had tried pulling the door, picking the lock, calling for help but none seemed to help.

Half an our later my phone rings from the other end of the room where I had tossed it. Lydia’s name pos up when I reach for it, I end the call. Another five calls come in. a sixth call comes in, this time Its penny. Maybe I shouldn’t be angry.

I hesitate for a moment then answer.

Penny’s voice comes life from the other end, its shaky and breathless, ‘’you knew, didn’t you?’’

What had happened?