Oh Happy Day

 This was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives, everything was ready for the ceremony. The hall was lined with flowers of different types, lending the air a fresh, sweet, and pleasant smell.

Jerome drew his tie tighter, loosened it, and repeated the same thing. He smiled at his reflection he was ready.

His best man Peter, slapped his back, “relax man, you look okay.”

He straightened his suit, he had decided to wear a Black suit, when his fiancée insisted she didn’t want him wearing a White one. White was a mourning color where she came from, but the later was his. He remembered his mother's reactions when he had picked a black suit, she had asked if perhaps anyone was blackmailing him into getting married.

“Well, is she here yet?” he asked Peter

Peter shook his head, “aren’t brides supposed to arrive late?”

Jerome smiled except if it was a kind of law, he knew how obsessed with punctuality his bride was. He picked up his phone, “I should call her.”

Peter collected it from him, “what for? She’ll be here soon. I will go get some tequila for you” he said and left.

Jerome looked at his reflection again, he was just an ordinary-looking guy, with brown eyes and black hair. He had a great smile, but not as bright as Jacky’s.

It was her smile that first attracted him to her, the way she smiled and even her eyes twinkled, was so beautiful, you couldn’t help but smile as well.

He sighed, but this past few days, she had seemed to lose that smile, he wasn’t a very observant man, but he noticed that. He had thought it was the wedding jitters, so he didn’t ask her. He questioned himself whether he was right not to.

“It isn’t as if she will cancel the wedding” he muttered to himself as he repaired his tie again.

“Here have it, should help” Peter handed a shot to him, he downed it quickly. It burned his throat and rushed to his head, his stomach growled, he hadn’t eaten that morning.

He checked his wristwatch, it was almost time. “Do you think she will come?” he asked

Peter looked at him and smiled “do you doubt it?” he asked

He scratched his head and straightened it again. Did he doubt it? he thought. Even if she wanted to come he wondered if her family might finally convince her not to. They never really liked him because he wasn’t of the same social class as them, they preferred someone else.

Peter sighed “man if you feel insecure today I don’t know if you deserve her.”

He shook his head “I do trust her” he turned to look at his reflection again “I do” he muttered.

The door to the room opened and his brother stuck his head in “she is here.”

Jerome felt his heart leap within his chest and even if he wanted he couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face. He straightened his suit and hair again, looking at them for approval. And they gave him a thumb up. “Let’s go,” he said and they all left the room.

***

“I do,” Jade said. And the priest concluded the ceremony. They were all congratulated and everyone took their seat, while others took their food and drinks.

He looked at Jade, she was a very beautiful woman, kind and graceful. He felt lucky that she was his wife. He walked towards her when he saw a young man with blonde hair, talking to her. He knew him, he was her ex-fiancée.

He went closer and overheard the end tail of their conversation. “You should tell him soon. It isn’t fair to you. I will be waiting for you tomorrow and we’ll leave.”

He cleared his throat, the man turned and stretched his hand, smiling “congratulation. I wish you both well.”

Jason stared at his hand and then him, Jacky prodded him a bit and he shook his hand, the man left. He turned to Jacky, “is there something I should know?”

She shook her head,

He narrowed his eyes at her, “why did he come here?”

She blinked at him, he sighed “don’t tell me your family invited him.”

She gasped “I did. And what is the problem with that?”

He took a step away from her to look at her more closely.

She smiled “hey, stop that.” She moved closer and spoke quickly in a whisper “you have always known that Paulo and I are close friends. So I don’t see the reason for your reaction.”

“Oh, you don’t?” he said in a furious whisper

“Hey, guys congrats. Come let’s dance” Peter said slapping him on his back and dragging him away. Once they were out of earshot he spoke “what was that for man?”

He took a shot from a passing tray and downed it. His friend sighed “that won’t help you.” He nodded, he knew.

He was married to her, he just wished he didn’t have to see that man’s face today.

Jade had told him that, she and Paulo were childhood friends and had once been engaged but they had broken up because of her parent involvement in their relationship. But they had remained good friends.

But he could see how Paulo looked at her, it was obvious that he still loved her and her parents also liked him for her. He was after all in the same social circle as them.

“They are calling for the couple dance,” Peter said.

He looked towards the stage and Jacky stood there waiting. He couldn’t help but smile, why should he let trivialities ruin this day for him.

He walked towards her and took her hand, they went up the stage and danced. She was a bit stiff and cold to him.

He twirled her around and drew her closer “why are you still upset?” he asked.

They took a step back from each other and she rolled her eyes. He went to her back and used his finger to caress her hair down to her shoulder and hand “my love?”

She turned and they waltz around, “Jason, I didn’t like what happened earlier. And also you never apologize for the things you do wrong. You just expect me to forget it.”

He sighed “but I wasn’t wrong earlier.”

She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by her father who asked to dance with her.

He reluctantly agreed and he watched them dance and talk for a while before he led her away. He wanted to follow but was stopped by more well-wishers.

Her mother approached him, “congrats again. So how do you feel doing your honeymoon here since you won’t be traveling?

He narrowed his eyes, frowning “what do you mean? We are traveling as planned.”

She gasped covering her mouth with her palm and shaking her head “no. my daughter didn’t...” and she walked away

He watches her leave and felt that something wasn’t right. He left to look for Jade, he saw her talking with Paulo. He stood and watched them, he wrinkled his nose, and they were standing too close to each other for his liking. She spotted him and smiled, he thought nervously.

He walked towards them and smiled “Is everything okay?”

They both nodded and he asked to speak to her. He asked her to clarify why her mother thought they were no longer traveling.

She looked away saying nothing, “well?” he prodded “it seems to me that Paulo might know, perhaps I should ask him. He seems to know more about you than me.” He was breathing heavily by now.

She moved a few paces away from him, “you know what I don’t understand what is happening to you today.”

“Oh, just me? You’ve been acting strangely for a few days now,” he frowned “why is that? Do you regret your decision?”

She gasped shaking her head and walked closer “I don’t Jerome” she said quietly “yes, there is something wrong but it isn’t something we can’t handle.”

She walked away and sat down on a nearby seat “it’s just that our company will soon be declared bankrupt and I found out a few days ago.” She stood up and looked him in the eye and spoke with her voice rising in anger with every word she spoke, “and if I am acting strange, it’s because my parents begged me to cancel today’s wedding. They wanted me to leave you so I will end up marrying someone with a good economic standing that will help us out!”

She breathed in deeply and let out her breath, tears glistening in her eyes “but I am here today, do you know why Jerome?” tears began falling from her eyes and she furiously wiped it away “but you, you stand here thinking the worst of me. You don’t even trust me Jerome and to think we're now married….” She wanted to walk past him, but he held her back.

“But why did I hear you say you were leaving with Paulo tomorrow?”

She sighed “he wants us to talk with some investors and wanted to do it tomorrow, but I asked for it to be shifted until after our honeymoon.” And ran past him.

He let out his breath, he hadn’t realized he was holding it. He was wrong yet again. He used his hand to hit his forehead, and ran after her “Jacky!”

He looked around and didn’t see her, Paulo approached him “Jerome can we talk”. He shook his head “I am busy now, later” and started to walk past him. “She already left,” he heard him call out.

Jerome turned “where to?”

“Let’s talk. It won’t take long.”

They walked to a table and downed a shot of alcohol. Paulo cleared his throat “Jerome, she left looking very upset. I imagine she told you…”

Jerome nodded “yes,”

“Does it bother you then?”

Jerome scoffed “of course not. I just feel…” he kept quiet he didn’t need to give him any explanation. He wasn’t marrying her for her money and now it seemed to him that he might be in a better economic situation than them.

Paulo nodded and smiled “Jerome she is a good friend and I care a lot about her. But you make her happy and I respect that.”

He looked away as if seeing something from far away, “her family can be a handful you know. When we were still together, I knew that she cared for me, but even then I felt that she didn’t want to take it further, but her family kept pushing and getting excited about it," he sighed, "so I proposed and I kept pushing for us to get married just like her parent because I felt insecure and scared that she will break up with me,”

he looked at him “and she did break up with me because I didn’t trust her. She hates being distrusted and pressured. But of course, she was able to maintain our friendship.”

He sighed, “She told me once that although you had a bad temper and sometimes unreasonable manner, what she loves about you is your confidence and trust in her.”

He stood up “I don’t want you to make the same mistake I made. I distrusted her," he looked him in the eye "And I did try to get her back,” he made a motion with his hand around the room, and said quietly “by then it was too late.”