Betrayal on wedding eve

By Iponima Mtabingwa

Silence fell in the church as my soon-to-be wife and I climbed the podium. It was time to take our vows, so the singing and ululations had to take a brief break. Rev Disclift Bizimungu rose from the bench where he had been sitting and joined us. He cleared his throat.

"Well, our mission here today is obvious — it is the tying of nuptial knots between Iponima Mtabingwa and Abscondita Naimana," he began. "Before we proceed, I wish to know: is there anyone opposed to the union between the two..."

He looked left, right and centre. For one or two minutes no one spoke.

He repeated the question. It was met with silence again. Then he stepped back, lifted the Bible in his right hand and faced Abscondita, who all the while had been wrapped in smiles, interspersed with girlish giggles that occasionally broke the deathly silence in the pews.

"In just five minutes, it will all be sewn up — we shall be man and wife . . . forever," I told myself.

The thought of fencing off in Abscondita from all other suitors thrilled me.

Hovering fear

It was a memorable occasion. The more I thought about the past and how we had almost fallen out, the more I tightened my grip on her wrist.

I clutched her hand tightly, making a show of it in front my would-have-beens. But there was this hovering fear . . . that one of them might just spoil my party.

A squeaky voice suddenly shouted from behind us, "I will not allow this marriage to go on. Ipo, you promised me yesterday..." it was Illuminata, my ex.... and one of Abscondita’s bridesmaids.

Rev Bizimungu was dumbfounded. The hand that was holding the Bible loosened. He placed the Holy Book on the stand.

My bride turned, and on seeing Illuminata, I felt her grip loosen. Face clasped in her palms, she went down on her knees as she lisped and mumbled.

Myself overcome by shock, the only thing that filtered through to my ears was, "You betrayed me. You traitor... he is mine," I heard her say as she dropped on her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

"What is it young lady?" Rev Bizimungu thundered.

Cursed myself

"Mtabingwa was my fiancÈ. Abscondita snatched him from me," Illuminata shouted in front of the shocked congregation. I cursed myself for inviting this shame to an important day to me.

On the eve of the wedding, Illuminata and I had shared stolen moments at the Star Rock Inn Hotel. A blast from the past, we called it. For four years we had dated before parting. For hours that night, we regretted why we had parted.

The sweet moments brought the past racing back. Illimunata had introduced Abscondita to me when the fire in our relationship was down to dying embers. Despite occasional flickers when we went out, little happened to reignite the passion. So, when Abscondita came into my world, she peeled me away from Illuminata.

The events of the previous night rushed through my mind. I had been advised by my friends to do a ‘Last Supper’. Rock Inn Hotel was the ideal venue. It was there that Illuminata came calling. We ‘revised’ every chapter of our unfinished book. She went as far as trying to dissuade me from marrying Abscondita so we would make up for the past.

So at the pulpit, my filthy past was catching up with me. Illuminata’s friends came and pulled her away. When I looked at my wife-to-be, she was all smiles, waiting for me to say the magic words, "I do!" I had drifted to dangerous dreamland! I had actually imagined and transported myself to a dangerous world on the most important day in my life!

"I do!" I shouted to the delight of the people who burst into laughter and ululations.

As we did the final rite of exchanging rings, I was looking forward to the honeymoon to put things right. Guilt over my betrayal on the eve of our wedding was eating me!