Chapter Five

The hotel was already starting to have the aura of a wedding reception with the lavender and sea blue balloons being held up by a darker shade of purple ribbons in clusters at the ends of the hall. The seats and tables had silky lavender materials wrap them up and a purple ribbon knotted to a bow to keep them in position. The lights were brighter with the extra light balls and a disco ball fixed at the centre of the hall. All the waiters were in motion moving trays filled with identical sets of wine glasses and placing them on the centre of the tables as directed by Lilian.

"What is this? This table is a little to the left. I told you I want perfection!" She yelled as she addressed one of the workers. "Is the lady with the local dishes here yet?" She asked a waiter.

"No ma," he replied.

"What? It's twenty past ten." She placed her phone on her ears and yelled at the lady stressing on how the church service was nearing conclusion. She ended the call when she got the assurance from the lady that the latter was just a street away. She walked briskly into the kitchen and peeped into the pots of continental dishes ready to be served and ticked her list of 'Things to be done' when one of the decorators informed her that the suppliers of wine had arrived. "Everyone speed up the pace! We don't have all day!" She yelled.

*****

"Does anyone have a reason why these two can't be joined together in holy matrimony? Speak now or forever hold your peace," The officiating priest spoke up and the church was dead silent as people looked at each other perhaps waiting for a woman to jump out from the congregation and divulge secrets of a hidden child or broken heart caused by Damian, but there was none of that. "By the power vested on me by God, I now pronounce you two husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," the officiating priest said. Damian smiled as he drew Laura closely to himself to a kiss but she lingered about a bit, crying. Her sparkly white wedding dress curled up about her and down to the short stairs that led to the altar. Behind her stood her maid of honour who happened to have been a childhood friend of hers and the young slender lady had a purple lacy dress stoned to glitter and disperse light in various directions.

Damian and his best man who so happened to be Daniel, didn't fail to play their parts well. They both had on them identical suits and matching bow ties stuck up on their necks. The audience was comprised of a little crowd including close family and business associates from work. Regina too was in attendance as she had fitted the asoebi Duncan gave to her and had the gele roll around her head blocking onlookers behind from seeing the altar.

"Why is she being all cheesy? It's just one kiss... To her husband!" Duncan commented. He firmly held the brochure as he carefully placed the pamphlet for the occasion on his thighs. He had the black suit and navy blue bow tie spark his looks just like it did Damian and Daniel. Celine who he spoke to, sat beside him and chuckled when he made his statement. She turned to tap him on the shoulder as a way of cautioning him for talking during the service and motioning him to keep quiet in her bid of being friendly, when she saw someone at the last pew.

She recognized that dress way too well to have made any mistake but the dashing sun rays breaking its way through the church's window prevented her from getting a closer look at the face. She turned fully and squinted as she watched the person rise and leave the church. The woman came into full display wearing a faded loosely seamed cloth over her robust self. She moved gracefully towards the door and it was then that Celine saw her face.

"Mum?"

"Shhh...." Duncan said. "Now you're the one making noise in church ba?" Duncan teased.

"Umm... I'm coming," Celine said as she made for the back door where she had seen the woman exit. She doubled her pace hitting the tiles repeatedly with the pointy end of her stilettoes and her every move echoed about the church but she didn't care. She had just seen a lead and wasn't going to jeopardize that.

She reached outside and saw the family of another just concluded wedding ceremony hang around taking pictures. She ran towards the church's gate and looked through, asking the gateman if he had seen someone leave describing her features, but he replied in the negative. She asked several others engrossed in their selfies but they all didn't see who she described.

"Where are you mum?" She asked silently gazing around.

She walked back into the church disappointed and even more disappointed that the ceremony was completed. Duncan hurried to her direction asking what had happened and taking her to sit on a long church bench away from the multitude at the altar taking pictures with the officiating priest.

"I...I saw something or someone. I'm not even sure anymore," she replied squeezing her small purse.

"Mum?" Duncan asked and she turned to stare at him. "I mean that's what you said."

"Yes. I thought I saw her," she replied looking blankly into space.

"Is she...umm...you know.."

"No.. Or Maybe that's if you mean dead. I don't even know anymore. She has been missing for many years so it's safe to assume such," she replied.

"I'm sorry... Tell me about her and your father," Duncan quipped. Celine looked into his bright eyes and remembered seeing Stephen's picture at the winery. The same fierce look except Stephen's was a little bit stern. The look they shared as siblings but he never knew.

"I really don't want to spoil this wonderful day for you. Maybe some other time," she said and stood up to congratulate the wedded couple. As she walked in grace towards the altar, Duncan's eyes followed every sway her small waist gave not seductively however, but he wondered how someone's waist could be so thin. Celine reached the altar and pleaded to talk to Damian aside while Laura traced their every move. "I saw multiple missed calls from Lilian. It's time to move to the reception for the party and congratulations by the way," she added and watched Damian nod in understanding.

When Damian returned to his position and glared his teeth for all present to see especially the cameras that kept flashing short intervals of several pictures all at once, he was confronted by Laura.

"What did she say?" She started. Her face remained focused at the camera's lens while her lips moved.

"Other than congratulations?" Damian asked.

"I saw her lips move repeatedly and say many more things other than just congratulations," she replied.

"Please I beg you in God's name... Don't start. We just got married," Damian countered.

"Yeah! You are right, we just got married. It's too early for regrets," She said as she revealed her beautiful set of teeth at the next flash from a camera at their middle.

*****

"Make una clap hand for the bride and groom na ah ah! You think say to find wife easy?" The host of the show began when everyone had already taken their seats and Damian helped Laura as they climbed a short step up to the stage already decorated to receive them. The multiple arcs on the seat where they sat decorated with heart shaped balloons and a beautiful three stepped cake with a miniature representation of what they looked like on the top of it filled the stage.

Celine smiled as she took her leave and made her way for the stairs that led to her office. Laura watched her leave and excused herself as she grabbed the bulk of her white wedding dress and followed Celine's every step until she met her halfway up.

"Laura? What are you doing here? You should be at the hall celebrating your wedding," Celine said.

"Yeah! I know I just wanted to talk to you. Thank you for giving me the best wedding ever!" Laura replied.

"That's OK! It's part of the deal I had with Damian. Plus you deserve one...you're very nice," Celine said and Laura looked away from Celine and unto the stairs guilty. Celine proceeded to hugging Laura then added,"You really should get back to the event." Laura nodded and walked down the stairs while Celine ascended up.

She reached her office and shut the door behind her leaning on it for a short while sighing, before progressing to sit on her seat. She opened up her laptop, punched in some keys and had the default desktop window sound come on. She clicked the Microsoft Word Icon on the screen and pressed the tab key to shift and continue her writing.

It's been a week and still no news from Tess but I saw something today. I know I'm not crazy. I saw my mum....

Then a knock on the door cajoled her to reality.

"Who is it?" She asked minimizing the page and opening Excel almost immediately while the person behind the door invited himself in, it was Daniel.

"Am I interrupting?" He asked peeping his head through and then the rest of his body followed. "Wow your office is amazing!" He commented admiring the large room.

"Daniel... What are you doing here?" She asked putting up a smile.

"I could as well ask you the same question. You're supposed to be down there at the party enjoying the party so when I didn't see you, I knew exactly where you would be and I brought the party to you." He raised two wine bottles up with their wine glasses. "I wasn't sure which one you would prefer. Alcoholic? or non alcoholic?" He asked moving them about.

Celine chuckled and took the Alcoholic wine bottle from him popping it open. "Not usually used to this, but I do need something to temporary relieve me from stress," she said, pouring out a glass full of golden liquid and gulping it all at once, releasing a throaty cough.

"Hey are you OK?" He asked moving closer to her to pat her back but she nodded repeatedly and then he grabbed her hands instead. "Then let's dance," he said moving his body to the music he could hear from the hall and causing Celine to laugh heartily. He dragged her to himself and then released her to dance to the contemporary songs the DJ mashed up for the audience.

"I'm a terrible dancer," she said twirling her hands and moving her legs front and back.

"Not as terrible as I am, but today is a special day all thanks to you... Come on! Let's dance!" He said.

*****

Tessy woke up to dim lights and a mild orchestra coming from far away. A rat squeaked its way past her and she jumped in fear as she looked around suddenly forgetting what time felt like. She was kept in an empty room with junks from a machine on a shaky table beside her and she reached out to one of them with a sharp end by first assuming a kneeling position and then backing the table until she grabbed it and used it to detach herself from the rope she was tied up with.

The room felt abandoned and cold as she had been lying on the cold floor all the while. She saw an empty plate of served out meal and an empty sachet of water beside her already assuming dust like every other bit of her. Standing up, she looked around as she made for the exit. She held the pillar that led to the house and felt a pull on her leg. She bent to examine her bleeding skin and gritted in pain as she pulled out a rusty knife from her thighs. She looked around but the world surrounding her was abandoned, void of movements but for the singing choir she could still hear afar off on the busy streets.

She looked around her and saw something on the wall beside her. It was an engraved inscription '6086' written on the wall to the house.

"What's that? Where am I?" She asked and looked around the darkness that enveloped her.