All I Didn't Say ✧ Michael Jackson

Chapter 41 | Africa | 3

Disclaimer: In this chapter, I describe some wedding traditions which are completely fictional. Some parts may be true but some I just took inspiration from the gifs (which I also put in the chapter). So there's no intent of offense or cultural misconception - this is fiction :)

Okay, carry on with the reading. I hope you like it! And we're already at 30.7k reads and you're tired of reading thank you's, but I mean them. Love you guys, enjoy xoxo. 

// the next morning; 9am //

"I was a fiancée for 8 hours only." Aria is overjoyed to make this relationship official but she can't deny that this is kind of a rush - not that she needed time to think or even think about this at all but still, she likes everything to be planned and organized.

Janet sighs as they enter Ayo and Ladja's old house. Ladja turned the place upside down and gathered everything she could find in order to make the dress.

"Don't worry," Janet lowers her voice and gets near Aria's uncovered ear. "You'll be his sex slave forever." Aria doesn't have time to respond to the dirty comment because Ladja is already lugging her to the other side of the room.

"Wow, I like this place Laddie." Janet takes the purple scarf off her head and takes a look around. Laddie is the cute name she calls Ladja since she was a kid.

"Ah, it's dusty. I used to teach girls to make clothes here, remember?" Ladja reveals and Aria smiles widely.

"I remember that," Ari gets lost in the memories of both of them making her husband a new pair of trousers back in the 70's. Let's say that Katherine taught Aria the basics of designing and bringing a piece to life but it was here where she always felt more inspired to create.

"What do you think?" Ladja holds the dress in front of her body for the girls to see.

"Oh my God!" Janet gasps and so does Aria. "It's beautiful Ladja, it's so beautiful..." Aria grins as she runs the tip of fingers on the textures.

"Ayo told me last night that Michael was making move and I ran here." She smiles proudly and sits down, grabbing a needle.

Janet giggles at Ladja's mixed accent - not that's it's bad, far from it, it's cute. She speaks English way better than Ayo.

"You've been doing this all night?" Aria's eyes scan the dress in surprise - it's basically complete.

Ladja nods. "You know me...." she spoke through the needle stuck between her lips. "This was old curtains and other pieces of cloth I have around." Aria leans down to look closely. "But put that dress on first."

On the left side of the room, near the half broken mirror, is a long sheer white dress with a black stripe along the entire piece and a black waist belt. "That's what you'll be wearing first," Ladja speaks. "Janet, unbraid hair." She orders.

"What?!" Aria instantly leads her hands to her hair as if it will protect it. "No! Why?"

"Yes," Laddie responds. "All natural today."

*

"I'm so thrilled!" Michael confesses while putting his white socks on.

"It's wonderful day today, Mikel." Ayo locks his hands on his hips.

"Indeed. I wonder what she's doing." Michael chose to wear his regular black trousers with an orange shirt for a change - apparently he will only put on the ceremony attire, which Ayo insists not to show Michael, later.

"Oh, she fine. She going to..." Ayo keeps snapping his fingers as he tries to find the right words. "Rituals," he finally says and Michael listens carefully as Ayo sits next to him. "When marry, woman needs to say goodbye to... single life. It's amazing thing, all girls dress in white and go for a walk through the entire river and thank the earth, God."