Under the moonlight

Chapter 29

Dembe's pov.

The day dawned brightly and beautifully. The birds were chirping and the sky was clear.
It was a good sign because I was not anticipating for rain at all.
I had always been in love with rain, but on this day, I did not want it to rain. It was after all my wedding day.
My wedding day! I still could not believe it.

After the show Kojo put up at the stream and I said yes to his marriage proposal, he finally came to see my parents for the payment of my bride price.
He was very shaken at first, but he had to have stamina in order to convince my father that he could take care of me.
All through that day, I could not settle down. I was anticipating for when my father would finally make a decision, and when he finally did, I was besides myself with relief.
I was finally going to get married to Kojo.
We were still very young but I was sure that he was the one I was destined to grow old with.
After the dowry negotiations, a date for the wedding was set. And now it was here.

Mama woke me up hours before the sun broke it's way through the tapered bottom of the blackened sky.
I was used to her screaming, but she was being extra on this day.

"Dembe! Wake up!  Our day is here.  You cannot be still sleeping. Wake up! "

"But I am the one getting married, Mama."

"No. We are getting married. Now, get up already."

The woman never ceased to shock me, but I had to wake up anyway.
I did not miss all the activities that were going on in our homestead.
There were women fetching water, sifting grains, slicing meat and stirring large pots of soup.
There were also young men splitting firewood and driving goats into the homestead.
The compound was teeming with activities and I felt overwhelmed. I needed someone to talk to. Where was Kia when I needed her?

"There goes the bride! Where have you been?"

Oh. It seems the stars had heard my plea because she suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
I needed to talk to her because my anxiety was killing me.

"Kia, I am nervous. I think I might faint during the main ceremony."

" This is new even for you, D. You have always been strong."

" I am serious Kia. I need help."

"Okay, listen to me. I will be there by your side, all the way. And if I am not enough just remember that you are getting to the one boy whose ears you once promised to bite his ears off. "

We both laughed at the memory of that. We had surely come a long way. We had grown into very strong women and I liked it.
We were people we had always wanted to be.

"Okay, I will keep that in mind. I will surely like to take a bite off those ears."

I was already feeling better after talking to Kia.
I was not yet ready and it was clear that Kojo would arrive with his people at any time.
I went and took a bath at the back of the house u serious close supervision of my aunts.
I preferred going to the stream, but no-one would let me, in case I changed my mind and ran off or someone abducted me.
All those reasons sounded absurd to me, but I had no choice, even though it was my day.