When Destiny Plays (Completed)

Chapter Fourteen

Reception takes place at Villa Marquez, an antediluvian lakeside Villa with a wide back garden and a pavilion once owned by the prominent Marquez family in Cebu and now prestigiously rented for wedding ceremonies and reception centres.

The yards covered in a sea of green Bermuda grass was striped with a walkway of flagstones leading to the back garden and the pavilion with blossoming rhododendrons upon the edges.

Outside, the pavilion was adorned with vine ornaments that twined from the swarthy pillars to the domed roof. Every vine glowed feebly green amidst the brightness of the midday sun.

Inside were arrays of round tables overlayed with blue tablecloths all laden with dining wares and napkins, each sorrounded by monoblock chairs neatly covered in white clothes ornated with large blue laces. Dangling tassles of white flowers invigorate the ceiling, turning into different pastel hues every now and then.

A dais has been placed at the very front of the airy pavilion, rearing the antique manor. Set there was a loveseat upholstered with a bright, beige fabric with a circular table at it's front.

One by one, guests start to pile in and chose their tables. Me and my cousins– Noreen, Rita, Drew and Chris– alongside Carl settled ourselves in a table not far from the dais.

Later on, everyone was all settled in their seats including Mark and Giselle.
The eating, chatting and dancing went on thereafter until it's time for the newly weds to depart.

Using a boat with a scribbled 'Just Married' sign at the back, the bride and groom sped out of the villa's sight to there honeymoon site. Other than Mark, no other knows where they're going.

The growing dusk swallowed what remains of the streak of light from the setting sun. Darkness did not overcome the light from the villa especially the glowing pavilion. The green vines now shined ever brightly, blended with the changing colors of the hanging flowers inside. Lights attached on the rhododendrons illuminate it rather nicely and carved a radiating walkway.

The adults went home ahead of us but my cousins and I decided to stay behind just a bit. Gianna, Ellise, Lisa and Carl also joined us. We sat down at the edge of the lake, making the Bermuda grass our comfort seats.

"If we aren't in this dress, we could have a skinny dipping," said Rita.

"And what? Go home freezing cold with a dose of sermon from the elders at the house? No way!" Benj countered, who– as what I've observed– kept on stealing glances at Ellise.

"Hmm... Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Noreen blurted.

"No," we all intercepted.

"Ugh! Let's have the Mendes ritual! There are newbies here with us if all of you doesn't notice," she said, referring to Gianna, Ellise, and Lisa.

"It sounds like we're recruiting them in a frat," I said but they just ignored me as Clint stood to give his usual, "monarchial speech".

"Don't worry, they'll just let you sing," I whispered to Gianna at my left but she just nodded with an ounce of doubt.

"You're spoiling them," uttered Carl at my right.

"It's not on the rules. Well technically, there are no rules to break anyway," I replied as I hug my bare arms and rubbed them up and down. It's starting to get cold and the others didn't seem to be bothered by it.

"Seriously, your pores are screaming cold. Here, wear this on," he said while undressing his silver tux and offered it to me.

"How 'bout you?"