After the wedding…

“Do you really have to go?” Charlotte sniffed her tears, she could hardly move and her husband, Darren, had to hug her sideways for support.

“My heart isn’t here. I have no plans to stay here anyway…” I felt tears sting in my eyes.

A few days after Charlotte’s wedding, Mama recovered fast. She happily told Charlotte that she was happy that at least one of her daughter has done right. She is now looking forward to spending quality time with her grandchildren. Never did she stop and chatted with me. She and the town people treated me like I was invisible. My heart was too numb to be aching so I let them be.

I knew Mama had not forgiven me for being a runaway bride. Many years ago, I was supposed to be married to a local man. He set me up, trapped me in a room with him and his friend brought a few local men to catch us. It was obvious that old baldy wanted a young wife for his lust but my family was pressured by the community, they chose not to believe me. I escaped and left him standing at the altar on the wedding day. While I sighed in relief, my family’s honour crashed further into bits. 

Papa passed away days after the incident. Charlotte, saint as she is, believed it was not my fault while the whole town cursed me. I wrote to her anonymously, she replied and we continued keeping in touch.

“Charlotte, I don’t understand why you’re still so nice to me even after bringing much shame to you and our family. Darren had a hard time convincing his family about yo