DO YOU TAKE.......I DO!
Events had been unfolding so fast
since morning. From the bridegroom’s early morning visit to my home to pick the
bride as culture demands to the long journey from the hills of Kigezi to the flatlands
of Ankole region.
‘What God has joined together, let no man
put asunder’ Rev. Bobs announced to the ecstatic congregation.
It was a moment of mixed feelings; I
was glad that this moment had finally come but also with an unexplainable fear
of the journey that I was embarking on. My face beamed with joy, yes, I would
now die a full woman!
Family and friends sang and danced in
jubilation and thanksgiving to God for helping us attain this great milestone.
We took off time to take pictures of each moment as it unfolded. The food was
great, the entertainment thrilling…..oh what memories to cherish.
As surely as dusk follows dawn, the wedding
cerebration finally came to an end. One by one our guests left and it was time
to retire to our aboard after such an eventful day. We left for the guesthouse
we had been booked into. We went in the company of our best man, Andrew.
‘We will pray and then I will excuse
myself, after all, both of you must be very tired. You need to rest.’ Andrew
announced as soon as we got into the room.
‘Sure, sure, we are dead tired!’ hubby
muttered more or less to himself.
Truth be told, I did not believe any of
these men’s statements. I was not that naïve to be fooled. I knew Andrew was
merely finding a quick excuse to exit the room as fast as he could, and hubby
was agreeing with him because to him this was valuable time not to be wasted. I
said a silent prayer for myself. I knew he had looked forward to this moment
with great anticipation, how could he feign tiredness now that the time had
come?
Well, we said the prayer and bid Andrew
farewell. Hubby saw Andrew to the door, I overheard both laugh heartily, more
of a conqueror’s laughter! It then dawned on me that I had vowed ‘I do’. The
days of playing hard to get were no more, I had willingly entered the ‘cage’.
Hubby returned with a face beaming with the
victor’s radiance. He helped me undo my gown, we refreshed, and the rest is
history. It is a night worth to remember.
The next morning, we hit the road to our honeymoon
destination. It was a time to relax, plan and live out all our dating dreams.
Like the African proverb goes, even the best dancers finally leave the stage.
When the entire wedding and honeymoon hullabaloo was done, we had to go and
work on the marriage.
We moved into our new home, beginning life
on a new page. I had to live and act like a wife, what a roller coaster time it
was for me. What was it that I had been hearing?
‘Get married and live happily ever after!’
society seemed to assert.
That only appeared real in fairy tales. The
tales I had had of great sex all the time, bliss and more bliss were far from
the reality.
The blissful moments came, but even times
of crying were there. Times when I felt on sky nine surely came but even those
when romance made no meaning to me were there. I had to quickly re-orient my
mind to know that marriage is a journey. Like every journey, the traveler is
venturing into the unknown. The old golden adage that a journey of a million
miles begins with one step was a great lesson to us.
When societal pressures set in of for
instance why the babies were delaying coming, we were not thrown in a panic.
Hubby re-assured the concerned that he had not married a baby-manufacturing
machine! The babies finally came, and the concern shifted from delay to why
were they coming in so fast?
Oh, the things we go through in marriage!
November 20, 2014, marks four years in
marriage. Looking back, it is indeed a journey worth celebrating. The fun, the
bickering, the sleepless nights in childcare, the planning, and the so many
countless amazing things we have done together. On the contrary, it is not the
sex episodes, the physical beauty or even the absence of problems that has made
the marriage journey worthwhile. Knowing that I have been loved by the best has
kept me going over the years.
From that first night encounter that marked
the beginning of our marriage, to the gifts of children that God has bestowed
on us, I am very thankful.
Looking back, I can only say I am
glad ‘I DID’
Happy anniversary to the Tumuramyes!
©Prim K. Tumuramye
20th November 2014
Prim is a Christian,
wife, mother and Communications Specialist at Compassion International. She is passionate
about reading, writing, youth mentorship and intentional parenting.
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