It was past eleven p.m., the fourth day of July. The tranquil night seemed rather uncertain and both the groom-to-be and his best man knew why. Unsolved puzzles were hanging in the air. There were mysteries surrounding the new life that awaited Jose in three days. Although it seemed as though he had only whispered to himself, the weight of his statement lay thick before them.
Those weren't just whispers, they were uncertain emotions digging holes in his heart. The LED ceiling bulbs glowed so bright that one person could almost read the layers of the other person's soul. Matt's eye stayed long on his friend's, as he wondered if the solution to the puzzles lay in Jose's soul. In Jose's eyes, Matt could see vulnerability, emptiness, bewilderment... and if more, he saw fears lurking somewhere. Somewhere hidden he doubted if Jose wanted to release it.
“Me too.” Matt was sincere enough to admit it. He loved his friend, or was ‘twin’ the best language to use? Matt was still single and had been that way for over five years, but he knew that being single was better off than getting entangled with uncertainty, fears, or emptiness. He knew it because the moment his previous relationship ended, he knew what went with it.
Eleven thirty p.m. Soon, it would be the next day, which meant, only two days left to the start of a new journey. A lifetime journey.
Jose picked up his phone and scrolled through it randomly. He dropped it again and buried his head in his palms. All actions were out of reflex. He inhaled deeply, hoping it would calm whatever emotions were turning his mind into a battlefield. But he knew too well that these were neither mere emotions nor the mixed feelings couples had when their wedding date was close.
There was more. And he knew he needed to dig deeper. Either Ann, his bride-to-be, or someone else had the answer. But now, he needed to have a heart talk with his twin. He'd discussed everything with him, why had he left his relationship out? Perhaps, it was his agreement with Ann two years ago: no third party.
But Matt had been discerning enough; through the years, he'd asked at the times Jose felt bothered.
“Is it about Ann?”
Jose would nod negatively, with such convincing eyes. Then with a smile, he'd add, “Ann is the sweetest person I know.”
Even, Matt would give him a look he couldn't decipher. A look that told him, ‘I've known you for too long.’
Jose, still lost in thoughts, started to speak without even realizing it.
“Ann has given me too many reasons to doubt this relationship that right now, I feel I'm about to make the greatest mistake.”
Matt steadied himself, his curious eyes fixated on Jose's. Jose didn't blink an eye but his lips continued to move.
“I've always covered up for her exegesis, thinking she was only trying to get over her past.” His eyes moved and landed on Matt's. His tone changed completely, now full of perplexity. “Now I'm curious. I feel there's something more beyond her past of getting entangled with the wrong partner. I need more details. I want to know, who am I truly getting married to?”
Matt's phone buzzed, pulling his attention to it. He glanced at the screen: a text message from the event planner. As he contemplated opening it, Jose asked.
“Who's it?”
“The event planner.”
Jose gave a brief, dry smile. One month ago, he'd wanted the best wedding, if there was anything like that. He'd hired the best event planner in town, he'd purchased the most breathtaking suits. Ann's foreign wedding dress hung beautifully in her hotel room. They had everything sorted out for a perfect wedding. A perfect wedding on the seventh day of the seventh month of the year (July). Right now, perfection was far from his line of thought. He needed answers.
“There would be no need for that,” he declared, before running his hand through his thick brown hair. He hated what his emotions were doing to him. But he knew he needed to speak with the woman he loved.
With his phone in his hand, he dialled her number.
To her chief bridesmaid, Ann was fast asleep, but she knew, as she tossed for the umpteenth time, that sleep was far from her tonight. Maybe because of the gravity of what she'd done. Or what she was about to do. She picked up her phone to make a call. Maybe it was not too late to spill. But she loved Jose so much she couldn't afford to lose him.
The moment she unlocked her phone, there was an incoming call. She froze.
Twelve O'clock a.m. The news dropped like a bomb to Jose's ears, causing his heart to die inside. He'd confronted her. She'd struggled for fifteen minutes, apologizing for causing him much pain yet without uttering a word. Jose thought he was the most patient man on Earth, until this night, when he demanded to know the fate of his life and future.
Like she was waiting for the perfect time, the words came at exactly twelve a.m. ceasing the air in Jose's lungs.
“I lost my womb in the process,” she confessed finally, tension leaking through her shaky voice.
Jose shut his eyes and reopened them. He wanted badly to wake up from this nightmare. He glanced at Matt briefly, and to the Caller's ID. ‘Forever’ was still connected. Jose wanted to burst into laughter but a tear escaped his tear gland. He seemed to have lost his senses.
Matt interpreted the pain in Jose's eyes: forever had come to an end.
