Before six o'clock on Saturday morning Amara had already gone through the wedding list several times.
Amara sat down on the middle of the bed where she was surrounded with ribbons, alot of invitation cards and fabrics of samples. Everything had to be perfect. The flowers were white roses. The cake had three tiers. Her father's garden has been booked as the venue of the reception.
She also checked the guest list and everything looks perfect.
She was happy as she opened the last page.
“Family. Friends. Colleagues,” she whispered to her self.
Then she stopped.
At the last side of the list she noticed they was a name she never wrote.
Daniel Okoro.
Her smile disappeared.
She was surprised seeing the name.
And she said “perhaps is a mistake.”
Daniel Okoro.
For the past eight years such name has never come to her mind.
She quickly closed the book and got up from the bed sadly and she said to her self today is supposed to be the happiest day in my life.
She was marrying David.
David is the kind of man which Amara have prayed to meet in her life, David is kind, lovely and successful man. They had dated for three years, and six months earlier, he had proposed during a quiet dinner.
Amara had said yes without hesitation.
Daniel was Amara first love of which she dated, just that things didn't work out as planned, and the was the reason Amara was surprised seeing Daniel name in the list.
Eight years ago, they had been inseparable. Daniel had promised to marry her, and she had believed him. Then, one night, he disappeared without any explanation, neither a goodbye to her.
Two years later, Amara heard that Daniel had left the country.
It was tough for her to move on after crying for a week.
Or at least she thought she had.
“Amara!”
Her mother’s voice echoed from downstairs.
“The makeup artist is here!”
Amara dropped the note book into her handbag and said to her mother " I am coming".
People full their house before 11am. Her mother was directing caterers. Her sisters were arguing over jewelry. Her friends were taking pictures.
Amara tried to enjoy the excitement.
Suddenly the doorbell rang and one of the bridesmaid opened the door, a tall man was standing on the door, when Amara saw the person she froze.
Her heart seemed to stop.
“Daniel?”
He looked at her for a long moment.
“Hello, Amara.”
The noise around them disappeared.
She could barely breathe.
“What are you doing here?”
Daniel brought out a small envelope from his jacket, and he said
“I received an invitation.”
Amara said “I didn't invite you.”
And he said, "yeah, I know you didn't invite me"
Daniel handed the envelope to Amara.
Amara looked down.
Her hands trembled.
It was her wedding invitation.
But there was something strange about it.
Across the front, written in handwriting she recognized immediately, were the words:
You deserve to know the truth before you say “I do.”
Amara looked up.
“Who sent this?”
Daniel shook his head.
“I don't know.”
Before she could ask another question, David appeared behind her.
David said to her “Amara, is everything okay?”
She quickly turned around.
“Yes.”
David looked at Daniel.
For a moment, neither man spoke.
Then Daniel said quietly, “Congratulations.”
David smiled politely.
“Thank you.”
Daniel walked away.
Amara kept eyes on him as he walked through the gate.
She held the envelope tight with her fingers.
She wanted to open it immediately, but her mother called her again.
The ceremony began at four.
Amara walked around the compound trying to take away the thoughts of Daniel from her mind but it wasn't easy as she expected.
David stood waiting at the altar.
He smiled.
She smiled back.
The priest began speaking.
Everything was beautiful.
Everything was perfect.
The priest said "if you have any reason why this two people should not get married get up and speak or forever remain silent".
Silence filled the place, then someone from the back stood up and said "I do" everyone turned back to look.
Daniel stood at the back of the church.
A gasp traveled through the crowd.
David's face hardened.
Amara felt the blood drain from her face.
Daniel walked from the back to the front.
"I didn't came here to stop the wedding but I am here so that Amara can know the truth"
David stepped toward him.
“You need to leave.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Ask your fiancée about the accident eight years ago.”
Amara's eyes widened.
“What accident?”
The church was silent and Daniel said
"You were told I abandoned you"
Amara said "Yes"
Daniel brought out a photograph.
It showed a damaged car beside a deserted road.
“I was driving to meet you that night,” he said. “David was with me.”
Amara turned slowly toward her fiancé.
David's face had gone pale.
“What is he talking about?”
Daniel continued.
"We both had a serious accident and I was heavily injured when I finally regained my strength I was told you don't want to see me"
Amara stared at David.
“Is that true?”
David said nothing.
Her eyes filled with tears.
“David?”
Finally, he whispered, “I was afraid of losing you.”
The room erupted in shocked whispers.
“You lied to me for eight years?”
“I loved you.”
“You destroyed my life!”
Amara dropped the wedding bouquet.
Then she looked at the wedding list lying on the table beside her.
She suddenly understood.
The list had never been about creating the perfect wedding.
It had been about discovering who truly belonged in her life.
She picked up the notebook and crossed out David's name.
Then, after a moment's hesitation, she crossed out Daniel's too.
“I don't need either of you to have a perfect life,” she said.
And she walked away from the altar.
For the first time in years, Amara felt completely free.
The perfect wedding had never happened.
But perhaps that was the beginning of her perfect life.
