37/38
HE SAID NO
EPISODE 37
Cynthia’s wedding c@m£ sooner than she expected. It was another elaborate wedding, she was alre-ady in the hall, way before the event started. The wedding guests were going to join in for the wedding reception right after the church wedding.
Her eyes lit up at the sight of the elegantly decorated hall. As she walked down the hall, she sighted the seat with different names of groups and families beautifully inscribe-d on fancy cards. She couldn’t help but marvel at the dramatic metamorphosis of the rather bland hall that she saw some days before.
The atmosphere itself was serene, just perfect for the moment, with dim blue lights and glowing candles ro-mantically illuminating the whole place. This was not the kind of atmosphere that Amifel nee-ded at the moment but she had to stay, to oversee the turnout of the event and to put things in order when due.
The tables, which had on them, shimmering silver clothes alongside luxurious chairs laced the corners of the hall. The tables directly in front of them had all sorts of exquisite wine cu-ps and cutleries, not the regular types but the ones that must have cost a fortune.
The church wedding seemed to be done with as the wedding guests trooped into the hall in their numbers looking all shades of amazing, Amifel gr@bb£d a seat at the end of the long hall.
The event was going quite well and everything seemed to be un-der control until the master of ceremony (M.C for short), started ma-king jokes. Amifel whose mind was not in the event or anything he was saying stayed right where she was, at the back. Somewhere in between, she heard him say that his name was ‘Oracle’.
” All the single ladies in the house, wave those beautiful hands in the air!” he screamed.
Hands of different shades and sizes swept across the air almost in an instant.
“Bachelors in the building, can I hear you make some noise!”
Thick baritone voices roared throu-ghout the hall in a rather unruly manner, which made it seem like all the men pres£nt in the hall were single.
“Una dey lie!” the M.C laughed. “See them, some of you get wife for house come dey look for spare p@rts here.”
He seemed to have gotten the guys, they were just having fun.
“I would be doing a quic-k hookup, I hear say some of una dey do blind d@t£. Guys, look around.” He didn’t really nee-d to say it; the guys had been looking around since they c@m£ in.
“Do you like what you see? “ he asked. “So, instead of those blind d@t£s that you guys do, let me hook you up with a befitting wife here. Let me help your ministry. I will be picking a guy from the crowd and I, as the oracle of this event will be choosing a befitting young lady as his accomplice, is that fine?”
The exciting screams amidst the crowd and the intermittent laughter showed that they wanted ‘oracle’ to go ahead.
“Okay, young lady,” he beckoned one of the fair ladies on the bridal train, she was seated with other ladies on beautiful wine laced go-wns.
He called on another guy on a suit and made fun of them while asking them series of questions to entertain his guest after he was done with them and a few others…
“Sorry, I think you are the one he is talking to.” A young man who stood beside her tapped her gently. She was looking intently in the couple’s direction but her wandering mind had drifted far away.
She stood up confused.
“Who is calling me?” she asked him, the young man pointed towards the couple, right where the MC was standing.
That was when she saw the piercing gazes of people all around the big hall, they were looking intently at her. She wondered why and suddenly felt embarras-sed.
“Sister, plea-se come.” Oracle beckoned on her yet again.
Amifel, who did not still know why packed the edges of her flowing gold go-wn while clinging ti-ghtly to her gold chain purse as if her life depended on it as she walked up the hall, she wondered what was going on and why the MC was calling her.
“Is there any issue? Did people complain about my services?” she thought to herself, she could literally feel the stern gazes of people tearing her ap@rt and it was one of the most uncomfortable feelings in the world.
At that instant, she regretted that she asked Grace for a suggestion on what to wear and even heeded her advice to wear a shiny gold cinderella go-wn.
Just as she almost got to the oracle, the black high-heeled shoe made her leg do a mini fl!pflop and she almost tripped.
“Sorry, “ the MC said. “plea-se be careful.”
Her mind flew off! Seems like a bad sign.
“Take a look at her, isn’t she beautiful!” the MC said as he held out his hand to her. Amifel took his hands, still confused and embarras-sed.
“She is a complete package!” he announced as people murmured. Amifel couldn’t bear to look up, they must probably be thinking that she was shy, no! she was embarras-sed. Very.
‘She is the event planner! She planned this event!” Cynthia said from the stage.
She glanced back at Cynthia who was grinning wi-dely beside her husband.
“So she is the br@in behind this elegant event! Oh my God! plea-se ma, are you single?” Oracle asked.
Oh lord! this was more than she bargained for.
“Yes. She is single” Cynthia screamed again before Amifel could say a word.
“Madam, If I wasn’t married ehn. I would have helped myself sharp sharp and the young man that would get this fine woman is the luckiest in this hall.” Oracle boasted as he faced her.
Screams of ‘aaaaah” filled the hall. The smart MC got the gist and immediately para-phrased his statement.
“Ap@rt from the amazing groom oh!”
“Yeah, so who would this lucky man be?” he asked, still holding Amifel’s hand as his eyes combe-d the nooks and crannies of the full hall.
“Yes. Young man. plea-se come.” He pointed towards the tail end of the hall yet again.
The young man unlike Amifel, stood up almost immediately as he walked confidently towards the oracle.
Amifel who was still looking at her toes, looked up at the young man as the MC put pu-ll-ed him opposite Amifel, while oracle stood in between them.
It was the same young man who tapped her a while back.
“This young man is my padi, “ the MC began. “I know him personally, he is very nice and very single. I can as-sure you that he will take good care of you.”
Amifel looked in awe as the whole thing dawned on her. The MC was just catching fun and trying to put a smile on the face of his audience. The young fair man smiled at Amifel, she did not smile back. She wasn’t finding the whole scenery funny.
The MC placed Amifel’s hand in his.
“Oya guy, talk to her and let us hear her response.”
“Hey, let us just try to pl@yalong so we can both get off this stage.” He whispered to Amifel with smiles as the MC chuckled loudly.
“plea-se smile, “ he continued as he held her hands.
Amifel nodded and managed to fake a smile.
“Talk to me, she is smiling alre-ady. What’s up?” the MC asked.
‘We are cool.” The gentle young man calmly.
The MC must be feeling like a genius and he seemed to be satisfied because he ushered them back to their seats with their hands ti-ghtly clutched together like newly wedded couples, amidst loud cheering and ovations.
As Amifel walked back to where she was seated, she snatched out her hands somewhere before she got to her seat without looking at the young man.
She picked the paper bag she c@m£ with and went straight out of the hall. She nee-ded some air.
The soft breeze outside abnormally felt cooler than the air-conditioned atmosphere in the hall, she must have been standing there for a few minutes when someone beckoned on her.
“Hi.”
It was the p@rtner that she was betrothed to by the MC.
“plea-se, I want to be left alone.” She said coldly, looking away from him. Her facial expression changed almost instantly.
‘Okay. I just thought to ask if you won’t mind a bottle of water.” He pressed on.
“I am fine!” she answered with a note of finality.
EPISODE 38
The once-upon-a-time thick crowd dissipated as the wedding guests left the hall with smiles of satisfaction on their faces. They seemed to have enjoyed themselves to the fullest. Amifel was helping with the clearing out of the hall alongside some of her teammates. They had to clear up the hall premise and it was not a one man’s job.
Amifel felt so exhausted that when her phone rang, she gladly excused herself from the rest of the workers. The couples were still outside taking pictures with some well-wishers. Amifel propped herself in a corner outside, it was Grace.
“How far, you want to sleep there?”
“I will soon be on my way,” Amifel answered coldly.
“You don’t sound nice, what’s up?”
“plea-se don’t ask me…” She paused for a moment as she caught a glimpse of the young man from earlier, he was talking to the groom. In a flash, he looked towards her direction and their eyes met but he looked away as quic-kly as he glanced at her. She felt bad, she must have hurt the young man so bad, it was not his fault that the MC decided to catch cruise with them after all. He was as much a victim as she was and that realization made her feel guilty.
She momentarily forgot that she was on a call with Grace, who hung up when she no longer got any response from her.
She stood there, transfixed on the sp©t while fiddling with her phone awkwardly, she decided to apologize. What if he snubbe-d her as she did? Well, she sure deserved it and she would have to take it as her cu-p of tea.
As she got close enough to breathe in his masculine cologne. He was still talking with one of the guests, so she used that opportunity to do a quic-k as-sessment of him. He was putting on well sewn navy-blue s£nator that was almost ti-ghtly fitted to his slim b©dy and a pair of brown sleek loafers adorned his feet.
The person he was talking to turned around to leave and there and then, she cleared her throat.
“Hi.” She said as she popped up beside him. He heard her but he wasn’t sure if she was talking to her, maybe she wanted to talk to the groom or one of the young usher ladies beside him.
She had to repeat it.
“Hello.” She said, this time as he turned around to face her and truth be told, you can’t see anything beautiful when you are angry. A state of anger is not a great place to be for a protracted time.
The fine young man in front of her did not seem to be graced with beards but he compensated for it with his handsome baby face, his neat low cut, and his cute immature biceps. He seemed to have a petite stature, small proportions of everything but he was a good-looking man altogether and she did not notice up until that moment.
“Hi.” He answered not sure whether to smile, he did not know what to expect.
“I am sorry about earlier, I was stressed out and…”
“It’s fine, it is one of those things” He c@m£ to her rescue with a courteous smile. “Hope you are better now, miss…” he dragged, hoping she would fill in the gap, and she did.
“Amifel,” she smiled. “I am fine now.”
“Like earlier?” he sm-irked, he was talking about when she yelled at him when he tried to engage her in a conversation.
She laughed lightly. “Nah, I am fine for real, this time.”
“I believe you, Miss Amifel. I am Daniel, Isutoyan Daniel.” He repeated, stretching out his hands for a handshake, which she received warmly.
“Sorry? Isuto…”
“Just call me Daniel.”
“Oh…okay. Nice to meet you, Daniel “she answered, but curiosity was taking a greater toll on her. She had never heard that name before.
“Nice to meet you too, Amifel.” He smiled yet again. “And for an event planner, I must confess that you are good at what you do. The event set-up was highly professional.”
“Thank you.” She blu-shed lightly. “I have to go now.”
“Okay,” he said, then he added quic-kly. “Do you mind if I get your complimentary card or something? You wouldn’t mind some referrals, would you? I could also be nee-ding your services.” He reeled out convincingly, hoping she won’t turn him down.
“Oh… sure, I really don’t mind. Our work rides on the wings of healthy referrals.” She smiled. “plea-se, give me a minute, “
She walked back into the hall briskly and went straight on to get her purse, she searched throu-gh it hurriedly, she must have forgotten to pick her complimentary cards pack, because she didn’t find it in her purse, the same with her paper bag. This was not good for business.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t come with my complimentary cards, I must have forgotten them back at home.” She explained as soon as she got back outside to meet him. He was still on the same sp©t that she had left him.
Daniel was momentarily discouraged,
“But I can give you my phone number if you don’t mind. It’s the same number on the complimentary card.”
“Okay. That is fine.” He smiled.
Amifel dictated her phone numbers to him and he saved it on the sp©t.
“I’ll call you.” He said as he punched his phone screen. “For business.” He quic-kly added and they both laughed.
“Aren’t you leaving yet?”
“Yeah, I will be leaving soon. I am waiting for my friend.” He said as he motioned towards ‘MC oracle’ with his n£¢k. ‘MC oracle’ was laughing with some of the guests that were still around.
“He is your friend,” Amifel sm-irked.
“Yes.” He said, then what she meant dawned on him almost immediately. “No no, it’s not what you think, we didn’t plan that.” He said in defense as he laughed heartily, Amifel joined in simultaneously.
“That is how my friend is, he is just doing his job. I am sorry he got on your nerves.”
“No, it’s fine. “Amifel said as she glanced briefly at the MC in his corner, he was still laughing but this time, he was with another group of people. Beyond ma-king people laugh, he seemed to love laughing a lot. Only that the joke was on her earlier.
“Seems like you are still going to be here for a while. I would have loved to keep you company but I still have quite some things to attend to inside, so I can be re-ady to go home in time.”
“It is totally fine, I un-derstand. “
“Enjoy the rest of your evening.” She smiled.
“Yeah, I will. You too.” He flashed her his well-arranged set of white teeth.
Amifel walked back into the hall grinning from ear to ear, the wedding event wasn’t totally a bad one after all…
To be continued.
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