"I, Canon Isaiah Natividad, take thee, Ikea Mahati to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse..." He catched his breath for a moment, trying to suppressed his encompassing emotions. I chuckled a little. "For richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part, according to God's ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my troth." I can see his tears flowing even if I can barely see him in this silk tulle veil.
Wondering what's in his mind at this moment, I slowly looked at his precious eyes. I remember how I always try to ignore those large, deep brown in colour eyes when we were in our college years. I tend to see how it bear a resemblance to milk chocolate buttons, and it is a guilty pleasure of mine, at all times.
He held both of my hands as if he's familiarizing it. I could feel the gentleness of this intimate gesture when he fidgetted the engagement ring on my right hand. We both agreed on still wearing it during the ceremony and slip the ring on top of the wedding band after the nuptials. He then let go of my right hand and focus on the left one. He placed the wedding ring on the fourth finger. It is the traditional placement as people believed the vein in that finger led directly to your heart. By placing the wedding ring on that finger, the groom ensures that both he and the ring are in the position closest to your heart.
I, on the other hand, concentrated on my breathing. Ever since I was young, speaking is one of the hundred things I hate doing, and Canon is well-aware of that.
Habits are to blame. I have a weird habit of putting my mouth at the side of my cheeks whenever I am talking. I grow up not noticing it and that leads to a speaking problem. In college days, I never had the chance to tell my professors I have this problem as college is full of public speaking, of reporting, of defending cases and thesis.
During those days, I was nothing but a shy, quiet, and a ghost-like block mate. If there's a way to avoid talking, I would automatically grab it.
But this day, I would like to acknowledge speaking as a form of braveness. I am willing to forget things I despise for the love of this little while.
"Humans are creatures of emotions, and I, Ikea Mahati, never once believed I am a human. Figuratively, I am a ghost to my own. I, not on this lifetime, felt like I am capable of receiving and bringing out emotions. I thought life is just a single instance of cells abandoning its roles to go on to a new path..." I have doubts on that belief of mine, however I was introduced to a reality that life is just a cycle, everything that is happening around me are just phases. It'll end on its own.
"Yet, upon time and circumstances, I met a man who made the impossible possible. He entered the library almost every day just to annoy me. And just like that, he entered the door into my soul. He accepts, understand, and motivated me to an openness. He allowed me to see love beyond misunderstanding and arguments. He made sure I am growing by deeply connecting in real meanings of life." It felt rewarding to speak in front of everyone we love, in front of the man I cherish.
"Ikea Mahati will never have her complete fulfillment of emotional needs and gratification if Canon Isaiah Natividad didn't muster all his strength and determination to invade her mind and soul. And from now on, I, Ikea Mahati, take you, my love, to be my husband and vow to help create for us a life of honesty, fidelity, trust, and love. To love you not as some idea of you, but as you truly are. To grow with you, learn with you, and to live out our days hand in hand." I ended my vow. Putting his wedding ring is indeed one of the joyful experiences I'll have.
For the first time in my life, I am not a ghost nor a stranger. I am Ikea of my own Canon. I am a wife to my husband. I have the love in life.
Darling, this is more than anything I've felt before. You're everything that I want but I didn't think I'd find.
