Chapter 1

The church looked crowded as the people sat awaiting the groom.

Indeed, nothing was a shocker than Joe finding a love of his life. It was a bigger shock for his family to be the fourth time he was going to pass through this stage.

Mrs. Vera wiped off her face constantly to way of tears that kept begging to roll out.

Her son was finally getting married having dated his soon bride for two years, this is the longest date he had so far, all others ended at a date or on the wedding day.

Emily, Joe's younger sister, sat beside Mrs. Vera, holding her hands firm as she smiled with joy.

“ It's going to be alright” she encouraged her mother as they turned their gaze to the priest.

The priest constantly looked at his wristwatch, as the groom was already out of time.

This is the longest, a groom has ever delayed in appearance since he knew.

“Could they be traffic on the way?” The priest asked out of tiredness, he was fed up and needed to eat, for he had stood almost for an hour.

He stepped down from the altar and ordered for a meal.

The congregation laughed at the priest impatient behavior.

Mrs. Vera couldn't help but wonder if he was really a priest, for even her twenty years old daughter behaved maturer than the seventy years old-looking fool.

Of a fact, Mrs. Vera was full of insults, she gave it out at the slightest opportunity given.

“BANG! Was the next sound heard as the door of the church hall was opened.

“The groom is missing” the groom's man spoke, looking sweating as he had tried searching.

He was pushed out of the way by the bride, who headed for her parent's sit. 

She had tears constantly rolling down her cheeks, which made her makeup ware off gradually as she ran towards her parents.

“ What is going on here?” Mr. Franklin Yelled allowed raising his daughter Imelda who had fallen on the floor with his wife Joan who supported him.

“What do you mean by missing?” Ringo Joe's uncle asked.

Mrs. Vera had already fainted at the sound of missing.

The church was filled with echoes and noise, leaving many guests to wonder how a man age fifty would run away from his wedding.

Mrs. Vera managed to open her eyes after much attempt, but Mr. Franklin was just on time to attack her.

“Look here” he began, “if your son is not willing to continue with the wedding, pay me back the money for the dowry he furthered.

“I knew it, you must be responsible for my son's disappearance, Joe wouldn't just run away from a long-awaited day like this” Mrs. Vera accused standing up on her feet, not minding the gossips that sprang at her back.

Mr. Franklin got furious at her words, which he termed false allegations, leading to a quarrel.

Mrs. Joan, Emily, and Imelda tried separating the conflict which eventually led to a physical combat leading Mrs. Vera to kick Franklin in the groin. 

Mr. Franklin fell to the ground screaming for help as his friends came to his aid at once an ambulance was called.

Mrs. Joan looked at Mrs. Vera furiously and dashed out after her husband.

“That man will forever remain paralyzed” the priest spoke having witness the hard kick Mrs. Vera gave to Mr. Franklin.

The hall emptied bit by bit as the guest left gradually.

“I told you he would have just became a priest, Ringo mentioned taking his leave.

Mrs. Vera was lost in tears, Emily had many tears in her eyes too and Imelda was also with them.

She was really the right one for Joe, as no one had stayed with him like she did. Who could endure an illiterate?  

“I wonder where he would be right now?" Imelda asked with great concern.

“Let's just hope he's safe” Mrs. Vera answered wiping off her tearful eyes.

***

A man could be seen sitting quietly on the sea beach, his head bent towards his knees that stood up, and his arms rapped around them.

He buried his leg in the sand and allow his black chukka to sit beside him.

This man seemed to be crying, he sniffed his nose regularly watching lovers and couples on the beach having fun, he thought of how bad his life was and regretted badly.

This is the fourth time Joe was supposed to get married, but he couldn't bare the stigma from previous weddings. His previous ex-wife era abandoned him either on the wedding day or at the wedding night.

“Was l curse not to have a love of my own” Joe stuttered with tears from his eyes as he recalled one of his previous ex's words.

“You are too immature” she said after giving him a hot slap on the cheek.

That was at age thirty-three, now he was more of an old man than a middle age for he is fifty years old.

Joe stood up on his feet after realizing how many pains he might have caused Imelda, he fastened his shoes on and set to return home, his attention suddenly attracts to a scene where a teenager shouted.

The teenager fell from a canoe into the big sea.

“There's no way he'd survive the wave” a lady commented as people drew near to the scene.

Joe quickly pull his coat and dived into the sea.

 "Will he make it?" many asked with concern as they stared strictly at the sea.They was no sign of Joe or the teenager popping out of the water.

Minutes later divers dived into the water 

Mrs. Vera sat all alone in the deserted hall, she gazed at all the abandoned foods and drinks and wept badly, she had imagined her son dancing across the decorated tables with his newly wedded bride, how foolish she was to hope that, it would ever happen.

Mrs. Vera felt a quick pull on her hands, it was the police, what do they want from her when she was mourning her lost son?

The men ordered her to keep shut as they handcuff her, leading her out of the hall.