WHAT YOU HAVE CAN SAVE THE DAY NO MATTER HOW SMALL!

So that Friday Morning on the 5th of September 2014, the Whether-man didn't say it was going to rain oo! Invitations had gone far and near that a bride was to be taken on that day. The destination was Okumagba in Warri, Delta State of Nigeria. Of course if you know the Waffis very well you will know that blocking major roads and streets for an occasion was a normal thing. In fact it shows that something big is going down. The Bride's Mother had gathered some conglomerates of Caterers and Associate Caterers like a day before and by Thursday night the fine aroma of fried fish and meat was on air! Oh I can’t forget to thank those Women in Warri oo! They really saved the day! Imagine hiring a professional caterer for Traditional Marriage and Church Wedding! Not that it is not good to hire them ooo! Trust me, if the money dey they are the best to go for because they make an event easier. But Nna mehn! N250,000  never reach anywhere to cook for Church Wedding reception oo! But wuth my Mother-In-Law and her Partners in cookery, a lower than that money gave us food for two days ooo! They saved my pocket!

Then the Canopies were set and the chairs were assembled. The Guests should have left their destinations by now and travelling all the way down to Warri. All Kekes, Taxis and Private Vehicles were diverted through another street when coming from Airport Road and going towards Okumagba Avenue. Emeberien Street was the center of attraction and Karen Market was just the spot where the show was going to happen.

There was no plan for a professional event planner and decorators to pimp the venue. Oh Thank God my good friend and brother Lucky was just in ground to assist in dressing the canopy. But the shocker was that Mr. Lucky has never decorated a Canopy before. He had done some decorations in a Fellowship Hall (I am not sure of a Wedding decorations in his CV). So, I took him to a hall and brought out the Wrappers which have been borrowed and hired for this purpose. Talking about Decoration materials, I really did some borrowing oo! I collected from three Decoration Companies in Port Harcourt and tagged them differently. They were not still enough for what I wanted. I thought of how to move all those stuff to Warri from Port Harcourt. My last plan was to get some Decoration stuff from a decoration Company at Awka Road Onitsha. So logistics became another issue. Luckily for me my elder brother from Anambara Parents was travelling to Onitsha the weekend before my wedding week. He moved all those materials from Port Harcourt to Onitsha. The idea was to drop it at the Decoration Companies at Awake Road. Then from Onitsha everything was moved to Warri. The Decoration Companies in Port Harcourt and Onitsha saved the day! Uncle Onyi saved the day! 

So, back to teaching my friend how to decorate a canopy, I used a Table to demonstrate to him how to decorate a canopy with office pins and ribbons. That was all. I left the confused young man to sort himself out. Abeg, what are friends for if not for such inconveniences?  I had imagined going to my In-Laws House to decorate the Canopy for My Traditional Marriage but a lot of people won't understand. You will hear comments like;

1. Which kind In-Law is this?

2. O boy this man no get Money to Pay Decorators oo

3. This guy no get shame ooo

4. The man no go ask for help?

5. This babe don enter one chance oo! This man go fit bring out money at all?

Anyways, that one concern them. Imagine as at 2014, these Decorating Companies were calling over N250,000 (again) for only Church wedding Reception oo! And that N250,000 na with abeg ooo! And for only Church Reception oo! I know some people use N1,000,000 and above to decorate their wedding, my people, the source of money no be the same ooo! Do your thing and no look anyone face ooo! O boy, at that point all that was my concern was that the day we just pass by oo! 

Then the rains began to drop! Just little by little! I remember an incident that happened at my Friend's wedding in the east. I was decorating the canopies that day under the rain. The Mother of my friend came out to meet me and I tried to encourage her not to bother about the rain and then she said "these people are trying my faith". What happened was that a day before that day some villagers who called themselves rain makers had come to meet the Father of my friend asking him to pay homage to them or they will cause rain to fall on their daughter's traditional marriage day. Heheheheeheeehehehehehe! O boy see occupation. They meant it ooo!

Nigerians, abi Africans, make I ask oo! You have the powers or technology to make rains fall to destabilize someone's occasion and you don't have the rain to do the following;

1. Destabilize Terrorist when they are terrorizing

2. Destabilize Robbers when they are robbing 

3. Destabilize Politicians during rally when they are lying

4. Destabilize anything that will not bring progress to our communities

But mba! No! No! No! Their own Rain will only work when they want to bad-belle innocent people. So, the Father of my friend called them bluff and the Rain makers went their way. O boy these men meant business ooo! The rain fell on my friend’s traditional marriage day from the time I started decorating till around 5pm oo! Not like heavy rain but it was steady and will wet you. All the traditional marriage activities were carried out inside the sitting room. Thank God the Rain Makers got fed up of lifting their hands up! Heheheheheheehee! The rains stopped and my friend came out with her husband and we danced till night ooo! That was in 2009! That Marriage is 8 years old and blessed with two Pearls and a Prince! You see? It doesn't matter what happens on that day, what matter is the life you make out from after that day!

Fast forward to my own Traditional Marriage in 2014! I came by my In-Laws place to drop something and behold I saw my friends (Lucky, Sebastian & Francis) decorating the canopies under the rain. Did I pity them? I am not sure ooo! I guess I laughed over it. These guys were covering up for me ooo! Maybe to the eyes of the beholders, they were paid to do their job! So they should do it under the rain or shine! But my people, when I came back for the event proper, I was surprised of how they made the place look beautiful! No be say na so I really want am sha! Make I no lie! But they did beyond my expectations for them. They saved the day!

Before I conclude this memory! Let me also mention here. Seriously there was no plan for any souvenir for the guest ooo! I never get money to do decoration na to buy souvenir? This money matter self. I had hoped that a client of mine will pay me the debt owed by the week of my wedding so that I can sort out some things. They money was not forth coming and so on a Wednesday of that week I and my Bride to be went on a fast and I had prayed that that money will enter my hand on Wednesday. I didn't discuss this with the client. And so, on that my Expectant Wednesday, we finished praying in the Church and I got an sms. The major prayer point was MONEY and that this client will pay up that day as we had prophesied! I opened the sms and behold it was a message from the client.

What do you think the message would read? Send me your account number? Heheheheehehehe! Make I speak am for pidgin! THE CLIENT SAY NO MONEY TO PAY ME OOO! Chai! On the day I did the fast? Hey! I looked left and right (according to you people) and no help! Anyway that one na story for another anniversary. 

Back to my Friday Traditional wedding gist! As I was busy getting myself ready to pay the bride price, I received some alerts oo! I can't remember the sources and so I ran to Plaza at Okumagba and bought Souvenirs oo! I kept the Souvenirs for the Saturday Church Wedding Reception. Na my own bad pass? Don't ask me what I bought. Ask Dr. Ngozi because she went home with plenty. She said didn't eat at my reception and so she took plenty souvenirs to pay me back for not feeding her! Did I eat at her wedding last year? I will investigate my stomach history and find out. Again, those little alerts saved the day!

Then I had a supposed hair cut that morning and got ready for the event proper. Then the Drama began. 

Have I told you this story before? I guess I did a little bit last year! Ok. I will tell you again. It is the story of two people waiting for people. Just about this time on 5th September 2014, a very pretty princess was waiting for her prince Charming all the way from the Great Kingdom of Ohafia (Although she knew the Prince was already in the Kingdom of Warri). Anyway, she was waiting for her prince. Of course, the prince was also waiting for his people to arrive from the Kingdom of Ohafia. So, both the Princess and the Prince were waiting. The Princess was under serious pressure from her people. A lot of questions went through her mind. What do you think will be going through her mind? The guests had gathered. Music was playing! No sign of the Groom and his people! Can you guess? Maybe she was thinking and wondering and pondering at the same time;

"Did this Prince change his mind?

Did anything happen to their Chariots?

Are they still coming?" 

You need to see her face.

 

She tried so much to hide her tears. Meanwhile, the Prince was somewhere nearby eating good meal and having fun with his close allies who were already in the Kingdom of Warri (Men will always be men). I think the Prince was selfish! Hahahahaahaha! He was having fun while waiting.

Whereas, for the Princes, waiting was no fun.
So, to end the story, the Prince knew that his people will come and he was sure that the Princess was his. The Princess knew that her prince was nearby but didn't know what was keeping him from coming. Finally, it was a happy ending! That is the Story of TWO PEOPLE WAITING! While one waited in anticipation, the other waited in anxiety (Women will always be women)

In conclusion, little things really matters a lot. There were so many things not working the way I wanted during my Traditional Marriage of which I can share all today. But I was able to identify where my Strengths were and how to use them. Do not despise those little things around you. They can save the day. I even failed to mention Mrs. Kate’s Camcorder that was used to assist the one camera brought by the Media guys as against the two we agreed. So many things began to fall in place just when dream wedding day was falling apart due to lack of cash! Barr. Philemon Okeke was right on time with his car (when my car then was not fit for the road. As a matter of fact that car had a major fire incident on the week of our Wedding Introduction) to provide major logistics on Friday.

So, like my friend's Traditional Wedding in 2009, the rain fell till evening on my own day. By the time we finished during everything indoors, some guest had gone but there were enough people to watch our dancing steps as we matched out as a couple to take to the dance road!

It is Three (3) Years already and the wine is sweeter than before! The rain is still falling on us both blessings and tough times but like that day three years ago we are still dancing and celebrating! What we have is still saving the day. And the most important thing we have is LOVE! It is saving the day!!!! Celebrate with us friends!

Thank you for stopping by to read. Do come again.

You may also want to read LETTERS TO MY UNKNOWN WIFE