I just stumbled on this personal picture featured here and it brought back wonderful memories that precipitated this post.

I remember the day I snapped it exactly 3 years ago. It was at the church wedding of a very close friend.

The wedding took place at a location far away from my Lagos base. But I had to be there, irrespective of the distance.

The friend deserved the love and support I had to give, even more.

We are friends. We have been friends. We have come along way with each other and for each other as well.

There was a lot of significance to that wedding. The enduring love of the couple for instance: They loved each other against all odds. Believed in each other. Courted each other for several years. Planned being with each other for life…for better or worse.

But there were pockets of challenges here and there before the wedding – all through the courtship period – chief of which was that their families opposed the marriage.

However, in the end, the patience and the love of the couple paid off; they eventually got parental blessing for the wedding and the marriage was allowed to take place.

I was glad I was there to witness it all. I was glad that their love triumphed over all obstacles, giving all glory to God who made all things possible.

In more ways than one, I had a personal sense of fulfilment over that wedding. Mission accomplished for the couple; joy for all of us friends and family.

Even in times of doubts before the marriage, I stood with my friend and his love. Though a long tedious journey, it came to a beautiful climax: united in holy matrimony, against all odds.

I saw it coming. I prayed with them. It seemed impossible at first but it still took place in the end – happily.

Going for the Wedding

When I was setting out for that wedding event, I took two days off work to enable me arrive the location ahead of time. The traditional wedding was for a Friday afternoon while the white wedding was to take place the following Saturday.

I was well prepared for the wedding. I bought a brand new pair of suit for the occasion, along side the accompanying accessories.

I was happy… I was longing to see my friend walk the aisle with his bride. A big day, it would turn out be!

On a Thursday, the day to the Friday of the traditional wedding ceremony, I arrived at the inter state bus terminal not too far from my Lagos home to begin this important journey I had looked forward to for at least three months prior.

It was midday, so I had said to my self, “In the next 5-6 hours on the road, I should be with my friend ready to cheer him on as he bade goodbye to bachelorhood.”

You know that feeling you have when someone you love is celebrating! I felt it and I felt good about it…

My close friend from way back was getting married. I had to be there in flesh and blood, with all pleasure.

Some years ago when I got married, he was with me all the way. He flew in to Abuja into my waiting arms. And then together we flew further to Sokoto where he joined me to pick my beautiful bride.

I still remember how we felt when the plane touched down at the Sadiq Abubakar III International Airport.

“So Victor you are getting married?” he had asked me. You see what I mean when I say we have come along way?

“Yes” was my heartfelt response to him. “It is my turn now, it will be yours soon,” sounding very sure of the future.

As we stepped out from the air-plane then, we were both greeted by the dry very winds of the North West and the scorching Sun of the seat of the Caliphate, with temperatures measure reaching the 40″C mark.

I had never felt so much heat before my life. But it was all well and good: I got married in Church as planned without any hitches, whatsoever!

Now it’s this friend’s own wedding, and my mind was already made up  about being there. “I have to be there by all means,” I had promised myself.

And the day finally came!

There were no direct flights to the local town venue of the wedding; no airport there in the first place. So the journey had to be done by road. And I was ready to take it on, joyfully and wholeheartedly!

There was the option for me to fly to the nearest airport located at the State Capital, some kilometres away from the place, and taxi inwards to the venue. But my budget was very tight, so that idea flew away from my head as quickly as it had come.

In the end, I had to travel by road. I didn’t even see it as a sacrifice even though I had to travel several rough miles to attend the marriage ceremony. Like I said earlier, I was still happy doing it.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get there until the Friday of the traditional marriage ceremony proper. In fact I arrived in the middle of the ceremony, with friends and family already seated,  appropriately dressed in colourful attires.

The event was peaceful and successful. And on the following Saturday, my friend and his bride were joined in holy matrimony to begin their life together as man and wife. I thank God, I witnessed it all.

Rewind a day backwards

As you might have observed, I arrived a day later than I had planned to. The late show up was due to a setback in transportation the day before.

That Thursday when I got to the bus park, I bought my fare ticket and sat down on the public bus waiting for the journey to begin. The waiting turned from minutes to hours, and we were still there. Not enough passengers for the bus to depart the terminal.

At the end of the day, I couldn’t continue the journey same day, else I would have to get there at very late hours. And that’s not good enough, for security reasons.

I departed from the bus park for home, forfeiting my fares – as they insisted there would be no refunds.

But I had still had to make that journey. So I shifted it to the following Friday morning. This time, I switched Inter State bus terminal.

Thankfully I didn’t have to wait for too long. So the journey began and to the glory of God, I arrived safely for the wedding, stayed with my friend as he took his bride to the altar. And together we all savoured the joy of the couple that had the enduring love that conquered all odds.

©Copyright 2018 | Victor Uyanwanne