Chapter Three: Fourteen.
I woke up to a busy and sunny Friday morning. My father was setting up the karaoke system with my uncles while my mother instructed a group of men arranging tables and chairs for the seating arrangements of guests. Family members from both sides of my family came early and they were also busy helping out my parents.
My bedroom is located outside at the back of the house and connected to the car garage. I sat alone with just my thoughts and feelings outside my bedroom. At that time, I still felt like it was a dream; I never thought I would meet the love of my life at twenty-three and ended up marrying him three years later. I said to myself, “You’re getting married later!”, that hits me back to reality and instead of panicking as usual, I just smiled.
It was time for another glow up session with my sisters. I was asked to move to my parents room to get ready so that I don’t have to walk that far since I was wearing a 6-inch (🥵) silver coloured heels, thanks to my third sister (God, why). Again, my second and fourth sisters were in charge of doing my make-up which took them almost an hour and a half. I wore my white tudong after that and my third sister helped me with the veil. She was also in charge of communicating with the groom’s side, specifically one of my future sister in laws, so that it was easier to update where and what time the groom’s side will be coming.
My parents (specially my father), the qadhi (the religious official who solumnised the wedding) and two uncles (acted as witnesses) came into the room to read the solemnisation procedure. My father was asked to read a passage where he promised to “hand me over” to my husband as I was no longer his dependent. After he was done, it was my turn to read and yes, this was where the water works started. I ugly cried my eyes out until my make-up was ruined. I have always been close with my father ever since I was little, I am and will always be his little girl.
A few make-up touch ups and words of encouragement later, I regain my confidence. I was told that my husband already parked outside and waiting for me to be seated. My father held my hand and walked me out to the living room where I will be seated next to my husband. I held his hand tightly and my vision went blurry, including my surroundings. I can only hear a bunch of people talking; I was nervous, again. Once I sat on the chair, my father kissed my forehead and he gave the look of reassurance. I held my bouquet of fake flowers tight, looked down on my feet and listened to people cheering. I looked up and saw my husband for the first time, he smiled at me and sat on the floor cross-legged along with his side of family, my parents, uncles and aunties. And the wedding ceremony began.
I officially became Abdul Mu’izz Iskandar’s wife on 14th December 2018 and a new journey began.
