Beware of a Christmas without Jesus!

By Yaya Rudo

There is no wedding without the bride or the groom. When one piece is missing, we may go on to drink and eat but it becomes just another party. Call it something else but it is not a wedding party.

When I was 8 or 9 I went to a wedding where the groom did not show up – true story . You read right the groom did not come to his own wedding .

I kept asking when we were going to see the kiss.We were told the groom was running late then later another version was had no transport. I later learnt that was the explanation to the kids – the adults knew the truth or a version of the truth.

The groom had self imposed amnesia for a long while ,convincing himself he was single . The solid fact that he was married alluded him right up to the new wedding day. When he finally “realized “he was married already , he had no guts to tell the bride nor her family . They had to figure it out on their own when the clock hit 2pm with no word from him .

I remember eating the usual township wedding stuff. We had chicken , rice , ice cream and drank Tarino until our small stomachs hurt. Besides the missing groom we had plenty of fun . It was a township wedding party as usual to the naive- the young and the clueless.

I’m sure the elders did not eat at all that day to say nothing about the bride. It was the worst day ever unheard of in the whole province.

The experience was loaded with unbearable pain for those at the centre of it. The humiliating event influenced how the bride and family would be referred to for years. The one dumped at the altar, the one with a wedding without a groom. The wedding which was not a wedding.

When I think of it now, this was a very traumatizing experience, the scarring for life stuff. An experience that makes some hate weddings for good or have panic attacks when there is a wedding in the family. Guests eat, the DJ played music party planners were paid but there was no wedding .

Quick reminder to put Jesus in your Christmas. The food, drinks and presents can wait, spend a few minutes in prayer – think about the reason for the season. Do not make it just another party – it’s Christmas.

Happy Christmas Lemonade Makers💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻