Today did not start on a good note for Rain, she sat on her bed, legs tucked under her chin as she hugged them to her chest praying for the confusion she felt in her head to disappear.

God I can’t be confused now that the wedding is getting close.

She blamed Nessa for causing her to be conflicted, but most of her thought it was her own fault
She felt the bed dip as Fred sat down. He sat silent for a few seconds before speaking, “What’s got you so busy thinking that you don’t even notice me?”

She sighed not knowing how to reply.

“Are you getting nervous for the big day?”

“Something like that” she shrugged.

He nodded, “I understand but you don’t have to be”

“I can’t help myself”

“Maybe I can” he smiled nearly showing all his teeth, that’s how wide it was.

She laughed, “How can you help me?” she stretched her legs and folded her arms, staring at him.

“Let’s go out, to a quiet place, where you’ll be able to relax”
Though his suggestion was great, she declined his offer, “I’ve got wedding preparations today, I doubt they would allow me to just take off with you”

“That is why you are stressed out. Take a break” he said with a slight frown, “There are many people who are more than happy to help plan your wedding for you. I saw them as I climbed up” he looked behind him before leaning in and whispered, “They looked crazy, talking on a phone at the same time as talking to someone sitting next to you and writing at the same time? That is serious”

“Yeah it is” she shrugged again, “What can you expect, it is a wedding. And this house hasn’t had a wedding in decades”

“But you are already stressed with the preparations, you need a break, I don’t want you walking down the aisle with droopy eyes all because you didn’t rest and got stressed.” He gasped dramatically, “I might even faint because I wouldn’t recognize you, imagine that”

She wondered if her mind was stressed about the wedding. No she decided. It was far from that she realized.

“Okay let’s go but you are doing the talking” she stood up getting some sandals as he followed her out of the room and down the stairs. “My utmost pleasure” he smiled.

The women downstairs didn’t get an opportunity to speak when Fred just told them quite nicely how much his wife to be was stressed and so was stealing her away since he wanted her to relax. Before they could utter a word, he grabbed her hand leading her outside and drove them out of the compound. Inside, Rain was cheering that for the first time the wedding planner was speechless.

He drove for an hour and a half to the beach. Luckily, she had grabbed a scarf which she spread on the ground for them to sit on. She closed her eyes and breathed in as a certain someone popped to mind. He seemed to consume her thoughts these few days. Be it involuntarily she couldn’t help herself. Turning slightly she stared at Fred who was already staring at her with a smile.

“Thank you”

“You don’t have to thank me, it’s nothing and I will keep doing it even after we are married”

She felt her smile slip at his words as she turned looking straight ahead at the tossing waves crashing down on the beach only to rear up again. It suddenly dawned on her that she was not sure of her feelings anymore, as it was she was at a crossroad leading in two different directions, to two different men.

What have I gotten myself into?

***********************

He placed his tools back into his toolbox, arranging them as he did so carefully. The cars brought to the shop today had all been fixed and his young apprentices had already called it a day. So he prepared to head home, he placed the toolbox on the table where he normally kept it and began putting off the lights. He got to the door and closed it by pulling down the metal gate just as a car drove in front of the workshop, its headlights blinding him momentarily before dimming slightly and then went off the same time the engine went off.

The car was not familiar to him to him a dark blue 4x4 vehicle it seemed, he watched as a figure in heels stalked towards him.

Once she got closer to him and the light, he recognized her as Nessa, Rain’s cousin.

“Hello” she waved a smile similar to Rain’s sitting on her face.

“Hello, how may I help you?” he asked dropping his keys into his back pocket.

She looked like she was coming from an official meeting, pulling off her famous sunglasses. “Got a problem with my seatbelt, can you fix it?”

Was she serious?

He was debating on whether to tell her he had just closed or not.

“I’m just joking” she laughed. “But I did bring you something, an invitation” she held out her hand, a card in it.

He took it and read it, it was a wedding invitation of Rain and Fred with his name embossed in the invited guest space.

“Yeah my mom called to tell me about receiving an invitation so you did not have to bother coming here” his tone was a bit sharp

“True” she said unfazed by his tone, “But it is strictly by invitation so you’ll need the card”

He looked at her and looked back at the card. Thinking of what would happen if he intentionally misplaced the card and showed up at the wedding.

“Well, thank you then and I’m grateful you drove through the night just to give me the invitation”

She smiled, “Don’t mention it”

Daniel looked at her, an eyebrow raised, What was she smiling about? It wasn’t her wedding, “If you say so”

“So we’ll see you there?” she asked a hopeful look on her face as she rubbed her palms against each other.

He shrugged, “We’ll see”

Nessa’s expression fell, “Oh”

“Thanks again but I’ve got to go now” he said in a rush walking with her to her car and waited till she drove away before leaving. The lavender paper in his hand suddenly felt like a bag of cement. He entered his car and tossed the paper on the passenger seat not wanting to hold it any longer.

As he drove he saw a now familiar figure standing by the road probably waiting for a taxi, he pulled up next to her, “Your ride is here ma’am”

Thelma laughed, “And he’s late too”

He checked his phone for the time, “It’s just twenty three minutes past seven pm, not that late I dare say”
“Oh you are saying I can’t read the time now” she teased.

“Come on in, I know we are all headed to the same place” he added, opening the door for her, she grabbed the open door and made to sit down but saw the card he had so carelessly tossed on the seat. She grabbed the card and sat in closing the door after her. He paid attention to the road but could see her reading the card from the corner of his eyes.

“Oh” she said after reading, she carefully placed it on the dashboard. “So are you going?”

“I’m not going” he said curtly

“That’s funny”

He glanced at her, “What’s funny?”

“That’s not what I thought you would say”

“Why do you say that?”

Thelma looked down, “I think you need to go because you actually want to go, but you don’t want to, and I can’t understand why”

Daniel remained silent for some seconds thinking of how to frame his next words, “Will you be okay if I go?”

“Are you serious? You don’t need to ask me, is that why you are saying you don’t want to go?”

He did not answer.

“You know, I’ll leave that to you, you choose and make a decision okay” she said

“But just tell me whatever happens at the wedding okay” she added later with a laugh.

“Who said I’m going?”

“We’ll see” a smile and a knowing look accompanying her words.

A/N

I just got to say that Thelma is a very special character to me.
Two or three chapters to go  people, so soon Rain is coming to an end.

Ko si se me te monka...stay blessed.