Max and I went to downtown Manila last weekend to attend a long-overdue wedding of a doctor cousin of his — one of the oldest in his family and perhaps one of the more dashing, debonair Ballecer dude. The experience was kind of surreal because it brought me back to when it was my turn to "walk the aisle." While waiting, one of the relatives asked me, "Who goes first, the principal sponsors or flower girls?"
Naturally, I scrambled down memory lane as I always do these days — wait a minute (kapeng mainit!), how would I know?!? I was the last to walk that time!!!
Thank god for church coordinators!
Sir, kayo po muna ni ma’am…Sir, dito po kayo, ma’am tabi po kayo kay sir. Sir, dito po ang hawak…..
And as we sat and watched them parade (with fathers and mothers, sisters and daughters, sons and friends frantically clicking away on their low res camera phones to capture a moment of the "walk"), I reminisced. I poked Max on his side and asked, "what were you thinking when you were up front and I was still outside the church?"
And his serious answer was: "…um, waiting for you?" [Sweet no?]
That earned him more pokes.
But just the same, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander…
It has been a hot hour or so in the BMW bridal car that Max got for me (a, e, hot kasi nag-o-overheat na yung caru no!). I was parked right outside the church, cameras still clicking away whenever I’d open my window to talk to either Carmie or Kareen or whoever else that needed something.
I summoned Fr. Armand for my confession bit and all he told me was that I was a free man and that all I had to do was enjoy the ceremony. Kewl!
Then they closed the huge front doors of the old church and let me out of the car (my gay uncle attending to the needs of my bridal gown).
And when it opened, the brightness of the outside (gimme a breyk, that was right after lunch!) battled the dark interiors and blinded me for a bit. The music was not the traditional wedding march, but at the suggestion of my MIL, we put "Ave Maria" on the player. A bit disorienting because growing up I would literally practice my march and there was not much to march to in Ave Maria.
My first step and that was when i uttered it — "ay, ka-tense!" and I almost tripped on my one-inch heels! And there it goes again, "ay, ka-tense!" and I almost trip again. And the third installment fell in step with my third step: "ay, ka-tense!" [thought balloon: surely they could not hear me...]
Thereafter, I literally floated to my parents who were waiting in the middle of the length of the aisle. And as they practically carried me to the front where Max was waiting, I saw a flurry of smiling faces: Max’s friend, Mac Dallarte and some other friends that seemed to have lost their names.
Reaching the front, my Mom kissed me with my veil on so imagine a blot of red lipstick on the left part of my veil which I cant seem to ignore. My Dad gripped me (thought he was going to slap me), and only uttered his pet name for me and then tenderly raised my veil and kissed me on the cheek. That was the most tender face i saw of my Dad.
And all so suddenly, Max was at my side, gently helping me up the steps to our respective spaces in front of the altar.
This is it!
Kaso mo, I badly needed to go to the bathroom for a pee. What do you expect? I looked like I was going to the delivery room the next day!
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