The wedding

The week before the wedding was a good one, though I had to work and couldn't be home all the time, because since Elena had been staying together with us, and my bride seemed to blossom. Excuse me, but somebody in the family must earn the money. Her friend's presence should had given her a feeling of security that they went even in the city for doing errands and shopping, something Bebeth was too scared of doing alone. It was the evening before the wedding and Bebeth and I had a serious conversation about her feelings and determination of marrying me. She assured me of her unchanged emotions and her steadfast decision. Beyond doubts I must believe her and it was only her nervousness that caused her "abnormal" behavior. Anyone marrying for the first time must be nervous too, di ba?

Six weeks since Bebeth's arrival and 20 months of our acquaintance had gone by and finally our dream (as I thought) should come true. We had invested so much efforts and time and mobilized friends and relatives to make this "once in a lifetime event" (for some) to happen successfully. My flat was full with Elena and her husband sleeping in our bedroom, while Bebeth was sharing a provisional bed with their daughter in my office room. Without complaint the sofa in the living room was the only alternative for me and the excitement kept me sleepless anyway.

Actually I was very tired after we spent a night before in a Filipino karaoke bar where the ladies were singing. Bebeth loved this a lot and later on our way home she told me, that it had been "just like in the Philippines". It was my consolation to see her happy with an enchanting smile which had pleased me from the beginning.

In the morning of September 24, 2004, the door bell rang and somebody brought the biggest flower bouquet I have ever seen that it could hardly be passed through the door. It was sent by Bebeth's sister who has been long time married to a Japanese man and lives in Japan. Very nice and generous, I thought. It was the only gift from Bebeth's family. Later I heard that her mother sent her congratulations through SMS and many others sent their greetings, too. My wife was silent about those messages so I wasn't aware of them but I was wondering a bit, because I had expected some greeting cards or similar. Four weeks later a box of family planning pills from one of her former colleagues was received, too. But at this time Bebeth had already left...

Well, there was nothing much special to tell about the wedding in general. About 30 guests were invited to attend the wedding reception at a nice hotel restaurant. I think photos tell more than a hundred words, so if you should find them interesting, please follow this link. It still hurts to think about it, as my parents exerted efforts to make it memorable. My mom and my sister-in-law organized the cakes and my mom's former boss (she had worked in a bakery before) made the wedding cake also sponsored by my parents. My wife never really cherished all these...