30/09/2022
MARTHA
It's 5PM.
Martha,Dave's finance calls in to check up on her husband to-be and on his friends, especially those coming from far and to remind Dave that she may not be available to take calls much later, as she would be having a prayer meeting with the girls into the night.
Tomorrow is Dave's big day. Some of his friends have just arrived and are settling in,amongst them are his groomsmen. About eight of them were lodged in a luxurious suite where enjoyment was hundred with plenty food and drinks to go. Their chit-chats and laughter from the third floor could be heard on the ground floor of Beverly Hotels and suites.
Dave's head began to ache slightly, possibly because of the day's stress of planning. He quietly drops his glass of fruit wine on the center table and excused himself to catch some rest before the before the bachelor's eve bash his friends arranged and have mandated him to be in attendance, slated for the twenty-second hour.
Dave enters his room,bolts the door and ran the shower. When he returned from the bathroom,he sensed something strange. The air conditioner was not on neither were the windows open, so he wondered where the gentle breeze that filled the room came from, such that the white synthetic yarn that served as window blinds moved slowly and gently in consonance with the way of the wind. His heart raced. He mutters Jesus silently but repeatedly and after a few seconds everything calmed.
He sits on the couch and tries to understand what just happened and while in thought the breeze came again ,this time more forceful than the former.
He freaks out and began to scream.He couldn't even hear his own voice at its loudest. He struggles to move from his seat, but something more stronger than him seem to hold him down and so he stopped fighting and became still. In that moment, the atmosphere changed before his very eyes.
Cloud formed and filled the room such that he couldn't see even himself. He opened his eyes and closed it intermittently wishing that it was all a dream but it wasn't. His nostrils caught the amazing fragrance that colored the air. That beautiful scent can only be best described by angels.
Dave was still very calm on the couch in the clouds when he heard a voice that could only be Jesus's saying " BEHOLD MY BELOVED DAUGHTER, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED". He raises his head and opens his eyes which had been bowed and shut in fear, and lo,his bride to-be, Martha appears,and was held by the image of a man who dazzled with extremely bright lights that forced Dave to shut his eyes. But he was so certain that he caught a vivid glimpse of Martha and could repeat every jot of what audible voice said to him before the vision fizzled out.
The room was back to it's original state. A gaze at the ticking table-clock brought to his consciousness the idea of time. It was a few minutes to 7AM of the D-Day, just about two hours before the commencement of the Christian solemnization of holy matrimony. He smiles and shake his head slowly in awe of the mighty God,then he realized that his wife to-be is divine.
He ran to check on his friends in their rooms, they were getting dressed, some were disappointed that he didn't show up for the party they had arranged and when he asked why they did not come to check on him,the told him that they tried to, but from his door,they could hear him praying so they let him. He smiles without a word and runs to dress up.
They exchange vows before the high priest in the presence of the congregation. Everything the priest was saying didn't matter ,all that Dave could hear and see is the Jesus in Martha.
Martha winked at Dave to catch his attention and bring him back from wonderland,her efforts failed as Dave looked deeper into her eyes ,she wondered what the matter could be, so she tapped him softly to honor the priest's requests to 'kiss his bride' the very part the people were waiting for.
Dave snapped into reality in response to her tap and heard the congregation from every corner cheerily saying.... "don't keep us waiting,kiss your bride..kiss your bride..kiss your bride don't keep us waiting....he looks at the priest who motions with a nod and a smile that he should go ahead, he hugs Martha,looks into her eyes and excitedly locks lips with her,then again he perceived that exact same breathtaking fragrance from his vision he had earlier. He unlocks his lip, smiles and said to Martha
" thank God I found you".