Five weeks after the incident with Slim Joe, I finally can breathe easy. Only yesterday the judge's verdict came out, and that bastard are guilty raping nine underaged girls. Because the case Jennifer and her team was created, Princess' case was also being reopened. Then, one by one other victims were starting to come and testify. Thus, Slim Joe got life time imprisonment for his punishment. Jennifer was right. Being dead is too easy for him. As for Princess, I managed to get her the best psychiatrist in the city to help her getting back her sanity. It is not an easy process. Nevertheless, her life would never be the same. But hopefully, she can at least have her sanity back and go on with her life.
"Nervous ?" Thief's question halts my ritual of walking back and forth.
"A little," I tell her truthfully.
Thief grins and pats my shoulder. "Relax. Everything went well so far. She looks amazing, by the way," She says.
"The ring. Have you got .."
Thief pat the front pocket of her trouser before I can finish my sentence.
"Fiuh.. okay, good," I say in relieve. She laughs while leaving me alone standing in front of the altar.
Today is the BIG day. Today, Jennifer and I are going to be married. Well, less than an hour later to be exact.
I stare at the dome door that brings the guests in, once in a while. I'm quite familiar with this church. I often used it as a place to meet my clients back then. Eventually, this is Jennifer's church. I think it is fate that brings me back to this church, as if it wants me to redeem my 'sin' of misused it in the past.
Jennifer and I finally completed our preparation class last week. Despite of being boring, the class was actually not that bad. It was lead by a priest. He taught us the lesson of love and marriage, which was kinda weird since... the priest has never been married. But, well.. it was a good lesson.
The hardest part was actually the last meeting. It was like a confession of sins but instead only confessed it to the priest, we also confessed it to our spouse. Of course, since Jennifer already knew all of my past, she was not surprise at all. But I can not say the same thing with the priest.
While I was confessing all of my secrets, I could see the expression of the priest's face was gradually getting murkier. He made a sharp gasp every time I told him about what I've done in the past, including how I made love with my own sister. At the end of my confession, he looked at Jennifer and asked her, "Are you sure you wanna marry this man ?"
When Jennifer said yes without hesitation, he turned his head toward me. "You know that bleakness is not dead, right ? You know that it might return someday.. What if.. it returns ? What will you do ?"
"I know.. But I have been trying hard to put it in a comma .."
"But 'what if', what if someday it would wake up and conquer you instead ?" the priest urged.
I stare at him deeply. "I will kill my self," I said without hesitation. Both Jennifer and the priest gasped. I took Jennifer's hand and twinning my fingers with hers. "I won't let my bleakness touches her or my kids. I promise her that with my soul."
"Why kill your self ? Why not just leave her ?"
"So she could marry another man. If I just leave her, she couldn't marry another man. That's the church's law, right ?"
The priest nodded with a thick furrow on his temple. "Your background is not simple," he said with a vivd reluctant. "Even though I believe you love each other, it won't be easy for neither of you. I must say.. it is best for you to rethink.."
"Is this a confession session or judgement session ?" Jennifer cut the priest's words in sharp tone.
"Jen.." I whispered to calm her down. She turned her head to me and squeezed my hand before stared back at the priest with an irritated gaze.
"Are you saying that a sinner doesn't have a right to get marry ? As a matter a fact, who is a sinner .. no.. who is NOT a sinner, anyway ? Do you think he is worse than other men ? I know all his background, I know all his past, and yet I still want to marry him, because I know.. he is a good man.."
"I was just saying.."
"If you don't agree marrying us, we could just find other church that agree," Jennifer finished her preach with an ultimatum for the priest.
I tried hard to hide my smile and my pitiful gaze toward the now jaw dropping priest. He should know not to awaken a pregnant lion. With Jennifer's ultimatum, of course the priest didn't utter any other words and just finished the session.
And now, I am standing nervously in front of the altar. I glance at my watch. Fifteen more minutes. I exhale to release a bit of my nervousness.
All the guests are arrived. How can I know for sure, you ask ? Because we only invite a very few people. Jennifer only invited her co-workers under her direct supervise, which are eight people, also her twin, Rachel Waddleson and her lawyer. I, my self, only invite Thief and Master Long.
I actually invited Andy, but unfortunately he is out of town for work. Thus, I have Thief as my best man, well.. woman. But she disguises her self as a man, triple black suit, loafers, short wig, and fake mustache. And since Jennifer doesn't have her parents nor sibling to bring her to the altar, Master Long proposed himself to be the replacement of her father. Also, she is having one of her coworker as her best maid.
So, there are exactly nine guests sitting on the bench right now. Even the choir's benches have more people than the congregation benches. Do I wish to have more people to be invited ? Yes. But she doesn't mind, why should I mind, right ? The most important is, we will be legal in.. I glance at my watch again.. less than ten minutes. And we will be together for the rest of our lives.
A small cough turna my head to my back. The priest is here. I come to him and shake his hand to show him my respect.
"Nervous ?" he asks.
"Not as much as you are, Sir," I reply, once again getting a furrow from him. An altar boy comes to him and whisper. He nods several times and whispers back. At this moment my heart beats faster. A flashback of few movies I watched where there are runaway bride scenes encounters my mind. Please don't say she has cold feet and ...
"She's here," Thief who is out of nowhere already beside me whispers. Fiuh.. too much movies, I rebuke my self.
The altar boy signals the choir and they starts to sing a song. I don't know what song they sing as my mind focus on the front door that is starting to open. And when it is completely opened, I am mesmerized.
There she is. Beautiful as ever.