I looked at her and smiled shyly, took a deep breath and slowly got up on one knee. Her eyes widen with her hand slightly over her mouth when she saw me kneeling up.
“This is something that I should’ve done long ago. Sorry for taking so long,” I said and looked into her eyes. “Baby…I swear with my heart and my soul, I will never leave you till I have to leave this world. I promise you with my life that I will hold you, protect you, cherish you and love you with all I’ve got. For this life, I shall never let you go and for the next; I will spend it, looking for you and be with you.” I held up the ring in my hand and continued, “With this ring, I, Patrick Ong, is bound to you eternally. I love you.”
I did my vows and held onto her left hand, I continued, “Faith Oh Shi Min, are you willing to wear this ring for the rest of your life and spend it with me?”
Faith’s tears were running down her cheeks like a damaged tap by then. She nodded and said, “Yes, I do.” She cried with her hand over her mouth. Her shoulders jerked uncontrollably in the rhythm of her sob, looking down as I slid the ring into her finger. We plunged into one another and kissed.
That night with Faith crying in my arms, I could not help it but wept as well. My tears streamed down my face as my heart was broken into pieces. You may ask why. Why are you crying? Faith just said “I do” isn’t it? Yes, she did. However, do you realise that was the most I could do for her? That was…our solemnisation. An impromptu, by-the-street, unlawful and unrecognised solemnisation. The thought of it hurts me.
I could not give her the grand entrance into a lavishly decorated ballroom with hundreds of people, standing with their hands together and welcomed us as a couple. I could not even give her a name. A name she can call herself as someone else’s wife.
“I’m sorry…this is the most I could do for you.” I apologised to my bride and wept uncontrollably.
“It’s ok…baby. It’s ok…I understand. This is the path I’ve chosen…as long as…I’m with you…it’s ok. I don’t need anything else…I just want you,” Faith said while fighting back her tears, looking at me with her red wet eyes.
We hugged for a very long time. I could feel my shirt was drenched with her tears but it did not matter. My knee was hurting as I supported her weight with my arms to lessen the load on hers but still, it did not matter. I wanted to sink myself into the moment and remember it forever. Till now, I can still feel the heart ache I was going through so as to remind myself what I had promised; to hold her, protect her, cherish her and love her for the rest of my life.
There were a few couples looking at us from a distance. However, our emotions got the better of us. We ignored them and were lost in each other’s embracement, cemented in that position like a statue.
With my emotions subsided, I held her face with both my hands as I rested on my heels, still kneeling and wiped her tears, at the same time, my own. I said with a smile, “You ok, baby? Heh heh, you look awful.”
“You la! Make me cry!” She replied as she slapped my chest and wiping off her tears with another hand.
“Come, let’s go home now.” I said as I hooked her fringe to the back of her ear.
Later that night at the lift lobby of my house, I carried Faith in my arms, like any other husbands would do to their wives during their wedding night, into my house. At the door, we were struggling to get through with the auto closing mechanism working like wonder. With a big push with my leg, the magnet at the back caught the door as it swung opened and we finally entered the house.
I proceed into the master bedroom with Faith still in my arms after back kicking the door to shut it and stood beside the bed, looking into her eyes. We kissed as I slowly placed her down on the bed. I lowered myself and was hovering over her. Our tongues met and fought gently in our mouths with our lips nibbling on each other. I could still see her beautiful almond eyes in the darkness as it was glowing with the lights shining through the night curtains.
Gently, my mouth made its way down on her lips, tasting her every inch of it with my tongue on her soft wet lips. I went further south, further down to her neck and kissed on her collarbone, licking up her pendant that I bought for her and sucked it in my mouth.
“Let’s bathe first,” she said, and slowly unbuttoned her shirt. I gaped as she slowly revealed her lacy white bra in front of me.
“You’re so beautiful, you know that?” I said and added after giving her a smile, “And I’m so glad that you’re mine.”
Faith smiled and gave me a huge kiss. She stood up, tip-toed towards the bathroom holding my hand and I followed like a tamed horse. As she tip-toed, she dropped her shirt behind her on the floor and at the door of the bathroom; she turned around and leaned against it... ...