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“Do you know what your son has done?” Tamara asked his parents.
His mother continued to sob as everyone’s focus suddenly went to Rod having a heated discussion over the phone.
“Look man, I don’t know what the problem is, but just come down here and talk about it! Ken!...Ken! Hello? Hello?” He yelled. “Dammit!”
“Wait, what did he do? Rod, what’s going on? Answer me!” Shauna demanded.
He tried to gather his words before delivering the bad news. “Baby, Kenneth isn’t coming. I’m sorry. I don’t know what we’re going to tell Tanya.”
“What?!?!?! What do you mean he’s not coming?! He’s getting married today!”
“I don’t know baby. I talked to him and...And said he wasn’t coming. He wouldn’t say why.”
“So he just up and decided TODAY, not to show up and marry my best friend!?!? What in tha hell is wrong with him?” Shauna replied, looking around for answers.
No one had an answer. Not even Kenneth’s parents who were equally stunned by the news.
Keena soon emerged into the hallway looking for answers. “Ummm, what’s going on here? The wedding is supposed to be starting.”
Silence.
“Look someone needs to say something. Tanya is going to start asking questions soon. I mean she’s fine now because of the champagne, but that can only last so long.” Keena preached to the disappointed faces staring back at her.
“Ken is standing my baby up.” Tamara said, tearing up.
“I don’t know what to tell her Keena.” Shauna cried. “I just don’t know.”
“STOP!” Keena shouted. “Can somebody explain what the hell is happening here?!?”
Her outburst went ignored and unanswered. Only because they couldn’t make sense of Kenneth’s rash decision in not showing up.
“Hey, we can all tell her together.” Rod said.
“What do we need to tell the guests? Everybody is here.” Kenneth’s mother asked, finally breaking her silence.
“We need to worry about Tanya FIRST. THEN we’ll deal with the guests.” Keena fussed. “Can you find your son for us, please? He owes everyone an explanation. And he owes me money for this damn dress!”
“I agree, let’s help Tanya first. I’ll have the bridesmaids join the groomsmen and I’ll speak with them, that way you guys can have some privacy with Tanya.” Valerie chimed in.
Questions filled the hallway as the photographer, bridesmaids, and flowers girl followed the coordinator to another room.
“Hey guys! Rod, what are you doing here? Mom, how’s dad? He needs to hurry back here to be ready to walk me down the...” Tanya noticed the dismal looks on their faces. “Hey, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“Baby, we have some bad news.” Tamara started.
“Is Kenneth ok!?!?” Her voice dropped.
“He’s fine baby.” She replied, then took a deep breath. “He....He said he isn’t coming.”
“Wh-What? Tanya asked, confused. “He said that to who?!?!?”
“Tanya, I just talked to Ken.” Rod said. “He said he loves you, but he just can’t get married. I tried my best to get him down here to tell you himself but...he didn’t want to. Look, I’ll try my best to get you more answers, but right now we need to get you out of here and back home so you can relax and process all of this.”
“You guys are kidding me right?!? Kenneth LOVES me!” She laughed hysterically. “He knows how important this day is to US!”
“We are all confused baby.” Tamara added. “I wish I could tell you what is happening or even how to fix this but...Let’s just get you home.”
“Ho-How could this be?”
“Tanya...” Shauna called out.
“I’ll call him.” Tanya ran to her phone. “I’ll call him. Talk to him, and he’ll come back here and we’ll get married. It’ll have to be a late wedding. Kenneth wouldn’t do this to me.”
“He is Tanya.” Rod tried to take the phone from her. “He IS doing this to you. Ken was here earlier, then lied about why he had to leave. Now he’s saying he isn’t coming. It’s confusing as hell to all of us but, we can’t let you sit here and wait for him like this.”
“No, he wouldn’t!” She snatched away. “We have PLANS! Plans to build OUR life, TOGETHER! You all are not going to come in here and tell me that everything is over. I am calling him!”
“Awe baby. Let’s just get you home.” Tamara tried to convince.
The phone rang until the voicemail came on. She frantically dialed again, looking over her shoulder at her mother and friends packing up her stuff.
“Stop that!” She screamed. “Put my stuff back!”
“Hello.” Kenneth answered.
“Ken, honey.” She replied in a suddenly calm tone. “Everyone seems to think you’re not coming. I don’t care if you’re running late. Hell, I’ll marry you in an empty church. Just come down here. Right now.”
“Tanya, I love you. You know that...”
“Of course I know you love me. That’s why you’re on your way back right?” She smiled, looking to the floor.
“No. I can’t do it. We’ll talk later, I gotta go clear my head. I’m sorry.”
“KENNETH! DON’T YOU DO THIS!” She screamed. “DON’T YOU DO THIS TO ME!”
He couldn’t bear listening to the painful cries of his fiancé. Kenneth hung up as she slumped over the makeup table, knocking over lipsticks.
As she cried, her mind went back to the eerie feeling of the morning when Kenneth wasn’t answering her calls. Hanging up the phone, numbness took over her body, and the tears went away. Things were starting to add up, her fiancé had second thoughts all along and never said a word.
Tanya didn’t know what to say, what to feel, or what to do. Her legs felt weak, wobbling with each breath. Tamara grabbed her daughter to keep her from falling. Feeling her mother’s comfort, tears returned with a demure cry.
“What happened Rod? He was fine when I left him.” Tanya asked.
“Last night, Ken was distant. He didn’t drink, didn’t speak much. After an hour he said he was ready to go.” He replied in a low tone.
“And no one thought to call me!?!”
Shauna couldn’t take seeing her friend hurt, and didn’t want to risk her friend asking if she knew of Kenneth’s weird behavior. She could have warned her friend, instead, she allowed Tanya to think everything was fine. Her best friend’s wedding, destroyed. She left the room to check on the coordinator. Anything to get her out of that room.
Valerie stood outside of the closed door, afraid to face the anxious bridal party. Tapping her clipboard, relief came over as Shauna walked up.
“Do they know?” She asked, erasing tears with her fingertips.
“No!” She answered in distress. “I’ve never done this before. I don’t know what to say. Especially since Kenneth isn’t giving us any answers.”
She rolled her eyes at the coordinator’s panic. Her mind stayed on Tanya’s mental state.
“I want to get Tanya out of here before you tell them. She doesn’t need to be bombarded by the questions or unnecessary comments.”
“Ok. I’ll wait for you guys to leave before I make the announcement to them and the guests.” She paused and resumed tapping on the clipboard. “The guests! Gosh, I forgot about them. What do I tell them?”
“Think of something!” Shauna demanded in a bold whisper. “I have a best friend to think of. Do your job.”
This is NOT part of my job. Valerie thought to herself.
She returned to the room where Keena and Rod were sneaking bags and boxes out of the back door. Moses and Tanya’s brothers joined Tamara to console their broken angel. Shauna stared at her hurting friend, sitting in the make-up chair with tears falling onto the beautiful gown. A gown that once helped to lift her spirits about being a bride.
Tanya looked up to Shauna with the deepest pain in her eyes.
“Did you know? Did he say anything to you?”
“No.” She whimpered, holding back more tears. “He didn’t say anything.”
“What do I tell everyone?” Tanya asked, with her hands quivering around the colorful bouquet. “How can I face them after this?”
“You don’t have to baby girl” Moses answered, rubbing her back. “Not until you’re ready. Let’s get you out of here.”
They hurried her to the car before the coordinator broke the news to the wedding party. As they attempted to whisk her away, a few guests peeked through the window watching her scurry like a runaway bride. They were confused to see Tanya leaving.
At 3pm, conservations and questions filled the venue about the holdup, the groom’s whereabouts, and why the bride left. A few put the puzzle pieces together and began to leave. Many stuck around to get the scoop on why they weren’t watching two beautiful people become one.
Just as rumors of Kenneth being in an accident began to spread, the wedding coordinator came to the front of the makeshift chapel to deliver the news.
“Hi, I’m Valerie. Kenneth and Tanya entrusted me to coordinate their beautiful day.” She began with a shaky voice.
Loud whispers, baby’s whining, and groans filled the room.
“Just a moment.” She waved her hand. “I’m sorry you all have been kept waiting this long. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the wedding will be postponed. On behalf of Kenneth, Tanya, and their families, we want to thank you all for taking time out of your day to witness what would have been a beautiful occasion. I’m sorry but unfortunately, I don’t have further details to share with you all at this time.”
Noises of anger, confusion, more kids groaning took over. Valerie stood in front, staring at the disappointed faces demanding answers.
“We do have refreshments available for those who wish to partake, but you all are free to leave.” She added to help ease the blow of the news.
“I flew all the way down here from DC and they ain’t getting married!?!?” A guest yelled out.
“Where’s Tanya?!? I need to talk to her!” A loud country voice added.
“Is Ken okay?” Another screamed out. “I heard he was in a bad car accident.”
“Yea me too! He was too drunk from last night and...”
“Guys, I can assure you that Kenneth is okay. He wasn’t in an accident.” Valerie stated, pulling on her shirt.
“Well, what is it then?!?!” An elder woman in the front row asked.
“I have to go!” She concluded before rushing out. Valerie ran to the nearest office, locked herself in, and hyperventilated on the couch.
After the news hit, Tanya’s phone flooded with text messages and calls. She turned the phone off and threw it in her bag. When Tanya couldn’t be reached, Shauna’s phone began buzzing.
Rod drove to Kenneth’s house to demand more answers. He wasn’t there, and the lights inside the house were off. Kenneth always left a light on when he was home, even in the day time. He tried calling the estranged groom again, but no luck. Although the final effort appeared to be a lost cause, Rod wasn’t giving up. He was going to sit outside until he returned.
Tanya reached her front door, holding her mother’s hand tightly. With tears flowing, she made sudden glances behind her, thinking Kenneth would show up to explain, apologize, or just whisk her away to elope instead. With all of the humiliation, she still wanted to marry him, no matter the explanation.
“Do you want me to keep your phone T?” Keena asked. “I can handle calls for you.”
“No. I’ll talk to everyone tomorrow. I just need a day. I’ll keep my phone; Kenneth may call.” Tanya replied in a low tone.
Shauna began removing all of the wedding and bachelorette paraphernalia to prevent any triggers for her wounded friend.
“Let me help you get out of that dress sweetie.” Tamara suggested.
“Mom, can you run me a bath?” Tanya asked sitting on the sofa, staring at the carpet.
“Sure baby.”
“You hungry?” Tanya’s brother, Lewis asked. “We can make a quick food run.”
“Pizza.” She answered, squeezing out a smile.
“Pizza it is! I know how you like it.” He said rubbing away his sister’s tears. “Anybody else?”
“No, I can’t eat a thing!” Shauna answered, throwing decorations into a trash bag. “Tanya, get out of that dress girl and go take your bath.”
“I’ll get up in a minute.” She replied, staring into her phone.
While waiting for Kenneth’s call, the swooshing sounds of the trash bag began to be too much for her to take.
She left the living room and slumped towards the staircase. The climb felt like an eternity. Each step representing reminders. The first step, a bad indication of why she was back in her home, instead of kissing her new husband during their first dance. Another step represented the reason she had to take off her dream dress. A few more steps representing the failed relationship which occurred with no major warning signs.
Tanya stopped and counted the remaining steps. Five more reminders. Step five, her family and friends were supportive during the detrimental loss. Step four, the bouquet sitting on the dining room table, and not tossed in the air for anxious single ladies. Step three, the delicious food and cake that would go to waste. Step two, the honeymoon she would have to cancel. Step one, the day she had been dreaming of since Kenneth proposed; destroyed by an unexpected cowardly act. Although she had her reservations, she chose love, and it let her down.
After taking the final step, Tamara greeted her with a loving hug and kiss.
“Baby, everything is going to be alright. This storm will pass. Focus on resting tonight. Don’t worry about what you need to do. We’ll help you get through this.”
No matter how sincere her mother’s words felt, there was nothing anyone could say to make the indescribable pain subside. She released her mother, entered the bedroom, and closed the door. All her family and friends could do was allow Tanya to process and deal with the desolation in her own way.