My elder sister Joy joined the flock of the ``barangay may-asawa'' on Dec. 20 last year. She told me that she would allow me to write her story on two conditions: not to mention her and her partner's ages and to categorically state she is not pregnant.
Well, she's in her 30s (sorry, Sis, this goes with the article and its bloopers). My sister married her boyfriend for nine years, not with a grand parade in a cathedral but in a 15-minute civil rites in court.
The wedding did not start on time though, thanks to the judge who came an hour and 30 minutes late. Outside the judge's sala, on her door, was a colorful sticker stating, ``Laging nasa oras ako. Filipino time is on time.''
The courtroom was jam-packed with five wedding couples, six clerks of court and relatives. Joy did not want to wed in a church simply because she did not want to be a center of attraction, er, embarrassing errors.
She doesn't fancy weddings and even hates attending one. Her wedding preparation was no grand show at all, except for a last-minute shopping the night before for what to wear on W-Day: a flesh three-fourth sleeved polo to match her pants. Like any ordinary day, Joy went on with her usual routine on her wedding day.
She was present at her workplace and still brought our nephew to class. She teaches in the school where the little boy studies. ``O ano mamaya, kita na lang tayo sa opisina mo. Tapos taxi na lang tayo papunta sa court'' was all she said in the morning before leaving for school. I said okay and went back to sleep.
The rest of my family met me at the office. The people, so used to beating deadlines, were panicking for us though we managed to leave 15 minutes to 1 p.m., the supposed wedding time.
The bride and groom's relatives all went to the Hall of Justice on empty stomachs, thinking the whole entourage would have a late lunch together after the wedding. Unlike a church wedding where the groom arrives first, my sister arrived ahead of the groom.
Along the hallway, my sister and I couldn't stop laughing upon seeing one of the bridesmaids in an almost formal gown. I jokingly told her, ``Buti na lang hindi ka rin nag-gown.'' ``He! He! Excuse me, no!'' was her reply. The clerk of court began the roll call.
Each wedding applicant was guided to their seats. I went in and out of the room to check if everybody's A-okay. Then I remembered the problem. I had to cancel the pre-ordered food for us since we would not be able to make it to the restaurant at 2 p.m.
By then, I felt really hungry. And so did Kerwin, one of the groom's barkada, who couldn't wait any longer that he bought some empanadas at the court's mini-store. I provided the soft drinks even if I don't drink one, and some homemade puto. Papa, Mama, Auntie Baby, the little boy and even Joy were all hungry.
A few minutes after our ``lunch-merienda,'' the clerk of court explained some things to the couples, among them the completion of all court requirements, birth certificates, affixing their commonly used signatures after the solemnization, how much the marriage contract costs and its availability after one week.
Jun, the groom, was also really hungry. He was fuming and told my sister not to stand up but clap when the judge arrives. The much-delayed wedding was further set back after one of the couples failed to comply with the requirements. They forgot to attach the bride's certified true copy of her birth certificate. After the issue was settled, the solemnizing officer finally came out of her chambers.
My sister was the first in line, kasi nga alphabetical order pala. They were followed by an older couple who were living-in for 20 years. The judge was very happy over their decision to wed. I wanted to stop my sister and her husband-to-be from laughing and elbowing each other, but the judge, who was in front of them, outsmarted me.
She caught their attention and said, ``Mga bugoy gyud mong duha dinha hah!'' In 15 minutes, the wedding was over and off we went to the beach for the celebration attended by 14 people, including parents, relatives and friends.
Unlike other wedding aftermaths, I didn't feel any changes at all with Joy's wedding, even if it was the second in the family. Hers was without a honeymoon because the newlyweds spent the night with their barkada.
She was back home shortly before 2 a.m. ``Hay salamat! Tomorrow, back to normal na,'' she said. These days, my sister and her husband still live in their respective houses. The only new thing with her is the wedding ring she now wears. Joy still lives with us and we still share the same room.
She still sleeps in her good-for-two bed and I on the floor with my sleeping bag. We still share the same extension phone, among others. With the entry of the new millennium and another marriage in the family, I felt so blessed being single kahit hindi naging ``bridesmaid ka lang!'' It will be another blessing to walk down the aisle, not as a ``bridesmaid ka lang'' but the bride, so that by then, my elder sister can say, ``Oh well, my sister's wedding.''
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