The Bridesmaids’ Men by Annette Lutivini Majanja

Photo by Jerry Riley. Click on image or Visit http://www.jerryriley.com/blog to see more pictures of Kenya

Teresia is very particular, she chose electric blue and burgandy as her theme colours for her wedding. She bought all her fabric in Ngara. Her cousin and best friend Anastacia a mukorino was the best maid wearing an electric blue headscarf and a matching pleated maxi dress with a burgandy handbag and belt to complete the outfit.

Anastacia soon after got married to Joseph whose sister Doris had left the faith and marched down the aisle in a an shocking electric blue micro mini dress. She kept reminding everyone that the colour was not electronic blue.  Doris’boyfriend Stevo says he is an agent, a property agent.  Joseph and Stevo are always fighting. Stevo has three blackboards and plent of contacts of houses to let. Doris bought all the wedding shoes in Mumbai India. That was before she lost her job as flight attendant and moved in with Stevo. Her old uniform is in the same box as her electric blue dress.  Stevo has promised her a big wedding.  Fuschia is her colour.

Teresia’s brother in law Dan was the chairman of the wedding committee. Whenever he stops to buy roasted maize from Tom, he asks about Nafula. Nafula was third in the line with a off shoulder burgandy dress and and an electric blue shoes and a belt. Nafula refused to take his phone calls but Dan was persistent. Nafula would not have dismissed him so fast if he had not said, “mba – nga – ndee.” Tom is a private investigator and can’t wait to close the case he is working on. Not many people believe that there are private investigators in Kenya so he is safe for now. Nafula constantly complains about the charcoal stains on his fingertips, that’s her only problem with Tom.  Dan is trying and failing to move on.

Musa, Chris and Leon had refused to be in the bridal because Teresia wanted them to wear bow ties. Bow ties, who wears those any more? Then they met the bridesmaids.  Chris realises  now that he wasted many Thursday evenings at committee meetings discussing card designs, discovering the demerits of crepe paper and that pink was last season’s colour.  There were supposed to be six bridesmaids but one of them got her U.S visa to go for futher studies so Chris ended up being appointed transport manager instead of groomsman.

Musa can’t decide if he likes Jacinta or Joy and wishes that Leon would give him more time to make up his mind.  Joy was very attentive to the accessories. She bought her own matching blue beads at Ushanga Kanaiya on River road and then found somebody on facebook to make the necklaces , earings and anklets. Leon knows all this because he was the one harassing the facebook designer who delivered the jewellery at the church just a few seconds before the church service. Leon and Joy now also makes jewellery together.  He has not told his boys yet.

© Annette Lutivini Majanja

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