Marry Me

"What's happening?" Benjamin yelled as he walked in front of Elijah who approached calmly, fixing his suit.

"What do you mean? Who are you?"

"I am the father of the bride whose marriage you are sabotaging." He answered, trying to block his way. The officials have already put a handcuff over Mr. William's hands.

Jennifer watched, unable to help the urge of excitement and hope that rose in her heart as the handcuffs clasped over his hands.

"Oh, you mean the man who willingly put his daughter up for same for some measly bucks?"

"How dare you..."

"Sir. You should really mind the way you speak to the mayor. You should be very careful." Ivan said, standing between Benjamin and Elijah.

Elijah gave a small smile as he walked away, brushing Benjamin's shoulder lightly as he passed by him to the bride. Jennifer was standing there, now alone.

Mr. Williams was dragged away, and Sarah cradled her relieved daughter in her arms. The wedding was a huge mess now, with guests trooping out and gossiping around, checking for any reliable sources of gossips.

"You are...the bride, right?" Elijah asked. It was a silly question, really, but he didn't just want to fluster her more by dragging her with him without announcement.

"Yes, Mayor."

She recognized him as more than just the mayor. He had been at her school once, as the special judge of one of the largest debate competitions.

She had been a speaker on that debate, and he had even presented her prize to her by himself.

"Come with me," He told her, extending his hand to her.

Sarah backed away slowly, her smile unwavering and teary. Jennifer looked at her, a little conflicted. She wanted to go, but she couldn't just do it. It wasn't her fault what had happened, but knowing her father, he would still blame it on them.

"Go, Jennifer. For my sake."

She was a bit hesitant, before giving her hand to him. He clasped his hand around hers in a firm grip and turned away, walking out of the now scanty church.

Ivan followed him immediately behind, as they got into the car together. Jennifer sat behind with Elijah, feeling a little uncomfortable with the dress now.

She became more aware of how misplaced she was in the dress, and how shabby the veil was. She looked down at her worn out shoes, then in the luxurious car.

"Your name is Jennifer?" Elijah suddenly asked.

She nodded slowly. "Why am I...why are you taking me, Sir?"

"You worked in skyhigh restaurant in your neighborhood, didn't you?" He was looking down at his newspaper, and didn't bother to look up to her even as he asked.

"Y..yes..during the summer break."

"And Mr. William Hugh was always there?"

"Yes, well...I believe that was where he saw me first." Her voice was suddenly filled with anger as she said the last part. He understood, and don't bother asking about it.

"What was he like?" He asked, but decided to let her eat. "Don't answer that. You can take a few minutes off to rest before we get to my office."

Jennifer nodded gratefully, then leaned on the window. They fell into comfortable silence, him focusing on his newspaper, while she drifted off to sleep.

The car stopped in front of the large storey building. Jennifer was still fast asleep and Elijah sat in the car, waiting. He felt a little uncomfortable waking her up, and he just let her sleep for a while, till she woke on her own.

"Sir...are...are we here?" She asked, rubbing her face with the back of her palm.

He nodded as he got out of the car and went around to open her door. She already had her hand on the knob and immediately withdrew it as he came.

"Thank you," She said to him as she went out of the car and he closed the door behind her.

She followed he and Ivan up to his office, amidst small whispers especially concerning her clothing. When they got into his office, Ivan left, leaving both of them alone.

"Have a seat," He said to her, then sat.

She nodded timidly and took the seat opposite him.

"You can remove the veil now." He said. He wasn't interested in seeing her face, he just felt a little strange questioning someone with their facial expressions hidden from him.

She slowly removed the veil, the pin that held her hair up falling off in the process, and her face came into view. Her black long hair fell to her back and she removed the veil completely. She felt a little bare, as she looked up to him, seeing the wave of realization settle in his eyes.

"You are...the girl from that debate. The one I presented a gold medal to."

"Yes..yes sir."

"And you are getting married?"

His question made her uncomfortable, but he couldn't hide the surprise he felt. He had thought she was so bright and intelligent when he first saw her, and to be candid, beautiful too.

He never expected her to settle to marriage so early in her life when everything was just starting out for her.

"That is the situation I found myself in. I left school upon my father's wish too."

"And now? Will you be able to go back home?"

She shook her head sadly and lowered it.

"Because you didn't get married and become a source of income for him?"

"That's what women are." She answered simply.

"I don't believe so. Do you think all you are is a source of measly bucks?"

She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes, then lowered her head again.

"It doesn't change that I have nowhere to go now because I didn't get married. I am sure my father is seething with rage right now and taking it out on my mother, even though it

"What's happening?" Benjamin yelled as he walked in front of Elijah who approached calmly, fixing his suit.

"What do you mean? Who are you?"

"I am the father of the bride whose marriage you are sabotaging." He answered, trying to block his way. The officials have already put a handcuff over Mr. William's hands.

Jennifer watched, unable to help the urge of excitement and hope that rose in her heart as the handcuffs clasped over his hands.

"Oh, you mean the man who willingly put his daughter up for same for some measly bucks?"

"How dare you..."

"Sir. You should really mind the way you speak to the mayor. You should be very careful." Ivan said, standing between Benjamin and Elijah.

Elijah gave a small smile as he walked away, brushing Benjamin's shoulder lightly as he passed by him to the bride. Jennifer was standing there, now alone.

Mr. Williams was dragged away, and Sarah cradled her relieved daughter in her arms. The wedding was a huge mess now, with guests trooping out and gossiping around, checking for any reliable sources of gossips.

"You are...the bride, right?" Elijah asked. It was a silly question, really, but he didn't just want to fluster her more by dragging her with him without announcement.

"Yes, Mayor."

She recognized him as more than just the mayor. He had been at her school once, as the special judge of one of the largest debate competitions.

She had been a speaker on that debate, and he had even presented her prize to her by himself.

"Come with me," He told her, extending his hand to her.

Sarah backed away slowly, her smile unwavering and teary. Jennifer looked at her, a little conflicted. She wanted to go, but she couldn't just do it. It wasn't her fault what had happened, but knowing her father, he would still blame it on them.

"Go, Jennifer. For my sake."

She was a bit hesitant, before giving her hand to him. He clasped his hand around hers in a firm grip and turned away, walking out of the now scanty church.

Ivan followed him immediately behind, as they got into the car together. Jennifer sat behind with Elijah, feeling a little uncomfortable with the dress now.

She became more aware of how misplaced she was in the dress, and how shabby the veil was. She looked down at her worn out shoes, then in the luxurious car.

"Your name is Jennifer?" Elijah suddenly asked.

She nodded slowly. "Why am I...why are you taking me, Sir?"

"You worked in skyhigh restaurant in your neighborhood, didn't you?" He was looking down at his newspaper, and didn't bother to look up to her even as he asked.

"Y..yes..during the summer break."

"And Mr. William Hugh was always there?"

"Yes, well...I believe that was where he saw me first." Her voice was suddenly filled with anger as she said the last part. He understood, and don't bother asking about it.

"What was he like?" He asked, but decided to let her eat. "Don't answer that. You can take a few minutes off to rest before we get to my office."

Jennifer nodded gratefully, then leaned on the window. They fell into comfortable silence, him focusing on his newspaper, while she drifted off to sleep.

The car stopped in front of the large storey building. Jennifer was still fast asleep and Elijah sat in the car, waiting. He felt a little uncomfortable waking her up, and he just let her sleep for a while, till she woke on her own.

"Sir...are...are we here?" She asked, rubbing her face with the back of her palm.

He nodded as he got out of the car and went around to open her door. She already had her hand on the knob and immediately withdrew it as he came.

"Thank you," She said to him as she went out of the car and he closed the door behind her.

She followed he and Ivan up to his office, amidst small whispers especially concerning her clothing. When they got into his office, Ivan left, leaving both of them alone.

"Have a seat," He said to her, then sat.

She nodded timidly and took the seat opposite him.

"You can remove the veil now." He said. He wasn't interested in seeing her face, he just felt a little strange questioning someone with their facial expressions hidden from him.

She slowly removed the veil, the pin that held her hair up falling off in the process, and her face came into view. Her black long hair fell to her back and she removed the veil completely. She felt a little bare, as she looked up to him, seeing the wave of realization settle in his eyes.

"You are...the girl from that debate. The one I presented a gold medal to."

"Yes..yes sir."

"And you are getting married?"

His question made her uncomfortable, but he couldn't hide the surprise he felt. He had thought she was so bright and intelligent when he first saw her, and to be candid, beautiful too.

He never expected her to settle to marriage so early in her life when everything was just starting out for her.

"That is the situation I found myself in. I left school upon my father's wish too."

"And now? Will you be able to go back home?"

She shook her head sadly and lowered it.

"Because you didn't get married and become a source of income for him?"

"That's what women are." She answered simply.

"I don't believe so. Do you think all you are is a source of measly bucks?"

She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes, then lowered her head again.

"It doesn't change that I have nowhere to go now because I didn't get married. I am sure my father is seething with rage right now and taking it out on my mother, even though it is none of her fault or mine."

Elijah was silent for a while. It just seemed to fall in place for him. She had to have a place to go, and he needed to get his parents off his back to get a new wife.

"Then marry me." He said with a small sigh. his reasons was that he needed a new wife, and to be honest, he felt partially guilty for the problem at her wedding, and her inability to go back home. "Marry me and...have a place to stay." none of her fault or mine."

Elijah was silent for a while. It just seemed to fall in place for him. She had to have a place to go, and he needed to get his parents off his back to get a new wife.

"Then marry me." He said with a small sigh. his reasons was that he needed a new wife, and to be honest, he felt partially guilty for the problem at her wedding, and her inability to go back home. "Marry me and...have a place to stay."