Not your everyday Wedding (Yemeni)

Chapter 5

Since the windows of my uncles car are tented, my mom takes off my scarf. We drive for about 20 minutes til we arrive at my dads apartment complex. Since our house is secluded I don't have to wear a scarf when I go out. I notice that the rain has gotten heavier.

As I step out of the car I expect my uncle to be ready with the umbrella. But he wasn't and he parked the car a little further from the entrance. Can he get any stupider. I get out of the car with my mom and aunt as they take the scarf and put it on top of my head as a form of an umbrella instead of a hijab. It didn't really help since the scarf was very thin. As we ran into the building, the rain drenching the scarf and my hair. I almost cried.

Why today? I want gonna lie that the idea of today being about me wasn't making me happy because it was. I wasn't payed much attention to as a kid and now even getting a little bit of attention for a short time was making me happy.

I ran to my uncles apartment and he just kept apologizing as my mom yelled at him. They got me a towel and dried my hair. They make got a little smudged but it can easily be fixed.

"Do you want to go back to the salon?" My uncle asked. I gave him a glare then calmed myself down.

"No. It's fine. I don't have to show my hair." I say sarcastically until we all got the same idea. "I can just wear a scarf. You did say that the dress is long sleeved so it wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Good idea! I'll go bring the scarf that's similar to the dress. I'll be back soon, go get dressed and reset your makeup and I'll be back before you know it." He says as he rushes out.

I go to the room and start undressing. That's when the nerves hit me. This is actually happening, I'm getting married! I feel a panic attack so I run to my bag and search through my medications til I find the diazepam (also known as Valium) that will calm my anxiety down. It takes awhile before the medication kicks in. When I'm almost completely naked, left only in my undergarments, I go and pick up the black zipped bag that contains the dress. I hold it up as I start unzipping it.

After I finished unzipping it and see how beautiful it is, I let go of the breath I was holding. It's blue and is simple. Just the way I like things. My excitement goes away as I see what was under the black bag.

It's a white decorated pray and underwear that can't even be categorized as underwear because of how thin they are. Do they expect me to wear this? Oh my god! Do they expect me to wear this in front of my husband? I start trembling feeling another panic attack on its way.

I try calming myself by taking deep breaths, then I hear a knock on the door. Assuming it's probably my mom or aunty, I open the door. Bad idea. It was one of my uncles. We both stare at each other in shock. I see his eyes roam around my body.

Then both of us come to our senses. He closes his eyes as he hands me a silky scarf the same color as the dress. I blush as I quickly take it and thank him as I close the door. "Sorry!" Ibrahim(my uncle who is about 16,17) says behind closed doors. Arghhh why is my life like this!!

**

I decide not to wear the underwear but I do like the bra. The bra is a push up bra and I have what most people in Yemen would categorize as small boobs. I think 32B is a good fit for someone as small as me.

After putting on the bra I take a towel and dry my hair. I decide to brush it before putting on the dress. I almost forgot there were extensions so this took quite awhile but I managed to finish in a reasonable time. After I put my hair in a bun, I decide it's time to wear the dress.

I look at the size of the dress and it's a small. I haven't wore a small in a long time but coming to Yemen was almost like going to weight camp. I have lost so much weight since I first came that I actually felt confident.

I put on the dress and it's almost a perfect fit. I will have to admit I wished my boobs were a little bigger since there was some space left but I wouldn't say the same about my bottom. It looked good in this right dress. That's a good trait about being Arab, they got big booties.

I twirl around in the dress a bit feeling like a princess then decide to put on the scarf. I then start retouching up my makeup. I put on another layer of mascara and lipstick. I decide that they might have went way over the top with the blush so I take my powdered foundation and put a little on my cheeks. After looking at myself I decide I looked like a real princess today.

I wait awhile but no one comes.I decide I should probably take some pictures for memories even though I know lots of pictures would be taken place today.

After another 30 minutes, I finally hear a knock. Being cautious this time, even though I'm dressed, I ask who it is. It's my mom.

"Wow! You look so pretty!" She says looking me over. "Your blush has simmered. Do you want me to go ask if someone as some?" She asks.

"No no! It's fine. I think I look better like this." I tell her.

"You sure?" She asks. I just nod. "Okay then. Come on let's go." She says as we start making our way to my other uncle Toufeeq's apartment which is across from the one we currently are at. The wedding is take place here because he has a very long and wide living room that can fit atleast 100 women(people) as long as they are all sitting.

My heart starts beating as I take a deep breath when I see that the whole room is stuffed living only a small passage for me to walk through. As I make my way up to seat, all the ladies are singing a traditional Yemeni song about a bride and groom but adding my name and Ahmed's(my husband). I try not to cringe but I have to admit I felt special.

After I take my seat, the my sister and mom start taking pictures and some girls manage to find space to dance. I smile as I see everyone laughing and smiling while they enjoy them selves. An hour passes before the groom walks in.

I don't look at his face even though I know what he looks like but I do take in what he's wearing. He is wearing a black tuxedo jacked and pants with a blue button up shirt the same color as my dress. I start shaking trying to calm myself as he gets closer.

The women as doing this weird thingy with their tongues but I don't hear it. Everything is silent, I feel sick. And then suddenly he is taking the steps up to sit next to me.

I try to calm myself down but I know I'm shaking, then suddenly I feel a hand on mine. I look at it confused then look up and see Ahmed staring back at me. We stare at each other for awhile while the ladies cheer. Photos are being taken of us, as Reem(his sister) hands us both drinks. We each take a small sip before handing it back. Then we are urged to stand up and do different poses for the camera.

At first they are okay cuts poses, then cringe, then a bit too intimate.

For example one of the poses was both of us facing each other as he kisses my head which was a cute pose.

Another example is that they made each of us do a half a heart shape with our hands and connect them together which was cringe.

The intimate pose that I didn't like was when he was behind me and put his and a little above waist. It was fine at first then they(my evil cousins) urged him to move lower and lower til he almost touched my bottom.

After awhile we sat back down and just faced the camera. My mind must have drifted off because the next thing I notice is that the camera flashes have stopped. I notice everyone looking at the door, so I do the same. Then a guy, not just any guy but a hot one at it(I mean hot for a Yemeni.) starts walking towards us. He walks right up to me and takes my hand and kisses it. If only he had a British accent and said, "how's it going ma'lady?" Then maybe everything would have turned out fine but noooo god forbid anything like that happens.

I hear Ahmed's mom scold him as she kicks him out. I learn he is Ahmed's brother and his name is Aaron. Arghhh even his name is better than my husbands. Why couldn't I have married him?