MingKit - Love Me Again✅

2 - Waiting

I paced around the court yard, keeping my gaze on the gates while I waited for Kit to drive through. The ceremony is supposed to start in five minutes. I tried calling him again, but it went straight to voicemail.

"Kit still not here?" P'Forth joined me on the porch where I was keeping watch.

"Not yet." I answered without taking my eyes off the gates.

"Don't look so worried. He'll come." Easy for him to say. He doesn't know what I'm feeling right now.

I straightened my back when the gates moved slowly, opening to let a car in. My elation was quickly dashed when the car which drove through wasn't Kit's but that of another guest.

"I'm not late, am I?" Ai'Ram, the newly arrived guest and my classmate from university, took the steps two at a time and stopped next to P'Forth and I.

"No." A relieved smile broke onto his face at my answer.

"Why are you out here? Shouldn't you be getting ready to walk down the aisle?" He took a quick look at his watch then looked up at me with bewildered eyes. "Oi Ming, you're not having second thoughts, are you? It's already five minutes past the start time." I looked down at my own watch to confirm. He was right, the ceremony should have started five minutes ago. Just then P'Beam, P'Pha and Yo joined us on the porch with questioning looks.

"Ming, your parents want to know what's going on." Yo placed his hand on my shoulder and looked up at me before looking around the area. "Is P'Kit not here yet?" I shook my head no in answer.

P'Beam and P'Pha pulled out their phones almost simultaneously.

"Are you going to call Kit?" P'Pha asked P'Beam.

"Yes, but if you've already dialed his number, I'll stop." P'Beam answered.

"I just dialed it..." I watched as P'Pha lifted his phone to his ear. When he brought the phone back down almost right away with a frown on his face, I knew, the call went straight to voicemail.

"Maybe he got caught in traffic. It was pretty bad on my way here." Ai'Ram offered, trying to ease the tension which had been slowly building.

"Your friend has a point Ai'Ming, why don't you go inside, we'll wait out here for him." P'Forth grabbed my arm as he spoke, trying to usher me into the building. I hesitated for a little bit before nodding then making my way inside.

"Is Kit not here yet?" Kit's mum was the first to ask. Even though she was trying to conceal it, I could still see the anxious look on her face.

"No, but he's probably just caught in traffic." I tried to reassure her. "Should I get you something to drink?" I wanted to take her mind off the current situation, if possible. Kit was already late by nearly ten minutes.

"No, I'm fine. Have you tried calling his phone? I tried a moment ago, but it wouldn't go through."

"Yes, the same thing happened when I tried to call. P'Pha and P'Beam are waiting outside to bring him in when he gets here." I led her back to her seat and then I had to go around giving the same explanation to my parents and anyone else who asked.

Fifteen minutes had passed by the time I was done reassuring our families and friends. Despite all the reassurance I gave though, I myself was anything but reassured. At one point I worried the guest could tell I was saying the words more to myself than to them, trying to convince myself that all will be well... all is well.

I excused myself from the latest guest wanting answers and made my way outside again when I saw P'Beam stick his head through the door.

"Is he here?" I looked around frantically as I addressed my question to our friends.

"Not yet." P'Beam answered. "I was only checking to see how the guests are reacting. It's almost twenty minutes now, maybe we should..." P'Beam stopped when he saw the glare I gave him. People can leave if they want to but I'm not going to tell anyone to leave. At least not until I have a very good reason to. I'm marrying Kit today whether they're there or not. I run my fingers through my hair and made a firm decision.

Without saying anything to anyone, I turned abruptly and sprinted toward my car. I stopped short when I realized I wasn't carrying my keys. I had to run back into the house to get them but P'Pha grabbed me before I could make it from the porch to my car the second time round.

"P'Pha..." I gave him a look which clearly said he should not try to stop me.

"I know what you're thinking but hold up, you can't do it alone. We'll help too. How many routes are there from Kit's hospital to this place?" I had to gather my thoughts for a minute before answering.

"Three."

"Okay, do you know the one Kit is likely to take?" P'Pha asked again. What is all this about? I gave him an irritated look before answering.

"We went through town last time he and I came here but if the traffic is too heavy he could have taken the highway." P'Pha wouldn't release me when I tried to get him to let go off my arm after I'd spoken.

"Give me your car key." P'Pha demanded.

"Huh?" A maddening look masked my face. Is he trying to keep me from going to find Kit? Then what was all this talk about helping me?

"You are too agitated to drive. I don't want my friend to come back and find out that the guy he's supposed to marry is admitted in some hospital somewhere with injuries from a car crash, so give me your key." I held on tightly to the key, not wanting to let go. If they're going to search for Kit, I'm coming too.

"You and Yo should stay here and keep talking to the guests. Forth will check out one route, Beam will use my car to check out the second route while I use your car to check out the third route." P'Pha further explained.

"No." I answered firmly. "I can't stay here doing nothing. I want to go find Kit." I gave P'Pha a look I hoped he'd understand because he knows what it feels like to be in a situation where you don't know what is going on with your lover, to be plagued with worry that something unforeseen might have happened to them. When he sighed in resignation, I knew he understood.

"Okay, you can come but let Beam drive you. It'll ease my mind to know that when Kit gets here you'll be here too, waiting to walk down the aisle with him." He lifted his open palm to me. The cold metal of the key bit into my flesh as I held on tightly while I tried to see the logic in the explanation P'Pha had offered. I looked around at the faces of our friends and I could tell they were in support of P'Pha's suggestion, so I reluctantly relinquished my car keys to P'Pha who in turn handed them to P'Beam.

"Your seat belt." P'Beam reminded me before starting the engine. I tried to bite my nails but there was nothing to bite as I'd just had them trimmed. The one prominent thought echoing in my brain was Kit. A prayer I never thought I'd say formed in my mind and repeated in a loop. God, let Kit be okay, let it just be a traffic jam. God, let Kit be okay, let it just be a traffic jam.

*****