The gold curtains in the dark room are drawn back to the side.
"Rise and shine Al", she reaches her phone to look at the time.
"Mum, it's really early. I already set my watch when I want to wake up." her voice crackled.
"Alice, Alice, it's your wedding day today, you need to prepare early" said her mother. She sits straight up immediately.
"What wedding? Who am I married to?" said her in shocked.
"No time for jokes. Come on, up up up", her mother makes her stand up.
"There you go, now take a shower, your cousins are downstairs doing all the work needed before we go, the groom will come around 10am. I'll put your dress on your brother's bed" said her mother while pushing her from her brother's room to the bathroom.
Oblivious to the situation, she does what her mother said. Under the shower tap, she wonders what exactly happened. She couldn't remember anything about this day coming up. Suddenly it is her wedding day. Is she getting married to Andrew? Of course she is! How could she ask that question? They've promised that, back in university when she was only in her first year.
She walks into her room, just to find a made up bed with laces and new curtains, with soft blue colour theme all around the room. The room is customized too much that she hardly recognizes it. She forgot that she had slept in her brother's room. She makes her way to her brother's room, just to find a beautiful white cream gown on the bed. Excited, she puts it on. It fits perfectly on her, not too tight, not too big, just perfect. She puts on simple make up and a touch of lip balm on her lips. That should do it, simple, but simply perfect.
As she walks down the aisle of her house, everybody stares at her in amazement.
"Congratulations Al! I can't believe this day finally comes!" Faith, her best friend, beams at her, showing her customized braces. The dress Faith wears catches her eyes.
"How do I look then?" Faith made a full 360 turn for Alice.
"Beautiful!"
"Well, I'm your flower girl, but I'm not as beautiful as you are, pretty lady!" Her face lights up like sunshine. She can't wait to see how Andrew reactions would be when he sees her.
The wedding stage set in soft blue colour theme too, just like her bedroom she saw earlier. The chandelier on top of the stage really brings up the colour perfectly. It is full with small flowers at the sides, she feels as if she is in the garden of flowers instead of in her own living room.
This looks pretty grand. Where on earth did we get so much money, Andrew? She wonders in awe.
"The groom has arrived, he's outside" a familiar voice tells her.
She looks around, her father is wearing a handsome black tuxedo, he looks much younger that he looks.
"Daddy!" she screams in excitement, and hastily hugs him tightly.
"Woah, easy there, beautiful. You're getting married soon, I might ruin your wedding gown" he slowly releases her from the hug.
"You look amazing"
"Daddy!" she blushes.
When she is outside, waiting to welcome the groom, Andrew is nowhere to be seen.
"Who are you looking for, beautiful?" a guy with white tuxedo asks her with a gentle smile. She smiles back hesitantly, and continue searching for Andrew.
"I think we should be in the garden, your wedding dream, people are waiting for us, darling", he puts a little quote sign when he said the word garden.
"I'm confused." She said with honesty.
"I think you're having a nervous breakdown" he chuckles.
"It's okay, love. Come on now" he reaches for her hand but she took a step back just in time.
"Alice?"
She ignores him and suddenly heard Andrew's little laugh from a distant. She looks around and sees him going into a Suzuki swift car just a few blocks from her house. She leaves the guy in white tuxedo for Andrew.
"Andrew, may I talk to you?" The faces of people inside the car look at her as if she is a lunatic. Andrew gets out of the car looking mad, he hissed at her,
"I don't know you, don't talk to me ever again. We never knew each other".
A sudden stab hits her heart. What has she done?
"Now go back to your wedding. I'm going out with my friends" he leaves her in haste and gets into the car. She returns slowly back to her house, trying to digest what just happened. She has no idea what on earth is going on. If she is not married to Andrew, then, who is she married to? A pang hits her. Is it that guy in white tuxedo? Who the heck is he?
"There you are. You made me worried. Where did you run off to?" His rough voice conquers her ears, and not knowing what to do, she follows his footsteps. She feels as if she is a model that day, a confused bride model. She asked him who he is, he either chuckles or ignores her most of the time. She couldn't stand it, she wants to cry, she wants to scream out for help, she wants to urge her parents and everyone to explain to her what is going on, but she couldn't find the chance to do so. Everybody is busy, everybody congratulates her, and everybody wants a picture with her along with her so called husband.
Later that day, she eventually found out that his name is Hanson, aged 23, a student in the same university as hers, though instead of taking engineering, he is reading law course.
As night dawn on them, she sits in front of her mirror in the bedroom, still looking confused and exhausted. She feels like crying.
"You alright, love?" he asks from the bed he is lying on.
"Today is very tiring isn't it? Don't worry, we'll have 2 weeks time alone, just the two of us" he said naughtily to her. She feels disgusted. She ignores his remarks.
"Who are you?"
"That joke is wearing off, lass" his voice shows annoyance but he stables it with a touch of Scottish slang in an effort to attract her maybe. She just looks at him blankly, apparently waiting for his answer.
"Why do I get that same question from you a lot today? I'm your husband." He sighs.
"Yeah, that's a well known fact since this morning, but who exactly are you?"
"Honey, I think you're tired. You should shower and get yourself to sleep. Here, let me help you take off your wedding gown." He gestures to her wedding gown.
"Don't come near me." she warns him.
"My dear..." He draws himself near to her, thinking she is playing with him.
"Back off!" She fires.
"Woah, okay okay, calm down." A look of hurt portrayed in his hazel brown eyes.
"I should give you some time alone then. I'll be downstairs if you need me" He closes the door behind him.
She takes her phone and dials Andrew's number. It is unreachable. She keeps dialing his number, only to be in disappointment yet again. A streak of tears streaming down her cheeks, and smudging her mascara slowly.
"Andrew, where on earth are you?" she whispers softly.
She feels dizzy, migraine attacks her, and she fell off the chair only to find the ground welcomes her. She hits the floor hard on her head and she goes black out.
—- —-
The pink curtains in her dark room are drawn back to the side.
"Rise and shine sis" Daniel, her brother wakes her up.
"Daniel, am I getting married today?" she said in a rush.
"What the heck? No, you're supposed to send me to school today"
She exhales in relief.
Okay, a dream. She quickly texted Andrew before she gets ready for the day.