THE BRIDE UNKISSED

She met him by the river one day as he looked in the water like the god Narcissus, flexing his muscles and admiring his jaws and chiselled bones and like any other typical woman, she fell in love with him. His smile was a charm in itself and her heart was melted. His body odour turned her on and those bulging arms became her fantasy. He was soon introduced to her parents who agreed such a man was not to let go of. They rushed everything and her mama made a dream dress for her child to wed as soon as possible before he saw somebody else. The prospect of cute grandchildren was too much to forego and so the date was set for the last week of summer. He was a handsome man and enough for their handsome girl, little did they know this man didn’t love himself, he adored, rather worshipped his face and bowed down to his chest. So on the wedding day, the flowers were well set and everybody, peasants and landlords, spinsters and married women, old and young came to see the beautiful man escape their grasp forever. The priest was at the altar, and so was the bride, but where was the groom? They waited till they couldn’t wait anymore, for he had just played another game, won another gamble. He was a whole thirty miles away looking into the water, flexing his muscles, admiring his jaws and chiselled bones, waiting for another love-struck woman, to have, to hold and to leave asking for more, more of what they’ll never get. To leave them at the altar, a bride unkissed, a bride unwedded.