A Disturbing Heartache

Last Saturday, Mum, Dad and I left home at around 12:45 p.m. in a taxi to attend the wedding reception of a cousin of mine I had never met. As always, I carried in my bag a book to read during any idle moments that might arise.

As we followed the road, the taxi driver he advised Mum to have faith in God if she wants to get well. And he played some gospel songs I liked, especially Don Moen's "God Will Make a Way".

I did read the book I carried and learnt that insecure people find it hard to apologize because doing so makes them feel weak. I also learnt that we can maintain our integrity by not talking ill of those absent.

We arrived at the wedding reception, which was held in an upscale hotel in Nairobi, at around 3:00 p.m. The driver asked me to leave my bag in the taxi but I refused and strode into the tent where the reception was taking place.

After having my plate of food, I scanned the tent for anyone I knew, recognized a few faces, greeted them and sat down to eat. Then I started walking around the tent as if I owned the place.

When I sat next to a white woman ready to initiate a conversation, a guard came and whispered to me, "I want to talk to you." He led me out of the tent as fear ran its icy hand down my spine. Had I done something wrong? I wondered.

As soon as we were out of the tent, the guard told me people were suspicious of me. He then asked me to take my bag to the car. I went to the taxi driver, only for him to put my bag under the table while telling me I should left the bag in the taxi as he instructed me when I was getting out.

When I went back to the guard and told him my bag was with the taxi driver, he asked me to sit down and relax in one place. I went inside the tent and got seated while feeling disturbed by what the guard had put me through.

Guess what again! Before long, the wedding emcee came and asked me whether I had an invitation card to the wedding. I told him it was my parents who had the card while pointing to where they were seated. He left me alone.

Even though the guard and the emcee talked to me nicely, they totally deflated me. I even lost appetite for the wedding cake, and on our way back home, I was so silent that the taxi driver told my parents that I was asleep.

Over the past few days, I've been brooding about that wedding reception I attended on Saturday. I did err by walking around the reception tent, but at least the heartache I felt when the guard and emcee restrained me has made me wiser.

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