Everyone waited for her answer in silent but it was not coming from her. Her fiance took in a big breath before letting it out slowly. For God's sake, she had said yes to him before. With the silent killing everyone the priest had to repeat the question again. 

"Rose do you take Sallu to be your lovely wedded husband?" he looked at her, "to hold and love?"

"Mmh," she began biting the bottom of her sexy lips, "ye...s, no, I don't know."   

People exchanged looks wondering what had come over her. This was supposed to be her happiest moment and she was make it the worst.

"What are you talking about child?" Daniella asked her,"are you by any chance forgetting who you are getting married to?" she was now shaking her daughter trying to put some sense in her,"this is Sallu, the man of your dreams once."

"I haven't forgotten about it mum," she said wiping away the tears on her face under the veil.

"Then what's wrong honey?" Sallu finally spoke his voice breaking into million pieces.

Rose took a look at everyone in the room. They were all beautifully dressed for the occasion. At that point she only wished that the earth would only open up and swallow her alive.

"There's something I would like to tell you honey," she breathed deeply taking hold of her hands.

He touched her gently,"can't that wait honey?" he asked still rubbing her knuckles.

"No!" she was now screaming at him,"that is the reason why this wedding can't take place."

"Okay," Sallu  said wanting to touch her cheeks but they were still covered by the veil.

Seeing that no one was about to talk she began, "I..... I am pregnant."

Just when she couldn't hold tears in her eyes she heard a voices ask all together,"What?"

"That is why I couldn't say yes to the priest's question earlier," she explained.

Sallu Neil stood there confused for what seemed like hours. He didn't know what to say or do, he just stood there. She wanted him to say something, anything for God's sake. This was the woman he dreamt of spending the rest of his life with and now she was pregnant with a bastard child.  What was he going to do now? He would have died for her but after the truth he was not sure anymore.

"I just found the truth this morning," she said choking on her own tears," I swear I never wanted this to happen to me."

Daniella held her daughter,"it's  not you fault sweetheart and you never wished for that and we also didn't, so calm down," she was rubbing her daughter's back.   Raising her eyes to meet her future son in law or as she thought before the bad news, "isn't that true, Sallu?"

He locked his gaze with them, "I'm truly sorry but I can't do this," he let go of her hands, "I love you Rose but I can't. Believe me but right now, many things are running through my mind and I'm confused. Sorry," with that he walked away.

"Sallu, " she called him from behind, "you can't leave me here. What about our love, our promises, "she couldn't hold it anymore. Her body was now heavy for her legs to support,"mum bring him back to me, Sallu, Sallu please don't leave me."

Rose heard her mum moan in pain as she held her tight before heard her say, "fight my dear, fight," then she collapsed.

Rose was shaking her mum, "mum not you please,  please not you my dearest mother," she was not waking up at all,"damn it! get up mum mu.......... um."

Within ten minutes the emergency door was opened to create space for Daniella's surgery.  Rose without letting go of her mum's hand she heard a voice say, "sorry Rose but this is the far you can go."

"Dr. Ceil please safe my mum for me, please."

"I promise to do my best Rose, "he promised getting into the theater.

Rose heard her shoulders touched softly and she knew that it was her best friend who would never leave her side but at that time she did not believe it.  That is what she had thought about Sallu and what happened?  He left her at the alter and now her mum was planning to leave her. 

Why me dear Lord? All this at the same day? First my pregnancy, then my fiance leaves me and now my mum is fighting for her life. I can't take this anymore dear Lord not anymore because I am not like Job. 

Her thoughts were brought back by her best friend's soft voice, "everything will be alright dear, let's pray for that."

Rose did not say anything but node her head. Seconds became minutes and then turned into hours and not a single person came from the damn emergency room. Rose got on her feet and began to walk around. Everyone was staring at her in the hospital but she didn't give a damn to them.

They could all go to hell.

Finally the doctor came out. On seeing him she ran towards him wanting good news from him but his face said all she needed to know.

"No Dr. Ceil, it can't be," she breathed hard, "you promised to do your best. "

"Get hold of yourself, Rose," he said, "you have gone through allot today."

She looked up ,"will that bring my life back?" she asked and ran out of the hospital.

             ****

What was supposed to be her happiest moment turned out to be her worse. The mass was held that night at their house. Everyone dressed in black consoling the poor girl. She remembered how her mum had sacrificed her life to provide everything.

She was her mum,  her dad, her best friend and everything else in her life and now her life was over.

Daniella was buried in the ancestral grave the following day next to her husband Ross who had passed away when Rose was born. Rose picked her mother's belongs into boxes and sent them away living only a few. Now she was all alone in this world and only God knew what the destiny held for her.