Can You Mend My Broken Heart?

520 Backyard Tales - 6

.

.

.

The pastor inched closer to the mic holding a bible in his hands. He was a man in his mid-seventies and his generously sized robes couldn't hide his frail body underneath.

Holding a bible in his hand and Rosary in the other, he looked that couple growing in love for each other and smiled, for he could reckon that theirs was a marriage that was going to last. He then looked at the crowd and urged them to pray for two who seemed nothing but the blessings of everyone around.

As everyone stood up and bowed their head, saying a silent prayer for their happy reunion, a man stood there all alone in the distance. Hiding behind the trunk of a tree, he looked at Raymond and then at Akira, and a deep gasp of air left his chest. His lips also moved in silent prayer from the bottom of his heart.

His heart was overwhelmed with mixed feelings, happiness, joy, a strange bitterness, and agony. His lips quivered and he clenched his fist, for he was trying hard to reconcile with the present.

After the prayer was over, the priest asked both of them, to join him on stage. He looked at both of them fondly and?led them through their vows and then asked, "I assume that you have something to say to each other," to which Akira nodded.

"Then you go first my child," said the priest.

Akira looked at Raymond nervously for a moment and then closed her eyes to compose herself, to give coherence to her thoughts. And when she opened her eyes, she smiled looking at him and said,

"There was a version of vows that I had written in my head a couple of years back. But then suddenly everything changed. You were gone. My vows were also gone. But there was one vow that stayed with me even when I tried to make myself believe that I had lost you..."

Her throat was chocking but she didn't stop.

"Every single day of my life, with every single breath that I take, I promise you that I would love you with all my heart. No matter what happens, no matter what future we have in store, I promise you, Raymond Walker, that I will love you till my heart stays alive."

Even though the veil was hiding her away, it couldn't hide her tears, her emotions, and her feeling away from Raymond. He could feel every single word that she said. He could feel every pause that she took, the amount of love hidden behind every single of her pause, and the warmth that her heart had for him.

Taking a shallow breath he looked up towards the sky, unable to believe his luck, unable to believe that there was someone in this world who loved him to this extent. But he soon composed himself and on the cue of the pastor he began,

"This is not part of my vow but just wanted to say..." and holding his hand on his heart he let out a faint breath and said, "God you look beautiful!"

Then looking at her with a face filled with seriousness, he began,

"I Raymond Walker promise you that there will not be a day when I will not try to compensate for the time that we have lost."

"I promise you that I will love you more and more as the day pass by and from this day onwards you are the owner of my heart, my body, and my soul. I promise to be with you no matter what happens. Even if the worst of the worse comes, I promise to stick with you, I promise to guard you, I promise to fight against every single tear that tries to run down from your beautiful eyes."

"Good God!" mumbled Katherine and wiped her tears away for her brother was making her all emotional. She didn't know how Akira was holding up.

But without moving an inch, Akira stood there all stupefied for those words were golden. Those words meant everything to her. She wanted to etch them into her heart. She didn't want to miss a single vowel of it. That man had gotten her breath all hitched.

"I Raymond Walker, promise thee, Akira Peyton, that I would love you from my soul even after my heart leaves me."

"Damn it's heavy!" muttered David and to which Shawn replied in agreement, "Totally! This man is setting the bar way high. Time to learn Mike."

Not only the guys, but even the pastor was moved with the vows of Raymond and he looked at Akira, who was clearly stumped.

"Raymond !!!"

Quivered her lips in reciprocation and he just nodded softly, asking her to hold tight for it was now the time to exchange the rings.

"May I now request the ring bearer to bring upon the rings to the stage," the Pastor requested, and upon hearing which, Shawn and Katherine went up on the stage carrying the rings which would soon become the testimony of their love.

It was the moment that they had been waiting for.

The pastor then directed Raymond to pick up the ring in his hand and asked,

"Do you Raymond Walker, take the Akira Peyton as your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness, and in health?"

And without even waiting for an extra second, Raymond answered,

"I do."

And the backyard roared with claps and whistles.

He extended his left palm and held her left palm in his hands as his right hand attempted to slide the ring into her finger.

"STOP"

Echoed a voice from afar.

That voice was loud and clear and it silenced the jubilant crowd in a second.

Irked with the voice, they all turned around to see him walking towards the stage.

"No way!" muttered Akira.