The large ship arrived in the port of Scallur from Dailmore after 2 days. It passed in several major ports. The ship is large enough to sustain the roughness of the sea and carry hundreds of passengers and cargoes.
It was almost three in the morning and the port of Scallur was awake, or matter-of-factly it never slept being an international port. A lot of activities were going on in the port area. People from different cities merged here: passengers, workers, businessmen, tourists, students, law enforcers, tax collectors, and many others.
Oemor was thankful that in both his trips the climate was so cooperative. Upon his arrival he had to wait until 5:00 AM for the connecting bus trip to the village he lived, a 1-hour trip from the port.
Oemor arrived in the port of Dailmore with a little worry in his mind. The excitement he felt was replaced with little concern on how he could explain to one of his children that he gave up his present just to accommodate other people’s request. If he would not tell them the truth and make alibis then he would violate the value of honesty he wanted to inculcate to his children. He was absolute to tell them the truth but how to comfort one of them was his main problem.
Another thing that bothered him was her promise to Assiram to look for her children, and he knew his starting point was the Church of Scallur.
He decided to drop by the Church of Scalluria which was opposite the port first to offer some thanksgiving for a good trip, second was to seek guidance on how he should deal with his situation, and third, to find out if Assiram’s children were still there. Anyway, he had to wait for another hour for the bus. Although a lot of trip was available going to his village he had no more money to pay for another bus.
Along the front yard he noticed some homeless people sleeping with the covers of the overhangs of the church canopy. He felt sad to see them and thought how the Scallurian government neglected them despite the gains it derived from industrializing.
“What a poor sight,” it’s the only thing he could think of as a compliment.
The old church was almost empty when he entered the hall, perhaps because it was just passed 3:00 o’clock in the morning. Carrying his luggage he walked near the altar. He knelt in the second row after putting his things beside him.
As he begun to bow his head for prayer he heard a commotion at the side entrance where the priest residence was situated. Curiously his attention shifted to a young lad and a woman talking to an old priest. As they walked towards the altar he heard them talking.
“I should not do this.” He overheard the priest saying.
“But father, we have the papers.” The lad was so insistent. “And you know that we loved each other. I promised you, I’m doing this for good.” His voice was begging.
“I will do this, but we need a witness to the ceremony.”
From that point, silence followed and he noticed the three has finally noticed him kneeling. Oemor pretended not to hear anything and bowed his head. But he noticed they whispered from each other and then approached him.
With urgency in his voice, the lad said in a low and polite manner, “Sir, I am very sorry to disturb you, but please I kindly ask a very few seconds of your time.”
He turned his head toward the lad, “Well, okay! But what can I do for you?” he whispered.
“Can you serve as witness to our wedding?” he replied.
He was surprised to hear it so he asked. “Why do you have to do this at this very early hour?”
The priest whispered to him, “These two are in-love with each other and are getting married but the woman’s parents are against their relationship and are on their way to the church to take their daughter from him. They believe this is the only way they can fulfill their love.”
So, that was the reason they are rushing, Oemor thought.
“Please, serve as our witness for the ceremony.” The lad was pleading.
“Okay, I will but please be true to your vows,” Oemor said.
“I will sir, because I loved her very much. I can’t live without her.” The lad replied.
Oemor was absolute; this man is truly in love with the woman. He knew the feelings just as he thought; he can’t live without her wife. That’s the reason why he tried to make her happy.
The priest started to initiate the rite with only four of them in the church altar. The two exchanged vows in front of Oemor. At the point the priest asked for the ceremonial ring the man could not find one.
“I left the things when we rushed here,” he whispered to the lady.
“Please find a way before my parents reach here. It is almost four in the morning,” the lady whispered back in a worried voice.
“Don’t worry, I have some here,” Oemor offered to calm the couple down. He rushed to his luggage and got one of the fortune ring box then returned to the couple.
The rite was completed finally and the couple signed their marriage papers including Oemor. The priest gave his advises to the couple to live a fruitful married life.
Oemor’s mind was so impressed of the love the newly wed couple shared. They were able to fight the trials together. He was sure to his mind the lad would be successful in the near future because of his aggressiveness and perseverance. Doing things the unusual but legal way was a challenge.
He looked at both of their face and he found the affection and determination to face the world together. Their face showed sign of worry but the joy was more pronounced in their eyes.
As he watched the couple kissed each other he remembered how he experienced the same feeling they were at that moment. It was fulfilling to have the one you loved bound together with you in matrimony. As they waved and thank the priest and him he imagined himself in the place of the lad waving to the well-wishers.
His eyes followed them with delightful feelings as they rushed to find their way to the exit until finally the eloped couple vanished in a dimly lit corner of the church exit. And he imagined once more of himself the fortunate man carrying his bride to their waiting bridal car. “What a lovely sight,” he whispered.
“It was a lovely sight indeed”, the priest heard his whisper and approached him.
The priest told him the story about Olrac, the lad and Assirac, the lady, as they sat on the front bench.
“Olrac is just 23 years old. He is an orphan, and he grew with our care from this church. He just finished a technical course and worked as an artist in one of the companies here in Scallur. He lived with us in the church and helped us perform our duties. Assirac is only 18 years old and was the only daughter of the Earlas family. Her parents are very rich and influential both in the government and the church. The two are in love of each other.” He paused to clear his throat.
The priest continued, “They had been friends since they were still in the preparatory school. Because of their closeness their affection developed when they reached their matured minds.”
“So, they studied in the same school.” Oemor added.
“Yes, but Olrac was older than Assirac since he went to school late. We sent him to the churchran school, a good school where rich families also sent their children. Also because the church heads were convinced of his good leadership qualities and intelligent mind we didn’t hesitate to support his education.
“Olrac has so much respect for Assirac so their relationship grew with them. Only recently that Assirac’s family learned about their relationship and his parents decided to break their closeness. They planned to send her to some other place. But the lady was also in-love with the lad so she informed him about the plans of her parents.”
“So marrying her was the best he can do.” Oemor added again.
“They were both at the right age of 18 that Scallurian government allowed to marry without parental consent so they were able to obtain marriage license secretly without her parent’s notice. They are supposed to be wed the next day in a formal rite with arranged witnesses without the parents of Assirac. But the parents were able to know their plan last night and decided to find Assirac by all means. They even threatened to put Olrac to jail by kidnapping.
I should not have done it but I can’t deny them their right. So they have it”
They exchanged few more words then after thanking he waved him goodbye.
Oemor was taken aback by the story as he continued his daydreaming about what had just taken place. He remembered the story to be similar with that of the legend of the Fortune Ring.
Just then, his daydreaming finally ended. Remembering the ring he lent to the couple made his heart pounding harder.
“Oh, good Lord,” he thought after he realized he forgot to get back the ring. In panic he searched his bag to see which of the rings he gave them. The worst thing was that the ring he lent to the couple was the very same ring intended for his wife. Then he felt as if the clouds that carried his spirit high just a while ago crumbled and he crushed into a sharp bed of nails.
He rushed to follow the priest to ask him where he can find the two.
“No, my son there is no way I would know where they are going,” the priest sadly said. And nobody could tell where they will go since the two made it a secret even to their close friends.”
Oemor begun to feel the load on his shoulder he almost felt like being overrun by the world. He told the priest the story of the ring and he was so sorry. And by then he even forgot about Assiram’s daughters.
“I am very sad my son. But I know someday they will contact me. Please leave me your address so I can find you when that time will come,” the sympathetic priest said.
He felt like crying as he wrote his contact address. As the priest moved out, he knelt again and whispered to the Lord. He didn’t understand why these things happened to him in the situation where he thought he was near God.
“God, I could not do anything because it is not my will but yours be done.”
He whispered a little prayer. He asked God for guidance once more on what to do. With a heavy heart he moved out from the church.
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