What A Weekend!

The past few days has been filled with memorable activities and occasions that are not to be forgotten in a hurry. Over the weekend I got to attend my younger sister’s traditional marriage. This is actually my first time of attending an Annang traditional marriage.

I had anticipated this day with so much enthusiasm. Few days to the traditional, I had travelled from Lagos to Port-Harcourt and then moved from Port-Harcourt to Akwa-Ibom. I had joined a bus carrying some delegates/guests from Port-Harcourt to Akwa-Ibom. Usually, I would always go with my parents to the village but this time around I went with guest in a bus. It was an exciting journey.

There were delays picking people from one junction to another; which actually slowed our movement making us move at night and made me really worried considering the insecurity in Nigeria. On our way we had a mild accident but no casualty of any sort. While still on our way, on a lonely road in the dark of the night we had a busted tyre and we were asked to alight from the bus. We alighted and then they began changing the tyre; putting the spare tyre so as to enable us continue our journey. Why waiting for the tyre to be fixed; passengers got to ease themselves, drink water, some were chit chatting on the lonely road. When they had finished working on the tyre we got back into the vehicle and continue our journey.

When we arrived at our destination, which is the village. We meant crowd of people at home waiting to receive us. The village was lively and bubbling contrary to what I had expected. We started settling in. That very night, my dad welcomed elders in his sitting room who were cross checking the traditional marriage list to ensure everything that was expected of the groom was provided and any that was not there they had to ensure it was provided. People were rushing in the middle of the night to the store closest to us to get whatever the elders requested.

The next morning which was the day of the traditional marriage; guests were stilling arriving from Port-Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja, etc. to witness this occasion. The make-up artist came all the way from Uyo. We had some serious Annang cultural display. The occasion was really colourful because it was an inter-tribal marriage of Annang and Yoruba. There was a display of both the Annang culture and the Yoruba culture. The cultural outfits, cultural dances and varieties of cultural food display was really awesome and exciting to watch.

The bride and her girls were really cheerful; taking pictures/videos and smiling from side to side. Everyone congratulating the bride and cheering her up. The bride first task when she appeared to the crowd was to greet and welcome her intended in-laws. The groom was doing some serious question and answer session. After satisfying the requirements, the union was blessed. They had an official engagement; there was merriment and so much excitement in the air. One could see the bride and groom’s parents smiling and so excited like they have been waiting for this moment for so long. The groom and bride were seen whispering from time to time in each others ears with so much smiles and laughter; one will wonder what they could be saying to each other.

There was the cutting of the cake which was later shared to the crowd. Drinks and foods was also shared. The funniest part of this scenario was where some villagers went to the kitchen where they were cooking and ran away with a pot of food that was on fire and began sharing amongst themselves thereby frustrating the cook.

In all, the occasion ended in testimony and laughter. Guests who journeyed with us for the occasion still have stories they call my mum from time to time to gist about there experience. It was exciting and one not to be forgotten in a hurry.