The Wedding Cake Verse

[Published in the Malawi News of 24 December 2011]

By the time Mauro’s bullet riddled body was hitting the floor Miriam was on board a bus fleeing the country and Farook was furiously thinking of his next move.

Mauro, before meeting this gruesome fate, was a famous multitalented cake designer and baker the country over. He had started on a small scale though, occasionally designing wedding cakes for the middle class. Nevertheless, one day his friend, an inspector general of police’s chauffeur, negotiated for him to bake one of the wedding cakes for his boss’s son. Mauro saw the opportunity and seized it. He designed and baked a cake that stole the occasion, dwarfing all the cakes of designers of name at the wedding. His reputation rocketed; he never looked back thereon.

One evening Mauro received visitors: Farook and Miriam. They wanted him to design a cake for their wedding in three day’s time. Mauro had objected; he needed at least a week to come up with something substantial. But Farook had frantically pleaded and tripled the price leaving Mauro surprised. What Mauro did not know however, was that the two had met at a party five days earlier. Both were desperately looking for a marriage partner. Farook was frantic because his uncle, an opposition leader who had served the parties required constitutional terms, had earmarked him to be his successor at an impending convention in two months time. But Farook had one condition according to the party’s constitution he was yet to meet: marriage!

Farook had rushed to Ireen, his fiancée, but she had refused, insisting on finishing her college studies first in four months time. But Farook had no time. That was why when he had met Miriam and had accepted his proposal he had moved swiftly. He ended his affair with Irene and within days wedding preparations were underway. Nevertheless, many people advised Farook against the idea of marrying Miriam. But Farook would hear none of it.

You see Miriam was a girl on the loose. She slept with every man who came her way. Five times he had tried some married life but all had miserably crumbled. She was either chased out for being caught red handed pants down with other men or she would be the one leaving her husbands for other men.

But now at 32 and with her two siblings married, Miriam felt the pressure to settle down, but she only met suitors that were either not ready or were already committed. So when she had met Farook and had proposed she never hesitated.

Preparations were almost through. Their wedding promised to be a stunner. For the first time in the history of Chanazi Republic’s weddings the country’s most top five musicians were invited to spice up the occasion. Many prominent people were invited. It was also all over the radio and televisions stations. Rumour also had it that even the president would attend.

Mauro on his part did not even try his best but he did his best, as if his life depended on it. The cake he produced was just a smash. It was a cake that also had a Bible verse from Miriam inscribed on it. It was a verse meant to mock all those who opposed her marriage. Even Farook liked the idea. They had planned that the verse would be known to the reader at the very moment of reading.

The wedding day finally came. True to its billing, the wedding ceremony was simply a marvel; many people turned up, including the vice president. Both the church and the hall that were immaculately decorated were jam packed. The five bands played the best from their collections at the hall as they waited for the bride and groom.

At the church all went well. Vows were exchanged; passages were read, and all that stuff. Then with the hit ‘Ambuye Muwapatse Moyo’ playing in the background, the pastor had jubilantly announced that there was a special verse to be read. The reader, Farook’s eleven-year-old sister, had stood up, took a look at the wedding cake verse, opened her Bible and read.

For a moment the church went dead silent; then commotion! Shouting was all over. Miriam fainted. Some relations of Miriam rushed towards Mauro hurling insults at him.  Sympathizers whisked him away. So was the vice president. Farook was also heard angrily shouting, ‘I will deal with him!’ several times. The thing was 1 John 4:18, was the verse chosen, which reads ‘there is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love’. But Mauro had mistakenly inscribed John 4:18 which reads ‘The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband...’

That night Mauro’s house was broken into. He was shot several times from head to foot. Meanwhile Miriam was en route to South Africa to her young sister, fleeing the embarrassment. And the following morning Farook was arrested to answer murder charges.

Asilo giggled on hearing the news of the arrest. Since the wedding of the inspector general of police’s son, Mauro had pushed him to the peripheral of cake business. And when Farook had threatened to deal with Mauro he saw his opportunity. Now he had kicked him out of the way. It was back to business.