Ginger looked at her sister with a smile on her face. As her sister, Clara, sat there with her fiancée, Fredrick, both lost in each other's embrace, she could see the sheer joy in her eyes. One didn't need a soothsayer to know that they were perfect for each other. The way they were so in sync with one another was almost ridiculous. Even though they hadn't tied the knot yet, they did things, behave and acted in such wonderful synchronization, one would think they had been a couple for many years.
"Ginger, go get the cake" Katherine, their mother, called from the living room, snapping her out of her thoughts.
They were having a pre-wedding party to celebrate her sister Clara and her fiancée before they finally tied the knot. It was a small gathering made up of family and close friends. The atmosphere was cheerful, the sweet aroma of Katherine's dishes filled the air. Fredrick's family and friends were also present. It was an avenue for both families to bond more and get to know each other better, and most of all to properly plan for the wedding that was two days to come.
There were drinks, food and different games to play. Meanwhile, the soon-to-be wedded couple were just so into themselves, no one dared interrupt nor disturb them. Ginger went into the living room where the party was going on with the cake and carefully placed it on the small center table. Clicking her glass cup with a spoon, she spoke.
"Attention! Attention! Everybody". She called with a loud voice so she could be heard above the music that was playing smoothly in the background.
"It's time to cut the cake" she said.
"Let the celebrants do the honors" she said, beckoning Clara and her fiancée to cut the cake.
The whole family gathered around, watched and cheered as the soon-to-be wedded couples cut the cake. The party went on smoothly, everyone having fun and enjoying themselves. Soon it was time to go. Everyone bade goodbye. Hugs and pleasantries were exchanged. And little by little, the guests left one by one.
The next morning, Ginger woke up with the ringing of her phone to hear a crying Clara on the line.
" The wedding is off" she said, sobbing profusely on the phone.
" What! Why? What happened" Ginger asked her, apparently the sleep had cleared out of her eyes.
" I caught him with another woman" she said bitterly.
" No way", Ginger replied.
" You know what, why don't you calm down and come to the house? Let's talk things over" she continued,
" Alright" Clara replied and hung up the phone.
Two hours later, Ginger was met with a crying Clara. Her eyes were all red and puffy, and it looked like she hadn't had any sleep.
"Oh sister!" Ginger said, hugging her tightly.
As they sat on the couch in the living room, Ginger demanded to know exactly what happened. She had been utterly confused and shocked since this morning after what Clara had told her. The Fredrick she knew wouldn't try such a thing. She had watched both of them all through the party to know that Fredrick loved and adored her just as she loved him equally. There was no way he would do such a thing, she thought. She was finding it difficult to believe what her sister had told her and so demanded a clear explanation of what she saw.
"What exactly did you see" Ginger asked.
"Well, after he had dropped me off at my apartment, one hour later, I realized that I had forgotten my phone, and so I went back to his place.
"When he opened the door, he was surprised to see me. And he looked unsettled. I ignored it at first and made my way into his room to get my phone. At first, he tried stopping. So I asked him why he was acting strangely, and he couldn't speak. Then I knew something was up.
I forcefully entered his room to see a lady sitting on his bed with only a towel on." Clara explained to her.
" Do you know who the lady is", Ginger asked her.
"No, I just left there immediately after that" she replied.
"What did Fredrick have to say about it" Ginger asked again.
" I don't want to hear what he has to say" Clara replied stubbornly.
Ginger smiled and looked at Clara.
" You know in life, things are not always what they seem."
" Why don't you hear him out and hear what he has to say?" She continued.
Though Clara could be stubborn at times, if there was anyone she always listened to, it was Ginger.
Reluctantly, she agreed, and gave him a call. They sorted things out after she heard his side of the story. Apparently, the lady in his room was his sister whom he had told her had been abroad for a long time. According to him, she arrived at his apartment later that night after she had left and the bathroom in the guest room was not yet fixed, so he offered for her to use his own bathroom to freshen up and that was why she was in a towel in his room.
After they had sorted things out, Ginger looked at her to see her smiling and knew that everything had been sorted out. She slept peacefully that night, knowing that the next day was her sister's wedding and nothing was going to stop it from happening, not even some silly misunderstanding.
