by Emma Easter
He couldn’t think properly after that kiss, nor could he speak. After a minute, he finally found his voice. “Wow! I have been dreaming of kissing you for so long.” He gave her a huge smile, joy enveloping him. He winked at her and said, “I won’t actually believe you are standing here before me until I have kissed you the way I have been dreaming of kissing you for years.” He gently pulled her into his arms, and this time he kissed her passionately and deeply, savoring her lips while his heart felt like it would explode.
Finally, he pulled away and she said, “Are you convinced now?”
He nodded and then remembered the ring he had bought for her. He knelt in the sand, brought out the ring from his pocket, took her hand, and looked up at her. He said, “Leila, you’re all that I ever wanted, the only woman I have ever loved.”
She covered her mouth as she looked down at him with tears in her eyes. It was at the tip of his tongue to ask her to marry him when he suddenly remembered his promise—that he would give his life to Jesus if he found her. He now knew who had spoken to him some minutes ago and saved his life. It was her Jesus, and now, her Jesus would be his.
She started to weep softly as she looked at the ring and at his face, and then nodded even though he had not asked her yet.
“No, Leila, before I ask you to marry me, I know you want me to share your faith, and I want to do that now.”
Her jaws dropped and she said, “Really Malik? You will give your heart to Jesus for me?”
“No, Leila, not for you. At least, not totally. For me… and because I now know that your Jesus is real. I want Him to be mine as well.”
She stared at him in confusion and he said, “It’s a long story. I am ready to give my heart to him if you will pray for me.”
Leila nodded eagerly. “There’s nothing I would want more,” she said.
He smiled, shut his eyes, and listened as Leila prayed for him. After that, she asked him to repeat the words of prayer after her, and he did. He prayed the words from his heart, and as he prayed, committing his life to the one who’d died for him, he felt his chest expand. Love like he had never known enveloped him and overwhelmed him. When he was through praying with Leila, he opened his eyes and knew he was forever changed.
Leila smiled at him and said, “How do you feel?”
He looked up at the sky, which seemed somehow bluer and brighter, and then looked at Leila’s pretty face. “I feel brand new, Leila. Like a completely new person.”
Leila chuckled. “Well, that’s good, but I hope the Malik I love is still in there. The one who wanted to ask me to marry him.”
He laughed and looked at the ring in his hand. “Yes, I guess he’s still here.” Malik said, “So, Leila, I’m asking you to marry me again. Will you be my wife?”
Leila squealed. “Yes, Malik. I will be your wife!”
Malik stood up and gathered her into his arms. He drew back and then kissed her. She pulled back and he groaned and reached for her again.
“No, Malik,” she said, her voice filled with excitement. “I have an idea.”
He raised his brows. “What is it?”
“I was supposed to get married today, so why don’t I?”
Malik tilted his head and studied her face. “What do you mean?”
“I mean there is a wedding ceremony going on now. Let’s go and get married, Malik. Now.”
“Now?” he said.
“Yes, now! Do you want to marry me now?”
Malik smiled at her. “There’s nothing I would want more.”
She took his hand. “Then let’s go before the wedding ceremony is over and everybody disperses. Miriam and Ishaq will wed us.”
He walked away with her, his heart pounding with anticipation. Never in a million years could he have hoped for a better ending than what was happening now. Not only had he found Leila, but they would be getting married today. God had truly given him a miracle. A huge one.
Leila pulled her hand away from his, giggling. “I will race you there,” she said, and began to run as fast as she could.
He went after her, laughing and racing toward his new future; a future he knew would be full of love and laughter. He couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with the woman he’d fallen in love with the first time he saw her, and with the God he’d given his heart to moments ago.
Chapter Twenty
Audrey stood in front of the makeshift altar in the men’s camp, holding Ken’s hand and smiling at him. Behind them was a crowd consisting of men and women from both camps. To her right was Trisha and Frank, and to her left, Sienna and Bryan. They all held hands, ready to renew their vows and make their parents proud on this day that their parents would have celebrated their fortieth anniversary. Sherifat and Reza had already been joined together by Ishaq and Miriam; now it was their turn. Not to be married again, of course, but to declare their enduring love to each other.
She could not stop smiling at Ken. He looked so handsome in his dress shirt and pants. She was thankful she had brought along the cream satin dress she was wearing now.
“You look beautiful, Audrey,” Ken said, looking deep into her eyes, the expression on his face one of overwhelming joy.
“You look very handsome yourself,” she said to him, and wove her fingers through his.
She looked at Sienna, Bryan, Trisha, and Frank. Sienna and Trisha had tears in their eyes, while Bryan and Frank looked at them with such love, just the way Ken was looking at her now. It actually felt like they were just getting married. Her heart was full. They had all come a long way with their spouses. A lot had happened over the years and yet the Lord had been kind to them and seen them through all their difficulties. She and her sisters had husbands who loved them dearly. She couldn’t wait to renew her marriage vows with Ken.
Miriam asked them to repeat the vows after her. First, Sienna and Bryan repeated their marriage vows, and then Trisha and Frank did. Lastly, Audrey repeated the vows with tears running down her cheeks. After that, Ken began to say his vows, and she felt as though her heart would burst with joy. She would get to spend many more years with this precious man who was her husband. There was nothing better than that. They had come a long way, and in spite of the pain they shared at not being able to have a baby, they still held out hope that one day it would happen. Audrey only hoped that it was not too late.
After Ken said his vows, Ishaq smiled at her and Ken, and then at her sisters and their husbands. He announced, “I now declare you men and wives again.” He looked at Ken, Frank, and Bryan and said, “You may kiss your brides.”
The entire crowd in the large tent cheered and clapped. Ken gently took Audrey’s face in his hands and kissed her. When he stepped back slightly from her, he wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumb and she grinned at him. “You’ve been the best husband any woman could ever ask for,” she whispered.
He kissed the back of her hand and said, “And you are the best wife any man could ever hope for. Thank you for marrying me, Audrey.”
Miriam told them to turn around to face the crowd, and then said, “Everyone, let’s celebrate these couples who have made a vow before God to continue their marriages for years to come.”
The crowd cheered again and Audrey swallowed a sob. She turned to look at Trisha and Sienna and saw that their faces were glowing with happiness. They started to walk out of the large tent, and Audrey smiled as the crowd cheered.
Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks when someone... no, two people ran into the tent, yelling, “We want to get married!”
The two yelling people came near, and Audrey saw it was Leila and another man who was not Abdul. Yesterday, Leila had told them all that she could not marry Abdul because she did not love him. Now she was here, screaming that she wanted to marry another man. Audrey was confused.
The crowd went berserk, and then, from the front of the crowd, Zainah stood up and screamed. “Malik! You’re here!”
The man Zainah called Malik looked at her and his eyes g
rew round. He ran to her and hugged her tightly.
Audrey turned to Ken with a curious expression on her face. “What is going on?” she whispered.
He shook his head. “I have no idea.”
Ishaq raised his hands to still the crowd. When all the noise finally died down, he said, “Can someone please tell me what is happening here?”
Zainah spoke up. “This man is my brother, Malik. He and Leila have loved each other for a long time but were separated due to unfortunate circumstances. This is not something that just suddenly happened. They belong together, these two.”
Audrey’s mouth fell wide open. This was so strange. She looked at Leila and saw she was brimming with joy. Audrey took a deep breath and smiled. Since they’d come to the camp, Leila had been moody, and she had never seen her smile. But now she was glowing and had the biggest smile on her face. She looked really happy and in love with the man beside her.
Leila and Zainah’s brother went to the front of the crowd. They stood before Miriam and Ishaq.
Miriam said, “So this is the Malik you’ve been talking about for such a long time, Leila.”
Leila nodded.
“Well then, I guess I have no problem marrying you both. Do you, Ishaq?”
Ishaq looked thoughtfully at both of them. Leila had broken up with Abdul, who was his friend. Audrey held her breath. She would not be surprised if he declined.
He didn’t speak for a full minute, and then he finally said, “Okay, Miriam. If you think it’s a good idea to marry them, then I have no problem with it. I guess we will have another wedding.”
Audrey giggled and said to Ken, “Wow! This is unexpected, and yet so fitting to the end of this special occasion.”
She found a seat with Ken near Faizan and Zainah. Faizan was holding baby Isabella, and Audrey immediately lifted the precious bundle from him. She kissed the baby’s cheeks, took a deep breath, and rocked Isabella in her arms. This was what she and Ken had been praying for—a precious little baby. The Lord had not yet answered their prayers, but at least she was holding her little niece in this beautiful, exotic place. That would have to be enough for now.
As Miriam and Ishaq joined Leila and Malik together in holy matrimony, Audrey listened absent-mindedly, preoccupied with the baby in her arms. From time to time, she turned to smile at Ken. Whenever she did, he smiled back and whispered, “I love you, Audrey.” She knew it was his way of encouraging her because he knew her so well. He knew that holding this baby would bring up a lot of emotions for her. She was happy and grateful for today, for being able to renew her vows to Ken and mark their parents’ anniversary with her sisters and their husbands, but she also felt a little sad.
After the wedding vows had been said and Miriam had declared the couple man and wife, Audrey cheered with the crowd.
Everyone soon filed out of the tent after Leila, Malik, Sherifat, and Reza. Miriam had arranged for a photographer to come to the camp to take pictures. After the newly wedded couples had their photographs taken with well-wishers around them, Audrey and Ken had their pictures taken.
After that, the photographer took Sienna and Bryan’s picture, and then Trisha and Frank’s. The photographer took a picture of Faizan and Zainah holding their baby, and then they all stood together to take a joint family photograph. Audrey stood beside Ken, Sienna and Bryan stood to their right, and Trisha and Frank, their left.
“Where should we stand?” Faizan asked the photographer.
Audrey said, “You and Zainah and the baby can come and stand in front of Ken and I.” she grinned. “Since we are the tallest couple here, you will not be blocking us.”
“No, you’re not!” Trisha said, laughing.
The photographer finally directed Zainah and Faizan to stand beside Trisha and Frank. The photograph was taken and Audrey said to Sienna, “I’m so glad we came here.” She looked around her. “This is the perfect scenery to renew our vows and mark Mom and Dad’s anniversary.”
Sienna agreed.
They all went back into the big tent after all the photographs had been taken. Now huge, steaming pots of food sat in front of the tent. The makeshift altar had been removed and brightly colored rugs and pillows placed in front of the tent.
Some women came and led the couples to the front. Leila, Malik, Sherifat, and Reza were already seated on some of the rugs. Audrey, her sisters, and their husbands sat on the other rugs.
Audrey smiled brightly when Faizan came to the front of the tent and asked everyone to come in and be seated. He had not told her that he would be acting as the MC of the occasion, but just like every other thing that had happened so far, it was fitting for him to be just that.
Everyone soon came in and sat down, and Faizan said the prayers to open the reception. After that, he gave a moving speech of how the women in the camp had saved his life and had truly accepted him in spite of his past. He looked at Sherifat and Reza and said, “I haven’t known you for too long, but the little I know of you I like very much. You are two very special young people, and I know you will live happily together, loving each other more and more every day.”
He looked at Zainah and said to her, “My love, you are my everything—you and our precious daughter. We were not able to renew our vows today, especially because of Isabella, but we will soon. I promise you.”
He continued to talk about Zainah, and her face glowed. After that, he talked about Leila and her new groom, Malik. He said, “I’m just meeting you, Malik, my brother-in-law, for the first time, but I have heard so much about you from your sister and your bride, Leila, and I like everything I have heard. I feel like I already know you. You are family now. Take care of Leila. She’s precious.”
He turned to Leila and said, “You finally have your dream, Leila. At last, you have a husband who loves you. I pray that you have many beautiful children and will live happily together forever.”
The crowd cheered again.
Finally, he faced Audrey and Sienna and Trisha, and told the short version of how he’d met them. He talked about finding them and then losing them when he came here. Now, they were together again. He said, “Apart from Zainah and my Isabella, you girls are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
Audrey felt tears swimming in her eyes when he said that.
He turned to Ken, Frank, and Bryan and said, “You men have been the best brothers-in-law anyone could ever hope for.”
He looked at Audrey, smiling. “I have missed living with you, Audrey, and you, Ken. I’ve missed your frankness and honesty and how you know how to give the best advice without beating around the bush. I love you, Audrey.”
Audrey mouthed, “I love you, too.”
He turned to Sienna and said, “Sienna, I have missed your sweetness and gentle kindness. You’re one of the nicest people I know. Trish, I’ve missed going to see you and my precious niece, Ruby, every day. I haven’t met Molly yet, but I hope to one day. I love you all and I cannot imagine my life without any of you in it.”
Audrey could hear Sienna sniffling beside her. Trisha was wiping the tears from her eyes with a handkerchief.
He continued to speak about the happy occasion and about the appearance of the men’s camp being a blessing that the women did not know they needed. “And you men, you are beyond blessed to have these women. I think the Lord intended for each camp to be a blessing to the other. It’s our Savior’s dream for us to be one, and I am happy to see it happening today, even though I was skeptical in the beginning.” He pointed at the crowd, mixed with men and women. “I hope there are more weddings like this in the future, because there is nothing greater to celebrate than love.”
Audrey felt overcome with emotions once more and found herself smiling throughout Faizan’s speech. She finally stopped crying after Faizan finished his moving speech. A dance group put together by some women and men came out to dance and sing a few minutes later. After that, some children also sang, and then another group came out and presented a recital.
People all around the tent randomly raised one lively tune after another, and soon people were dancing in front and all around the large tent. Audrey got up and danced with Ken even though she did not understand the lyrics of the songs.
Food and drinks were served some time later, and the dancing and singing continued into the night. Multiple lamps were placed all around the tent, giving the whole place a romantic glow. Finally, at about daybreak, everyone began to disperse.
Audrey yawned, feeling sleepy. She turned, giggled, and said to Ken, “Can you believe we partied all through the night? This was such fun.”
He nodded. “I just wish it could go on.”
Audrey chuckled. “Not me. I need to sleep now or I will collapse right here.”
Sienna and Trisha, who were standing next to her, laughed out loud. “I need to sleep as well,” Sienna said and stretched.
Audrey left the tent hand-in-hand with Sienna, Trisha, and Zainah, while the men walked behind them. After some time, Audrey turned and said, “What are the sleeping arrangements tonight? Do we have to go back to the women’s camp again without our husbands?”
Zainah answered, “No, all that has been done away with. I think everyone who is married will be able to stay with their other halves. That was what Miriam told me yesterday.”
“Yay!” Audrey raised her hands with a grin. “So I get to spend the night with Ken.”
“I think from now on until you guys leave, you can stay with your husbands,” Faizan said in an amused voice.
“So are we staying here or the women’s camp?” Trisha asked.
“I think there are more tents set up at the women’s camp,” Zainah answered.
Audrey held out her hand to Ken and he took it. Sienna and Trisha moved to their husbands’ sides, and Faizan wrapped an arm around Zainah while holding their daughter in the other. He leaned down and kissed Isabella’s cheek.
They all happily made their way to the women’s camp. Audrey could see from the joyful expressions on all their faces that their hearts were as full as hers. At the women’s camp, they separated.