The Wedding Ring

by Jessica Collins

  Felix has a unique way of making her mother feel like she’s in command but soon after, he is always the one that ends up with the smile on his face. Felix knows how to be a good son but is an expert on how to be a good man and husband.

  About ten minutes later, Felix arrives with their favorite blueberry cheesecake. The couple kisses and celebrates their love starting with the dinner that Thea prepared. It’s just an ordinary evening—no occasion at all. But when Thea and Felix are together, it’s like every occasion rolled up into one.

  The Dupont-Anderson Nuptials.

  It was such a magnificent wedding. Thea entered the ranch in her long, pristine white, beaded, low-back, empire cut, strapless wedding dress. She held a bouquet of sunflowers that popped out when she walked down the aisle. The colors of the sun showered the venue. Everyone wore monochromatic yellows, greens, and oranges. White was also dominant in the occasion. Thea was stunning and everyone was in awe when Felix unveiled her face. She was like the sun. Her face was so radiant that it competed with the sun’s rays.

  Felix was speechless when he saw Thea in her gown. And even now, as they sit at the couple’s table at the reception, he still can’t believe that Thea is already his wife.

  “I love you,” Felix whispers to Thea.

  “I love you more,” Thea whispers back.

  “I think my love surpasses yours a million times, and you should just accept it,” Felix says jokingly as he kisses his bride’s hand.

  “Certainly,” Thea says. “I accept it, my king.”

  “Thank you, my queen,” Felix says as the couple kisses.

  They are so busy with the occasion that Felix has totally forgotten about the ring. He didn’t notice the way it glowed during the ceremony. He doesn’t even notice the glow when they went straight to the airport for their honeymoon.

  Kyra and Ramil noticed the glow, and they knew that they had to follow the couple, no matter how intruding it may be. Off to Paris Kyra and Ramil went, hoping they could finally put an end to the cursed ring.

  Aisha manages to reach Kyra’s international number.

  “Kyra,” Aisha starts. “They have to bleed on the ring to stop the curse.”

  Kyra and Ramil have been staying outside the private cottage that Thea and Felix have rented. They’re supposed to stay there for an entire month.

  “When is that supposed to happen?” Kyra asks. Somehow, her guts are screaming for her to enter the cottage at that very moment.

  “As long as they’re still alive, Kyra,” Aisha says.

  Kyra hangs up and decides to enter the cottage. She and Ramil have witnessed two petty fights already, and that could only mean that Thea may have already unknowingly turned the ring. This may be the lone chance for them to end the curse. Ramil and Kyra knock on the door, but no one answers. They look at each other realizing that there is definitely something wrong inside. Ramil tries to turn the knob and surprisingly, the door opens. On the hardwood floor of the cottage, in front of the fireplace, Thea and Felix are now gasping for breath.

  Kyra immediately gets a paring knife from the kitchen and pierces Thea and Felix’s index fingers. She squeezes both on the ring. The moment their combined blood touches the ring, Thea and Felix breathe normally again.

  Thea and Felix embrace each other. Kyra cries as Ramil holds her.

  Felix, Kyra, and Ramil explain everything to Thea after everyone has calmed down.

  “For sure, this is the weirdest honeymoon that anyone could ever have,” Ramil comments. Everyone laughs at what Ramil just said but deep inside, they were still in shock.

  The story about the ring is indeed true, and they almost let the curse win again if not for Kyra’s gut feeling.

  Chapter Twelve: A New Start

  “Oh, you know, I’m hot, Cynthia. You know it,” Gerry teases as the team enjoys the traditional coffee before a set meeting. They are still waiting for Ramil to arrive. Nomia is on the phone with her dog-sitter while Lyla wipes Gerry’s mouth with tissue paper. The two have been together since after the banana split at Berg. Cynthia still can’t believe how Lyla stands Gerry’s ego and cockiness.

  “I’m sure Lyla is the only one that controls you now, Gerry,” Cynthia says.

  “You’re right about that, Cynthia,” Lyla says as she continues to talk to her grandfather on her cell phone.

  After about half an hour, Ramil arrives with Kyra. Everyone looks at Ramil in wonder and silence.

  “Well, team, looks like Lyla isn’t the only new member from this day forward,” Ramil says. “Miss Kyra Porteze is now an essential part of this team. Actually, we are part of her team because she and Mr. Tyler Boston will be the ones to initiate and sponsor all our archeological undertakings from now on.”

  “The late Mrs. Gwendolyn McKinley wouldn’t have it any other way,” Kyra continues. “She always wanted to acquire unique, special items and share it to the world. Now that she’s gone, we’ll be continuing that goal.”

  The meeting lasts for about two hours. Their next mission line-up is the following:

  The team is overwhelmed by the extent of research that was required to put all these missions together. These aren’t just expeditions for academic credit. These are what tomb raiding is all about. Kyra and Ramil see the excitement in everyone’s eyes. They certainly can’t wait to have their passports stamped and their tickets bought.

  Ramil admits that this is what his team has always dreamed of. With Kyra’s experience, his team will be able to learn a lot in procuring such items. But setting aside their chosen field of work, Ramil has been considering a very important aspect of his life—settling down.

  Before Kyra even considered merging with Ramil’s team, they were already able to work on some missions. During these times, Ramil and Kyra were able to know each other more. They say that one could only know another person when they travel together. And what started as a simple, unexpected road trip, turned into trips from state to state and from country to country.

  Ramil can’t just dismiss what he has learned about Kyra. She is the best partner whom he could ever have in this lifetime.

  During their last mission, which was when they acquired the cursed lamp of Anastasia, Ramil, saw the perfect chance to express how he really felt for Kyra. There were fireworks that night, and nothing could ever be more romantic than to watch fireworks with someone special. Underneath those colorful explosions, Ramil had a group of waiters bring in a huge cake that was covered with chocolate rings, coated with edible gold.

  There was only one message on the cake:

  I love you, Kyra Porteza.

  Everyone applauded at the open air Russian restaurant that evening as the two kissed. It was a very unforgettable profession of love. Ramil wanted to bring Kyra to Egypt to propose marriage to her, but their schedules didn’t permit it. So, Ramil decided to bring Egypt to NewYork. In just a few days, the most romantic and memorable marriage proposal is about to take place.

  “Are you sure about this, Doctor?” Cynthia asks as she dresses up as an Egyptian queen.

  “Don’t listen to him, Doc,” Gerry says as he poses in his Pharaoh costume, complete with his gold staff. “How do I look?”

  “Like the egotistical prick that you are,” Nomia says as she holds her new Chihuahua puppy dressed as a Sphynx.

  Gerry rolls his eyes and approaches Lyla in her mini slave dress and sandals.

  “Hey, Pharaoh,” Lyla starts.”Please do get me a soda with two straws. You’re gonna share with me.”

  Immediately, Gerry goes to the vending machine across the restaurant and fetches a cold can of soda. He then buys two straws from the convenience store beside it.

  “Well, I gotta hand it to you, Lyla,” Cynthia says. “You have him eating off your palms.”

  “Someone’s gotta draw the line at some point in his life, Cynthia,” Lyla says as she winks at Cynthia.

  The plan was to reenact the story of the ring that brought Ramil and Kyra together. It took some time for the
team to perfect the presentation because Gerry wanted the guy to be a pharaoh and not a slave. After an hour of transforming the restaurant into a mini-theater, Kyra enters the venue with Ramil. It’s pitch black, and then suddenly, a spotlight illuminates the familiar actors. As the last scene unfolds, the entire restaurant brightens up in orange and yellow light. Aisha and Satur enter with the chocolates, red roses, and a cake that only had one decoration—a small, blue velvet box.

  Ramil stands up and takes the velvet box. He then goes down on one knee and opens the box in front of Kyra.

  To everyone’s surprise, the ring is the exact replica of the actual cursed ring that they acquired years back. For Ramil and Kyra, the ring may have been cursed but it was a blessing because it brought them together.

  It wasn’t easy to have the ring made to the exact likeness of the cursed ring. No jeweler in Egypt wanted to do the job. They were just too superstitious about it. They believed that if they made another ring, the curse would transfer to that ring. They didn’t want to risk that. As a result, Aisha had to ask Satur’s help in having a replica made. Satur enlisted the help of the family jeweler based in Thailand. It took two weeks to perfect the replica.

  With patience, Ramil finally obtained the ring replica.

  He didn’t want to use the ring as a wedding ring. He wanted it as an engagement ring that will always remind Kyra how they met and started to love each other.

  Kyra’s eyes are in tears as she accepts Ramil’s marriage proposal. Never in her entire life has any man able to do what Ramil has done. This is the only man he has ever been in almost any form of transportation with. They haven’t even argued once.

  Ramil stands up and kisses his fiancé. Tyler comes in and proposes a toast to the newly engaged couple. Everyone celebrates the engagement. Kyra and Ramil have never been their happiest.

  After the announcement that Kyra and Ramil’s teams are now merged, the wedding took place. Kyra and Ramil didn’t want to have an ordinary wedding because they weren’t ordinary people. They tied the knot near the active volcanoes of Hawaii. It symbolized their endless overflow of love for each other. It was a very intensely dangerous wedding ceremony. The National Guard was there to supervise the ceremony. A huge, thick, fiberglass, heat-proof dome was installed just for the event. There was no other wedding that could come close to it.

  Kyra and Ramil had to find a priest that would agree to marry them in such a dangerous setting. Every tribal leader in Hawaii was invited, along with those who have shared the first years of Kyra and Ramil as a couple. Cynthia, Lyla, Nomia, and Aisha were there as bridesmaids. Gerry was the best man. Tyler and Satur were the groomsmen. Lyla’s grandfather rented the entire Flamingo Hotel, the only seven star hotel in Hawaii, to house the guests for a whole month. It was his gift for not being able to attend as one of the five godfathers in the wedding.

  As Kyra and Ramil leave Hawaii and their guests for their honeymoon in Spain, they just can’t help but be grateful for the people who have always supported and believed in them. These people have chronologically paved the way for them to meet. It’s amazing at how that has happened. Fate is what some may call it. Fate is when things happen as planned and that even accidents or incidents were meant to take place just for the ultimate plan to uncover. It cannot be denied that this has happened to the newlyweds. Truly the fates has again accomplished such a feat worthy of praise.

  Kyra and Ramil have both waited all their lives for the perfect love. And in the most unconventional of circumstances, they have found each other. What brought them together was an extraordinary wedding ring that worked positively for them.

  Epilogue

  In an unknown part of Egypt’s National Museum, a familiar item rests.

  Its platinum body covered in human blood, clotted and stuck even in the grooves of the engraved letters and symbols. The once cursed ring now sleeps among the other forgotten relics in the museum, drowning in the darkness, never to cause harm once again.

  However, fate seems to play tricks on people who need some kind of reason to go on with their lives. As the night ages, a new night guard approaches the sealed museum archives vault. An eerie glow peeks through the thin gaps of the vault, catching his attention. Curiosity overwhelms him. Being a night guard, he pretty much has all the time in the world. He decides to open the vault and check the source of the illumination. He knows that there is no light left on inside the vault before it was sealed shut. He scratches his head as he realizes how dark the vault is. He wonders what the light could’ve been. The night guard shrugs and dismisses the whole thing as his imagination.

  Dawn comes and the day guard arrives. The night guard goes home with an unexpected package in his pocket—the cursed ring. It seems that the blood of two people in true love may have suppressed the ring’s power to kill the couple on the third mistake, but it never did stop its power to turn back time.

  The ring has become an endless instrument for what may become utter chaos or all-out blessing. It now depends on the holder of what was first known as the cursed wedding ring.