Brides Are Not For Burning

The ceremony in our community is quite different from other communities. Here, the priest has only a secondary role. But our respective maternal uncles carry out the actual marriage. My bride’s hand was placed palm upwards on mine. I felt a thrill shoot through my body as her warm hand touched mine. Was this really happening to me? A copper pot with a coconut wedged in its mouth, a few mango leaves and a spathe of areca flowers was placed on our upturned hands.