Chapter 5: More beautiful than the bride

So whenever, the mother mentions medical treatment, Chin Cho would always feel sad and helpless.

If only she had money, she would take her mother to the best medical facility in the country for treatment.

But she had no money, and she was just struggling to survive in the school.

She was just hoping that her mother would hang on, until she finish's school and get a job, make money and take care of her mother.

All the money the father had been given them had never been enough.

Thinking of her mother's medical treatment, Chin Cho didn't know what else to say, she nodded, "I have heard you mum, I will attend the wedding tomorrow."

she said this grudgingly, stamping her foot hard on the floor to show her level of annoyance. She really hated the idea of going to this wedding. But she had no choice, she has to do this for her father to be really pleased to give her mother the promised money.

tomorrow is Saturday, and she was hoping she would come back with the money, and on Sunday, she would leave for school.

That evening, Ae-Cha prepared boiled rice and tasteless stew; she was preserving the money she had saved for Chin Cho's journey. She also needs to buy a gift for the young woman.

She knew that Chin Cho was suffering financially in the school, and if she did not provide the money for transportation, then, Chin Cho would have an excuse not to attend that wedding.

While they were eating, Ae-Cha noticed that Chin Cho was not herself. She was a beautiful young woman, sure, but she looked more pale than usual.

She said with a serious frown on her face and worry in her voice. "are you feeling fine at all? You look very pale. The colour of your skin is not giving me joy."

Any one seeing Chin Cho for the very first time would only conclude 'oh! What a beautiful woman.' But her mother knew that she was not looking her very beautiful self.

With a slight smile on her face, she said to her mother, "am fine, only school stress, if you know what am passing through in the school, you would certainly pity me."

The woman felt sorry for her daughter, if only she was not chronically sick, she would have been helping the girl through her education.

Even the young man she was in love with, was just as poor as Chin Cho, none of them could help the other financially.

And at a point like this, she usually questions her daughter's decision in sticking to a poor young man, and rejecting marriage proposals from rich and influential men. Her daughter being a very beautiful girl always attract rich men.

But at other times, she would always remember that Elvis was once a rich man, but it turned out that he was not only a deceiver, but he also failed in his business rendering her sick and useless for life.

She heaved a sigh of agony, telling herself that she had better support her daughter in her decision to marry a young, school mate and age mate of hers. And they would build their life and money together.

So without much questioning and disturbance, she let Chin Cho go to bed.

Very early the next morning, Chin Cho's mother woke her up, "it is morning already, wake up and prepare." it was better for her to go early, if there is anything Elvis wants her to do, she can be of help to him. So she had to wake her up by 6am, to get prepared.

Chin Cho stretched herself on the bed, and yawn "mum, if only I have money, I would give it to you for your treatment, and forget about this wedding." She knew that her attending the wedding was more than the collection of a medical treatment money.

Her mother was seriously competing with the other woman and would do anything to impress Elvis.

Chin Cho could not understand why her mother at 49 years of age would still be struggling to please a man like Elvis.

Left to her, Elvis would have been a past tense.

It has been long since Elvis visited, and her attending the wedding, Elvis would feel cared for by them, and he would visit her mother. How much she hates this childish behaviour by her mother.

The woman smiled and said to her "my dear, you would not understand, just pray you would marry the man who loves you more than you love him. Unfortunately for me, I love your father more than he loves me, am suffering in his hands, yet I can't let him go."

"Ho loves me and I love him too". She replied.

Ho was Chin Cho's present boyfriend. She stood up from the bed and headed for the bathroom, after some minutes, she came out and dressed up. After which, she put her make -up. The clothe that her mother bought for her was a red long body fitting gown, it was sleeveless and it fitted her so perfectly.

Nobody! Man or woman could pass-by her in this attire without looking back to see again.

She wasn't surprised that her mother could chose a cloth that fitted her so well, she was her daughter, and a mother should know the daughter's size very well.

The clothe brought out the colour of her skin well.

When Chin Cho had finished her dressing and came to the sitting room, the mother shouted softly in appreciation. "you are six times more beautiful than the bride herself."

"I have always been more beautiful than her, and that is why she is always jealous and would want to dig the ground and enter whenever she sees me." She said proudly.

After the chit-chat with the mom, she collected the money for her transport fare and left.

She left the house about 8 am in the morning, but instead of going straight to the wedding which was in K city and about an hour's drive, she decided to lazy around the park killing time.

She did not want be the first in the church hall, neither did she want to reach her father's house before going to the wedding venue.

At the park, she was attracting unusual attention from people especially young men. 'such a beautiful girl, such a beautiful girl.' They kept whispering.

After killing about two hours, she left for K city at about 10 am on the dot.

Back to wedding

By the time she entered the church hall; venue for the wedding, 'the deed has been done'; shame, disgrace, embarrassment, has befallen Bon-Hwa Rohan Fernando.

The church was in disarray, everyone was talking, and the couple were not at the altar.

'Maybe she came very late and the joining of the couple in matrimony had taken place.' She was thinking this in her heart.

She sat down at the back, looked round and found a friendly looking woman, approached her and proceeded to ask "what is going on?"

But before the friendly looking woman opened her mouth to tell her what happened, someone tapped her on the shoulder, it was her father Elvis. "Chin Cho follow me."