What do you call a person that loves travelling but have phobia for travelling?

Travelling to Abia state, the eastern part of Nigeria, gave me more idea about them. What took me there was the matrimony between Innocent Onoh and Chidimma Kamalu – their traditional and white wedding.

Travelling by land is fun, you get to see different people from different tribes and of states and with different or similar beliefs. Since it’s Christmas, our Igbo brother took advantage of the movement, not forgetting the fuel challenge, therefore transportation fee raised to #4000+ . Then the long wait for the vehicle to complete; then the struggle to pack your luggage; then the struggle for the right seat; then, if a long bus, a pastor starts preaching, if a smaller bus he does this before the bus leaves the park. And so on. Either way I got to Aba (in Abia state), then Arochukwu, then Ike-Isu, the Bride’s clan/village and then Amachi, the Bride’s home.

24th of December,2015, was the set date for the traditional wedding but what happened on the 22nd and 24th really impressed me. First I thought they where just coming to say congratulation but that was my own assumption. They gathered , the village women gathered to help the Bride’s family(according to their tradition, the bride’s family is in charge of the traditional wedding while the groom is in charge of the white/church wedding) prepare for the traditional wedding. This I think is sweet, they where acting as if it were their daughter’s.

D-day, food was ready, I assisted in fetching water and setting of canopies(you don’t expect me steering and fixing camera all day?). Anyways while some of us were excited, some people were not…especially the Bride and her Mother.

At first she(the bride) was claiming ‘king-kong’ but when she changed to traditional attire, it dawned on her that Love is taking her away from her loving parent…and there from nowhere they started falling, trickles to heavy drops…tears.

Then came the Groom’s family with a music band to dance their bride to the wedding venue(note: I am not using husband or wife because they are not married yet). On getting to the venue the Groom wasn’t there…no no, calm down, it’s not the movie type, it’s tradition, he shouldn’t be there, she will later look for him but first, someone need to pay for her seat by spreading money at a good distance, while she steps on them, till she gets to her seat, this represents roses.

She later went in search of him with a traditional/local cup filled with palm wine, found him and the smart dude quickly stole a kiss before drinking the wine which he must cement with money. Then they both danced to their space.

The rest is the handing over of the Bride to the Groom by the Bride’s Father but he doesn’t hand over to the Groom, rather he hands over to the Groom’s Father or the Most Senior Uncle/Man in the Groom’s family. This is done with the Father putting his daughter’s hand into the groom’s, while the groom’s father as explained before, places his hand on the bride father’s. This is similar to the ‘I Do’ part of white wedding.

This might seem small, but it’s the most important part of the whole celebration. The Groom is considered a child here, when there is an issue between them that needs the Bride’s father to intervene, he calls the Father or Uncle, hold him responsible, as the Groom’s to the Bride’s father. Then the Bride parent dance’s to the groom’s family to acknowledge them.

The rest is eat, drink and dance with the new traditionally wedded  couple and you subscribing to this blog via email and following my different social platforms.

Merci for reading!

(Instagram-@gbetu_TV
Twitter – @gbetublog
Facebook- Gbetu Tv
Call/Whatsapp- +2349083331619
Google+ – Gbetu Tv
Gmail- [email protected])

Fadaka Louis