" What did you just say?" Elias asked just to make sure he heard her clearly.
" I said let's get married...or are you no longer interested in the marriage?" She replied while looking at him with determination in her eyes.
" Of course I am,I just wanted to be sure I heard right" he said staring at the little woman in front of him. By now she was looking pale probably because she was crying. " So when do you want to get it done,now or we could wait till tomorrow?" He asked her.
" Let's do it now, before I change my mind" Ava replied.
"Alright then,as you wish" Elias said as he signalled to Mathew who was watching them from a distance.
"Yes boss" Mathew said as he ran up to them. He was surprised to see the same woman with his boss again but he dare not ask any question.
"Prepare the car, we are leaving" , Elias said to Mathew as he turned to look at Ava. "Let's go"
When they got to the car Ava got inside while Elias followed after her.
"Take us to the registry court" Elias said to the driver. Mathew was taken by surprise when he heard this,he wondered what his boss was up to.
On the way to the registry office Anna finally said something. "I don't have my ID card with me, how are we going to process the certificate?" She asked as she turned to look at Elias.
" We will drive to your house first so you can get the necessary documents. Just give the driver your address" Elias replied without turning to look at her. When they got to the address, Elias was shocked to find out that she lived in a rented apartment. Why will the first daughter of the Lin family live in such apartment. There was a lot for him to find out about this little woman,he thought.
" I'll go up and get it myself, just give me few minutes" Ava said as she got down from the car and went into the building. Ava moved into the apartment when she turned eighteen,her stepmother and sister made life a living hell for her at the Lin residence after her mother death so she decided to move out as soon as she got into college. Since then she has been living in that apartment alone.
When she got to her apartment,she went straight to her room to get her documents,after retrieving the document she looked around her room, this was the place that has served as her home for more than five years now. It wasn't that well furnished but just enough for her to live comfortably. She quickly locked the door and went down to the car.
" What took you so long?....for a moment I thought you had changed your mind" Elias said to her as soon as she got into the car.
" No I haven't" Ava replied to him and looked out of the window. The drive to the court was quite long and the car was silent all through. Everyone had thoughts running through their minds. Elias turned to look at the little woman beside him,she seemed tired and her body looked fragile. He wondered what was going through her mind but didn't try to disturb her.
The car finally stopped,they had gotten to the registry office. Elias tapped Ava who seemed to be lost in thoughts.
" We are here already" he said to her.
" Ohh... alright" Ava said as she looked at the building in front of her. She had been doing a lot of thinking all through the drive down there. She was having a double mind if she had made the right decision. Marriage was not a child's play and she felt she wasn't ready for it. Ava turned to look at the man beside her, her husband to be, he seemed relaxed like getting married was something he did every day. She turned to look at the building, took a deep breath and said.
"Let's do this"
They both got down from the car and began to walk towards the entrance of the office. Mathew went ahead of them to make enquiries and prepare everything before hand. As they got to the entrance of the office, Ava could see couples who had just gotten their marriage certificate. They all seemed happy with smiles and laughter plastered on their faces as they took pictures with their partners.
She looked at Elias who was walking ahead of her,he didn't seem to care. She started to regret her decision,but at this point there was no going back. She could only hope for the best.
When the got inside,they sat on the bench at the reception as they had to wait for their turn. Elias turned to look at the woman beside him.
" Are you sure you're ready....after this there's no turning back?" He asked her.
" I am ready" Ava said as she held tightly to the helm of her dress as if seeking reassurance from it. She was about to become a wife to a man she barely new nothing about,the thought of that sent chills down her spine.
After waiting for few minutes it was finally their turn,the lady at the front desk directed them to an office. When they got inside the office they met an elderly woman sitting behind a desk. She smiled as she saw them walk in. They both sat in front of her.
"Another young couple again..you both look good together" she smiled and said while she collected the documents from them. The process of issuing the certificate didn't take up to two minutes. The elderly woman handed them the certificate and told them to go through it before signing. They both signed and gave it back to her to stamp. After stamping it she gave it back to them and said.
" Congratulations to you both....I wish you the very best in your marriage" she said, " you can proceed to the front desk for the final step.
When they got to the front desk,they were asked to take a couples photo for the passport which they did reluctantly. In the picture, Ava managed to force a smile while Elias kept a straight face. The lady at the front desk attached the picture to the certificate and handed it over to them.
" Congratulations once again... It is done" she said to them. Elias thanked her and collected the certificate from her and began to walk out. When they stepped outside the building he handed Ava a copy of their marriage certificate.
Ava collected the little book and stared down at it with mixed expression.
She was married.
From now on she was no longer Miss Lin....she was now Mrs Ward.
