As crazy as the title of this story sounds, this happened during my (extended) cousin's wedding reception. As you might know, we have these traditional games for bridesmaids and groomsmen or any young singles to participate in. For the guys, it would be the garter game, and for the ladies, it would be the bouquet toss. But like any other wedding reception, things were changed a little bit to spice things up.
For the ladies' game, the host let us play 'The Cinderella Game'. She let us take our shoes off and put them on the platform. She instructed us to turn around because she would hide everyone's shoes.
At her cue, all the ladies were scrambling towards the center stage to look for their own shoes because obviously, the last one to find her shoes would be the most unfortunate girl to advance to the next round with a guy she had just met at the wedding ceremony and would do all the most uncomfortable and awkward challenges the host had in store.
Five seconds through the game I found my other shoe, and as I was circling around the small area with the other girls, I could feel the excitement of the wedding party around us. Slowly the girls found their pair of shoes, and I realized my other shoe was nowhere to be found. I was about to lose the game. So I did what I could to delay my defeat, when I saw my sister's pair of shoes under the table I shoved it further separately.
But another seconds passed and I could still not find mine. One lady, my sister, and I were the only ones circling the stage. At one point, after ducking under tables and flipping some plant pots, I asked my sister, "Tin, kita kas akong sandal?" She replied, "Wala, ikaw kita kas akoa?" Of course, I lied to her face, and said, "Hala, wala raba."
The wedding guests suddenly went wild, they were screaming and laughing. But besides the chaos around me, I suddenly realized something. It was as clear as a day. I've been to six wedding receptions before. This game was rigged. I was sure at that point that the host hid one bridesmaid's shoe. And this time, it's mine. She wanted me to lose.
Sure enough, a minute later my sister announced at the back that she found her shoes.
Everything after that played slowly in my head. A woman handed me my left shoe that she hid in her dress (probably). The wedding party was looking at me. The host asked me to put my shoes on. As I struggled to put my old pink shoes back on my feet, I decided something. They wanted me to play the final game, so I would ensure it would be a good one. I would show the crazy side of me. I would make them laugh and scream their asses off enough that they would think about what happened when they went to sleep at night. I would be in control of this game. They chose me to lose the stupid shoe game but I would win this.
So I stood up, wiped my hands on my dress, and smiled my most genuine smile at the audience. The host guided me to the center with the unluckiest guy in the building- the Bestman. I looked him squarely in his eyes and I could see he was so nervous- like sweating-nervous type. I was mentally laughing. This guy would be scarred for life after this.
THEN THE SHOW BEGAN.
Mechanics: The challenges would be performed by the newlyweds and the bestman and I would copy them.
First Challenge: We need to put our cheeks on each other closely so that it looks like we are hugging intimately. The crowd was excited and grinning ear to ear, some were whistling but I didn't care. No sweat. Very easy.
Second Challenge: We need to do the sweetest forehead-to-forehead for ten seconds. The crowd was ecstatic ready to see if we would accidentally kiss each other. I closed my eyes and focused on the host's voice counting 1-10. Then........Time was over. I have never done it in my 23 years of existence. It was uncomfortable but it was okay. I did it. I was still in control. The crowd was having fun. I was having fun. The people's energy made me feel like I was floating in the air.
Third Challenge: (Before the final and the most difficult challenge started, I saw the host whispering something to the bride and groom, and they all were smiling widely like they were about to do something I didn't expect. )
For a minute, fear crept at the back of my head. What if they would let us kiss for 10 seconds? NO, NO, NO. THIS WAS NOT HAPPENING. THIS WAS NOT THE WAY I ANTICIPATED THIS GAME TO END. WE'RE IN THE PHILIPPINES NOT AMERICA! IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN NOT GROSS. I've never kissed someone my whole life. I looked pretty wild. I even act sometimes like someone who would do things that shouldn't be done but the truth is I'm not like that. I never had my first kiss yet. And thinking it would happen in front of strangers and with someone I just met 3 hours ago whose name I don't even remember, was horribly wrong.
I scanned my parents' faces in the crowd but couldn't find them. I was silently praying to God this would not end horribly. And without any mercy, the couple started to perform the last hurdle.
They slowly closed each other's faces and for a second I thought they were really going to kiss but fortunately, they only did the infamous nose-to-nose challenge.
I exhaled deeply for a while, relieved, but then I remembered something and looked at my partner's nose and my world crumbled. I suddenly wished the floor would open up and eat me alive.
We shouldn't do this challenge. Because if we would, we were practically kissing for ten seconds.
But I couldn't back out. When I was about to accept my fate, I saw his eyes. They were glassy and hazy. I was sure he was about to faint. He was as horrified as I was.
Then I didn't really think about what I had done until I did it. The wild side of me just woke up and took over. I went to the host who was hyping up the crowd for the soap opera that was about to happen and confidently said while holding the mic, 'Naa koy request. Kay murag akong partner, kakuyapon naman. Mo volunteer nalang ko nga akoy kiss niya.'
The crowd went wild, deafening me and the host. At first, I was surprised why, but I just realized how those words sounded and I continued, 'SA AGTANG. Sa AGTANG akong pasabot. Grabe pod mo uy.' Gosh, the crowd thought for a minute that they just heard a girl volunteer to kiss a guy on the lips because nose-to-nose would be hard. That was a pretty crazy assumption.
I just suggested the kiss on the forehead thing because that way I would be in control of the situation. There was no way our lips would touch.
Luckily, the host agreed.
But the moment I did it, the moment my lips touched his forehead, I froze. Holy Moly. It was the most awkward thing in the world.
I could taste his sweat on my lips and it didn't taste good. The crowd was shouting, screaming, and definitely enjoying it. I was regretting the whole thing and was about to run away metaphorically when the host said, 'Unsa man na imong gibuhat, mura man kag ga kiss sa imong Lolo. Di ko musugot ana. Gusto ko buhaton to ninyong nose-to-nose.'
AND, SO DID WE!
At that moment I allowed myself to surrender. I let go of controlling the situation. Maybe it was really supposed to end like this. I closed my eyes and got lost in the moment. It was the slowest and the fastest ten seconds of my life. The host's voice was lost in the wedding party's frantic scream. 1, 2.... 8, 9, 10. Boom! It was over. The crowd went crazy. I wasn't myself. I faced the crowd of strangers.
Remember when I told you my plan at first was to give them a good game, something that they would remember? As I was looking at their faces, I think I just did it. I freakin' did it. I gave them a show, not just a mere show but a good one. So I hugged the bride, the groom which I just met that afternoon, and walked out.
It's done. I'm done. I'm tired of being the bridesmaid. I want to be the bride next time.
THE END!
To The Only Other Gozon Family on This Island:
Thank you for treating us like a family since when my father accidentally discovered your existence years ago. My family was glad to be at the wedding.
Written: December 19,2022 (10:30 pm-12:49 am)
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