Missed the moment Simon conquered his biggest fears? (Catch up on Part 4) before diving in.
The entire journey back to Kampala was loud and thrilling.
There is something about conquering a big fear; it makes the smaller fears more manageable. Simon left Jinja a braver man, although it had come at a cost to his machismo and swag.
“By the way princess, I am telling you the screaming was only because the guy pushed us without properly warning us!” he kept trying to reassure Sandra.
“I know… I really understand…” Sandra kept responding through massive waves of laughter.
At the count of THREE, the attendant at the ramp had, without a bit of hesitation, pushed them down.
Those around the facility kept saying that was the loudest shouting they had ever heard!
Now, Simon had a bit of a challenge: his masculine voice had a way of disappearing during a good scream of distress, turning so high-pitched one could really think it belonged to a female.
All through the jump, Sandra had simply held on to him. Even for her, the laughter during the countdown had been replaced with silence. This was the difference in their reactions. The adrenaline pump had caused Sandra to shut her eyes and hold on tight, whereas for Simon, his eyes were wide open and his voice just screamed.
WOOWEEEEEEEE!
WOOOOOWEEEEEEEEE!
BANANGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
MUTUYAMBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
And it got louder with every word.
“If only the attendant had pushed us after my questions, I wouldn’t have screamed one bit!” Simon insisted.
“Yes, my prince, I believe you!” she said, but her laughter gave her away again.
That not withstanding, the moment had created something beautiful for them. For the next few weeks, Simon realized that he was less tight about his own life, which speaks directly to the beauty of overcoming a major fear. He felt powerful!
His best friend, Rodney, had refused to believe it until he saw actual footage.
“Eh, but Sandra shouted too much…” Rodney remarked while watching the video, trying to feel out the situation.
They had agreed (Simon and Sandra) to play along with that narrative, but Rodney knew his bro better than anyone else.
“Yeah…. The babe really shouted,” Simon tried to assure him with a straight face.
“Hahahaha, bro, do you think I became your friend yesterday?” Rodney fired back. “This is clearly your distress voice!”
They both burst out laughing.
Over the next months, their bond grew even stronger. Owing to the change he was seeing in his life after overcoming that moment on the ramp, Simon had grown deeply fond of Sandra.
He was more open to her; he spoke more and felt comfortable sharing his vulnerabilities. He had really searched deep, and realized there was nothing that could be worse than that scream down the ramp. And inasmuch as she had laughed about it, she had not for one minute belittled him or made him feel small.
The invitation came by WhatsApp:
You are cordially invited to the wedding ceremony of Wade and Lucy.
This invite admits 2 people.
Wade was Simon’s cousin, and they had been very close right from when they were little kids. Simon had been a key support for the wedding preparations. Months of coordinating logistics and sitting through endless planning committees had all led to this. The preparation was over; it was time to step into the hall.
By the time Wade proposed to Lucy a little over a year ago, Simon was as single as a 1% battery bar on a phone screen.
But here he was now, in a relationship anchored in something deep and real.
“How would you feel about attending a wedding with me, Princess 👸🏾?” his message read.
“Do you mean like where you would be marrying me 💍💒?” she playfully typed back.
“That wouldn’t be a bad idea…” Simon replied, his typing bubbles pausing and restarting as if he were holding his breath. “In fact, it sounds like the best idea ever… 🥰”
Sandra stared at the screen, a warm blush creeping up her neck.
There was a slight pause from both of them as they took in the essence of this conversation being comfortable. Neither of them tried to backpedal or turn it into a joke; they just let the thought of a shared forever sit quietly between them, feeling entirely safe.
“Okay, but this particular one is for my cousin, Wade.”
“I would love to attend the wedding with you, my Prince!”
This was a massive milestone: the very first family event they were attending as a couple. Up until now, their relationship had existed in a beautiful, protected space just for the two of them, but stepping into a family gathering meant stepping into a whole new territory of commitment.
There is always a measure of pressure the first time a girlfriend meets the family.
Will they accept me? Will they love me? Will I be enough?
These are always the kinds of questions that run through the mind before a gathering like that. Simon spent some time reassuring her, promising that he would be by her side all the way, and his words brought her great comfort.
The wedding reception was happening at Hotel Desh in Mukono. This was a 4-star hotel that had over the years established itself as the epitome of hospitality service providers in the entire Mukono district.
Simon wore a sharp black tuxedo with a crisp bow tie, looking every bit the gentleman. Sandra wore a stunning maroon dress that draped flawlessly, perfectly complemented by silver shoes and a matching clutch. She had accessorized simply but elegantly with a silver necklace.
She looked breathtakingly spectacular.
In that quiet moment before they stepped out of the car, Simon found himself staring, entirely captivated by the reality that this brilliant, gorgeous woman was walking into the room holding his hand.
He reached over, gently squeezing her fingers to calm her nerves—and perhaps his own, too. In that moment, he reached into his jacket pocket—James Bond style—and slowly pulled out a small packet with absolute seriousness. He looked at Sandra, his eyes dancing with mischief, and handed it over with a wide grin.
It was a small pack of Newman’s Hardcorn (barbecue flavor).
Since their road trip, these crunchy snacks had become the ultimate inside joke for the two of them—a little piece of their Jinja adventure carried right into this elegant wedding moment.
“We don’t have to worry about any long, boring speeches. We can snack up first,” he said playfully.
Sandra looked at the pack, and they both burst out laughing, the formal pressure of the family meeting instantly melting away.
After their brief snack moment, the stepped out of the car. As they stood together under the warm Mukono afternoon sky, Simon couldn’t help but remember that chaotic night at the supermarket parking lot. He smiled inwardly, deeply grateful for those stubborn, rolling oranges that had frustrated him then, but had ultimately led him straight to his Princess.
Hand in hand, they moved to the reception venue inside Muhumuza Hall. It had been elegantly draped in white with round-table seating. The stage for the bridal entourage was slightly elevated with a lush flower backdrop behind them. Two LED screens on each side of the stage played a slideshow of the couple, and the lights all around the hall cast a beautiful ambiance of green and cream. Lucy’s favorite color was green.
It was a marvelous setup.
The wedding was a beautiful moment. Deep down, Sandra was glad to have been invited, to be there with Simon—the man she loved. As she looked at all that was happening—the kindness of Simon’s family, the love in the air, the deep belief in family that his people held—she began to truly believe in love’s possibility.
Growing up, her father hadn’t been the best depiction of love to her mother.
Because of that, she had always carried a small measure of skepticism about love’s longevity. But being with Simon had started changing that. And now, seeing the reality of what love could do for an entire family was rewriting her heart completely.
Maybe, just maybe, love could beautifully stand the test of time.
© An original Lapatutu Story.
Simon’s got the suit, James Bond style, and he’s walking hand-in-hand with his Princess. They say being surrounded by this much love can make a man want to take the ultimate leap. Is there something else hidden in that tuxedo jacket… a ring, perhaps? See you on Wednesday! 🥂❤️🤵🏾♂️💃🏾
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