A gentle tap resonated on the door of the counsellor’s office.

“Come in,” the warm, gentle, manly voice called from inside.

The door opened, and in stepped Naphtali and Natalie. The few times they had entered this room together, they were usually bright eyed and bushy tailed, holding hands and beaming with smiles, extremely eager to embark on the lifelong journey called marriage.

This meeting had a different version of them entering, though. Neither party had a smile on their face, and the manner in which Naphtali stepped in before Natalie did underlined the fact that all was not well. There was a problem.

Well, that’s what they were there for, right? To work towards a solution.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Dolphyne,” Naphtali greeted as he took his seat. Natalie did likewise quickly.

“Good afternoon, Naphtali and Natalie. How’s everything going?”

The two looked at each other, and shrugged nonchalantly. “We’re good, we’re good,” they mumbled quickly.

The counsellor immediately raised an eyebrow. “Hmmm. I’m not feeling good vibes from any of you right now. The moment you stepped in, I could sense the tension. What’s going on?”

Once again, the beefing couple looked at each other, then turned to him. “Umm, can I speak first?” Naphtali asked.

“No, lemme speak first. Ladies first,” Natalie cut in rather cheekily. She cleared her throat, then began.

“Umm, Mr. Daniel Dolphyne, it’s about the wedding. So, as you already know, we got engaged just a few weeks ago, and we’re just about starting preparations and all. There’s a lot to speak about, and we are yet to really start. But sir, something came up last week, and it’s made me pretty unhappy with the current direction of our special day, and I think it’s crucial I talk about it.

“You see, Mr. Dolphyne, ever since we were dating, Naphtali always made me aware that he wanted to make me his wife. And one of the ways he did this, was to make me aware that he was saving up in anticipation of the event. Sir, in line with this, I prepped myself up with major ideas for the wedding, because I knew it was going to be a major, major event.

“Sir, not too long ago, I decided to be helpful and care take of certain things so he wouldn’t have to worry himself. So I got in touch with a wedding planner, got a quote for their services and sent it to Naphtali. Mr. Dolphyne, the next thing I knew, this man was fiercely fighting me and…”

Naphtali, who had been shaking his head while she spoke, decided it was time to butt in. “Umm, excuse me, but, Mr. Dolphyne, if I may intervene? Mr. Dolphyne, with all due respect, this may be true, but the fact that I made her know I was saving up didn’t mean I was aiming for a very big wedding. We never discussed this. We never did. And sir, please, respectfully, she said she got in touch with a wedding planner. Do you know what wedding planner she contacted? Glorious Day Events!”

Mr. Dolphyne’s eyes grew wide. “Oh wow! Glorious Day? Really? That’s a pricey planner to choose…”

“Exactly, sir! A very pricey planner…”

“But Mr. Dolphyne, we wanted to make it big! And you can’t get as big as them. We all know that,” Natalie fiercely defended herself. “This was what was intimated to me long before time, and I moved with that. Now he’s talking about ‘we can’t use it all on the wedding’ and blah blah blah-“

“But we can’t! Mr. Dolphyne, we can’t! We all know this! The wedding is just one day…”

“Guys! Guys! Guys! Calm down!” Mr. Dolphyne gently but firmly ordered. The acrimony between these two lovebirds was deeper than he thought, and things would get out of hand if he didn’t step in to intervene quickly enough.

The two, giving each other fierce looks, held their fire.

“Listen, it doesn’t have to go this far. It doesn’t need to end up with the two of you raging at each other like this. We just need to communicate. So, let me just probe a little further into this. And please, be as honest as you can be with the questions I ask. That’s what is gonna help me get to the root of this issue, so we can solve it. Is that alright?”

The two nodded sullenly.

“Great. So please, Natalie, you said you’ve been gearing up for the amazing day with all sorts of ideas. I mean, that’s totally natural, nothing strange there. Every person looks forward to having an amazing wedding day. But did you and Naphtali ever, like, sit down and have a serious talk on what you wanted the wedding to be like?”

While Naphtali vehemently shook his head, Natalie, with a very straight look on her face, slowly shook her head. “Ummmm… not that I remember. But that was what I assumed, that was the impression he gave me with all the promises he made…”

“I’m making promises, but you won’t seek proper clarity. Is that how to move?” Naphtali sneered.

Before Natalie could retort back, Mr. Dolphyne intervened. “Naphtali! Please, no need for this. Please. These snide remarks won’t help anyone. We’re here to discuss this matter and find a way out, so please, end the biting remarks. Please.”

The two reluctantly nodded again. They gave each other side eyes before focusing on the counsellor.

“Now listen. I haven’t heard much from you two, but with the little you’ve said, I can already tell what the problem is. It has to do with the type of wedding you two want. Unfortunately, it looks like you two never really discussed this, which, I have to admit, was not the best thing, but nonetheless, this is something we can work out. This doesn’t need to be a source of so much bad blood between you, because the way you’re already snapping at each other isn’t making me happy at all. It isn’t. You’re moving into a major phase of life, and it’s important you guys learn quickly that you’re on the same team. Letting issues like this split you two is the worst thing to permit; it sets a bad precedent for your marriage.”

The tough expression on Naphtali’s face began to soften. Natalie’s face remained as straight as ever.

“So please, let’s go through this thing, step by step, and make sure we can leave this place very happy. Now, as we begin, I need you to understand this: you’re two different human beings, from different backgrounds. Obviously, you’ll have different opinions about things, and it’s perfectly normal to clash every now and then. But as a couple, there are two things you need to deal with conflict, and those are communication as I stated earlier, and compromise.”

Natalie’s straight face contorted at the sound of that last word.

“You need to communicate all the time on matters like this, or similar to this. Always. Never leave issues to chance or just sweep them under the rug. Your silence could be turning a worm into a dragon. Please, talk about the issues where you two differ on your opinions. And compromise… please, compromise is a vital aspect of marriage. If you can’t soften your stance on a matter for the sake of your union, then you’re already heading for doom. Compromise is essential. You can’t always have your way. If you do, then you don’t have a happy spouse, I can assure you of that. So please, we’re about to get into this matter. Communication and compromise, that’s what is going to guide us through…”

Natalie raised her hand.

“Yes, Natalie?”

“So please oo, Mr. Dolphyne, are you saying that even when I’ve been promised something, I should just let it go because of some funny little excuse? Is that it?” she demanded. “I just want to know ooo, that’s all.”

Mr. Dolphyne’s jaw dropped. “Natalie…”

“Mr. Dolphyne, this is the problem! She just won’t listen!” Naphtali complained loudly. “I never even promised her a big wedding, I never said it with my mouth. I don’t know why she’s doing this…”

“Doing what? Ah, I just want my promise fulfilled, that’s all!”

“Please, please! Natalie, settle down! Listen, it’s not about the excuse, it’s about the bond. Even if a promise was made, look, compromise comes in many ways. And if you’re serious about the relationship, you just have to roll with it. Yes, you won’t be happy if the compromise is on your end, but it’s not about you anymore, it’s not about only your partner anymore, it’s about you both! You’re a team, not individuals on opposing sides! So please, don’t take this headstrong mentality along. It won’t help.”

Natalie did not look ready to back down. The look of displeasure on her face was as plain as could be. “But I need to be covered in glory on that special day!” she argued. “How can I be covered in glory if we’re not doing it big?”

Mr. Dolphyne looked genuinely puzzled. He had always known this young lady to be one of those sweet, gentle ladies with a tender disposition, and had been excited to get the opportunity to counsel her and her longtime boyfriend. Never did he expect she would be this unbending and stubborn.

Shaking his head, he replied gently, “My dear, being covered in glory on your wedding day is not about the event being big. Your being covered in glory is in having the world witness that this man has vowed to choose you above all other women and is sticking with you for life. I didn’t do a big wedding, but I doubt you can convince my wife that the small thing we did deprived her of glory. Look, if you want something, let it be known to him, and we can work our way around it. Please.”

Naphtali looked pretty frustrated. This was not what he had envisioned at all.

He knew Daniel Dolphyne to be one incredible counsellor to work with, and he was so sure that this matter would be sufficiently settled once they met with him. But it was only about ten to fifteen minutes in, and he could see that Natalie’s inflexible stance was already wearing the older man out.

“Um, Mr. Dolphyne,” he started, “alright, here’s the deal. We can take a look at the quote she sent to me. We can go through it. Then we can decide on what to compromise with. Personally, I’m willing to compromise on a lot, if it’ll help matters.”

Mr. Dolphyne nodded, then turned to Natalie. “Do we go ahead?”

Natalie, looking slightly ready to lay down her pitchfork, nodded reluctantly. “Alright, we can,” she murmured dryly. Mr. Dolphyne could tell her fiance’s approach was irritating her, as it made him seem more reasonable than her.

“Good. Naphtali, can I see the quote?”

“Yes, please.” Naphtali immediately took out his phone, made a quick search for the said quote, opened it and showed it to Mr. Dolphyne. The counsellor duly took the phone and scanned through the document, humming and nodding as he did so.

The couple waited nervously, eager to hear his next words.

After about a minute of checking out the quote, Mr. Dolphyne looked up. “Hm, well. It’s Glorious Day, so chale, no surprise that the figures involved are… massive. Firstly, Naphtali, in all honesty, can you pay all this?”

Naphtali quickly shook his head, doing his best to ignore Natalie’s unhappy glare. “I can’t, Mr. Dolphyne. That’s the honest truth. I just cannot. If I say I can, everything I’ve saved goes into this. There will be nothing left for life after the wedding…”

“There he goes again with ‘after the wedding’,” Natalie snapped, springing back into action. “Ah, what is that? You’re talking like we won’t get gifts at the wedding to help us!”

Mr. Dolphyne looked incredulous. “Natalie, really? You’re depending on gifts from people? My dear, please, don’t make that mistake oo…”

Natalie’s icy gaze made the counsellor its next target. “Mr. Dolphyne, sir, respectfully, it feels like you’re on the side of Naphtali right now. I thought this was supposed to be in our collective interest.”

“Oh my goodness!” Naphtali groaned out loud.

Mr. Dolphyne shut his eyes and massaged his temples. This was turning out to be one incredibly difficult meeting. “Natalie, this is not about me being on anyone’s side. It isn’t. I’m telling you what I know is the truth. And the truth is that dependence on gifts from people at the wedding is not a wise decision, because people can disappoint you. Don’t put your hope in people giving you money…”

“But we can tell them to give us money gifts, can’t we? I see couples do that all the time! It’s possible!”

Mr. Dolphyne, who had briefly opened his eyes, shut them again. He stayed silent for a while, then opened his eyes.

“Umm, Natalie. What is it that you really want?” he asked.

She looked confused. “You say?”

“I said what exactly is it that you really want? As far as your relationship with Naphtali right now is concerned, what is it that you want?”

She quickly responded, “I want to become his wife, and I want it done the right way. That’s all I want, Mr. Dolphyne. That’s all.”

“Okay. And now, Naphtali says with his finances, what you’re looking for… hold it, hold it!” stopping to shush a ready-to-protest Natalie, “Naphtali says his finances can’t give you what you want, so there would have to be some compromise on each side. Now, please, tell me, what is it you really want, the wedding or the marriage?”

Natalie looked perplexed. “Um, what?”

“What do you want, the wedding or the marriage?”

“But… but… but, Mr. Dolphyne, how is there a marriage without a wedding? How?”

“My dear, think about it. Think about it. There’s something deep I’m saying in there. You know what it is.”

Natalie shook her head. “Ok, you know what, never mind. I can see this thing is not working. You don’t want to understand me, and that’s fine. Please, I’d like to take my leave. Thank you for your time, sir, and Naphtali, I hope you come around eventually. Bye!”

Picking up her bag as she spoke, she got out of her seat, bid the two men adieu and quickly made her way out of the room.

The two just sat there, stunned into silence.

Hopes of an amicable reconciliation dashed to pieces.

Naphtali’s eyes were shut, humiliation aflame in his chest. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Dolphyne…”

Mr. Dolphyne, who looked properly rattled by what had just gone down, shook his head. “Don’t worry, Naphtali. It’s… it’s okay. I just… I just didn’t expect this.”

“Me neither, sir. Me neither.”

They remained seated for a couple more minutes, still silent.

Then Mr. Dolphyne shook his head. “I never expected Natalie to show such willful stubbornness. Honestly.”

Naphtali sighed. “Sir, what do I do now?”

“I don’t know, Naphtali. I don’t know. Whatever comes next is a decision you must make. I can’t decide for you. You’ve gotta make the choice yourself.”

Naphtali nodded slowly, then rose to his feet. “Very well, sir. Thank you. And uh, sorry again for how this meeting ended.”

Wow, that was a major disaster! Dunno about you, but Natalie was super stubborn throughout to me. This is not gonna make things between them any better. And hey, wasn’t it a surprise to see who the counsellor was? MTD fans would have loved that!