A Village Wedding Fairy Tale, Part 2

 . . . Until one sunny day on the tropical island of Zanzibar, handsome Prince Adam met beautiful Jodana and knew at that instant it was a dream come true.  As an English literature major, Jo was cultivated and refined--the perfect person to ponder the meaning of life together in a mud hut.

But unfortunately Prince Adam could not have his lovely princess until she took a crash 3-day course from prominent female members of the Bemba and Lunda tribes about how to please a man.  They treated her as one of their own and adopted her into their secret rituals.

On a dark August night, Jodana was kidnapped and blindly escorted to Adam's house and matrimonial bed, where the two consumated the marriage while Lunda villagers danced outside.

Jodana woke up a transformed woman, but still required the help of her Bemba and Lunda stepmothers for the ceremonial bath before the big celebration.  They sprinkled magical spring water on her body that had been boiled to just the right temperature and scrubbed her down with soap.

Even fellow Peace Corps volunteers helped in the magical transformation, although Prince Adam was forbidden to see his beautiful bride until the Lundas deemed appropriate.

He waited in his hut next to his newly-consumated marriage bed and wondered what kind of magic was going on in the ladies' hut.

Finally Prince Adam was led out, under a chitenge cloth of his own, so he could not take a sneak peak of his Princess Bride.

The photographer staged her position for the big event . . . .

. . . and the crowd gathered in anticipation

The Princess Bride was led out by her Fairy Bemba godmother under her own chitenge . . .

Led by a procession of Royal dancers, sent forth by the king of the Lunda tribe.

Finally the two were able to meet, and put under a joint chitenge cloth.

The magical cloth was lifted, and the crowd went wild!

Finally Prince Adam's adopted father led the happy couple's ceremony with some words of wisdom.

And he knew it was the best day of his life, for he was no longer an awkward philosophical Peace Corps volunteer.  He had found the Meaning of Life with his Princess Bride.

And the cake was danced to the stage

And the happy couple partook in festivities and merriment.

With even more Royal entertainment,

Until the fairy godmother walked them back to their hut . . .

And Ba Chunda and the Peace Corps volunteers ate a marvelous feast of nshima, pig, chicken, and goat.

 AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER, THE END.