This is stuff of fairy tales!
A tale of love and humbleness, one that goes against the buzz of current trends.
No glitz, no glam, just two hearts, a shrine and a promise of happily ever after.
Forget about the high heeled shoes adorned by bridesmaids, forget about a boom box loudly churning out Alexio Kawara’s eternal ballad, Shaina, or the fancy weddings favoured by today’s young couples.
It is a Sunday afternoon at Johane Masowe weChishanu Jerusarema as pilgrims flock to their shrine popularly known as Bhesidha outside Marondera.
It is a unique day where Willios Mavhura and Estiah Chiore have decided to seal their love by exchanging vows at this shrine.
Everything was simple.
The “holy decor” was eye-catching with the ramp, not the popular red carpet, but veils of apostolic white cloth.
Two clay pots filled with traditional brown rice and another with water were at the pulpit.
Before the rice filled clay pots knelt two elderly women who were deemed to be clean.
Also, at the pulpit, were five women with each of them holding a reed.
Everyone at the shrine, including the couple, were barefoot.
The couple was escorted by their team slowly making their way facing the eastern side, where popular apostolic sect leader and prophet Lawrence Katsiru was waiting as a “vessel of the holy spirit” to endorse the union.
Four men lifted an apostolic sect cloth to provide a shade to the couple.
As the popular apostolic Hosanna song filled the shrine, Katsiru went into “trance” to “beseech God” to bless this young couple’s marriage.
After the song, he told them of the challenges they will face in their union and offered solutions.
The water from the clay pot at the pulpit was sprinkled on the couple while they were holding on to a small wooden cross.
As the family and other congregants took turns to congratulate the couple, the two “pure” women were splashing the brown rice on them.
The rice was then collected from the ground and put into the clay pots again, to be reused at the next wedding.
Speaking to this paper after the wedding, Estiah said all the couple wanted was to wed at their shrine.
“We belong to this apostolic sect and the shrine is where all has to be done,” she said.
“It was refreshing and unique. I urge other sect members to follow suit, a wedding at a shrine is possible.”
Her father, Madzibaba Echoes Chiore, who is also the leader of the sect, explained the use of brown rice to bless the wedding.
“The use of rice and other stuff is per directive of the holy spirit, sometimes referred to as Ginatsio. The holy spirit tells us what to do,” he said.
The wedding may not have been fancy, but lived up to its billing.
Under the scorching sun at a shrine, the lovebirds embarked on a blessed solemnised by the apostles.
