Why I married my husband twice...and details...!!!

My husband and I married way back in 1991. Seems so long ago now....but alhamdulillah....it was a great day. I was just 18 and he was just 24. I'm sure many ppl who saw us, felt like we were kids playing house......LOL!!

We were married for 12 yrs.....oh sure, we had our occasional arguments....sometimes we wouldn't talk to each other.....but on the most part......the foundation of our marriage was ALWAYS based on our deen. So we always patched up those minor things.

Well, after those 10 yrs of marriage.....we came to the mutual agreement....that I'd go to Egypt and raise the girls......and he'd follow a year later. HA! Well that never turned out properly....and here we are now.

But that's not what I wanted to share with you all....I wanted to tell you the story about why we got married a second time......you are going to enjoy this!!

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Here we are....4 yrs ago in Egypt....and my hubby and I discuss how it would be ideal if I get Egyptian citizenship. Now Canada is wonderful and allows the dual thingy....so I wouldn't be losing anything. I'm all for it. So we go ahead and make the application. But we come into something sticky and difficult......

It's the Canadian Marriage Certificate. We've got the official one done by the Sheikh....and the wallet sized version of the city. In Egypt, they are big on stamps....the official one by the sheikh needs to have the following to be authorized....

-go to Cdn embassy...have them write a letter saying that this is an official recognized document, confirm that we are married, confirm that I am muslim, have the document translated and have it all stamped by the cdn embassy, the egyptian embassy and some other thing or two.

Okay...we can do that...so we start....we go over to the cdn embassy.....they want us to go to an official translator that is approved by them, its in another city.....get it translated there, bring back all our Cdn ID, and insha Allah...in 6 weeks....we can pick up this paperwork.

6 weeks? WTH? So back to the Egyptian embassy we go.....we wanna do this faster....how to do it? The guy behind the glass says to us...Make life easy on urself....take ur wife over to the city bldg and marry her again...show ur egyptian marriage certificate instead of the cdn one...and then ur home free.

Okay.....so what to do? We go back home....talk in the car about frivolous things.....and decide to go again to Cairo the next day to get a move on things.

U still with me?

So the next morning we get up...and are on our way in the car....I'm thinking of all the possible running around we are going to be doing, and how this will NEVER get finished....when suddenly Hubby surprises me and says...

"I can't believe that after 10 yrs, we are getting married again."

WUT?

I say to him..."aren't we translating things? What is this?"

"It'll take too long and there's a lot of running around if we try to finish this cdn paperwork. I thought you knew that we would just remarry? Didn't we say that yesterday?"

"Well, u didn't say that...the man behind the glass said it....you mean we are getting married today?"

"Yup....isn't that something?"

"Well sure it is! You joked on me...kidnapped me in the car and assume that I'm going to marry you!! You didn't even ask me, buy me flowers and I'm not wearing white!! And besides that....YOU KNOW I'm a month pregnant!! What would ppl say!!"

he laughs and then says..."Why would I ask you to marry me again....wouldn't you want to?"

"You think that I like making the same mistake twice? You should have asked me and given me an option!!! And where's a present for me, flowers...anything? "

Alright, alright...we had our little laugh in the car....and we make it to the bldg that we have to get married in. We drive around looking for a place to park...YA RIGHT....and finally see this compound sort of thing, so my hubby thinks he can park in there.....so he drives right in.

There's a man sitting in a chair, and when he sees us drive in....HE JUMPS OUTTA THE CHAIR AND STARTS RUNNING TOWARDS US......from every side, ppl are popping out here and there, yelling at us to stop the car....I can even see one man with a gun....OMG...I'm thinking!!

So Hubby stops....and the guy makes it to our car....and asks us WHAT THE HELL we are doing!! LOL! Turns out this is a top notch gov't bldg...haha! And basically, we scared the bejesus outta everyone!! So hubby gets outta the car and talks to the guys....and they agree to park the car for us....for money...LOL....but we can't drive it in...they'll do it. So we leave keys and car.

Walk over to bldg....and make our way upstairs. We get there and take a number...and sit among fancily dressed ppl who are also getting married. Because this is only the official paper wedding, there aren't any brides and stuff....this is just paperwork. So it's our turn....they call us in the room....and we sit down with the imam. He asks me if I've been married before....yes, I say....but to the same man. He's confused....so hubby explains. Then he says....in that case...I will ask you again, and you answer NO, okay?

Alright I says....so he asks me...I say NO...he asks hubby...he says NO....then he asks me how much is my Mahr.....Hmmmm.....so I say....I don't want it. Imam says you have to take something....so I say $1 LE....the sheikh writes it down. Then he asks my husband to call his witnesses.

WITNESSES? OMG! Hubby forgot about that part. So he tells the Imam, our witnesses have not arrived yet......the imam says...go back and sit outside and when they show up, u come back in. WHAT TO DO? Hubby says...don't worry, I have a plan. And leaves the bldg. I'm thinking he's going to call his brothers....but nope....Hubby had a better surprise in store for me.

He went down to where we parked the car...and asked 2 of the guards if they'd come upstairs and be witness to our marriage. HAHA! Well, they agreed....to a price....(not including the price of parking the car, of course!) Hubby agrees and shows up with both of them in tow! HAHA!

I can't help it...I start to smirk....then to giggle...then to just laugh....this is RIDICULOUS!! So Hubby brings the witnesses in to see the imam. The Imam asks the witnesses some questions....

"How long have you known the groom?"
"ummm....about two years"
"About two years or more? You have to have known him for two years at least"
"Oh...well more than two years...we've known him a long time"
"Okay then....get out ur ID, and write ur names on this line..."

Witness number one, gets out his ID and starts writing his info....witness number two has a problem....he takes my hubby aside.

"ummm...I forgot my ID downstairs"
"WUT? GO GET IT FAST!"

So buddy runs outta the bldg double time....seems like hubby has made this poor guy run too much today!! OKay...first witness is finished up....he signs all the papers...Hubby gives his some moolah and he's on his way. Second witness comes huffing and puffing back in....starts writing down his stuff.....and signs.....hands the paperwork to the Imam.....

The Imam takes one look at the paperwork, and then tells witness number two to go wait outside. Number two leaves....and we wonder what's the matter.....so the imam starts and says to Hubby...

"You've known these two witnesses for two years?"
"Yup...."
"You absolutely sure?"
"Well, not really....is there a problem?"
"Yes there is....it's witness number 2 who is the problem....do you know his full name?"
"Ummmm....I don't quite remember....why what's wrong?"
"His name is William Girgus George....that's the problem....he's a christian"
"OH!"
"You brought a christian to witness a muslim marriage? You should know better....he CAN"T be a witness to a muslim marriage..."

HAHAHAHA!! So hubby says...I'll get someone else.....and the imam says...GET A MUSLIM! Hubby runs outside...witness number two holds out his hand...wut about my money....Hubby HAS to pay the guy....and he does....LOLOL!

He sees this guy standing up in the hallway and says to him...I need a witness....will you do that for me? The guy says to him...THANK GOD...I need another one too....I'll witness for you and then you witness for me, ok? SURE, says hubby.

So in comes the new witness. The Imam doesn't even bother with the whole....how long have you known each other routine....HAHAHA!! The paperwork gets finished up.....stamped, signed and then sealed...LOL...

The last part is precious tho....the imam hands my hubby the paper and says to him..."May you have a more successful marriage."

HAHA!

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We finished the paperwork, handed it in.....months later gave birth to baby # 4....and then just after, I got my citizenship. So it all finished up in the end....sure did. But I tell you.....the second time I married him was MUCH more interesting than the first time ever was....!!!