“One thing I’ve learned in my years as a wedding planner is this: the bigger the wedding, the bigger the secrets.” That’s how this explosive flash fiction episode begins in “The Groom’s Away Match”, part of Tolulope Popoola’s acclaimed Lagos Flash Fiction Series, and published on Brittle Paper on July 12, 2025
The story unfolds at the wedding of Sade—the daughter of an oil magnate—set to marry Jide from a political dynasty. Everything seems perfect until a mysterious woman claims to carry the groom’s child, turning the high-society affair into chaos.
Plot Summary & Tension
Wedding planner Bisi stands at the floral arch when her assistant alerts her to a scandal: a woman at the gate claims pregnancy with the groom, Jide. This newcomer threatens to derail everything. Bisi calmly handles security, arranges for the bride’s best man to arrive, and ushers the drama into a private setting. Tunde, the best man, arrives flustered. Jide is summoned and promptly confronted. Just when it looks like disaster, Sade enters with composed grace and unexpected forgiveness, insisting the wedding proceed while ensuring responsibilities are taken. The calm yet powerful resolution takes the story to a satisfying yet suspenseful close
Main Characters & Dynamics
- Bisi: The composed and resourceful wedding planner—quick thinker and fixer.
- Sade: The poised billionaire’s daughter who chooses grace over fury.
- Jide: The conflicted groom forced to face past mistakes publicly.
- Cynthia: The fearless woman demanding recognition and accountability.
- Tunde: Best man and crisis manager in a suit.
Each character’s interaction highlights Lagos’s layered high-society culture with drama, etiquette, and emotional stakes.
Thematic Depth & Cultural Resonance
Popoola artfully draws on themes such as social power, public reputation, gender roles, and emotional agency. The clash between Cynthia’s raw demand for recognition and Sade’s composed diplomacy speaks volumes about societal expectations in Nigerian elite circles.
This flash fiction resonates because it captures real wedding-day pressure, coded etiquette, and the unpredictability of personal betrayals—all with Lagosian flair. It illustrates how a wedding planner must anticipate not only florist failures but moral minefields too.
Why Her Writing Stands Out
Tolulope Popoola is often referred to as “Africa’s flash fiction queen” thanks to her sharp, witty, and dialogue-driven storytelling that captures everyday chaos in Lagos through engaging micro‑stories :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}.
Her work in the Lagos Flash Fiction Series spans multiple perspectives—from wedding planners and taxi drivers to bakers and junior bankers—offering rich slices of city life across professions and personalities
Reviewers praise Popoola for her humor, realism, and emotional intelligence; she crafts scenes that feel both cinematic and immediate
How to Access or Cite This Story
Read the full flash fiction episode on Brittle Paper: More Adventures of a Lagos Wedding Planner: The Groom’s Away Match.
To discover additional Lagos Flash Fiction stories by Tolulope Popoola, browse the entire series on Brittle Paper or visit her author page at Accomplish Press and other literary platforms.
Recommended hashtag promotions: #LagosFlashFiction, #TolulopePopoola, #NigerianFiction.
Conclusion & Reflection
“The Groom’s Away Match” is a compelling snapshot of chaos and control, scandal and calm. With Bisi’s professional composure and Sade’s surprising tact, the story delivers a layered emotional payoff in a brief but powerful flash fiction format.
Tolulope Popoola continues to capture Lagos through the eyes of vibrant narrators—each episode a microcosm of drama, humor, moral dilemmas, and resilience in a city that never sleeps.
If you enjoy fast‑paced fiction with rich cultural texture, this is a story—and a series—you won’t want to miss.
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