I Take You

“Oh, Charlotte, it’s beautiful!” mother exclaimed, taking out a now dissolved tissue out of her pocket again. The decorations, chairs, and everything was finally all set. Beyond excited and proud that it at the family farm. Eh, you say, farm, old barn wood, livestock smell really? Quite the opposite really. Chalk it up to family pride. It was just perfect for an outdoorsy wedding that gave off just the right bohemian vibes. For me, a relaxing environment to celebrate our love. It was everything I had imagined and wanted. Today was the day, our wedding day. And just like that, my entire life would change….and of course Will’s too.

A strange feeling stuck in my stomach. I guess it is normal, I reassured myself. Everyone gets cold feet, right? Will had a way about him and made everything seem like it was going to be OK. He kept reassuring me that things would calm down after the wedding. We would have more time to be together. There seemed to never be anytime together. All this traveling and being apart was messing with my head. He was right, our day had come and we would start our lives officially together as man and wife.

Hungry, tired, and with bags under my eyes, it was time to head back into the house to get hair, makeup, and the dress on for the big day. I ran into mother’s kitchen and grabbed some coffee and biscuits on my way. I needed this comfort food. Something in my belly to calm these nerves. I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and excitement. Dressed and ready to go, I turned around to show family and friends, and tears came from everyone. Time to get out, much like yawning, this is too contagious of a thing to stick around for. Besides, I had no time to re-do makeup, so I bolted out for outside.

Family and friends were starting to come to the farm. Smartly dressed boys and girls were walking down and touring the farm. Something about a barn and animals is an instant kid magnetic. Chickens, horses, and of course cobwebs. It was a hot, windless summer. The grass was not green and we were under the scorching midday sun.

I was wearing my mother’s wedding dress. It clung to my sweaty body. I felt like I was melting. When I finally reached my husband to be, it took everything I had to maintain my composure and shove down those tears of joy again. We finally made it.

“We are gathered here today to join this couple, who have applied for and received a marriage license from the state, in holy matrimony. Do you, Charlotte, take Wilbur to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold by the laws of God and of this state?”

There was a silence. Oh, that's was my line, “I do.”

“Do you promise to love him and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, as long as you both shall live?”

Alert this time, “I do.” Pushing down the butterflies.

“Do you, Wilbur, take Charlotte be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold by the laws of God and of this state?”

It seemed he had a quicker, “I do.” Perhaps, he was melting under this sun too.

“Do you promise to love her and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, as long as you both shall live?”

What was that smell? A bellow of smoke took the air. It was the barn. All it took was one tiny ember into this old barn and a bit of hay and poof, flames! Stop the ceremony! Everyone rushed to the barn to save it and the animals inside. A mad race with buckets to put it out. White wasn’t white but brown with mud all over the place now. But, everything seem to survive unscathed.

Sweat, tears, and shame. The relentless sun doesn’t give up. Wipe the sweat and smoke from my face, water and smoke stick to the spider web in the corner of the old barn. A look closer, what’s this? It says, “SOME PIG.” Weird. Even my eyes are tired now. Whatever.

I search around for my love. How embarrassing. Our big day was ruined. What will he say? More planning I guess ahead. We can survive this too. Dragging my muddy dress, I search high and low. Maybe he went to get changed from this disaster. I know I certainly want to. I headed to mother’s house to change and wash up. Perhaps this day would turn around. Think positive. After all, everyone is safe.

Can't help but notice everyone wanting to leave. My ears pick up on the loud car doors as people leave this disaster. Wish I could too. In this distance, I see a couple caught in an embrace. A slow lingering kiss. Sweat runs down my face, my eyes blur I see a red dress and a muddy suit. I wipe my face again, ah, lipstick and sweat on your face. I guess I agree miss spider, Wilbur really is some pig.

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