The Wedding

Claudia stood before the empty barn. It was available for rent and in perfect time for her wedding! Hang a banner here below the second-floor loft and put a microphone there and the stage to the center of the dark room she thought to hereself. “We’d have to hang up some lights,” she told the real estate agent who was her best friend, “But it has the perfect rustic look that I imagined for my perfect wedding! Thank you so much!”

Tiffany laughed nervously and adjusted her glasses slightly. “Tell me about your decorating plans and I’ll hire people to help.”

Claudia’s brown eyes grew wide, “Thank you so much, sis! Bobby will be forever grateful for all the help you’ve shown us in getting the wedding ready.” she said to her best friend. Claudia was so excited for her wedding and had dieted for months to fit in the perfect size two dress from her mom’s first wedding.

Her father had passed away when she was a teenager so her mom clung to that dress and said Rachel could use it for her own wedding if she ever got married. Claudia was scared to get married, but she had somehow fell in love with the perfect man. Her wedding was only a month away!

Two weeks before the wedding, the weather changed, and the beautiful spring weather changed to the summer rain season. Storms battered the town for days on end. Claudia kept busy with ideas to decorate the barn, but never actually going out to look at the barn. She was busy bargain shopping for the perfect decorations for her perfect wedding.

She shook the rain drops from her umbrella outside The Bargain Outlet on the far side of town. She had finally picked up her printed banner that celebrated her new name, “Mister & Miss Franks” with little pink and blue bows to celebrate their future children.

Claudia found Bobby’s truck right at the driveway for the barn. “What’s wrong? Did you finally come see the area?”

Bobby shook his head and sighed loudly. “I came see this spot right before you came here with Tiffany. Do you think I’d send you somewhere to check out for our wedding without looking at it first?”

Claudia frowned. “What is it then?”

Bobby motioned for Claudia to get in his truck, and she did. She didn’t bother buckling the seat belt and waited for Bobby to bring them to the barn. The driveway was a long one that was squared away with fields upon fields of corn.

They arrived at the barn and Claudia couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The perfect rustic barn was now run down, and it looked like it hadn’t been tended to in ten years. She touched the side of the barn and felt the rotting wood. “What happened?!” she shrieked. What luck she had to suddenly lose her perfect spot only two weeks before the wedding. They walked into the barn.

Bobby picked up the door to the main room that had a stage set up already. The door fell off its hinges and he put it against the wall. “I already called some of my buddies.” He lied.

Claudia couldn’t hold back her tears anymore. She went around carefully inspecting every inch of the barn. There were now rats hiding on the second floor or were they there before, but she didn’t notice? She realized she was too taken aback by the location and the original beauty of the building.

Bobby sat on a haystack and apologized over and over to her. “I should have made sure this building was up to standards before I had you check it out. I’m so sorry…”

Claudia explored a cabinet in the adjacent room to the main open room that would be the center of entertainment for her wedding. “This is so not okay. How will we get this place fixed up? This is supposed to be my perfect wedding. I don’t know how this will work.”

“I’ll get it fixed up for you, I promise. Just head back home.” Bobby said and ushered Claudia out of the barn and into his truck. He brought her back to her car and kissed her quickly. “I’ll be home later on tonight baby.” He said then returned to his truck.

He sat on the tailgate of his truck for a while. He had bought nails and a hammer, but he didn’t have anywhere near the manpower to do all the work that had to be done. He picked up his cell phone and called his friend. “Yo, Samuel. You’re still good at construction?”

“Yes. I still work for A-to-Z Home Repair. Why are you calling me?” Samuel said then cursed under his breath. Bobby wouldn’t call him for any reason. They hadn’t talked in about a year.

“You know I’m getting married to Claudia, right? She picked this barn and it’s not in the best condition. Could I borrow your help for a few days? The wedding is in under two weeks.” Bobby picked up the hammer. “I have some tools, but could you bring some extra lumber? I have a little under five grand to pay if you help me.”

“You have to fill out a contract with A-to-Z Home Repair,” Samuel replied quickly. “I’ll bring the paperwork with me to the barn. It’s that ole’ barn down Ridge View Road, right?” Samuel grabbed a stack of papers.

“It’s not a lot of paperwork, right? This needs to be done a-s-a-p. You know how Claudia’s looking forward to her wedding.” Bobby said and sighed loudly. He hung up the phone and began tearing out the nails for the broken door jam. He wanted nothing, but Claudia’s approval. He’d stop at nothing to make her happy.

It didn’t take long before Samuel arrived with lumber in the back of his bright red pick up truck. “You lucky son of a gun! I called my boss right after getting off the phone with you and he told me to take all this lumber here. He said that the original owner had signed a contract a few years back, but it’s been sitting on the back burner. People’s homes came before this old barn since it’s not even used anymore.” He unloaded a shop vac and handed it to Bobby. “I’ll start with the second floor. This place needs a cleaning before I can spray the poison. You can handle changing out the lumber for the door jams, right?” he said and handed a cordless drill to his friend.

“Thanks!” Bobby said cheerfully. He grabbed the drill and went enthusiastically to work on removing the door jam. “This will work faster than the hammer. Thanks a lot Sam!” Bobby said. They worked tirelessly for several hours. The noise of the shop vac was soon replaced with the hissing sound of the poison spray. Several mice ran in terror at the sound of the hiss.

Soon, there were finished for the day. “We’ll have to come back tomorrow.” Bobby said to Samuel. “We have to set up the stage and all the decorations.”

“I don’t know if A-to-Z Home repair will do that, but I’ll help you out. I just have to request off from my boss. I don’t see why he wouldn’t let me take the day off.” Samuel said while hopping into his truck. “I’ll call you tomorrow when I’m free to set up the decorations.” He said and shut the door. He turned his engine on and the truck sputtered to life. He waited for Bobby to get in his truck then left.

Days passed with such heavy rainfall that neither could work on the barn. Samuel stayed busy with his job at A-to-Z Home Repair. Bobby stayed busy with the other necessary paperwork for the wedding. Claudia was too busy setting up the entertainment and refreshments.

All was done for the wedding except the decorations that needed to be hung. Finally a day before the wedding was planned, they had clear skies. Bobby called Samuel excited that they could finally get the rest of the work done, but Samuel didn’t pick up his phone. Bobby went to the barn and began painting it a bright green. He didn’t need Samuel to finish up the job, but it would have gone by a lot faster.

Hours had passed, but Bobby was still busy painting. He moaned and complained about back pain, but it was worth it to see that smile on Claudia’s face. He double checked the entire barn and saw no mice. He quickly set up the stage and went to work on setting up the tables for the refreshments. It was beginning to look at lot like what Claudia had originally envisioned or he hoped it did.

The big day came along, and the barn was packed with everyone they knew. The priest shrugged his shoulders at the stand as the music began playing. A beautiful bride walked down the aisle wearing an old-fashioned white dress with lace frills at the top and a long tail dragged behind her. Her face was shrouded in white lace. Her hair was pinned to the top of her head where the white lace began to fall. The husband had tried so hard, but there were still a few specs of bright green paint in his hair. His suit was the perfect fit, but the tie was green. It brought out the tiny green specs in his short sandy curly hair.

“Is there anyone opposed to this marriage? Speak now or forever hold your peace.” The priest began the ceremony.

A mouse appeared and everyone was screaming. “Samuel!” Bobby yelled and his dark eyes glared at the intrusion on what was suppose to be the perfect day for Claudia. Tears poured down Claudia’s eyes as she watched the mouse’s tiny hands munch on a piece of straw.

“Awww….” Claudia said and approached the little mouse. “Aren’t you just the cutest little guy?” she squealed at the mouse to everyone’s horror. She picked it up and brought it outside. “Okay Father, continue.” Bobby sighed in relief that the mouse had not ruined her day. Everyone whispered to themselves in horror and shuffled around to sit in their chairs. “Is everyone ready again?” Claudia asked.

“Okay,” the Father began the ceremony again, “Do you Claudia Kate Wilkerson take Bobby Joseph Franks to be your husband for better or for worse until death does its part?”

“Yes, I do.” Claudia said happily and held Bobby’s-no -her husband’s hand. He slipped the ring on her finger.

“Do you Bobby Joseph Franks take Claudia Kate Wilkerson as your wife for better or for worse until death does its part?” Father asked and closed his book.

“Yea, I do,” Bobby said and Claudia put the ring on his finger.

“Good. I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” The father prompted Bobby to kiss Claudia. They kissed very briefly, and the priest walked out of the room. “Now, my job is done. I’m heading back to the church.” He said and left.

Claudia went to the refreshment table and grabbed a handful of crackers. The crackers had bites missing from them. “I can’t believe this.” She groaned to herself and threw the crackers on the ground. “I’m so sorry everyone, the refreshments have been miced.” She said then fainted.