She tricked
him into marrying her. Man, she was smooth. All of the coy words and ways were
played like a Stradivarius violin. He sat spell bound for the few months prior
to the wedding. She was not the prettiest apple on the tree or the best shaped
apple. How she got her eyes to sparkle and how she sounded like a movie star
remains an unsolved mystery.
Beyond the
visual and audio effects was her unrelenting pursuit. She told a friend prior
to the marriage she was going to “get that guy”. Sacrifice was her middle name,
at least before the marriage, no time or distance was too great for her to conquer.
She knew how to always make herself available. Johnyette on the spot---that was
her.
Bad weather
and distance meant nothing to her. When he could not get to her she could
always find a way to get to him. This total dedication to be with him soon over
powered this woefully inexperienced country boy. It was she who first raised
the prospect of marriage, it was she who wanted their first sexual encounter,
and it was she who had all of the answers to how a wedding could be arranged
when each had little or no money.
The multiple
unbelievable events prior to their marriage were once viewed as merely bad luck.
Looking back, he now views those as an omen that should have been heeded. Cold
weather—record cold weather and snow could not stop or delay their wedding. No
car was for them to have a brief honeymoon. A kind relative loaned them a car
for one night.
The wedding
night was a total dull and boring affair. Years later she said, “I was wore out
from the wedding.” Really? Fifteen
minutes before a preacher and two witnesses. He later said, “I was born at
night, but not last night!”
Fast forward
several years when he returned from a year overseas from an unaccompanied
assignment. That reunion was Act 2 of the wedding night. What a heart break?
What a disappointment? Foolish thoughts of unfaithfulness started to daily
haunt his troubled spirit. Would she? Could she? Did she? He could not bring
himself to accept the possible answer of Yes.
This story
is still a work in progress. For several years she used the “I don’t feel like
it excuse.” She even went so far as to say, “I love you, but don’t like you.” When
pressed about when she might she said, “Maybe in the future.” Both are mature,
if not old. He said she was using the old “Four corner North Carolina offense”---keep
passing and run out the clock.
Glenn <><
Just West of Yesterday
No comments:
Post a Comment