THE NERVOUS GROOM
The art of being wise is the art of knowing what
to overlook.
WILLIAM JAMES
One of the greatest joys of living in a small town
is that it's easy to get to know your neighbors well. Small-town
people seem to connect with one another in a way that is impossible
in a big city. My parents lived in such a town in South Carolina,
and they genuinely loved and cared about all the local citizens.
This, - and the fact that my father was influential in state politics
- gained them an invitation to nearly every wedding in the country.
For many years Mother and Daddy ate their evening
meals at a popular local restaurant where everyone knew each other.
They often chatted with the waitresses and knew all about their
families...especially one in particular, who was a little older
than the rest.
This woman was very anxious to get married. In fact,
she was desperate. One evening, when my parents came in to dine
she informed them that she was engaged. She invited them to the
wedding, which was to be held in mid-August, just a few months away.
They assured her that they would be there.
The wedding day arrived and it was very hot, nearly
103 degrees! The ceremony was held in a small country church that
was not air - conditioned. Nevertheless, it was clear to everyone
as the wedding party began their procession down the aisle that
this was a very happy occasion for the bride. She had saved for
many years to have the funds to make her wedding everything she
dreamed of. Her dress was exquisite and had so many layers of ruffles
that there was barely room for her father to stand next to her in
the aisle. She had gone all out with the flowers, her bouquet, and
a beautiful candelabra.
The groom was very nervous standing in front of the
church. He had been in an automobile accident the week before and
had been determined, despite some lingering pain, not to distract
in any way from the bride, the various pre-wedding activities, or
the importance of the day.
As the minister began to say the marriage vows, the
groom's nervousness started to get the best of him, and he started
swaying.
"Oh, my, I think he is going to faint," Mother whispered
to Daddy. Before she could finish the sentence, the groom passed
out and fell against the stand that held dozens of lighted candles.
Flames went everywhere, including the organ keys. The veteran church
organist, however, did not miss a note and played on calmly as the
ushers gingerly picked up lighted candles from around her.
The bride was in tears. Her beautiful wedding was
being ruined. To the rescue came the bride's father, who jumped
to his feet and caught the groom. He tried to steady the hapless
man, who was still swaying. He looked dazed and disoriented, and
his eyes were rolling around. He wasn't responding intelligently
to anything anyone said to him.
Guessing (and hoping!) that the combination of heat,
nerves, and pain medication was to blame for his future son-in-law's
odd condition, the father propped him up by standing against his
back, and signaled for the minister to go ahead with the ceremony.
The bride smiled bravely and tried to look as if everything was
normal.
"Do you think that this will be legal?" Mother whispered
again to Daddy. "Poor thing, I don't think he knows where he is."
Daddy smiled a sweet smile and whispered back, "Oh,
I don't think anyone here would tell. Let's just get 'em married."
ANN PLATZ
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