While Orane and I chatted during dinner, I took in the elegantly decorated round tables, covered with white table cloths and apple red sheer overlays. Each table displayed gold chargers, white dinnerware set, white napkins, silverwares, wine glasses and water goblets. The chairs were adorned with white covers and gold tie-backs. Tall modern centerpieces made of fresh flowers with huge center candles looked sharp in the stylish setting.
Great job Suzanne Hugg!
I stopped chewing and waved at Mama who was sitting at a table directly before us. She smiled, blew me a kiss then patted her heart.
I quickly swallowed the piece of chicken that I was working on. “I love you too,” I mouthed.
Orane and I giggled through dessert—tropical fruit salad with a scoop of sorbet, reliving the moments as we watched a video presentation of us, titled “Two Hearts Together”, showing pictures from our dating life to engagement.
A few minutes later, Selvin was back on the job.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to unveil this lovely cake. I now invite the mothers of the bride and groom to do so.”
Oops! Not so!
Mama and Maydine were on the program to unveil the cake. In spite of the mistake, the lovely ladies did not hesitate. They smiled and walked confidently to the cake table. Maydine’s bronze sleeveless light satin evening gown looked chic on her petite, 5’ 3” frame. Sequins highlighted the fitted bodice and her hair was all curls. Gold toned accessories completed her eye-catching look. They held the corners of the veil and Mama declared, “Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Conway, we unveil this cake.”
Loud applause followed.
“Mr. and Mrs. Conway, please come to cake table,” Selvin requested. Lovely cake indeed!
I had browsed the internet and discovered that stacked wedding cakes were the latest rage. At the base of the four-decker cake were red roses. The first cake was separated from the second by four white pillars. Each cake was decorated with white and gold roses and wrapped at the bottom with white satin ribbon. The last cake was topped with a white ceramic bride and groom. Harriett and Natasha made and decorated our wedding cake as a gift to us.
Harriett placed the two knives in the cake at the base.
“Orane and Annalisa are you ready?” Selvin asked.
“Yes,” we said in unison.
“On the count of three…1…2…2 ½…” We began cutting. Our faces said it all, much to the amusement of our guests.
“Okay…3.” With that, we cut the cake to thunderous applause.
“Orane, cut a piece of the cake and place it in your mouth,” Selvin gleefully instructed.
My eyes widened and I swallowed a couple of times before my mouth fell open.
This was not happening!
My pulse took off faster than the speed of light. Selvin and I had a conversation about this. I did not want to be fed cake in this manner, a fork would do.
Squeals of excitement went up from our guests. My eyes pleaded with Orane who was having the time of his life. He had already eaten the piece of cake in his mouth and was going for seconds, much to the delight of our guests. I steadied my heart rate as he offered me the cake, with obvious amusement. I took it, albeit unsteadily.
I must confess that I was not as embarrassed as I thought I would be and the cake tasted delicious. Truthfully…The mouth to mouth contact was quite electrifying.
Then, I returned the favor much to Orane’s pleasure and the delight of our guests.
We had just returned to our table when Selvin struck again.
“Bring in the bubbly,” he said with youthful exuberance, calling for sparkling apple cider to be poured into our glasses.
My eyebrows furrowed. I opened my mouth, closed it and then eyeballed Orane. His encouraging smile did not help.
It was a moment to behold!
Yet, not to be repeated!
Orane took it all in great strides as Selvin joyfully helped us navigate the “crazy” arms crossing wine drinking bit. On the other hand, my face was contorted as if I was drinking lemon juice. Not my best self! No. Not at all!
Selvin grinned happily, very proud of his handiwork, then called for toasts to be offered to Mama and Orane’s parents. At appropriate points during each toast, the ushers presented gifts to our parents.
Melissa toasted me and said it all, from college days to my encounters with Orane. Our guests had belly laughs through the entire toast as she spoke about how smitten I was with Orane which resulted in her becoming Private Investigator M. I pursed my lips and wagged my index finger at Melissa as she grinned at me before leaving the podium.
Ridley toasted Orane with eloquence. He spoke about their childhood days and their time spent working in Jamaica’s tourism industry. He cited Orane’s great character traits and entrepreneurial abilities. At the mention of Orane’s hobby, a joyful shout went up from his football friends. Our guest clapped heartily as Ridley took his seat.
“Thank you Ridley,” Selvin said smiling. “We are moving on. Next, we have a special tribute. Let’s give Cheri Delgado a round of applause as she comes to give a tribute.”
The tribute was my surprise for Mama and my siblings. At first, I wanted my sisters to walk up the aisle at a point during the bridal party march but that suggestion was killed as fast as it reared its ugly head. “The wedding is all about you and Orane,” they murmured. I did not even bother to pursue the conversation.
Without my sisters’ knowledge, I enlisted the help of Melissa and Cheri, another wonderful friend to write the tribute. We brainstormed for a suitable title since it needed to be inconspicuous on the program. Several titles came up but none was suitable.
“Lord, what should I call the tribute for my family?” I asked, one day at home. The answer came, “The Circle of Love”. I looked around because the voice was so audible, then I began screaming with delight. The title resonated in my spirit. “The Circle of Love” captured it all; my family was my circle of love.
“Mr. Master of Ceremonies, Mr. and Mrs. Conway, members of the head table, ladies and gentlemen—Good Evening!” Cheri declared smiling as she graced the podium with finesse. “For those of you who don’t know me, I am Cheri Delgado, the very proud friend of the gorgeous bride.”
She smiled at me and I returned the smile.
“I will start by congratulating Annalisa and Orane, and wishing them all the best in the years to come. Today, on Annalisa and Orane’s wedding day, I thank God for surrounding Annalisa with a loving and supportive family. I know that her family has been there for her, at all times and I’m thrilled today, that she has added a new brother to the family. Welcome to the family, Orane!” She smiled at Orane before continuing. “I’ve always admired Annalisa’s relationship with her sisters and brothers. Annalisa has six sisters and four brothers.” She chuckled knowledgeably. “A lot of names to remember. I am going to ask each family member to stand when I called your name.”
Flawless!
I looked at the surprised yet smiling faces of my siblings. I had instructed the ushers to present a rose to each sibling as Cheri spoke about them.
With a wave of her hand, Cheri said, “There is Maydine, aka Sister Maydine—mother hen, madam principal and confidant.”
Maydine eyeballed me smiling then mouthed, “I love you,” before accepting her rose and taking her seat.
Cheri looked around the room. “There she is. Bella, aka Sister Bella—Bella we finally meet,” she smiled at Bella before saying, “Bella is a woman with a heart of gold, always shopping for Annalisa.” Cheri went into a dramatic tone. “Sister Bella, I know you don’t know this, you’ve been shopping for Annalisa’s friends too.”
Bella grinned from ear to ear and accepted her rose as laughter erupted around the room.
When the laughter subsided, Cheri remarked, “Sister Bella is very humorous and according to Annalisa, she makes her laugh until tears flow…You know, those belly laughs. Bella always puts her family first. Annalisa calls
her a walking example of kindness in the flesh.
Now, let’s talk about Harriett, aka Sister Harri, Doc, Dr. Selby, Madam Principal—She is a very strong God fearing woman of grace with an extremely discerning spirit, a kind soul who is very proactive in all her endeavors. Word on the street—if you want the job done, give it to Sister Harri. Everything she touches turn to gold.”
Cheers went up from our guests before Cheri continued in a hushed tone. “Ladies and gentlemen, Sister Harri was very instrumental in Annalisa finding Mr. Right. For almost three years, she tried to get these two together. Finally, her hard work paid off. No wonder they call her Doc. Annalisa was a hard nut to crack. Orane you are a lucky man, thanks to Sister Harri.”
Harriett blushed and accepted her rose as our guests applauded enthusiastically, beating the tables.
“It’s time to talk about Idalyn, aka Ida, Miss Emotional,” Cheri boldly declared. “Ida cares about the family. She is very supportive of Annalisa. The secret—Annalisa and Idalyn resemble their father most. Ida, you are a wonderful and compassionate sister.”
Our guests clapped as Idalyn graciously accepted her rose then blew me a kiss before taking her seat.
“Natasha,” Cheri grinned, “Teaching runs in the family. Natasha is a teacher, dressmaker and baker. This gorgeous wedding cake was done by Natasha and Harriett.” Cheri paused then pointed her thumb in my direction. “Ladies and gentlemen, a little birdie told me that Natasha and Harriett did not make it to the wedding rehearsal or the wedding party’s get-together because they were hard at work, decorating this beautiful wedding cake.”
Loud applause and laughter broke out around the room as Natasha smiled and accepted her rose. She grinned at me and I patted my heart and mouthed, “Thank you” before she took her seat.
“Last but by no means least, Verona—Annalisa’s buddy who never changes.” Cheri smiled while Verona briefly waved at me. “Verona, Annalisa appreciates that whether she calls you today or next year you remain the same.”
Cheri’s eyes widened. “Ladies and gentlemen, Annalisa also has four brothers.” Pockets of snickering were heard around the room before she continued. “Yes. Let’s start with the first male born in the family. Tahime, aka Tai. He looks like their father and he is very protective of Annalisa.” Cheri grinned. “Yes. He seriously goes into what Annalisa calls “big brother protective overdrive mode.” Cheri paused as smiles and knowing chuckles broke out. “Thanks Tai, for being a wonderful big brother to Annalisa.”
Tai smiled proudly. He acknowledged us, accepted his rose then took his seat.
“Next in line is Junior, aka SJ—SJ is not at the wedding but Annalisa says talking to him is very encouraging and uplifting. Naila, Junior’s wife is here. We will ask her to accept this rose on his behalf.”
A smiling Naila accepted the rose while our guests applauded.
“Codel, aka Cody,” Cheri beamed. “Cody you have a special place in Annalisa’s heart. She loves you dearly.”
Cheri paused for Cody to accept his rose. He bowed deeply towards me and I waved and smiled at him.
“And lastly, there is Wayne, aka Waynie—Unfortunately, Wayne is not at the wedding. He is Annalisa’s competitor. They have been competing for the last position in the family.” In melodramatic fashion, Cheri declared, “Today, Annalisa is giving that position to him. Ladies and gentlemen, Wayne is really the last member of the family. Annalisa is only the last girl.”
Pockets of chuckles were heard in the room before Cheri continued. “And, the cord that holds this whole family together is the indomitable Mama.” Cheri paused as our guests hooted and clapped while giving Mama a standing ovation. Orane and I stood and clapped heartily.
“Go Mama!” I yelled.
Cheri smiled broadly before saying, “Mama is a strong, gentle and gracious lady. Thanks mama from all your children. Thank you ladies and gentlemen. You may be seated.”
She waited until our guests were all seated before continuing. “Ladies and gentlemen, on this wonderful day, I want to pay tribute to two very special people, the first born in the family, Sister Maydine and her husband, Gerade Mohan. Annalisa lived with Sister Maydine and Mr. Mohan from the latter part of her elementary school years through high school and college.” She paused as the usher presented gifts to Maydine and Mr. Mohan who were smiling happily.
“Sister Maydine and Mr. Mohan, Annalisa is very proud of you. She feels extremely thankful for all that you have done for her.”
I clapped ecstatically in acknowledgement and our guests followed suit.
“It’s time to let the cat out of the bag,” Cheri said in hushed tones.
A unanimous “Yes” came from our guests.
“Okay, just a few!” I hollered, grinning as Cheri eyed me.
“Speak,” shouted a lone ranger in the back of the room.
Everyone laughed.
“Alrighty!” Cheri said. “The family usually teased Annalisa when she attended kindergarten school because she had to walk double steps to keep pace with Sister Maydine. Most of you know,” Cheri whispered as our guests listened keenly, “that Sister Maydine is a principal. In the early years of middle school, Annalisa had to write essays almost every weekend; assignments given to her by Sister Maydine. Annalisa told me that Sister Maydine returned her essays with red lines through every sentence. The red lines went on for a while until Annalisa’s creative skills kicked in.”
“Ahhh!” our guests responded.
“Not to worry. Because of that, Annalisa has developed a love for reading and writing. So, thank you Sister Maydine. I know that you are a great listener and you’ve offered Annalisa wise counsel. If fact, you are her second mother.”
I grinned at Maydine who grinned right back as loud applause broke out.
“For those of you who don’t know, Mr. Mohan is a retired Agriculturalist. Mr. Mohan, Annalisa has great respect for you. Ladies and gentlemen hear this,” Cheri said dramatically. “At one stage, I thought that Mr. Mohan was Annalisa’s father. She would say, Mr. Mohan wants to know when I’m getting married.”
Pockets of snickering echoed in the room.
Cheri grinned at Mr. Mohan. “Well Mr. Mohan, today is the day.”
Our guests laughed and cheered loudly while Mr. Mohan shook his head in disbelief and mouthed, “I can’t believe we are talking about this.”
Cheri smiled widely before continuing, clearly enjoying the moment. “Sister Maydine and Mr. Mohan, thank you for the important role which you played in Annalisa’s life. On this very special day in Annalisa and Orane’s life, we honor you. God bless you both.”
With that Cheri left the podium and returned to her seat 243 amidst warm and enthusiastic applause.
“Thank you Cheri,” said a smiling Selvin. “Now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment we have all been waiting for. It is that time of the evening!”
Our guests squealed and cheered loudly.
“It is that time of the evening when we will hear from the big man, Mr. Conway himself.”
Our guests clapped heartily before Selvin continued. “Orane, when I asked Annalisa about you, the first thing she told me is that you are a Christian. That was the first thing, she told me. The good looks, the charm and everything thing else came later on. So everybody, you see where her priority is. Orane is a God-fearing man. I dare say this is what is sadly lacking in this country, God-fearing men with everything else.” Selvin paused as everyone digested this. “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s put our hands together as the groom comes to give his reply.”
Orane walked to the podium amidst loud cheers and applause.
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen!” he said smiling.
“Good evening Orane!” Our guests responded in unison and pockets of laugher were heard all around the room.
“I would like to start by saying, to God be the glory.”
“Amen,” our guests replied.
“Amen!” Orane responded. “Can I hear another amen?”
> “Amen!” they said with exuberance.
“I would like to hear you, so don’t just sit there. This is a special moment; a very special night and you are here to have fun. So enjoy the goodness of God. Amen!”
“Amen!” our guests responded with zeal.
“I sound like a preacher, right!” Orane said smiling, followed by laughter from our guests. “Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of my wife and…” Spontaneous applause and beating of the tables broke out. “Would you like me to say that again?”
“Yes!” our guests shouted.
“On behalf of my wife and myself…”
I gazed at him with pure adoration as loud cheers rang out and someone yelled, “Alright now!” before he continued.
“I would like to thank you for coming out today and celebrating our special day with us.” He paused and smiled at me and I returned his smile. “My wife, you look wonderful this evening. When I saw you coming down the aisle everything was so impeccable. Babes, you look absolutely stunning.” His eyes burned through me before he turned his attention to our guests.
“I’m so happy tonight. I am really happy. As I had mentioned to Annalisa during our planning stage, I am a quiet person. I did not actually want a big wedding but ladies and gentlemen, I am so happy that it went this way.” Orane paused in obvious thanksgiving to God, before he continued, “It has brought back, it has helped to unite, to reunite, to reconcile and to resuscitate a lot of relationships.”
Thunderous applause occurred along with the beating of tables. A smile broke out across my face as I gazed proudly at my husband…my husband.
“Today has really been spectacular. You can…” Orane paused to gather himself. He lifted his head and sheepishly declared, “Annalisa told me not to cry.”
Our guests roared with laughter, before he continued, “I held it together until Reverend Fuller asked me to say my vows.” He eyed me and pretended to be ashamed much to the amusement of our guests, before enthusiastically stating, “Yes! Today has been spectacular. You can feel the presence of the Lord here.”
Murmurs of agreement filled the air.
Unforgettable, My Love Has Come Along Page 23