The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series

by Jacqueline Druga

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  AUGUST 15

  A look of ‘proud’ barreled over Frank’s face as he stood at the altar by Reverend Bob watching Ellen begin her procession down the aisle. Paul’s perfect organ playing of ‘Trumpet Voluntary’ added to the feel that surrounded him in Beginnings’ small, but packed chapel. So beautiful Ellen looked to him. Perfect. More beautiful than he had ever seen her in their entire lives. She literally took his breath away. As he watched her walk nearer to him, Frank felt his heart pounding from his chest. So enamored with her at that moment he stopped noticing the choking he had felt from the bow tie he wore. All he could feel were his feelings for Ellen. And though he never thought it were possible, Frank swore right there and then, he fell in love with her all over again.

  Ellen had barely reached the end of the aisle when Frank couldn’t wait anymore. He approached her holding out his hand.

  Reverend Bob tapped him on the shoulder. “Frank.”

  Frank ignored him and laid his hands on Ellen’s face.

  “Frank.” Reverend Bob tapped him again. “You’re not supposed to be doing this.”

  “Shut up, will you?” Frank snapped in a whisper at Reverend Bob then faced Ellen. “You look beautiful.” He leaned to kiss her.

  “Frank!” Reverend Bob had enough. “Get back. The bride would like to make her approach.”

  “All right.” Frank pointed, kissed Ellen with a smile and stepped back. As best man, he took place behind the groom. He nudged him when the ‘Bridal March’ began, looking up the aisle. “I can’t believe she’s gonna be my mom.”

  Through his gritted teeth, Joe spoke to Frank, “Quiet.”

  “What is this, wife number twenty-two.”

  “Quiet.”

  “I won’t call her, mom.”

  “Shut your goddamn mouth. Sorry, Reverend.”

  Joe put on his best smile, faced the aisle and watched Andrea, wearing that off-white wedding dress, walk down the aisle toward him.

  At the end of the march, Joe and Andrea joined arms and stepped before Reverend Bob. He opened is bible. “We are gathered here today,” Reverend Bob spoke with passion. “In God’s house, to join in holy matrimony, this man, Joseph Anthony Slagel and this woman Andrea Gertrude ...” he shifted his eyes to Frank and Robbie’s snickering, “... Gertrude Winters.” He continued on, ignoring the childish behavior of Joe’s children. “God gave us the gift of marriage. And for that, we should cherish it. Joe, Andrea, today for the two of you this isn’t just a joining of marriage, but a joining of families.” He gave a stern scolding face to Frank who loudly moaned ‘oh my God’. “Before we begin, Jenny has a poem so fitting for this occasion, she would like to share it with you. Jenny.”

  So serous Jenny stood before the congregation as she read her poem.

  “Today ... Joe and Andrea get married. We hope ... that their lives don’t get hairy. Troubles so often may cause them to fight. But they will try hard, really hard not to with all their might. And all of us know their love will prevail. And they’ll live happily ever after until they get even older. Thank you.”

  Giving a loving smile to Andrea and Joe, Jenny re-took her place as a bridesmaid next to Ellen.

  Frank looked with a snicker to Robbie. “Hey, that didn’t rhyme at the end.”

  “I know. Now see that will drive me nuts all day,” Robbie commented.

  “Me too.”

  “Kind of like sex without the orgasm.”

  “You aren’t kidding.” Frank nudged his brother thinking he was being quiet. “Hey, Robbie? Jenny’s your partner. You have to dance with her.”

  “I wouldn’t have to if Ben wouldn’t have refused to do the final fitting on Henry.”

  “I heard he punched him.”

  Robbie shook his head. “I heard slapped.”

  “Boys!” Joe shouted. “Can I get married? Christ ... sorry, Reverend, continue.”

  “As I was saying though the chitter-chatter of annoying men.” He looked at Frank and Robbie. “Joseph Anthony Slagel, do you take this woman, Andrea Gert ... Boys ... Gertrude Winters to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold ...”

  “Yeah,” Joe interrupted.

  “I didn’t finish.”

  “Yeah but I know all of that stuff. Yeah, I’ll do it.”

  Trying to remain calm, Reverend Bob faced Andrea. “Do you, Andrea, take Joe to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer till death do you part?”

  So dramatic Andrea spoke with tears rolling like a waterfall down her cheeks. “I do.”

  Frank covered his eyes. “Oh God. I can’t watch.”

  Robbie leaned into him. “Do you suppose Dad will slip her the ...”

  “Robbie.” Frank spun to him.

  “Boys!” Joe yelled. “Let the man finish. Christ ... sorry, Reverend.”

  Reverend Bob wiped his forehead, looking more forward to the moonshine punch than any food they would serve. “Then by the power invested in me, by the Land Of Beginnings Montana and by God. I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Slagel. What God has joined together, let no man or children put asunder. You may kiss your bride, Joe.”

  Frank whined so loudly turning from the view of his father embracing then finally kissing Andrea. “Tell me when it’s over, Robbie.”

  “Not yet.”

  “Now?”

  “Not yet.”

  “What the fuck is he doing. Foreplay?”

  “Now.”

  As Frank turned back around, he grunted at the backhand to his gut his father gave him. “Sorry.”

  Reverend Bob had one more announcement. “As a special request from the bride, she has asked that a special song be played for the recessional.” He nodded to Paul who then began to play. It was slow, deep, gospel-like.

  Joe and Andrea began their decent arm and arm.

  Frank walked out with his arm out to Ellen. “Ready.”

  “Yep.” She took it.

  “Nice ceremony.”

  “Who are you kidding, you didn’t pay attention.”

  “You’re right.”

  Ellen stopped cold, center aisle when Paul began to sing. “He isn’t.”

  “He is.” Frank began walking with her again. And he and Ellen laughed the rest of the way from the chapel. Laughing at Robbie’s ‘quit touching me’ remarks to Jenny. But most of all laughing as Paul wailed out with such emotions, his very own, soul-filled, gospel version of ... The ‘Silly’ song.

  <><><><>

  Paul was the disk jockey and he played typical wedding music. Elevator renditions of pop music for the pre-dinner feel, it was almost as if he were being obviously sarcastic.

  Frank saw Henry, sitting at a table, he felt bad for him, because Henry was the only person there, not looking as if he were having a good time.

  “So ...” Frank sat down. “How about them reprogrammed SUTs, man are they good waiters.”

  “The programs is pretty cool,” Henry spoke monotone.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “You know, Frank. This wedding. The other day. Everything. I feel I can’t catch a break. And even though it wasn’t supposed to be real, this wedding was supposed to be mine and Ellen’s. This party was supposed to be ours. And it is such a great party.”

  “They’ll be another one day.”

  “Oh, sure, when Ellen gets married to you.”

  “I don’t know if that will happen,” Frank said. “But I can’t promise that we won’t be back together.”

  “You’ll be primary, Frank. And believe it or not, you’ll have the understanding with Dean.”

  “Dean?”

  “Dean.”

  “What about me?” Dean sat down at the table.

  Frank lifted his head looking so annoyed. “Did we ask you to sit here with us.”

  “No. But I am.” Dean scooted his chair closer. “How’s it going, Henry. You OK?”

  Frank’s hand raised and fell
hard on the table. “Look at him just coming in and taking over the conversation. Dean. Go away.”

  “Frank. Shut the hell up.”

  “Ouch.” Frank shivered and proceeded to rock on the hind legs of the chair.

  Dean rolled his eyes. “Anyhow. This wedding certainly turned out to be the surprise union of the century, didn’t it Frank. Your Dad and Andrea.”

  “It sucks,” Frank grumbled. “Especially since Andrea’s in her fuckin flighty mode. She asked me dance with her, she said she wanted to dance with her oldest son. I’m not dancing with her, she’ll probably see a smudge of dirt on my face and do that licking her fingers thing.”

  Henry cringed. “That is so gross. I’d gag if she did that to me.”

  With smiling eyes, Dean looked at Frank. Then wiped the thought of calling over Andrea to clean Henry’s face, from his mind. “So.” Dean cleared his throat.

  “Dean,” Frank snapped. “You think we care what you’re gonna say.”

  “Frank.” Dean came back sarcastic. “Do you think I care what you think. And I’m going to talk, so just rock back in forth in your feeble minded manner and let me go. I was going to say, last night when Ellen came home all excited, telling me she would be really late because the wedding was going on. I thought for sure she was marrying you, Frank.”

  “No way?” Frank snickered. “When she stopped by to tell me she wasn’t coming over for that reason, I thought for sure she was marrying you.”

  Henry sulked. “When I heard there was a wedding, I thought it was Robbie and Ellen.”

  “Robbie!” Frank questioned loudly. “I’d kill him. Why would she marry my brother?”

  Dean answered that one. “To annoy everyone. You know Ellen would do something like that just to throw a monkey wrench into everyone’s lives.”

  “Dean.” Frank snapped his chair forward. “Seriously. If she came home and asked you to be the one to marry her. Would you?”

  Dean laughed, then Dean laughed harder. “For as much as I love her, for as much as I would love to have that to hold over your head, Frank. Probably not. Not now. She’s too ... I don’t know. Out there?” Dean shrugged.

  Frank nodded in agreement. “Most of the time. Yeah. Hey, at least she looks good in the dress Andrea was supposed to wear.”

  “It’s hard to appreciate it, Frank,” Dean said. “You weren’t there. It was a grueling, grueling process her getting to the point of what she looks like now.” He flicked his hand as he leaned to the table. “It started this morning. No wait, it started in the middle if the night. She bitched at me for hogging the bed. Then she gets up this morning bitching because she’s gonna look horrible because she didn’t get a good night sleep. Then I took too long in the shower. I used up all the hot water. I wouldn’t wear a tie. I aggravated extra wrinkles on her face. Her hair was too tight, her hair was too loose. How her hair not being right is my fault, I’ll never know.”

  “Dean.” Frank smirked. “Haven’t you learned yet what to do when Ellen bitches. She has bitched about anything and everything since the day I met her. You gotta just say, ‘all right, El, whatever’ and move on.”

  “No,” Dean argued. “No way. That’s giving in. I won’t give in to her bitching.”

  “Yeah but learning how to pacify her is the path of least resistance, it doesn’t aggravate you as much. Trust me,” Frank explained. “Ask Henry. Henry, what did you do when Ellen bitched at you?”

  Henry looked up from his sulking stature. “She never bitched at me, Frank. Not like she does to you and Dean.”

  At that instant, Dean cleared his throat loudly to gather their attention to the fact that Ellen was approaching the table.

  “Frank,” Ellen spoke his name with a sharp whine. “You have to tell your brother, he’s threatening to disappear before the bridal dance. Talk to him.”

  “I’ll do that,” Frank said.

  “And ...” Ellen continued. “You have to do the speech now. The SUTs are getting ready to call everyone to the buffet. Come on.” She held out her hand to him. “And Dean, Aw, Dean come on. What did you spill on your tie. We just got here.”

  Dean looked down and lifted up his tie. “Where?”

  “There.” She pointed.

  “Ellen, there isn’t anything there,” Dean stated.

  “Of course you wouldn’t see it, Dean, you didn’t see the fact that your tie was wrinkled. One event. I let you wear jeans you should have at least kept your tie clean.”

  “Ellen,” Dean snapped. “There’s nothing on my tie.”

  Ellen huffed and grabbed Frank’s hand. “And, Frank. You can’t unbutton your vest. Not yet. It’s not right.”

  “OK.” Frank shrugged and buttoned his vest. “Dean said it was all right. Sorry, El.”

  “Dean!” Ellen shook her head and rolled her eyes then leaned closer to him. “Why would you tell him that?”

  Dean stared at her for a second, then shifted his eyes to her, and Frank, who looked back at Dean while wiggling his fingers in an arrogant wave. Dean huffed outward. “And you asked why I wouldn’t marry her. I’m a target. You. Frank, can have that side of her.”

  <><><><>

  Frank held the glass of water in one hand, and the microphone in the other. He debated on whether to sing just to annoy everyone, but he decided instead, to give the speech he hadn’t a clue on what to say. “All right ... so my father says to me,” Frank spoke loud. “He says last night, ‘Christ, Frank. I gotta get married.’. Not that he didn’t want to marry Andrea, I don’t know if he did, I guess he did, he was sleeping with her. Anyhow, he tells me I have to be the best man. Which I figured I would be because why would he want Robbie. But then I found out I had to give a speech ... OK, I could do that. So here it goes. Dad, I hope you make this one work. And I think you will as long as you don’t make the same mistakes you made in your other three marriages.” Frank held his glass to Andrea. “And you, Andrea, I’ve known you for a lot of years. And I know you’re this superstitious lady, so don’t think it’s a bad sign that it’s raining out. It might be, but probably not. So good luck to both of you and uh ... happy marriage or something like that.” He raised his glass. and there was silence. “Come on!” He yelled at the people. “That was the toast.” Listening to the muttering of voices as they raised their glasses in good luck, Frank checked out the evil stares he got from his father. “What? The speech was nice.” Waving his father off, Frank took his seat next to Ellen. “El? How was my speech.”

  “I thought it was great, Frank.” She kissed him on the cheek. “I thought it was very Frank-like.”

  “Thanks, El.” Frank smiled, not once picking up any of the sarcasm in her facial expressions or tone.

  <><><><>

  It was a party destined to move on through the night. Not because it was the best party ever, Beginnings had seen better, but because it was a party and in Beginnings, it also was something to do. The faces changed during the night, Security kept making post changes so everyone could be there. Everyone seemed happy. Jenny Matoose proudly danced with Blake while John was on his watch. The children that weren’t sleeping, ran amongst the adult legs, some sliding on the floor. Joey being the biggest culprit. And the older people, they found entertainment watching the children play. Especially Brian and Jenny’s baby, Caroline. The two, one-year-old children, both kept in their walkers, continued in a fevered game of bumper walkers.

  With his hand held tight to Ellen’s, Dean danced with her. “You know I have to go.”

  “I know. But I just really like dancing with you. My neck never hurts.”

  “Gee thanks, Ellen.” Dean smiled. “And I’d love to dance with you more. But I promised Patrick I would relieve him at the clinic so he can enjoy some time here. Besides I wanna run a few more tests on our John Doe.”

  “Let me know what you find?” Ellen asked.

  “Of course.” Dean turned his wrist to see the time. “And I’m already late.”

  “Do you need help with th
e kids?”

  “No, Denny coming to help. Henry’s bringing Nick to the house. It’ll be crowded, but fine. I won’t be at the clinic too long. Melissa has next shift.”

  “Are you coming back here?”

  “Doubtful. I’m not the party person, besides it’s already pushing my bedtime.” He released her from the dance. “And ...” He kissed her quickly. “I have to go. Have fun.” He laid his hand on her cheek. “You looked great tonight.”

  “Thank you.” Ellen smiled at him, watched Dean dart off to gather the kids and she went off to find Robbie. A fast song was playing and he was the only man who danced well enough—other than Henry—That didn’t embarrass her on the dance floor.

  <><><><>

  Frank danced with who he called ‘his favorite girl’. He held her tight in his arm, swinging her around, making her laugh. Really enjoying the dance and getting more out of her smile than any words that could be spoken. This to Frank was what it was all about. Life going on. It was a rare moment in Beginnings, an old fashion wedding, equipped with the songs from the past. And it would be a moment on the dance floor he would treasure forever.

  Dean hated to interrupt, but he had to go. He had the kids rustled by the door, Denny and Henry standing there waiting. “Frank. She has to come with me.”

  “We’re finishing our dance, Dean.”

  “But I really have to go, Frank.”

  “I’ll walk her home as soon as we’re done.”

  “All right.” Dean stepped back. “But don’t play outside in the rain with her.”

  “I won’t.” Frank winked at Alex and adjusted her in his arms. “Bye, Dean.”

  Dean kissed his daughter, then joined Henry, Denny, and the kids who waited by the door.

  “Do you spin Mommy around like this when you dance with her?” Alexandra asked.

  “Nah. Let me let you in on a little secret. Mommy is in that awkward phase. She too big for me to hold up and dance with her like this. Not that I wouldn’t. But she’s too little for me to dance with for a long time.”