Ben Soul

by Richard George

has been dark, with few people who cared about me. When I ended up a broken shell on your doorstep, you took me into your house and your heart. Now you give me yourself in marriage. Oh, Emma, what a gift! I take you to be my lawful spouse, and I promise to love you and cherish you, through dark days and bright days, as Love gives me strength. I give you this ring to let the whole world know I love you.” He froze, and stared at Emma, as if to beg her to tell him what to do next.

  “Put the ring on her finger,” Carrie whispered. Haakon shook himself, and pushed the silver band set with a tiny emerald on Emma’s finger. She smiled at him.

  “Emma, what do you say to Haakon?”

  Emma’s voice was strong, even though a little bit husky. “Haakon, you gave me a great gift when you brought Notta into my life. She’s off on her own, and you have come to me to be with me. I thank whatever gods may be for you. I take you, Haakon, to be my lawful spouse, and I promise to love you and cherish you, through dark days and bright days, as Love gives me strength. I give you this ring to tell the whole world we love each other,” she said, and put it on Haakon’s finger. It was also a silver band, set with a tiny ruby. Carrie smiled at them, and moved on to Elke and Rosa.

  Reverend Oakey untied the rings from the pillow Willy Waugh carried. He grinned at Elke and Rosa, and walked to a seat reserved for him next to La Señora. “Rosa,” Carrie said, “what do you say to Elke?”

  Rosa’s speech was low, and intimate, meant for Elke before all others. “When you came to me that first day through the dust and ruin of my life and possessions, I began to love you. Before all these people, Elke, I commit myself to be your life’s partner, and I promise to love you and cherish you, with faith and tenderness, for as long as I live. I give you this partnership ring I had made for you, to tell the world I love you” and she gold band studded with an onyx copy of the astrological symbol for two women on Elke’s finger.

  “Elke, what do you say to Rosa?”

  Elke proclaimed her words to all the assembled company. “Rosa, you have been my faithful companion for many years. I commit myself to be your life’s partner, and I promise to love you and cherish you, with faith and tenderness, all the days we have together. I give you this partnership ring to proclaim our union to the world,” she said, as she slid the mate to the ring Rosa had given her onto Rosa’s finger. Carrie Oakey smiled at the pair, and moved on to Ben and Dickon.

  Carrie bent down again, and took the pouch from Butter’s back. Butter licked her face, and sneezed. Reverend Oakey wore face powder, an annoying substance hitherto outside Butter’s experience.

  “Dickon,” Carrie said, turning to him, “what do you say to Ben?”

  “Ben, you have taught me to trust again. You have sweetened my bitter spirit with your generous one. You have turned this cynic into a man of hope. I commit myself to be your life’s partner, and I promise to love you and cherish you, in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, day by day, as Love gives me strength. I give you this ring,” Dickon said, and slid the ring onto Ben’s finger. “I have our names engraved on it, joined by an equal sign, to declare our union to all who have eyes.”

  “Ben,” Carrie said, “what do you say to Dickon?”

  Ben’s voice was steady. “Dickon, I had given up on love, believing it was only for my past. Then you walked up to me on the beach, and set in motion my revival in loving. Beloved friend, I commit myself to be your life’s partner. I promise to love you and cherish you, in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, day by day, as Love gives me strength. I give you this ring, engraved with an infinity sign,” he said, “and let the world understand, we are a pair.” He bent over Dickon’s hand to slide the silver band onto Dickon’s finger. Butter wagged her tail, stirring a bit of dust on the terrace.

  Carrie returned to her central position. She addressed the assembled congregation. “I invite you to pray with us again,” she said, and bowed her head. “O Divine One, approve these who come together. Grant them the strength and grace to fulfill their promises made to each other with steadfast affection and faithfulness. Teach them righteousness and peace and love ever expanding. We, who are your creatures, ask it of you. Amen.”

  In a ringing voice Carrie Oakey declared, “By the authority committed to me as a minister of the Church, I declare that DiConti and Notta are husband and wife, that Emma and Haakon are husband and wife, that Rosa and Elke are committed partners in life, and that Ben and Dickon are committed partners in life. These who have joined together in the Divine Presence, let no one put asunder!” The congregation applauded, and Butter woofed happily.

  Carrie grinned at the couples and said, “It is customary to close this ceremony with a kiss.” Each couple did. Carrie finished the service with a loud proclamation. “And now, folks, let’s party!”

  Reception

  Harry Pitts took the cats and Butter by the leash and led them away to their respective cottages. He carried a large brown paper bag in one hand. The smells coming from it intrigued all three pets, so they neither spat at one another nor did they entangle their leashes. Willy Waugh disappeared into the kitchen. The llamas returned to grazing.

  The four couples formed a receiving line at the terrace door into La Señora’s mansion. Mae Ling brought each of them iced tea or lemonade, depending on individual preferences. She assured them plates had been filled and set aside for them according to their pre-ceremony requests.

  The guests lined up to shake hands, some to kiss brides, and, when they had done so, went into the long hall of La Señora’s mansion. Tables lined one wall. They bore heavy loads of food. La Señora sat in her wheelchair at the beginning of the food line. She wore a long formal gown, moss green, trimmed with rose piping on the neckline, hemline, and side seams. As she greeted each guest, she bade him or her to take up a plate and select from the offerings.

  Willy had written out small tags to warn guests that various items contained shellfish, hot spices, or nuts, for those guests who had aversions or allergies to such ingredients. On the seafood table, the first, he offered crab puffs, ceviche on water crackers, sea scallops wrapped in bacon, squares of sole Florentine on toast points, tuna tartar on sesame wonton crisps, shrimp puffs, Cajun shrimp balls, crab and cucumber rolls, and shrimp with jalapeños and mayonnaise served in cups made of lettuce leaves.

  The guests had dressed according to their own notions of formality. Carrie Oakey wore a simple black dress with classic pearls. Rev. Bobbo Link wore his clerical collar, and a white clergy shirt, with black jacket and trousers. Sheriff Druff and other police personnel, including Anna Drozheny, wore their dress uniforms. They entered the buffet line in a clump, and clung together, as if a little ill-at-ease with all the civilians surrounding them.

  The next table held chips and dips. Tortilla chips (both yellow and white corn), potato chips, sweet potato chips, fried wontons, taro chips, crudités, banana chips, dried carrots, and dried zucchini all tempted the palates of the guests. Dips included clam dip, red, black, and pinto bean dips, mild, medium, and piquant salsas, aioli, onion dip, dill dip, cheddar dip, spinach and sour cream dip, and guacamole. Bite-size biscotti occupied a plate between two mascarpone dips, one flavored with amaretto, and the other with Kahlua.

  The neighbors, most of whom had come either to satisfy their curiosity or to acknowledge Rosa, whom they counted one of their own, wore their Sunday clothes, usually a coat, shirt with tie, trousers, and polished shoes for the men, and dressily simple frocks and high heels for the women. The neighbors chatted easily among themselves about livestock, the weather, and the fools in the state capitol.

  A third table held chafing dishes with Swedish meatballs, Italian meatballs in basil and tomato sauce, German cabbage rolls with caraway seasoning, three kinds of beans, and Buffalo chicken wings. Cold dishes held three different pasta salads, one with tuna, one with ham, and one with green peas and carrots. A large bowl of three-bean salad sat next to
the pasta salads. Dilled potato salad and a creamy potato salad were also on offer.

  A group of Dickon’s Pueblo Rio and Las Tumbas acquaintances mingled at the end of the reception line. They were a colorful lot. Their hair was died various colors that no hair had ever naturally had. Their garb ranged from retrograde chic from consignment stores to skin tight leather, and one, Harry Kerry, in cast-off scuba gear. Most of the men in this group kissed the grooms rather than the brides. DiConti and Haakon bore these tokens with grace, though DiConti’s unease was greater until he realized his fellow officers had progressed through the buffet line and out to the eating area.

  At the fourth table three large urns dispensed coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and hot water for teas and tisanes. Napkins and flatware lay just past the urns. Then an array of cool pitchers, moist with condensation, offered iced tea, iced water, lemonade, and a choice of pineapple, mango, and tomato juices. Mae Ling handed each guest a small cup of variously colored mints as she graciously directed guests out onto the front terrace where Harry and Willy had set up tables. Malcolm Drye and Swami Fendabenda had quickly shuttled the folding chairs from the rear terrace to the tables on the front terrace