Chapter 17: I’ll Never Forget This

Nyk stood on a chair adjusting an object atop a tall cabinet in the living room. Suki approached him. “What are you doing?”

“This is a wireless video camera. I’m going to videotape the rehearsal to make sure we have good coverage.”

“Are you going to videotape the ceremony?”

“If you’d like. I’m setting up this camera so Andra can see the wedding. I’ll feed the signal into the laptop computer. Before the ceremony, I’ll start a vidphone session and she can watch the whole thing. It’ll be the middle of the night on Floran, but she said she’ll stay up to watch, and to be with us as best she can.”

Nyk stepped off the chair and returned it to the row from which he had taken it. The living room had been transformed. Furniture had been moved or removed, folding chairs to accommodate the twenty-odd guests had been placed in rows, and a podium for the presiding judge had been set up. A folding table for the catered reception was set against a wall.

Suki’s mother walked into the room. “This all looks delightful,” Nyk said to her. “You’ve gone to so much effort for us. It’s gift, Yasuko -- an expression of love. How much more needs to be done?”

“The florist is delivering the flowers tomorrow. Our participants should be here any moment for the rehearsal. It will be a unique ceremony, with elements of a Japanese and a western wedding.”

The doorbell rang and Yasuko answered it. A Japanese woman lugging a log-shaped device entered. She and Yasuko bowed and greeted each other in Japanese. Yasuko turned to Nyk and Suki, “This is Yuriko Sakai, and she’ll be providing the music.”

Nyk and Suki bowed to her. “Pleased to meet you,” he said.

“The pleasure’s mine,” Yuriko replied in accented English. Yasuko pointed to the platform they used for meals and Yuriko looked it over. “This will do fine,” she said and she began setting up and tuning her koto. She played a traditional Japanese tune.

Nyk whispered to Suki, “That music affects me the same way as miso soup. I feel it, resonating deep inside me.”

Suki’s father walked in the front door accompanied by a large, stocky man. “Greetings, all. This is Donald Hassinger, the judge who’ll be presiding over your ceremony.” Nyk and Suki approached him. “You know my daughter Sukiko. This is her fiance, Nick Kane.”

“It’s been years since I last saw Sukiko. Mr Kane, nice to meet you.”

“Thank you, your Honor for taking the time to preside over our ceremony.”

“Please -- we’re not in my courtroom. Call me Don. And, the pleasure’s mine. I don’t get too many opportunities to perform these. In recent years the trend has been for church weddings -- even for non-believers. It has cut down on my trade.”

The doorbell rang again. A young man escorted a slightly-built woman into the house. She wore opaque glasses and carried a white cane. Suki approached her and took her hand. “Thank you for coming.”

“This is my brother Joe,” Cathy replied. “Thanks, Joe. I’ll be all right. Where’s Nick?”

“Over here.”

Cathy stepped to him and he embraced her.

The doorbell rang and Nyk opened the door. Seymor stepped inside, looked around the room and spotted the judge. “Don!”

“Phil,” the judge replied and they shook hands. “What do you have to do with this auspicious event?”

“I’m the best man. Nick’s my assistant -- one of my finest associates. He is my finest associate, truth be known.”

“How do you two know each other?” Nyk asked.

“Phil took one of my classes when I was teaching law at Queens College. I taught a night-school class there.”

“It’s a small universe, isn’t it?” Nyk remarked to Seymor. “Suki’s dad knows Don from his undergraduate days.”

Don consulted his watch. “George, how much time do we have?”

“The limo will be here at seven to take us to dinner.”

“We have time to run through this two or three times, to make sure everyone knows their cues. Yasuko, where’s the staging point?”

“The kitchen.”

Don reviewed a sheet of paper. “Let’s line up ... first down the aisle is the lucky groom. Then it’s Mom and Dad. Nick, you have no family?”

“No, sir,” he said. “I was orphaned as a teenager.”

“You have my condolences. You have no one to sit on your side of the aisle?”

“Some friends, but family-wise, I’m alone in the universe.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He returned to the sheet of paper. “Next is best man escorting maid of honor ... that’s a bit different.”

“I didn’t want to tap my way down the aisle,” Cathy replied.

Seymor stood beside Cathy and took her hand. “Finally, Sukiko. Let’s hear the musical cues.” He turned to the koto player, “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name...”

“Yuriko.”

“Yuriko, what will you be playing?”

“I’m playing some traditional Japanese music as a prelude. Sukiko asked for Pachabel’s Canon in D as the processional. I’ll give you a long broken chord.” She strummed the koto. “ ... right before the processional. “I’ll play through Canon until everyone’s in place; then, it’s ‘Jesu... ‘“

“‘Jesu’ on a koto? That’s a new one for me. OK, places everyone.” Don stood behind the podium. “Yuriko, give me a bit of your prelude.”

Yuriko played part of a traditional tune. Don motioned to her and she strummed her chord. “Okay, Nick down the aisle.” Nyk began to walk toward the podium. “Not too fast -- a wedding is a little drama. Build some tension.” Nyk reached the podium. “Now turn and face the crowd. Okay, now Mom and Dad ... good. Next Phil and Cathy...” Yuriko strummed a chord. “Sukiko, you’re up.”

Suki reached the podium. “George, are you giving away the bride?”

“Mom and Daddy are,” Suki replied.