Chapter 33

In anticipation of the wedding ceremony, a small crowd gathered in the church located a couple of blocks from the commune. It was an odd collection of people whose relationships to the young couple were obvious by the clothes they wore. All of the members of the commune were present and dressed in their finest clothes. That their clothes were a decade or more out of style didn’t matter. Melissa’s classmates were seated in the church dressed in clothes reflecting their student status. A few were wearing blue jeans and tee-shirts. Jack’s coworkers were wearing what could be considered business casual clothes — sport suits for the men and dresses for the women.

Jack looked around at the crowd unable to believe that so many people had come to see him get married. Six months earlier he would have been hard pressed to find three people to invite to a wedding. Now that number had grown to fifty including the members of the commune, two dozen people from work, a couple of neighbors who weren’t members of the commune, his family, and a handful of his previous employers. He said, “I can’t believe so many people came.”

Jake looked around the small church noting that it was nearly filled with people. He said, “You’ve managed to gather quite a crowd, son.”

“A lot of them are closer than friends,” Jack said with a smile. He watched Frau Shultz sitting in the front row of the church looking around excitedly. It seemed to him that she was more excited about the wedding than he was.

Jake noticed where Jack was looking and commented, “That little old German lady is a real character.”

“Yes, she is,” Jack said grinning.

Jake said, “You found a very good woman for a wife.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Jack said in total agreement with his father. He had found a very good woman. It still surprised him that she was willing to be his wife.

“I guess it is time for me to give you the marriage advice my father gave me,” Jake said.

“Don’t go to bed angry,” Jack said.

Jake shook his head and said, “Always remember why you chose to marry her.”

“Huh?” Jack said.

Jake said, “My father once told me that you marry a woman because you love her. It is important not to forget that. Lots of things can happen in a marriage, but you have to remember that it began with love.”

“That’s a nice thought,” Jack said thoughtfully.

“I know these tough times make it hard to remember little things like love, but don’t make that mistake. Melissa is going to be your wife, your confidant, your best friend, your companion, and your lover. Don’t let a hard day at work, a pile of bills, or bad news stories on television get between you and her,” his father said.

“I won’t,” Jack promised.

Jake smiled and looked at his wife seated on the front row. He said, “I’ve been married to your mother almost thirty years. We’ve had our good times and our bad times, but throughout the marriage there has been love. I still love your mother as much today as the day I married her.”

“I know,” Jack said. His parents were not afraid to show their love to each other regardless of the people around them. His dad was known to give his wife a nice hug and kiss at the drop of a hat. His grandparents were the same way.

“Don’t ever forget that you love her,” Jake said. He had given the best advice he knew.

“Yes, Dad,” Jack said with a smile.

Not having anything else to add, Jake shifted uneasily from one foot to the next. He asked, “When does this show get on the road?”

“I think we are waiting for the bride to be ready,” Jack answered. He had always heard stories about nervous grooms. He wasn’t nervous.

“Her mother is probably giving her marriage advice. We could be here all day,” Jake said.

“I don’t think it would take her mother that long to give Melissa marriage advice. I think it could be summarized in one word,” Jack said.

“What word is that?”

“Run,” Jack answered with a chuckle.

“I take it she doesn’t exactly approve of the marriage,” Jake said. He hadn’t really had a chance to meet Melissa’s parents. His wife had talked to them a little the night before and had not been all that pleased with them. He had talked to the father for about ten minutes.

“How would you react if you learned that I was marrying a girl who was raised in a trailer park?” Jack asked.

Frowning, Jake answered, “Not very well, I think. She’d have to be a very special girl to rise above that kind of upbringing.”

“Melissa is an educated woman. One day she’s going to be giving lectures in front of large audiences about history. She’s going to be an important woman. I think her mother views me as a major step down in social standing. She’s afraid that I’ll hold Melissa back in her career,” Jack said.

Jake would have argued, but he knew that a lot of white collar people looked down at blue collar people. In many ways, a strange kind of class structure existed in this country. Every child was assumed to have the ability to change their class, but at some point in time people became locked into a class as a result of choices made in education, career, and character. Once that happened, people judged them based on that. Jake said, “I guess I can understand that, but I don’t have to like it.”

“I do,” Jack said. He was going to have to deal with it for the rest of his marriage. It would take time to prove to her parents that he was supporting Melissa in a manner of which they could approve.

“I never had to deal with in-laws that didn’t like me,” Jake said. He had gotten along with his wife’s parents. In fact, he had a very good relationship with them that continued to the present time. He was supporting them economically and was doing so willingly.

Jack looked out into the church. The pastor was heading toward the little room in which they were waiting for the ceremony to start. The pastor entered the room and said, “The bride is ready. If you will get in position, we’ll start.”

“Great,” Jack said.

“You don’t look nervous,” the pastor commented. He had grooms who had fainted before the ceremony.

Jack smiled and said, “This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Why should I be nervous about that?”

“That’s a good attitude to have going into a marriage,” the pastor said. He gestured towards the door for the two men to move to the front of the church.

Jack stood at the front of the church for a minute waiting for the ceremony to start. His mother-in-law was seated in the first row with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. It didn’t take a mind reader to know what she was thinking.

He turned to look at the double doors from which Melissa would make her entrance. The door opened and he gazed upon Melissa as if seeing her for the first time. Although the original plan had been for her to wear a simple white dress, the women of the commune had altered a thirty year old wedding dress to fit her. In a voice that carried to every corner of the room, Jack said, “Would you look at her? She’s got to be the most beautiful woman in the world.”

“God only knows what she sees in you,” Jake said with a grin. A number of people who overheard the remark laughed.

“You can say that again,” Melissa’s mother muttered darkly.

Jack didn’t bother to answer his father or his mother-in-law. His attention was on the bride where it belonged. His attention stayed on her throughout the ceremony. Frau Shultz cried from the moment it began until it ended. She wasn’t the only woman in tears during the ceremony. Jack’s mother cried as well.

After the ceremony ended, Jack and Melissa found themselves alone in the small room in which she had dressed. For a few seconds, there was an awkward silence between them. No one had ever told him about what a couple talked about when they were alone together for the first time as man and wife. Jack took her face in his hands and stared into her eyes. He said, “I know that we have just pledged ourselves to each other in front of God and our friends and family. I want to make a private promise to you. I promise that I will do all that is in my power to give you a good life.”

Jack’s emotion filled promise took Melissa by surprise. Her eyes filled with tears knowing that he would fulfill that promise or die trying. In a way, his declaration struck her more than the vows exchanged in the church. In an emotional voice, she said, “I make the same promise to you.”

Jack kissed her and said, “I love you.”

“I love you,” Melissa said returning his kiss passionately.

“I’m looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you,” Jack said. He thought about Dave and Laura. Despite nearly fifty years of marriage, the elderly couple still went on dates. He hoped that he and Melissa would have dates fifty years from now.

Jack and Melissa went down the stairs to the basement where the reception was being held. Melissa smiled and said, “It is hard to believe that I’m Mrs. Dunne now.”

“Don’t get used to it. Pretty soon, we’ll be calling you Dr. Dunne,” Jack said with a grin.

“You’re serious about that, aren’t you?”

“Very serious. I’ve got the job I have because it is the kind of job that I’ve always wanted. The idea of being cooped up in an office all day makes me ill. I like working with my hands and, to tell the truth, the pay isn’t that bad. You wouldn’t be happy working in a store or being a stay- at-home mom. You should get your doctorate and see what happens then. I wouldn’t want to live my life doing something that makes me unhappy so why should you?” Jack answered.

The sound of a throat being cleared behind them caused them to turn. Melissa’s mother said, “You would let her get her doctorate?”

“I love Melissa. I want her to be happy,” Jack answered. To him, it was a no brainer. She wanted to study history and his job would let her do that for as long as she wanted.

“Aren’t you worried about her getting too smart for you?”

“No, Ma’am,” Jack answered.

Melissa’s mother didn’t believe that for a minute. She asked, “What about kids?”

“We’ll have kids,” Jack answered. They had discussed having kids at some point in time. They both wanted to wait for the economy to get a little better.

“Who will raise them?”

Jack laughed at the question and answered, “We will. Our kids are going to be raised in a loving environment. We’ve got a dozen grandmothers and two granddads standing in line to watch over any kids we have.”

Melissa’s mother shook her head. She had learned about the commune upon her arrival. Needless to say, she wasn’t very happy about that little bombshell. Despite having been introduced to everyone in the commune, she still felt that the whole concept harkened back to the drug orgies of the sixties. She couldn’t wait to talk to some of the old ladies to find out what kind of sick world her daughter had entered.

“You should talk to Mike and Chuck,” Melissa said. They were happy kids at a time when other kids were miserable.

“Who are they?”

“They are Cheryl and Rich’s boys. I’ve never seen two boys that are so well adjusted,” Melissa answered.

Jack smiled at the idea of having the boys take care of Melissa’s mother. They were good boys and knew their manners. Cheryl insisted that they be polite and rode herd on them at all times. He said, “They’re going to be helping serve food inside. Chuck was telling me that he was in charge of the paper plates while his brother has the job of making sure that we don’t run out of cheese for the spaghetti.”

“That’s not much,” Melissa’s mother said.

“They are seven and nine years old. We’re not going to ask them to carry heavy loads or deal with fragile stuff,” Jack said.

“I guess that’s different,” Melissa’s mother said.

Melissa said, “I think we should go inside now. Everyone is waiting for us and the food will get cold.”

“Good idea,” Jack said. He opened the door and with a sweep of his hand gestured Melissa’s mother inside. The woman gave him a sharp look and headed into the room. Jack winked at Melissa. Once her mother had entered the room, he whispered, “I think she’s warming up to me.”