HOLDING THE SILENCE

As the orchestra struck up the chords of Mendelsohn, the doors at the back of the church opened, and he saw her. Resplendent in her white dress, a veil of net before her eyes, her arm entwined with her father’s, walking slowly, gingerly almost, down the aisle. He was sure he had never seen her look as beautiful ever before. She looked like Venus descended from heaven to him, nothing less, something poetic in its inspiration.

She looked at no one, nothing, but stared at the red carpet and the rose petals strewn in her path, few paces in front of where she was walking. He hoped she would look in front - at him - but she didn’t. She walked all the way up the aisle, let go of her father with a soft kiss on the cheek, climbed up three steps and took her place in front of the alter. The people who had gathered there took their seats.

As the priest started reciting, blessing the occasion, he looked deeply at her, and thought to himself. Did she know how much he loved her? Would she ever know? Would he ever be able to tell her? Would he ever be able to capture in words what he heart wanted to say to her? She still looked down, at the floor, and he caught himself smiling. Shy, that was typically her. The priest went on with his recitations, the audience watched in awestruck wonder at the couple before them, she kept looking down, and he kept looking at her.

Finally, the priest looked to the gathered people, and said “If anyone has any objection with this union, rise and speak now, or forever hold your silence.”

He was about to stand, when he saw her look up, at the man she was marrying. She smiled, a smile of joy, of contentment, of sublime happiness which made her face glow, of love gushing forth from every iota of her being. And the man before her smiled back at her, a smile that spoke of strength and caring, of a warm love that emanated from a heart already melted.

And he found himself back on his seat, not because he had sat down, but because his knees no longer held. He faintly heard a voice say ‘… pronounce you man and wife’, he barely registered the applause and cheers around him, and did not feel the people stepping on his feet as they filed out around him when the ceremonies ended.

It was a long time before he blinked, when an old man with a broom sweeping the floor around him nudged, and with a heavy Southern accent, said “Weddins ovah. Why you still stickin round?”

He looked at him for a moment, and then smiled from behind teary eyes. “I think I lost my way there for a moment.” And with that he put on his hat, and walked out into the streaming sunlight.