Thunder and Lightening: Chapter 42Home « Thunder and Lightening Index « Previous

- Chapter 42

Posted: May 19, 2005 - 12:39:00 am



"What?" asked Jerry in shock.

"There's some guy out there who claims that he and Jenny are married," answered

Abe.

The news staggered Jerry just as surely as if he had been hit in the stomach

with a baseball bat. His mind raced as he tried to remember if there was ever a

time when Jenny might have hinted at being married before. He reached for

support and found Henry beside him keeping him from falling to the ground.

Feeling his knees weaken, he asked, "How can that be?"

Grinning broadly, Abe made a gesture like he was shooting a gun and said,

"Gotcha!"

As Abe slipped out the door, Jerry bellowed, "Abe, I'm gonna skin you alive!"

Henry stared at the closed door in shock unable to believe that Abe would do

something like that on such an important occasion. It had been delivered in such

a believable fashion. Shaking his head, he growled, "I'll be right back. I'm

going to kill that boy."

After a half minute delay, Jerry started laughing when he realized that the

young man had been joking. Barely able to control his laughter, he shook his

head and said, "Don't. He's just getting me back for his birthday."

"Oh, yeah. He did promise to get you back," said Henry with a chuckle. There

were times when it was a pleasure watching the interaction between Abe and

Jerry. It was usually fun and confusing at the same time.

"You've got to admit, it was a good one," said Jerry wondering how Abe had

thought up the joke.

Without a knock, the door opened. A very irritated Sharon stuck her head into

the room and asked, "What in the hell did that boy of mine do now?"

Still laughing, Jerry said, "Oh, he came in here and said that some guy was

outside saying that he and Jenny were married."

Shaking her head, she realized what Abe had done. She should have expected it,

since the boy had been too cheerful all morning. With a half-grin, she said,

"That boy's got the devil in him."

"By the way, how did you know he had done something?" asked Jerry still

chuckling.

"Everyone heard you yelling at him," answered Sharon shaking her head. It was

hard to believe that his low-pitched growling voice could carry that far. They

had heard it through two closed doors.

Henry leaned forward and gave her an affectionate kiss on the cheek. He said,

"You might want to tell your sister to keep an eye on him during the ceremony."

"You bet," said Sharon as she left.

The Reverend arrived and asked, "What's the problem?"

Henry explained what Abe had done. The Reverend, normally a rather reserved man,

shook his head at the antics that had gone on so far in this wedding. The

comments and jokes during the rehearsal had been bad enough. Practical jokes

this close to the start of ceremony was almost over the line. He'd had a lot of

grooms who would have passed out upon hearing something like that or gone into a

murderous rage. Judging by Jerry's reaction the Reverend decided that the big

guy was a lot more forgiving than most and reserved his judgement. Instead, he

asked, "Any chance that he'll do something similar during the ceremony?"

Jerry looked over at Henry. The two big men exchanged huge grins since they both

knew the answer was a definite yes. Jerry was too busy chuckling to answer so

Henry said, "You bet."

"I'd be surprised if he didn't stand up with some objection to the marriage. Oh,

it'll be a funny one and keep people laughing through the rest of the ceremony,"

commented Jerry chuckling at the kinds of things he could imagine Abe saying.

"Like what?" asked the Reverend surprised by the easy way the man was discussing

what others would consider an act that would ruin their wedding. He hoped the

bride was just as understanding.

Trying to imitate the kind of pose that Abe would adopt, Jerry said, "This ain't

no Walt Disney movie. There's no way that the beauty should marry the beast."

"Nah, he'll claim that it was up to him, the dashing hero, to rescue Beauty from

the Beast," countered Henry.

"It would have to even better than that. He's probably been planning this since

his birthday," said Jerry shaking his head.

"Yeah. He'd probably declare her Little Red from the Riding Hood and you the

evil wolf," said Henry with a chuckle.

The Reverend frowned at the idea of the potential catastrophe and then asked,

"What's the name of this young man?"

"Abraham Lincoln Spencer," answered Henry giving Abe's full name.

The Reverend glanced at his watch and said, "It's about time to start. Why don't

you two get in position while I talk with the bride?"

The Reverend was surprised to hear the Bride and the Bridesmaid discussing what

remarks Abe was likely to make during the ceremony. He was shocked at how much

alike their comments were to those made by the Groom and Best Man. After seeing

that they were ready, he led them to the place they were to wait.

Stepping in front of his friends, co-workers, and family, Jerry stopped to look

at the crowd of people in the church. Seated beside his parents, Melissa and

Bill were in the front row smiling at him. Bill gave him a thumbs-up sign to let

him know that he was happy about the wedding. Melissa smiled and dabbed at the

tears in her eyes. His mother looked happy and his father merely nodded in his

direction. He didn't know how to interpret the nod.

Abe, Martin, Cathy and George were sitting right behind Jerry's family. Abe

started to make a gesture like he was shooting Jerry, but his aunt hit him on

the shoulder. He turned to look at her, forgetting for the moment all about

Jerry. Jerry winked at George.

All of the people from the store were sitting behind them, including Al Sinclair

and his wife. On the other side of the room were people that Jerry didn't know

that well. The cook, the two waitresses, and the dishwasher from the Crimson

Rose took up the back. A few of Jenny's friends who he had not yet met were

seated behind her mother.

Sherry was seated near the aisle with a space for her husband. Jerry nodded to

her even as Henry whispered to him, "You're not quite there yet. Just a few more

steps to go. Do I need to carry you or something?"

Just about everyone in the chapel heard him. This provided a titter of laughter

through the first few rows. Bill turned to Melissa and said, "Dad looks to be in

a little better shape than Henry was when he was getting married."

"Yeah, he's standing on his own," agreed Melissa with a wink.

Forgetting where he was for the moment, Henry replied, "Hey, I was a little

nervous."

The words coming from the huge man surprised a lot of people. Jerry moved over

to where he was supposed to stand. Realizing that Jerry had moved, Henry rushed

to get into place. Once there, he whispered, "Sorry. I guess I'm not very good

at all of this wedding stuff."

"The only one that gets much practice at this wedding stuff is the Reverend,"

commented Jerry. His words brought a smile to Jenny's mother.

In his deep voice, Henry said, "Amen to that, brother."

Surprising them, from his position at the front of the room, the Reverend said,

"Yes, Amen to that."

The music suddenly changed and an expectant hush fell over the room. When his

eyes turned to the back of the room, Jenny stepped into view. Jerry didn't

notice anything else in the room. She was resplendent in her white gown. The

veil covered her face, but it wasn't enough to hide her beauty. Jerry would

swear that she glowed with an inner beauty while walking down the aisle holding

onto her father's arm. Barely able to breathe, Jerry said, "She's so beautiful."

When she reached the front of the room, her father stepped to the side. For a

moment, there were three very large men standing at the front of the room. As he

moved to his seat, Tom paused and looked over at the other two men. Despite

having met them the previous night, it was difficult for him to believe just how

big they were. Standing side by side, they took up as much room as four or five

men would have taken.

Jerry turned and gazed into Jenny's eyes. The veil softened her eyes. She gazed

back, loving him and letting him see her love for him shining forth. Lost in

love, they didn't hear much of what the Reverend had to say as he talked about

the sanctity of marriage. Jerry knew that he was the luckiest man in the world

to have found anyone capable of loving with the unselfishness of Jenny. Jenny

was amazed that she had found such a good caring man. He was a gentle giant who

could admit hurt and yet protected those around him with all of his strength.

Jerry was unaware of the passage of time. It seemed as if seconds had passed

since she entered the room, but it was already time for them to exchange vows. A

wave of light laughter rose in the room when the Reverend announced, "If anyone,

except Abraham Lincoln Spencer, has just cause as to why these two should not

wed, speak now or forever hold your peace. Abraham Lincoln Spencer can just hold

his peace."

The young black man had the grace to blush although a retort about holding his

peace filtered through his mind. It was too nasty and his mother would have

killed him if he had said it. The roar of Henry's laughter filled the room.

Sharon, standing in the traditional spot for the maid of honor, looked over at

Abe and shook her head laughing at the look of innocence that her son was trying

to project. Even Jenny giggled at the pronouncement.

Even during the interruption, Jerry only had eyes for Jenny. Forgetting for the

moment that he was in the middle of the marriage ceremony, he whispered, "I love

you so much, Jenny. My heart feels too large for my chest."

Jenny, knowing exactly how he felt, smiled at her beloved man and replied, "I

love you."

The Reverend gave them a moment and then continued with the exchange of vows.

Jerry managed to echo the vows without error and say the 'I do's' at all the

right times. Before he knew it, the ceremony was over and he was lifting the

veil to kiss her. Her beauty struck him again. With trembling hands, he held her

to him and kissed her. The Reverend proclaimed, "I now present to you, Mr. and

Mrs. Jerold Smith."

The kiss was not a simple peck on the lips, but a passionate expression of his

love. It lasted a long time. Abe started to suggest that they get a hotel room,

but a swat against the back of his head stopped him. He glared at his aunt for a

half second until he caught the look on her face.

After the kiss, a breathless and stunned Jerry said, "It's time to head down the

aisle."

"Carry me," she whispered with a twinkle in her eye. She glanced at her mother

and saw her mother give her a wink in return.

Grinning at the suggestion, Jerry picked up his new wife. Cradling her in his

arms, he strode down the aisle feeling a thousand feet tall. She screamed with

joy and wiggled her legs as he carried her away. Throwing her head back, she

yelled, "Eat your hearts out ladies, I got me a big man!"

The Reverend stood there with a wry grin on his face. He turned to Henry and

said, "I've seen far more solemn ceremonies."

"But I bet you've never seen a couple who love each other that much," countered

the big man. His eyes showed signs of misting.

Sharon came over to him and said, "I think we were supposed to follow them out."

"What is it that butlers always say to guests?"

Puzzled, Sharon thought about it for a moment before she answered, "Walk this

way?"

"Yeah. I think that's what Jerry said as he walked off," said Henry. Grinning,

he bent down and picked her up. Henry carried her down the aisle with the same

ease as Jerry had carried Jenny. Her first reaction was to resist, but his grin

was infectious. She smiled and said, "I've got me a big man, too."

Tom turned to Sherry and said, "I guess I'm supposed to carry you out too."

"No. I'm supposed to be an dignified old broad," replied Sherry. She extended a

pinky and rubbed the corner of her mouth with it in a parody of class.

Tom laughed and retorted, "Wrong on all three counts. You aren't dignified, old,

or a broad. You're my sexy Sherry mouse."

"Well Tom Cat, in that case..."

Tom stood up and lifted his wife with an ease that suggested he was a much

younger man. He carried her down the aisle while she giggled like a schoolgirl.

As he passed Cathy and George, George said, "Ain't no way I'm carrying you out

of here. I'll break my back."

A roar of laughter provoked by George's comment filled the room even as Jenny's

parents exited. The Reverend stood at the front of the room shaking his head in

wonder. After the previous night, he'd been half convinced that the ceremony

would end with Jerry carrying her out. He hadn't expected the Best Man to carry

out the Maid of Honor or the Bride's parents to follow suit. Still, the ease

with which all three men had picked up and carried their wives out of the room

was impressive. He had to admit that, even if it wasn't dignified.

In the alcove where they were supposed to wait, Jerry continued to cradle Jenny

in his arms while kissing her. She had her arms wrapped around his neck,

reveling in the attention that he was giving her. His strength took her breath

away. Henry had set Sharon on the ground and was passionately kissing her. All

three of the women enjoyed how the ceremony had ended.

Walking side by side and holding hands, Jerry and Jenny were the last to enter

the hall they had rented for the reception. Their arrival was greeted with

applause and comments about the groom carrying off the bride. Jerry blushed at

the attention, but Jenny glowed with happiness. This was her special day and she

was enjoying every bit of attention given to her. Jerry was pleased to see her

so happy.

Individuals wishing them well quickly separated them. Jerry reached out to keep

her hand, but others intervened in their excitement. He was led from handshake

to handshake greeting the guests and accepting congratulations. It wasn't long

before Jerry found himself facing his father. Still uncomfortable in the

presence of his father, Jerry said, "Hello, Dad."

"I had a long talk with your children last night," said Carl. The conversation

with Bill had given him a lot to think about last night. It was staggering to

learn how wrong he had been about his son. He'd sat up half the night thinking

about the past and his treatment of his son.

"Oh, they're really good kids. I'm very proud of them," replied Jerry with real

pride in his voice when he spoke about the kids. He stood there nervously, not

knowing what to expect from his father.

"It seems that I've been sadly mistaken about you," said the elder Smith.

Listening to Bill describe what school had been like before Jerry had taken an

active role reminded him of the calls that he used to receive about Jerry. The

idea that smaller people would pick on a big person to establish a reputation

was a major revelation for him. Bill's story had recast Jerry's entire teenage

years in a new light. He felt guilty that he had not listened to his son.

"Oh, I don't know. I wasn't exactly a model child," said Jerry with a shrug

trying to hide hurts that he didn't want to explore on that day.

"I really thought you had turned mean."

"I did. I did become mean," replied Jerry with a sigh. It had taken some time,

but junior high was when rage had been born. With each insult and fight, the

rage had grown and burrowed ever deeper into his gut. By the time he had reached

high school, it was impossible to get rid of rage. Feeling his stomach, he knew

that it had taken a bullet to kill it.

"Judging by how Bill has turned out, I realize that I could have done things

differently," said Carl. He looked away from his son out of shame. Maybe if he

had listened a little more, things might have turned out differently. He didn't

know how to apologize or make things right.

"Things were different in those days. The school principal was an authority you

didn't challenge. Not even parents challenged the authority of the principal.

The past is behind us and we can't change it," said Jerry looking at his father.

He could see the pain on the old man's face. In a softer voice, he said,

"There's the future though."

"Future?" echoed his father.

"Yeah. I think it would be kind of fun if you were to join us when we go fishing

one of these days. Henry, Abe, Bill, and I occasionally borrow a boat from a guy

that works for me. The four of us go fishing at the lake," answered Jerry. It

was hard to talk around the lump in his throat.

"I haven't been fishing since I quit taking you out," admitted his father. Those

had been fun days and he missed them. He had withheld those fishing trips as

leverage for steering his son down a less violent path. It hadn't worked for

reasons that he had just learned about. For years, he had assumed that the times

they had gone fishing meant nothing to Jerry.

"So when we're planning a trip, how about I call you," suggested Jerry. Making

that suggestion was the hardest thing he had done that day.

"Sounds fine. Since I retired, I don't have that much to do," said the older man

with more excitement than he had felt in a long time. Retirement had been rough

on him -- far rougher than he had anticipated. It seemed like overnight he went

from being an important busy man to sitting on the sidelines watching life go

past. His wife complained that he was underfoot all of the time and just wished

he'd go somewhere else at times.

"Okay," said Jerry. He looked around and spotted Bill talking to Mr. Atkins. He

wondered what the two of them were talking about, but the thought quickly

vanished when Abe walked by. He grabbed the young man and called out, "Hey,

Henry. Have you got that duct tape?"

His father stared at Jerry wondering what was going on. He was surprised when

Henry said, "Nope. Sharon has it. You want me to hold him while you tape him

up?"

Abe was laughing and wasn't putting up any kind of struggle. Jerry called back,

"I can handle it."

The young man asked, "I sure was surprised when the preacher said that I wasn't

allowed to talk during the ceremony."

Tom was somewhat confused by the large number of blacks at the ceremony. It

seemed that Jerry was a friend with all of them. He recalled the special

emphasis by the Reverend that someone wasn't allowed to speak during the

ceremony and realized the black kid was the person mentioned. He asked, "What

did you do?"

Grinning, a very unrepentant Abe said, "Well, just before the ceremony I told

Jerry that some guy was outside claiming to be Jenny's husband. You should have

seen the look on his face."

"What?" asked Tom incredulous.

Jerry laughed at the reminder. Shaking his head, he suggested, "Abe, why don't

you tell my father about your birthday? I'm sure he'll understand why you did

it."

As Abe and Tom talked, Jerry roamed over to the table where his boss Mr. Atkins

and his wife were sitting along with Martin, Mike, and Karen. He sat down and

thanked his boss for taking the time to come to the wedding. For the next ten

minutes, they talked about the future of their business. Jerry made a special

point to mention that Mike would have no problems running the store while he was

on his honeymoon. Mike made a point of saying that Martin would be acting as

assistant manager for the week.

When Jerry left the table, Mr. Sinclair turned to Mike and commented, "He makes

sure that everyone gets credit for the work they do."

"Everyone except himself," replied Mike. Looking over at Mr. Sinclair, he

explained, "He works harder than any of us and is making a real difference in

the lives of a lot of people. He brought in Leo, the new stock boy, and promoted

Abe."

Martin said, "He's put other kids in my neighborhood to work. Shauna was afraid

that she'd end up being a prostitute. Because of Jerry, she's learning

bookkeeping. That's making a real difference in peoples lives."

In the corner, Bill was listening to Mr. Atkins. Earlier he had approached

elderly gentleman and asked, "How are you enjoying the wedding?"

"Mi-tee fine. I'z proud tha' Jerry tho'ght ta' 'vite me," replied Mr. Atkins.

"My Dad was very pleased that you chose to accept the invitation," said Bill

struggling to understand the words of the elderly man. His accent and ancient

dialect made it tough. "He respects you a lot."

Mr. Atkins had looked at Bill for a moment and then asked, "Are ya jealous o'

Abe and da' relationship he has wit' ya' dad?"

"Nah. Abe's our friend. He and Dad joke around. We all have a good time,"

answered Bill surprised by the question. He wondered why Mr. Atkins would think

that he would be jealous of Abe.

Mr. Atkins nodded with a smile on his face. He knew that lots of kids would

consider his father having a friend their own age as competition for their

attention. Putting a hand on the boy's shoulder, he directed him to a corner as

he said, "Come wit' me, boy. I've got some dings ta learn ya."

"Sure," replied Bill wondering what Mr. Atkins could possibly want to tell him.

Seating himself in the corner, Mr. Atkins gestured to a chair and said, "Sit

down."

"Okay."

"You'se a big boy and one day 'ell become a big man," said Mr. Atkins. Noticing

the look that Bill gave him, he clarified his statement. "Physical big. Bein'

big means that ya'll be physical powerful. Wit' power, comes responsibilities."

The one word that rang clear in his short speech was the word

'responsibilities.' At that, Bill sat up and paid closer attention. Nodding, he

said, "Yes, sir."

"Ya' gotta learn ya-self some contr'l. Can't git mad. Can't git angered. Gotta

sta' cool. Folk 'ell look to ya fer lead-r-ship. A leader got ta be betta' en da

rest. Gotta," said Mr. Atkins. The old man frowned and continued, "When I's a

kid, life was tuff. Re-al tuff, boy. Daddy dun got hung by dem KKK boys. Saw dem

boys do it. Sheet, I was mad. Tw'ernt e'en ya age, boy. Couldn't e'en do a

damned ding 'bout it."

"Shit," said Bill.

"Late-a, Momma dun got raped by sum white men. I's furi-us 'bout dat. Couldn't

do a damned ding 'bout it. Day'd a hung me lik' my dadda," said Mr. Atkins.

Eyes wide open, Bill listened to the old man. He couldn't imagine living through

the things described by Mr. Atkins. Shaking his head, Bill asked, "What did you

do?"

"Shit. Nutin' I culd do," admitted the old man. He sighed and said, "Latta, I

got angered. Hated fuckin' white men. I's jus' a lil' boy, but talked big. Afore

long, lots a color'd folk look'd ta me for lead- r-ship. I led 'em. Cause a me,

lots of dem got hurt. Summa dem were kilt, 'cause a me. A leader gotta be da'

best and boy, I weren't da best."

"You're a good leader. Everyone looks up to you," said Bill knowing how people

in the neighborhood felt about Mr. Atkins.

"Twern't back den. No sir-ee. Learnt o'er time what it meant ta be a leader.

Learnt dat ya' can't git mad. Learnt ya gotta keep contr'l. Ya' gotta learn ta

th'nk furst 'bout dem dat foller ya," said Mr. Atkins. He looked at Bill

expecting the young man to say something. When the young man didn't say

anything, he added, "Nows yo'se da young buck dat folks gonna be lookin' at ta

lead 'em. Ya gonna be da big man."

"I don't think of myself as a leader. I'm just a kid, sir," said Bill. The idea

that people would be looking to him as a leader was rather scary. He wasn't sure

that he was up to it.

"Ain't a leader, yet boy," said Mr. Atkins, "Not time fer ya, yet. Ya will be,

tho'."

"So what should I do?"

A smile broke over Mr. Atkins' face at the question. It only confirmed what he

already knew about the young man. He answered, "Ya listen ta' ya' Daddy and ta'

Henry. Listen 'n learn, boy."

"I already do that, sir," replied Bill confused by the answer.

"Yessir, I kno's ya do. I bin watchin' ya. Ya jist didn' know why," replied the

old man. He winked and said, "Now, ya knos why ya sh'uld do it."

"I'm going to have to think about this," said Bill. He felt as if he were

missing something important. He glanced in the direction of his father and

decided that he was going to talk to him about this conversation.

"I like Abe. He's a good boy. Got a mo'th on 'im tho," said Mr. Atkins pointing

in the general direction of the young black man. He looked at Bill and said, "I

talk'd to ya, but not Abe. He's a good boy, but he's na' ready. He's two year

elder dan ya, ba' not ready. He talks too much, but he's learnin' to lis'en.

Gettin' close to time fer 'im, but not yet. Ya' 'lready know ta listen. Good

leader gotta watch, listen, an' learn."

Bill thought about what Mr. Atkins had said. Bill liked Abe, but wondered why

Mr. Atkins felt that Abe wasn't ready to become responsible and accept a

leadership position within the community. Bill frowned and said, "Abe's got a

different style. He listens and learns. He recognizes good advice and follows

it. He's a leader though. No one else in his school has a motorcycle, but he

does. Others are thinking about doing the same. Sure, he might play a joke

occasionally, but they're never mean and diffuse the tension."

Mr. Atkins smiled and patted Bill on the shoulder. He said, "Ya's right. Pro'ly

time fer me ta talk ta 'im. I'm proud a ya."

A few minutes later, Bill left the corner thinking about all the things that Mr.

Atkins had told him. He was sure that he missed a lot of what the man was trying

to tell him. It was a shame that it was so hard to understand what the man was

saying.

The first person he ran into was Henry. The big man bent down and asked, "Did he

have the talk with you?"

"Yes, sir," answered Bill. Still feeling a little confused by all that the old

man had told him, he added, "I'm not sure that I understood it all."

"I know what you mean, but you'll think about it. One day, you'll wake up and

realize that you got it," replied the big man with a chuckle. Almost like a

switch getting flipped, Henry got very serious. "Less than a dozen people in our

neighborhood have gotten that speech. I'm one of them. He only tells people

about leadership when he's positive that they will become leaders. He expects

great things from you. We all will expect great things from you."

"What did I do?" asked Bill wondering why he had been singled out.

"It's not so much what you've done, but the kind of person you've become. I

expect he'll be talking to Abe soon," said Henry with a grin. He looked over at

Martin and wondered if Mr. Atkins would ever have the talk with him. Martin had

never shown much promise until Jerry had taken him under his wing. Now, the kid

was already a leader. Henry decided that it didn't matter if Mr. Atkins ever

gave him the talk. In a way, he had already acknowledged Martin when he included

him in getting rid of the drug house.

"I can't say," said Bill looking over at Abe and recalling the last thing the

old man had told him. A good leader knows when to say nothing.

Henry patted him on the shoulder and said, "Go join him. I'm sure that he's

about talked the ears off your grandparents."

Laughing, Bill went over to the table to join Abe and his grandparents. He sat

down and joined in the discussion about restoring motorcycles and automobiles.

It wasn't long before they were talking about the cars his grandfather thought

were classics. The boys enjoyed hearing about the impressions the cars made upon

people when they were first introduced to the public.

Jerry went around the room returning frequently to Jenny for a hug, touch, or a

kiss. He felt like a comet in orbit around the sun. He could put some distance

between him and her, but he kept coming back to be close to her. He loved her so

much. It was on one of those orbits around Jenny that he noticed Melissa sitting

alone. He went to join her. Sitting down, he asked, "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," answered Melissa without much conviction.

"You look sad," commented Jerry. He put an arm around and held her close.

"I watch you and her together and I think... Well, I think it's like some kind

of love story movie. That woman used to tell me that those kinds of movies were

fiction. She'd tell me that people don't love each other like that," explained

Melissa. She looked across the room at Jenny and saw how happy she looked.

Jerry didn't say anything. He just hugged her closer to him and let her continue

her thoughts. Jenny had told him there were times when a hug was worth a

thousand words. He hoped this was one of those times.

"I worry that I'm not going to ever be as happy as Jenny is," said Melissa

admitting her greatest worry.

Jerry hugged her tighter and then whispered, "Melissa, you're going to meet a

handsome young man one of these days and you'll glow with happiness."

"You think so? You don't think I'm just like that woman?" asked Melissa. Her

lower lip quivered as she asked the second question.

"No. You aren't like her. Despite all of her efforts to turn you into a carbon

copy of her, she failed. You're Melissa, an attractive young woman with a mind

of her own. Don't ever forget that," said Jerry. He looked over her head,

rubbing her back as she cried against his shoulder.

When they announced that it was time for the food to be served, he walked over

to the table leading a much happier Melissa on his arm. He took his place at the

head table next to Jenny. Melissa sat next to him and patted his shoulder as she

said, "Thanks Daddy."

"My pleasure. What are Dad's for?"

From the other side of Melissa, Bill piped up, "Increasing our allowances?"

Realizing that her father wanted to spend a moment with Jenny, Melissa winked

and then started talking to Bill about what constituted a fair allowance. Jerry

smiled and turned to face his bride. Gazing at her, he said, "I love you so much

that it hurts."

"Hurts? Sounds horrible," said Jenny with a grin. With a voice laden with false

concern, she batted her eyelashes and suggested, "Maybe I ought to turn into a

horrible witch so that you'll hate me. That way it won't hurt."

Jerry laughed and replied, "Don't. I enjoy the pain too much."

She leaned over and kissed him. The kiss removed the rest of the world from

Jerry's consciousness. By the time they broke the kiss, plates of food had been

set in front of them. With a lover's sigh, he said, "I love you."

"I love you too."

He rested an elbow on the table and then rested his chin in his palm. Looking

over at her, he said, "I can't believe that we're married."

She wiggled her left hand, giggled, and then said, "I believe it. I've got all

the proof I need on this hand."

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"Thunder and Lightening"

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Posted: 2004-11-12

Last Modified: 2005-05-19 / 12:39:00 amHome - Top