Past and Present

Ed Peavey

Today's the day! This afternoon, I will marry my darling Martha. Everything is in order. The house is clean and shiny and most of Martha's things are already here. Norrie is at Gull Cottage setting up the buffet. I've got the airplane tickets to San Diego and the reservation at the Coronado Hotel safe in my inside suit pocket. So why am I so nervous?

Yesterday I met Martha's family and they are nice, down-to-earth folks. My sister and her husband are driving over from near Bangor and Mrs. Muir's parents are back and the flowers that Mrs. Williams picked out are quite pretty. Last week I went down to Rockland to pick up our wedding rings, and they got the inscription I had put in Martha's ring just right. It says, "Forever and Always". Not too original, I admit, but it's how I feel.

Reverend Farley is all ready and Mrs. Farley will play the bridal march and the recessional. We've received a lot of fine presents from our friends and family; a few appliances, a set of glasses, a stainless-steel utensil setting for eight and a couple of bowls and vases that honestly, we could do without. Jonathan and Candy Muir gave Martha a beautiful pair of pearl earrings. Mrs. Muir is lending her a strand of pearls, Captain Gregg found an old English penny for her shoe, her dress is the something new, and as far as the something blue, she says I'll just have to wait to find out what that is. So why am I nervous?

It's three o'clock and the wedding ceremony will take place in an hour. Deke is taking the pictures of the wedding as his present, so we are posing, but individually. Martha doesn't want me to see her before we stand before Reverend Farley. This means that Deke's got me posed sitting on the stone wall in front of Gull Cottage, behind the old wooden gate, on the stairs, besides one of the stone lions on the steps, over by the back door smelling the last roses on the trellis, with my sister and brother-in-law, with the Muir's, with the Williams', with Norrie, looking into one of the (currently empty) food trays as if I'm looking to see what's there, and on and on and on. At least it's keeping me busy.

Finally at 4:15 we're all ready to go. There are chairs set out on the lawn for the guests, a small table for the Reverend's things and our rings, and baskets of flowers everywhere. Mrs. Farley starts playing a pretty tune and Norrie, who's my Best Man, and I take our places in front of everyone. Then Mrs. Muir, who's Martha's Matron of Honor comes out and stands across from us. Finally the music changes to the Bridal March and Captain Gregg comes down the aisle with Martha on his arm. She looks beautiful in her pretty dress. It's not white, exactly, but there is white lace here and there on it. She's wearing the pearl necklace and the earrings and in her hair are flowers that are the same as those in her bouquet; those little white flowers they call "Baby's Scalp" or something, pink rosebuds and those little white upturned bell flowers they call "Stephanie's Otis", like I've got in my boutonniere. I watch her every step of the way until she is by my side and I'm grinning like an idiot. Captain Gregg sits down next to Mrs. Muir and Reverend Farley clears his throat and begins.

"Dearly beloved friends and family. We are gathered here on this joyous occasion to witness the marriage of Martha and Ed." (I had specifically told him to call me that, 'cause that's what I answer to. Of course on the license, they had to put my legal name, Edgerton, which was my mother's maiden name, and not fit for a little kid or even an old man to answer to!) I must have been thinking about that because before I knew it, the pastor was speaking to me.

"Do you Ed, take Martha to be your wedded wife, in sickness and in health, in times of good report and in times of ill report, until death do you part?"

"I most certainly do!" I replied and I heard some laughter behind me at the resoluteness of my response.

"Then place this ring on her finger and repeat after me; With this ring, I thee wed." I repeated the sentence.

"Do you Martha, take Ed to be your wedded husband in sickness and in health, in times of good report and in times of ill report, until death do you part?"

Martha was more circumspect. "I do, Reverend."

"Then place this ring on Ed's finger and repeat after me; With this ring I thee wed." Martha repeated it for everyone to hear.

"Then let no man put asunder what the Almighty has brought together. In witness of this assembly, and by the authority of the State of Maine, I now pronounce you husband and wife!"

The guests began to applaud and shout as Martha and I share our first kiss as a married couple.

Mrs. Farley bangs out the recessional as we mount the stairs and greet our guests on the porch by the front door. Deke is fluttering around us, taking more pictures. At the rate he's going with that camera, he'll have spent a pretty penny on those shots, what with the cost of the film and the developing.

We follow everyone inside and before Norrie unveils the buffet table, the company lifts a glass of champagne in salute to "Mr. and Mrs. Peavey". Then everyone gts down to the serious business of loading their plates with food and returning to the front lawn to eat and chat. Claymore Gregg's gift to us was to bring his fancy stereo set and records to play for everyone while we eat. After we cut the wedding cake (Martha had also made me a cherry pie as a gag), he puts on some things to dance to. So, as I had promised my new wife back at the Sea Farer's Ball, we get to dance at our wedding. And we don't stop for a long time. When it gets dark, Daniel and Jonathan light some torches and turn on the porch lights so the party can continue. Martha and I are going to spend the night at the Schooner Bay Inn before leaving for California in the morning, so it doesn't matter how late things go, as far as we are concerned. It was grand to see everyone having such a good time.

Finally, we decide to sit down and chat some more with some of our guests. I notice the Williams' are talking very earnestly with Daniel and Carolyn, but then I turn my attention to Martha's niece, who is a lovely girl.

In about an hour, it has cooled down pretty good and Martha is giving me "that look". No one is going to leave before we do, but they are starting to look a little chilled and some folks have gone back up into the house where it's nice and warm. So we gather up our things, and Jonathan appears with my truck which he and his sister have decorated with cans and old shoes and a sign on the back and both sides advertising our newly married state. As we run to the truck, everyone starts pelting us with streamers and confetti and hard candies, (let me tell you, Carolyn Muir's got some aim there!) But when we get to the gate, Martha stops.

"I'm going to throw my bouquet now, so ladies, get ready!" She turns and tosses it over her shoulder, and wouldn't you know it, Mrs. Muir catches it!

With all hands-on deck, the yard and the house were cleaned up and back to normal before midnight, and the last of the guests had departed. Candy and Jonathan were in the kitchen having one last piece of wedding cake while the rest of the family was in the parlor, letting all the excitement drain out of them.

"It was just beautiful, wasn't it?" Emily begins.

"You did a wonderful job with the flowers, Mother," Carolyn replies. "Martha's bouquet was gorgeous and the flowers for her hair were perfect."

"A most memorable day," Daniel adds.

"Yes," Brad agrees. "A very, very happy day. Now, let's get down to brass tacks…"

"Brad!" gasps Emily. "Please! There's no need to be so direct and it's nothing that won't keep until morning."

Carolyn looks at Daniel and he looks back at her. They are both expressionless. It wasn't as if they didn't expect Brad to broach the subject.

"Dad," Carolyn begins, "we know what you want to discuss."

"Alright then," he replies. "Let's discuss it. This shouldn't take long. Are you two going to get married or not?"

Daniel answers. "As you remember, I had told you both that I would not marry Carolyn until I could contribute financially to the family. I've had a very successful summer and based on the commissions that have come in and the inquiries I've continued to receive, I believe that the business has a good foundation."

Carolyn picks up the narrative. "We've been discussing this as much as we could during the last few weeks of wedding preparations. We both feel secure enough to move forward."

"Especially now that Martha's nuptials are behind us," the Captain adds.

"So?!" asks Emily impatiently.

"Well, we were thinking of having it on my birthday, the Saturday after Thanksgiving."

"And a year to the day of our engagement," adds Daniel.

From behind them, Candy and Jonathan begin cheering and the adults turned to look at them.

"We just finished our cake and came in to say goodnight. We weren't eavesdropping," says Candy quickly.

Daniel laughs. "It doesn't matter. We would have come up to tell you anyway." And suddenly everyone was talking at once.