Luis and Pilar's wedding day started in the kitchen with a breakfast prepared by Elena, Raquel, Catalina and Malou.
The kitchen looked quite different from the way it had appeared in Joseph's dream. In his dream Clarisse had looked at the dirty dishes on the sink and a loaded dust-bin on the table without hiding her contempt. His hill-billy family had been ashamed. Clarisse had left whistling at him to follow her. When Joseph had closed the kitchen door behind them he had woken up. It was past six in the morning and he had gone for a run to shake off the uneasy feeling the dream had given him. It wasn't until he was surrounded by his civilized happy relatives in their spotless kitchen smelling after flowers and fresly baked bread that the dream faded away.
OoOoOoO
After breakfast the whole family made it for church. Sitting in the uncomfortable benches Joseph vividly recalled his wonderful childhood. He wasn't a religious man but being here surrounded by his family and acquaintance, the smell of incense penetrating the air, Joseph had a sense of belonging.
He tried to picture Clarisse here. She would look like an angel. Somehow she always looked like an angel in church. He glanced around. Adella had fallen asleep. Malou, sitting next to the girl, had made a scroll of the printed liturgy to kill a pious fish-moth. She felt his gaze and blushed. He winked at her.
Next to the bride and groom Joseph was the one to shake most hands at the reception. Had he merely been a lost son returning home, people would have come to greet and toast him too, but he knew that it was his work for the Genovian Queen that made them linger near him. They were proud of him and -as many told him- convinced that Queen Clarisse couldn't have found a better Head of Security.
Joseph knew he was one of the best in his field of expertise and he took pleasure in that. He wasn't the type of man who needed people to tell him that he was good but hearing the many admiring remarks lifted his spirits, despite realizing that none of the villagers knew a thing about security. He may neither have a family of his own nor a wife but he did have a career most men could only dream of.
The dinner from an expensive caterer was good enough and Joseph delighted everyone by convincingly lying that it was one of the best he'd ever had. At the garden party afterwards it seemed to Joseph as if only an hour had passed by since the whole family had walked Luis and Pilar over the dewy grass to show them their present.
As Joseph listened to a friend of Luis who was talking about security at airports, he tried to picture Clarisse among the guests. She would be her elegant self and she would have something nice to say to everyone. There wouldn't be a real party though. The presence of Her Majesty the Queen of Genovia would make people nervous, uneasy. But what if they saw her as his?
´I agree,´ Joseph said when Luis's friend looked at him expectantly, ´Someone trained in martial arts won't need so much as a pair of scissors to kill a pilot.´
Luis's friend smiled from ear to ear.
´You're not letting him put ideas into your head now do you?´ Joseph heard a woman's voice behind him say. He grinned and so did the man.
´Don't worry Malou, I will not turn into a villain.´
´That's quite a relief!´ Malou said with a smile.
The man grinned once more and took his leave.
´What's his name again?´ Malou said in a barely audible voice.
´Jaime.'
'Right,' Malou said, handing Joseph a bottle of San Miguel to replace his empty one. He thanked her with a nod.
´I wonder whether my customers ever notice that I sometimes stick to señor, señora.´
Joseph laughed.
Luis's hiking buddy Emilio joined them. The three of them chatted along and soon a small group had gathered around them. Joseph's mind drifted away.
What would his Queen think of this party? There were lanterns everywhere and at first sight they looked fairy-like but on closer inspection they were rather kitsch. Had Clarisse been here than Joseph would have hasted to tell her that Penelope and Adella had chosen them. And why? There was nothing wrong with the decorations. They may not be the most elegant money could buy but they were chosen with care. Joseph forced himself to answer the question he had asked himself minutes ago: what if his family saw her as his?
Joseph found himself standing with two empty bottles as he concluded that there wasn't a chance in the world that his kin would ever get used to having Clarisse for an in-law. Despite her warmth and her kindness she would always be the Queen.
Joseph forced himself to smile for everyone around him was laughing their heads off because of a joke told by Malou. The pretty young woman was eyeing him expectantly.
´I've heard it already,´ Joseph made up, ´But it was a good joke.´
Malou looked up at him with a dreamily twinkle in her eyes. ´I really like this place,´ she said. ´The garden looks great. There is a tiny yard behind my lunch-room and I would like to make it -´
´Family, friends!´
´Sh-sh.´
´Family, friends!´ David cried out again. Catalina hushed until everyone was looking at her husband. David gestured toward his parents.
´Forty years ago these two wonderful people -´
People cheered and applauded.
´- got married. And in this age when so many marriages fail, they stayed together, still as much in love as they'd been at the very beginning.´
Luis put his arm around his wife's shoulder.
´They gave their children a great childhood.´
Pilar wiped away a tear.
´To their relatives and friends they've always opened their hearts.´
Women smiled and nodded and men raised their glasses at the couple as David gave examples of his parents' kindness and generosity.
´This morning we, their family, made them reveal their present. You've all seen it for they've taken every one of you with them to admire it.´
Laughter. Pilar and Luis had been flabbergasted at seeing the beautiful garden statue the Romeros had gotten them.
´I hope my relatives won't mind if Catalina and I gave them a little something extra.´
´You slimy!´ Fernando said good-humouredly.
Laughter.
David handed his mother a tiny gift. Not quite knowing what to think, for her eldest son looked a bit pissed at David's action, she opened it after which she stared at it, put a hand in front of her mouth and started crying. Stunned, Luis looked at the present and started blinking.
The guests looked at each other. Having a feeling of what it was about, Joseph felt unexplainably sad.
Catalina walked toward her parents-in-law. Pilar opened her arms. From her hand dangled a pair of tiny socks.
From over sixty voices a cry of joy went up.
The future grandparents hugged the future padre and madre, the brothers and sister heard themselves be called uncles and aunt for the first time, there were merry tears, and everyone came to congratulate David and Catalina as well as the bride and groom.
´So, grand-uncle,´ Malou whispered as she took Joseph's hand. With people hugging and smiling and dancing with joy, it seemed perfectly normal to press her hand.
´I'm getting old,´ Joseph said.
´Nonsense.´
´I am.´
´Not to me. And I'm decades younger than you are so you'd better value my words.´
´You're sweet,´ Joseph said. He looked at her. Her green dress made her eyes jump out of her face. On her left cheekbone remains of the chicken-pox were visible, but only barely.
´I am. Just try me.´
She took a sip of her calimocho and stared at Joseph over the rim of her glass.
´Champagne!´ Luis cried out.
Joseph was very aware of Malou standing near him as he listened to Luis's emotional speech.
After having given a history of his life with Pilar he thanked Joseph, Andreo, Nadine, Carlos, Raquel, David, Catalina, Elena, Fernando, Penelope, Felipe and Adella for their present.
´To us it will remind us of this perfect day and to our grandson -´
´Or granddaughter!´ Pilar interrupted with a happy smile.
Laughter. Joseph drowned his drink.
´- Si si, or granddaughter, the statue will be part of the grounds and as familiar as the mansion.´
Luis sighed happily and then raised his finger at David.
´But he will not be allowed to throw balls at it!´
Laughter.
The image of two trunks appeared before Joseph which prevented him from showing the joy he felt for Luis and Pilar and for his nephew and his wife. He missed part of Luis's speech.
´- what matters!´ Luis Romero concluded, gesturing at his company and saluting them with his glass of champagne. ´This is the real life! Nothing posh, nothing fake, real life. Friends. Family! Brothers. Children. A grandchild!´
It didn't take long ere - as was a tradition in the village - the national hymn was sung to conclude the party. Gradually the garden became quiet. Joseph lingered, paying no attention to the caterers cleaning up. He stared ahead, not allowing himself to think. He wasn't surprised when Malou showed up.
´Let me walk you to the house,´ Joseph said gruffly. He took a lantern to light the way.
They didn't stop at the front door. Malou grabbed Joseph's free hand and they sauntered passed the garage. In front of the entrance to his apartment Joseph stood still. Malou looked up at him. ´Do you like sweet, Joseph?´ she said in a low voice.