Love Story: In The Cloud

by Ken Renshaw

  A month later, after a round of celebratory receptions and parties thrown by our associates and friends, Tina, Elise, and I flew to Sacramento, rented a car and drove to Steve and Georgia's. Tina and I stayed in the guest cottage. The next morning we all drove a few miles away to a site on the top of a hill. A Native American medicine wheel, a large circle of large stones containing a smaller circle of smaller stones was sculpted on the ground. A flat–topped darkly–speckled granite boulder was in the center. Four radial lines of stones aligned with the four compass directions joined the center and the circles.

  Steve took his place in the center while we waited outside the wheel. Tina and Elise on the South side, Georgia and I on the North. Steve stood on a round, and did a short magic ritual opening the circle with the spirits of the four directions. Then, Elise and Georgia escorted us to the center.

  Tina and I both noticed an intense spark of light coming from one of the crystals of mica in the boulder under Steve. Tina pointed at it and glanced at me questioningly and then smiled. I replied with a nod.

  After a brief ceremony in which we exchanged rings, Steve pronounced us Husband and Wife.

  We walked to the shade of a nearby tree, and Georgia produced a bottle of champagne for teary-eyed toasts and hugs. After a while, Tina said, "Was that spark of light on the boulder Mason?"

  With delight I said, "You heard and saw him! That's fantastic. Did anyone else see or hear Mason?'

  Only Tina replied, "I didn't exactly hear him. I felt an amazing feeling of love, happiness, and congratulations, all mixed up together. I also had the feeling he, or they, were laughing about something. A leg? There was something about touch."

  I hugged her with delight. "The leg thing is reference to a bad joke I'll tell you later. Mason was saying, 'We will be in touch.'"

  We went back to celebrating with our dear friends. After a few minutes, Tina led me away from the others and made me stand on the granite boulder at the center of the circle.

  "One more thing," she said, "Read what I had engraved inside your ring."

  I took my wedding ring off and read the inscription:

  Pour le Me'rite.