by Iris Bolling
“He’s a grown man.” Monique shrugged. She looked around. “You’re not going to say hello to your mother or stay to see your sister get married?”
“Drive.”
“I’m just saying, you’re here. Say hello. Let them know you’re alive.”
Joshua looked at the house with the Christmas lights, and all the activity. The things that would give him a sense of family did nothing for him. He did not want his mother to see him this way. “Pull into the alley. We’ll stay until the ceremony is over. Just to make sure all goes well.”
Monique sighed, “At least that’s something,” then pulled off.
At five-thirty the guests began to arrive. Theo and his parents were in the living room across from the family room where the ceremony was going to be held.
“Mother, thank you for coming,” Theo said as he stood nervously at the entrance, watching people arrive.
“I see a few people from the hospital came, despite the location.”
“Leonora,” Edward warned. “This is our son’s wedding. People are not coming for the location, they are here on Christmas Day, no less, to celebrate in his happiness.” Edward tilted his head to encourage his wife to say something positive to their son.
Leonora stood. “Theo.” She turned him to face her. “I love you and you know that. I am happy for you,” she said as she straightened his bowtie. “I’m not happy with your choice. But I don’t have to live with her, you do.”
Theo kissed his mother’s cheek. It was amazing how alike the two women in his life were. “I love Pearl and I love you. I’m not going to choose between either. I’m going to have both of you in my life. I have a request. For me, will you talk to Pearl?” Leonora took a step back. “Clear the air a little before we take our vows.”
“She made you wait six years and you want me to bow to her as well.”
“I didn’t bow to Pearl, Mother. I waited for the love of my life to figure out I was her knight in shining armor. You know why I waited? You taught me to never settle for less and Pearl is the best. She’s told me several times.” He and his father laughed and Leonora smiled.
“I bet she has.” Leonora gasped. “Edward, your mother is here.”
Edward didn’t move as Theo and Leonora gazed out the doorway.
“Dad, that is your mother.” Theo watched as Brian pointed in their direction.
Jacquelyn Kay Prentiss, in all her elegance, walked into the room. “Good evening.”
Edward walked over to his mother whom he had only seen at a distance in years. He kissed her on her cheek. “Thank you for coming.”
Leonora rolled her eyes at Edward. “You invited her?”
“I did. Theo, come with me. You don’t want to be a witness just in case a murder occurs.”
“Theodore.” Jacquelyn touched his face. “You are indeed a handsome man. Congratulations. I hope you will be very happy.”
Theo, who had only seen pictures of his grandmother, kissed her cheek. “Thank you.” He glanced at his mother. “Are you going to be okay?”
“She’ll be fine as soon as I finish with her.” Jacquelyn closed the door and stared at her daughter-in-law. “Cat has your tongue, Eleanora.”
“My name is Leonora.”
“I know what your name is.” Jacquelyn gave a quick wave of her hand. “Edward asked me to speak with you today in an effort to prevent you from making the same mistake I made. For once in your life be quiet and listen. I told you years ago you were beneath my son and you would make him miserable. I watched as you pulled him down to your level. Over the last thirty-five years I’ve watched him become the man I always knew he could be. My mistake was I did not recognize you as the woman who could make him that man.” She walked over to Leonora. “I’m eighty years old and I’ve missed the best years of my son’s and grandson’s lives because of my stubbornness. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Embrace your son’s wife or take the chance of living a lonely life like I have.” Jacquelyn then did something Leonora never thought she would do. She kissed Leonora’s forehead then smiled. “Welcome to the Prentiss family.” Jacquelyn turned with her long fur coat and gloves on and walked towards the door.
“Jacquelyn,” Leonora called out. “You’re ninety.”
Jacquelyn smiled. “But I look eighty.” Then just as gracefully as she’d walked in, she walked out.
Before she could reach the outer door Leonora called out to her. “You should stay for the wedding. It’s going to be beautiful. Maybe we can talk afterwards.”
Jacquelyn turned back. “I’ll stay if you talk with…” She looked at Edward.
“Pearl,” Theo offered.
“Very well. Pearl. You talk with Pearl and I’ll stay to talk with you.”
Edward and Theo watched as Leonora stared up the stairs. “Now?”
“We still have a few minutes before we get started.” Theo smiled.
Leonora sighed. “Which room is she in?”
“I’ll be happy to show you.” Cynthia, who was standing by in case she had to put people out, stepped forward.
Jacquelyn turned to her driver who was on the porch. “I’ll be staying with my son and his family for a while.”
Cynthia reached the door and knocked. “You have a visitor,” she announced as she opened the door then stepped back.
Phire, Opal, Ruby, Diamond, and Jade stepped into the hallway.
“What is she doing up here?” Ruby asked.
“She’s here to talk with Pearl,” Cynthia replied. “Phire, stay by that door. If anything hops off, you handle it.”
“You know I got this.” Phire stood outside the door along with the other girls and listened.
“It seems you are going to become my daughter–in-law despite my protests. For my son, I’ll accept you as his choice.”
“How big of you,” Pearl replied as she turned to see Leonora standing in the doorway of her dressing room.
“I don’t like you,” Leonora stated as she closed the door. “You are selfish and disrespectful. However, I do believe you love my son.” She looked around. “If for no other reason than he elevates your status.”
“Leonora.” Pearl stood to her full height towering over the woman. “Status is important to you. Love is important to us.”
“You don’t know anything about love,” Leonora exploded. “When your family throws you out and disowns you because you dared to love someone outside your race, then you can talk to me about love. If you loved my son, you would have accepted him the way he was when you met him years ago. But no, you have made him into something degrading, by listening to that rap music and putting those damn braids in his hair. I worked my entire life to keep my son away from that and you step in with your hourglass figure and your kinky hair and wiped away the son I raised to be respected. He’s a doctor for goodness sake.”
The outburst took Pearl by surprise. “Leonora, Theo isn’t less of a doctor because he decided to embrace his African-American heritage…your heritage. You have a problem with accepting your natural beauty. That’s why you walk around with that not so tight weave. There’s nothing wrong with it, but Phire can get one of the girls around the way to make it look like your natural hair.” She smiled at the woman. “Listen, Theo loves you. When he looks at me he sees you as that tough woman who fought for the man she loved so many years ago. You apparently were beautiful enough to catch Edward, and your husband isn’t a slouch in the looks area. He embraced you as you.” Pearl picked up her bouquet. “You might consider giving Edward a peak at the old Leonora. It might spice things up a bit.”
“I never want my son to be looked at as a Black man, but as a man. And I certainly don’t want my grandbabies going through what I went through all my life.”
“Believe me I look at Theo as a man.” Pearl grinned. “As for your grandbabies, do you think for one minute I will allow my children to be bullied?” Pearl struck a pose, then took Leonora’s arm. “You and I are not going to get along. And that’s okay. We are
just going to have a love-hate mother-daughter-in-law relationship.” She stopped at the door. “However, we are going to make a bond never to put Theo or our children in the middle. Agreed?”
Leonora sighed. “Agreed.” She thought for a minute. “You think my hair looks bad?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say bad.” Pearl shrugged.
“It’s whack,” Phire said when they opened the door. “But don’t worry I’ll get SheShe to take all that weave out and take you natural. You don’t have anything to prove to anybody. Hell, you got your man.”
Leonora stared at the young woman. “Pearl, keep her away from me.” Then she ran down the stairs.
Sally looked at her daughter. “Theo isn’t going to make it to the hotel before he pulls you out of that dress.”
“Then I’ve accomplished my goal. Let’s go marry that man.”
The Ceremony
The fifty guests were seated theater style to the right in the large family room. The ten-foot Christmas tree was decorated in white and red ornaments with a red bow at the top. Placed next to the tree were seats for Joe and Sally, Edward and Leonora, and a fifth seat was added to accommodate Jacquelyn. The fireplace was decorated with two large, six-stem candleholders with red and white long stem candles. The walkway leading to the fireplace was lined with five chairs on each side decorated in white linen covers with black bows. The staircase leading down into the foyer was garnished with black and white ribbons with red bows at the end of the bannister.
At six-fifteen pm, the lights in the house were dimmed. R&B singer Taylor Brooks began singing Ribbon in The Sky as the sisters walked in with Ruby leading in black, off the shoulder gowns that showed every curve in their bodies, a single long-stem white rose and a brother dressed in a black tuxedo. The brothers escorted the sisters to their seats, bowed then turned and walked to their seats. At a nod from Cynthia, they all sat. The sisters all crossed their legs pointing towards the fireplace. The brothers rested their foot on their knee all pointed towards the fireplace. The music changed as Pearl began to descend the stairs. All the guests could see was the very bottom of the dress and the three-inch heels on her feet. She turned and met her father at the last step. They could hear Joe’s chuckle inside the room.
Joe and his daughter Pearl appeared in the doorway and breathing as Theo knew it ceased to exist. Pearl was his every woman. There was no other like her. The smile on his face intrigued everyone, for other than Theo and her family, no one else had seen her. Pearl was dressed in a white statin tea-strap dress, completely covered in black lace, with a short train behind her. The dress kissed every curve as if it was painted on. A classic single strand of pearls graced her neck with teardrop pearl earrings to match. The back of the dress drew the eyes of every man in the room. Secret Service agents’ eyes wandered momentarily from the President-Elect and his wife to the stunning woman walking down the aisle. The most dramatic change was her hair. For her wedding she’d had her hair pressed. It flowed over her shoulders, with soft curls at the end.
“My God, she’s beautiful,” Jacquelyn whispered.
Leonora had not seen her hair when she was upstairs and she too was shocked.
Pearl stood there next to her father smiling at Theo with tears on the brim of her eyes. “Hi.”
Theo reached out to take her hand and Joe slapped it away. “I haven’t given her to you yet.”
The guests laughed, as Pearl lowered her head and smiled.
The pastor began the service with the traditional wedding ceremony. When he asked if anyone had any objections to the union, all the brothers stood and looked around the room. Joe turned and gave them a look. They all quickly sat back down as the guests laughed. Joe then looked past Pearl to Leonora. She gave a wave of her hand and the Pastor continued as he asked, “Who gives this bride away?” The brothers, sisters, Joe and Sally all said in unison, “We do.” Adam added, “And Joshua too.” The family all turned to stare at him. Joe placed Pearl’s hand in Theo’s, then stepped away.
“The couple has written their own vows.” He nodded to Pearl.
She gave her bouquet of white roses to Ruby, then took both of Theo’s hands. “Theodore Jefferson Prentiss, I love you with all that I am and all that I will be. It is my vow to never take your love for granted. Never to ever let you wonder how much of my heart, body and soul belongs to you. In my heart you come before the President and his one hundred and one speeches. I will not run your mother over with my car, overdraw the bank account or ever wear clothes to bed. Oh, and I will never throw a crowbar at you again. Last, I promise to give you the best Pearl I can be.”
The guests were rolling with laughter. A few of the men clapped their hands at the bank account and no clothes to bed.
Once the pastor stopped laughing he looked at Theo. “The ball’s in your court, son.”
Theo wiped Pearl’s tear from her cheek with his thumb, then cleared his throat. “Pearl Ann Lassiter. Thank you for coming into my life. Before you I merely existed. Since the day you came at me with the crowbar, my life was irrevocably changed. The first time I kissed you was to shut you up. Now, it’s your voice that puts music in my heart and that dress that started a fire in my loins. I love you with all my heart. You are the very soul of me. I promise not to leave dirty underwear on the bathroom floor. Never to limit the number of shoes you can buy and put a special alarm on the car whenever my mother is approaching, and to give you as many babies as you can handle or die trying.” He stepped closer to her. “I promise to strip the doubts and love your fears away. I promise not to ever request any more than you are willing to give, for your love is a precious gift from God that I will treasure for the rest of my life.”
The guests wiped at tears as the pastor announced them husband and wife. “You may kiss your bride.”
Theo pulled Pearl into his arms then whispered against her lips, “I love you, Mrs. Prentiss.”
Pearl wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you, Dr. Prentiss.”
The two kissed as if no one else was in the room and the kiss continued until fireworks exploded in the air. Everyone except Secret Service and JD reacted to the sounds. Cynthia opened the French doors connected to the dining room so all the guests could see the fireworks.
“Joshua,” Sally cried out.
They all ran out into the backyard and gathered around the gazebo to watch the array of red, white and blue sparkles beaming against the night sky.
Theo pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around Pearl’s shoulders. “What a perfect ending to our day.”
Pearl smiled at her husband. “That’s what we call a Lassiter Christmas.”
The two kissed as fireworks beamed across the sky and snowflakes fell to the ground. The last firework to hit the sky read, Merry Christmas from the Lassiters.
