Lillyans

by Oliver Letz

  Spring in the mountains, what a wonderful time of year. Taylor shook his head in disbelieve realizing that it had been a year since those fateful first weeks in Oz. Hills and valleys were painted with new, bright green foliage, and meadows and slopes proudly displayed a multitude of brilliant wildflower colors and shapes. Winter had been fun, exciting and exhausting. Taylor had volunteered to help in the forest brigades to supply wood for fireplaces and stoves around town. The physical labor had helped him get back into the best shape of his life. He had enjoyed the activity outdoors, the camaraderie of men performing dangerous work, and the feeling of satisfaction after a long day of hard work.

  As spring often does, it instilled a new desire in Taylor, the desire for a place to call home, to unpack his bags for good, so to speak. He wasn’t quite sure what it was he was missing, until one afternoon while strolling around town and enjoying the brisk spring air, his strides unknowingly led him to the gates of Schwyzer House.

  “John, what brings you here early in the afternoon,” Fritz Neuwirt greeted him from his favorite rocking chair under the big oak tree.

  “I don’t know really,” Taylor answered truthfully.

  “Well, come on in,” Fritz invited him, “you have to try this new schnapps I’ve been distilling in winter.”

  He grabbed a bottle with the infamous clear spirit from a shelf along with two small shot glasses. Hesitantly Taylor followed the old man’s waving gesture. He had made the mistake before to accept Fritz’s hospitality too early in the day and he still could not remember how he had managed to get home that night. With the best intentions of being more careful this time he opened the gate and joined Fritz at his table.

  “Here, try this,” Fritz put a full glass in front of Taylor, “tell me what you think.”

  “Prost,” Taylor offered the old Austrian drinking cheer and cautiously took a sip. “Mm,” he nodded his head, “this one is really good. The aroma and richness of taste is amazing. What did you put in there?”

  “Ah,” Fritz shook his head, “I can’t tell you that. Keep guessing, you’ll figure it out eventually,” he laughed.

  Taylor knew that Fritz never gave up the secret ingredients of his, literally, inspired creations. It was always a fun time to get together with a few friends for a guessing game around a bottle of Schnapps.

  “May I ask you a personal question?” Taylor asked without really knowing where he was headed.

  “Sure, John,” Fritz encouraged him, “you are like family to me. What’s on your mind?”

  “I was wondering,” Taylor slowly pieced together his thoughts, “what does a guy do around here when he wants to ask a girl to marry him?”

  Fritz’s face lit up with glistering eyes. He very much liked the thought to officially welcome Taylor into his family. Even more so he was delighted to hear that Lilly Ann had finally found someone who was able to match her highflying spirit.

  “Hm, let me see,” he began thoughtfully, “you have noticed, that there are not all that many rules and customs in this neck of the woods when it comes to personal relationships. A lot of folks just move in together and stay, and that is that. Others have big ceremonies and parties that last several days or weeks. When I came back to ask Lilly Ann’s grandmother to marry me I got on my knees and asked her to accept my ring. I know now that she had a hard time not to burst into laughter at my sight, but she gracefully accepted and we were together until she passed a few years ago.”

  “I guess, what I am saying is,” Fritz added after a short pause, “it’s all about what you want to do.”

  “Call me old fashioned,” Taylor smiled, “but the thought of formally proposing had crossed my mind. I have no idea where to get an appropriate ring, though, short of learning to make one myself,” he admitted.

  “I think I can help you there,” Fritz winked at him.

  He ceremoniously opened the clasp of a thin gold chain that he was wearing under his shirt around his neck. Carefully pulling out the chain it revealed two small white gold rings dangling from it.

  “These are the rings my Martha wore for almost sixty years,” he caressed the gleaming metal with the balm of his hand, “I had always hoped that Lilly Ann would one day put them to good use.”

  He took the first ring from the chain.

  “This is the ring I proposed with,” he handed it to Taylor, “may it bring as much joy to your heart as it did me for so many years.”

  Taylor was overwhelmed by the old man’s generosity and the genuine affection he showed for him. He convinced himself that it was the pollen in the air that made his eyes tear up.

  “Thank you,” he took the ring and shook Fritz’s hand, “I don’t know what else to say, but thank you.”

  “No thanks necessary,” Fritz smiled at him, “you make an old man very happy.”

  He got up from his chair and hugged Taylor.

  “Good luck with your proposal, son,” he said, “knowing Lilly Ann, I’m afraid you gonna need it,” he chuckled.

  Taylor looked at him with a quizzical look.

  “Don’t worry, you gonna be all right,” Fritz encouraged him.

  Cheerfully unaware of the far-reaching conversation of that afternoon Lilly Ann had the dinner table waiting for Taylor at her house. Jenny Tramborini from down the street had had herself an Italian cookout and had invited everyone she knew to pick up dinner favorites before they got spoiled. Jenny never even thought about who would eat all the dishes that she liked so much to cook. She just stood in her kitchen and shoved one pan after the other into her oversized oven until she ran out of ingredients to turn into delicacies. Magically, one after the other, the family sized food containers disappeared from her kitchen table before the evening turned into night. Nobody wanted to miss the chance to partake in the Italian gourmet feast they were invited to.

  So, Lilly Ann had truffled meat and mushroom lasagna warmed up in the oven and a nice bottle of red wine opened to breathe on the window sill. The table was set with fancy tall wine glasses and a set of candles waiting to be lit. She was happily humming the melody of an old nursery rhyme when Taylor quietly came through the front door.

  “Mm,” was the first thing he said walking into the kitchen, “something smells delicious.” He flared his nostrils to soak up the aroma. “Did Jenny have herself a cookout?”

  “I am disappointed that you didn’t think that I had anything to do with the cooking,” Lilly Ann feigned her annoyance, “at least I was there in time to get the best dish she makes.”

  “Thank you so much for having such a wonderful cook as a friend,” Taylor laughed, “I am sure though, that you could cook just as well if you wanted to.”

  “Not in a million years,” Lilly Ann burst out laughing, “Don’t get your hopes up. If you want to eat well, we can go out, have someone else cook for us, or you can learn to cook yourself. That art is clearly lost on me, that’s for sure.”

  “I will keep that in mind,” Taylor said jokingly.

  “Really,” Lilly Ann asked, “what’s on your mind to keep that in mind?”

  “Let’s eat first,” Taylor suggested, “this really smells too delicious to be kept waiting.”

  Together they served plates of lasagna to the table and Taylor sliced French bread and arranged it in a basket, which he handed to Lilly Ann. He brought the wine bottle from the window and poured two glasses for them before they sat down and enjoyed a home made feast that would have been fit for a king’s table.

  “So, what did you have on your mind earlier?” Lilly Ann asked lazily having made herself comfortable in her chair.

  Taylor pulled the ring out of his pocket, still hiding it from Lilly Ann. He stood up from his chair and dropped down on his knee in front of her.

  “Lilly Ann,” he looked into her surprised eyes, “would you marry me?” Just like that, straight out, what’s the use to dance around it, right?

  Lilly Ann’s answer was just as prompt and direct.

  “Wh
y,” she asked, genuinely curious, “why do you want to marry me?”

  “O.k., that is not exactly the reaction I was hoping for,” Taylor was getting a bit insecure, “but, fair enough. I want to marry you because I love you. You are the most inspired and warm and funny and …”

  “That’s not what I meant,” Lilly Ann interrupted him, “you don’t have to sell me on myself, I know that I am fabulous,” she smiled at him, “Why do you want to marry me?”

  “Well, it makes me feel good to be around you. You make my heart sing. I don’t even want to imagine a life without you,” Taylor was clearly a fish out of water at this point, “I guess what I am trying to say, I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  He looked at her not quite sure if he was doing himself a great favor with his blunt offerings.

  “I see,” Lilly Ann looked lovingly into his eyes, “I love you John Taylor, you know that, but these are not very good reasons to get married, at least not for me. You already have all of this without getting married right here and now.”

  “All right,” Taylor tried not to get defensive, “what would be a good reason for you to get married?”

  The soft warm glow that radiated from Lilly Ann’s face, her genuine loving smile and the tender kiss she pressed on Taylor’s lips while she pulled him up from his knees soothed the upheaval of emotions welling up in Taylor.

  “You know that I cannot tell you that,” she whispered into his ear, “but I can hardly wait what you are going to find out from searching within yourself.”

  Fritz Neuwirt was not too surprised to see Taylor slowly walk up the path to the tavern the next day.

  “John, you are back quickly,” he greeted Taylor, “how are your wedding plans coming along?”

  Taylor looked at him with a sour smile.

  “Don’t ask,” he groaned, “she shot me down cold. I guess I won’t be needing this any time soon.” He handed the ring to Fritz.

  “Did she ask you ‘Why?’,” Fritz chuckled.

  “How’d you know?” Taylor asked, “Am I missing something here?”

  “Just a lucky guess,” Fritz answered, “I’ve known Lilly Ann for all her life, and it just seemed like something she would do.”

  “Right,” Taylor scowled, “you could have given me a heads up.”

  “Would it have helped?” Fritz smiled.

  “No, not really,” Taylor admitted, “it just felt good for a moment to blame someone else.” He laughed and shook his head. “Do you have any idea what she wanted to hear from me?”

  Fritz folded Taylor’s hand over the ring.

  “You hold on to this, son, you’ll have use for it sooner than you might think right now,” he encouraged, “I can’t really tell you what Lilly Ann is thinking. I’m afraid my head would explode if I would try.” He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, “One thing you might want to keep in mind, John. Around here we don’t have much patience for long-term commitments. That doesn’t mean that people won’t stay together for a long time, just take Martha and I, but it is always a choice moment by moment and not a promise forever after.”

  Leaving Schwyzer House, Taylor was wrapped up in mixed emotions and the slightly uncomfortable feeling that he was missing something important that was dangling right in front of his nose. He was lost in thought turning the corner into the main street when he almost ran over Willie, Lilly Ann’s kid brother.

  “Whoa, brother, whereto so hasty?” Willie greeted Taylor jovially slapping him on the shoulder, “Have you guys set a date yet?”

  “It’s tough to keep a secret around here, isn’t it,” Taylor grinned, “no date yet, though, I got a pretty frosty shoulder when I asked Lilly Ann yesterday.”

  “Welcome to the club,” Willie laughed, “figuring out how to ask a girl to marry them is one of the trickiest challenges for any young lad. Them females are just so complex and they hold out until you are completely in tune with them. It’s good though, most of the guys wouldn’t know half of what they know about themselves if it weren’t for girls insisting on them to find out.”

  He looked at Taylor with a quizzical look.

  “I always thought it would be different with Lilly Ann,” he wondered, “I thought ‘Let’s have a party to celebrate with everyone.’ would have done the trick. ‘I like you pretty good, let’s see how it goes’, or something along those lines. Shows how much I know, right?” He squeezed Taylor’s shoulders. “You’ll figure it out, we are all rooting for you,” he said and went on his way.

  “Thanks Willie,” Taylor answered, “you don’t even know how much you helped.”

  ‘A party,’ Taylor thought by himself, ‘Right, and I gave her the forever-after, until-death-does-us-apart speech. Really shows how much I know.’ He had to chuckle at the realization that again his past had caught up with him and tripped him up.

  Coming home from his visit with Fritz, Taylor found Lilly Ann in her studio, water-coloring the newest issue of the Chronicle.

  “Hey beautiful,” he wrapped his arm around her from behind and kissed her softly on the neck.

  “Not now,” she purred, “don’t you see that I am working?” She made it sound much more like, “Where have you been all day, I missed you.”

  “What are your plans a week from Saturday?” Taylor whispered into her ear.

  “Let me check my social calendar,” Lilly Ann joked, “What did you have in mind?”

  “Well, I did some thinking today,” Taylor tried to follow the stream of right words without getting in the way, “and a couple of elves helped me along the way.”

  “Elves, really?” Lilly Ann was royally amused by Taylor’s attempt to be inconspicuous, “What did they have to say?”

  “Translated into plain English, I think they said that I shouldn’t be such a dickhead,” Taylor grinned at Lilly Ann’s burst of laughter.

  “So, I thought we should have a party,” his heart was leaping into his throat, “to tell everyone that we love each other and that we belong together and that we will be married,” he took a deep breath, “until further notice.” And without really knowing that he spoke he added, “To share our joy, I guess is what I wanted to say.”

  “I think that is a wonderful idea, John,” Lilly Ann pulled him close to herself, “and my new name shall be Lilly Ann Taylor,” she kissed him passionately on the lips, “until further notice. Tell your elves that they done good.”

  Taylor had never slept better in his life. He woke up in a bed, still heavy with the scent of his most beloved wife to be. Brisk air was wallowing through the open window and the birds in the trees outside were outdoing each other with ever new and creative melodies and sounds. He could hear activity stirring in the house, which to him was soothing and exciting at the same time, always promising a new day with new adventures and surprises. For the first time in his life he did not worry about tomorrow, or today, or anything about his past. Was life really supposed to feel that good?

  The big day was still a week away but already the whole town had come alive with preparations for celebrating the wedding of one of its most cherished citizens. Lilly Ann’s never fading smile, her undying lighthearted radiance and her unadulterated love of life had touched each and every one on countless occasions and was a living beacon of light for anyone on the path to the inner realms of the souls. Now it was time to return the favor, and to have royal fun along the way.

  Since none of the eating establishments would have been able to accommodate the crowd that was expected to attend, the park behind Sudbury was selected as the perfect location for the ceremony and the banquet that was to follow. Already, young men had started to erect a platform so that everyone would be able to see the main event and for the entertainment at the ensuing party. Musicians and entertainers of all genres had signed up to have their moment in the light at this very special occasion. One thing became very obvious, it promised to be a very long night for the whole town.

  Taylor finally convin
ced himself that his growling stomach and other bodily needs warranted to be addressed, so he lazily rolled out of bed and slipped into his favorite bathrobe. He tended to the inevitable before climbing down the creaking staircase to see if the kitchen would provide the sustenance he was craving. Curious at the sound of an unfamiliar voice conversing with his mate he peeked through the door. It was not unusual for Lilly Ann to have visitors in the morning but the sight of the figure sitting in a chair next to the window made him gasp for air.

  The tall slender woman seemed to fade in and out of focus right before his eyes. Short cut dark brown hair adorned by a thin reef of braided silver strands framed a face that was foreign and familiar at once. Her flowing dress, billowing in a breeze which Taylor could not feel, was sewn of a fabric similar to the one Taylor had wrapped himself in, but changing its color from red to orange to green as he looked upon it.

  Lilly Ann turned around from the stove where she had been tending to a teakettle. She had to put up a mighty fight to not laugh out loud at the bewildered look on Taylor’s face.

  “Cut it out mom,” She scolded the older woman, “don’t scare him away just yet.” They both laughed and hugged as the woman’s appearance solidified as if nothing unusual had transpired in the last few moments.

  “John,” Lilly Ann pulled Taylor closer with an apologetic look, “say hi to my mom. Mom, this is John. Isn’t he adorable?”

  “John, I’ve heard so much about you,” the woman said, “please forgive me, the sunlight this early in the morning sometimes plays tricks on our eyes and makes me look all weird.” She took Taylor’s hand in both of hers, “I am Lilly Grace, Lilly Ann’s mother.”

  Taylor had to swallow hard a few times before he was able to muster a reply, “The pleasure is all mine, Lilly Grace. Lilly Ann had made you an enigma wrapped in a riddle every time your name came up. I always wondered why that was.” He took a deep breath, “Would you excuse me for a moment while I put on some clothes more appropriate for company at the breakfast table?” Without waiting for an answer he fled the scene to the upstairs bedroom to regain his composure and bring the carrousel to a stop that was spinning out of control in his head.

  “Are you all right, love?” Lilly Ann stuck her head through the doorframe.

  “Of course,” Taylor tried to convince himself while he continued to get dressed, “of course, why would I not be all right? You could have given me a bit of a warning though. What did I see downstairs anyway, what was that?” There was just a hint of panic in his voice.

  “Don’t be alarmed about it,” Lilly Ann tried to soothe him, “come with me, Mom can explain it better than I would.”

  Taylor felt a lot more secure and in control wearing the proper attire for a first visit with his soon to be mother in law. He was not quite sure though, if he really wanted to know the nature of the vision he had had earlier.

  “You know what,” he said to Lilly Ann, “I don’t need to know everything right this red hot minute. Why don’t we go downstairs and have a nice meal with your mother and get to know each other like ordinary people do. There is no rush. She is your mother and you obviously love her and she loves you. That is enough reason for me to want to love her.”

  “You will never know how big of a man you are, John Taylor,” Lilly Ann replied quietly, “that’s one more reason why I love you.”

  Hand in hand they went downstairs to have a delightful breakfast and an engaging conversation with their newly arrived guest.

  “Hey brother,” Willie greeted Taylor who was sitting a bit forlorn on the front steps of the house.

  The wedding preparations were in full swing and more often than not Taylor found himself being in the way with no idea how to contribute. It had become very obvious to him that this was a woman’s affair and that a masculine touch to the proceedings was neither welcome nor appreciated. He wasn’t complaining, festivities of that nature had always filled him with more anxiety than seemed appropriate, and though in the past he had been able to find ways out of participating for the most part, this time he was billed as one of the main attractions. He was determined to make the best of it and to keep his focus on the reason he had suggested to get married in the first place. Just the thought of calling Lilly Ann ‘my wife’ made his heart sing and his eyes filled with tears of joy.

  “Did they throw you out of the house or did you escape on your own?” Willie teased with his broad boyish grin.

  “If I only knew,” Taylor answered with a sigh, “I know I shouldn’t say this, because Lilly Ann is having so much fun, but I’ll be glad when we’ll have the house back to ourselves.”

  “Don’t worry,” Willie laughed, “that makes you and every other guy who gets hitched. Them females are having the time of their lives with no males allowed,” he slapped Taylor’s shoulder, “So I guess it’s Willie to the rescue. The guys are waiting for us at Magic Mountain for your bachelor’s party. You didn’t think we would miss out on a chance to have our own fun, did you?”

  “You what?” Taylor had not even considered that this tradition had survived in this remote area. Bachelor’s parties in the southern cities were usually drunken treks through strings of gentlemen’s clubs or worse. To translate this tradition into the customs of Flugerton sure seemed like an interesting proposition.

  “Sure,” Willie got all excited, “we’ve got a couple kegs of beer and a keg of wine, the pork has been roasting on the spit since last night and the entertainment shall remain a surprise. Let me tell Lilly Ann where we are heading and that she shouldn’t wait up for you. We’ll take her van to drive out to the bottom of the hills. We’ll walk up the rest of the way.”

  He disappeared into the house just to come out running a few moments later with several voices yelling after him. He had grabbed a warm sweater for Taylor on his way out.

  “What was that all about?” Taylor wanted to know.

  “Oh, the ladies sometimes don’t want to be reminded of the obvious,” Willie laughed, “at least not of the obvious as I see it. Come on, let’s go.”

  They both climbed into the van and Willie took the driver’s seat. Not wanting to further flame his sister’s wrath he cautiously drove out into the street and out of town.

  Magic Mountain had been used as the site for major celebrations and festivals for as long as people could remember. It was close enough to be reached by foot in a couple of hours but was far enough out of town so that the huge bonfires that burned at summer and winter solstice and other occasions would not endanger any buildings or structures.

  The path that led up from the street to the festival grounds was well worn from thousands of visitors who had climbed the incline throughout the decades.

  “How many people are you expecting to show up?” Taylor asked at the sight of dozens of torches lining the sides of the gravel road.

  “That’s hard to say,” Willie replied, “usually it’s between fifty and a hundred but with your claim to fame I am sure there will be many more. We brought food and drink for about two hundred and it’s just a short ride into town if we need more.”

  “Now that’s what I call a party,” Taylor exclaimed.

  His eyes grew wider and wider as they approached the festival meadow. It was hard to gauge the number of men already assembled but it was clear that Willie’s estimates were no exaggeration. Four large bonfires were burning already, one on each corner of the designated party area and long rows of makeshift tables and benches had been set up in a huge U-shape. The place was buzzing with activity and excitement. A number of musicians were assembled on the far end of the square, engaged in a loud and wild jam session, which drew a hollering and shouting audience. As far as Taylor could see there were no women present.

  “A celebration of the male spirit,” Willie was reading Taylor’s question off his face. He jumped onto one of the tables and let out a fierce whistle. “The guest of honor has arrived,” he proclaimed, seizing the moment of attention he had bought himself, �
�let’s show him how we celebrate when there is really something to celebrate.”

  The cheers and whistles and clapping was reverberating from the close by mountains and it seemed as if the stars in the sky had turned up their light a notch. Taylor was handed around from table to table and from group to group. It took him the better part of an hour to cross the meadow to his designated place at the head of the table. As soon as he had sat down an endless barrage of drinking toasts ensued. Taylor had to endure more bad jokes and side blows to his masculine qualities than in his entire career in the military. It was all in good fun though and time seemed to fly and stand still at once.

  It got dark early and more torches were placed alongside the perimeter of the meadow to cast an eerie light onto the scene. As if on cue the noise of the multitude of conversations suddenly subsided as a virtuoso violinist sounded the first notes of the interlude to a classical piece of music. The men’s eyes did not turn in the direction of the music though, as in the shadows behind the big fire to the left a white figure could be seen, swaying softly to the rhythm of the music.

  The growing intensity of the melody drew the dancer closer who could be clearly identified as a young woman now. Her face was covered with a feathered mask and as she stepped in front of the fire the silhouette of her bare body was cast onto the sheer material of the cloak she was wearing. Her expressive sensual dance followed the story that the violin told, a story of old days and young love, of soft lustful purrs and wild roars of passion. The violin screamed its heart out, as the girl’s dance grew wilder. She had moved between the towering fires and her dress whirled around her like a tornado of light. Her pulsing movements were a prayer to the earth to set her free of the bondage of gravity. Lower and lower she crouched until all that was left of her was a convulsing billowing white cloud in the darkness. All of a sudden the wild rhythm paused and to the sound of a single note that could have drawn tears from a rock, the fabric parted over the girl’s back and she rose in all her uncovered glory. She seemed to grow to the heavens with fiery streaks of light painted onto her skin and as the music returned to a wild but lighter and happier mood she danced out of sight until she was swallowed by the darkness.

  With the last note of the violin absolute silence befell the breathless crowd. It was Taylor who managed to regain control of his limbs and banished the spell. His first clap was followed by a thundering applause and cheering and wild outbursts of primal joy.

  Although the dance of the white phantom was definitely the highlight of the evening entertainment she would not remain last girl to take the stage. Throughout the evening young dancers in exotic and, more often than not, revealing costumes would appear from the dark and leave without a trace after their performances had ended. Sensual, wild, funny, silly and flat out erotic displays of female expression were offered to honor the man at the center of attention.

  After one of the more explicit numbers Taylor turned to Willie.

  “So, why are the girls doing this?” he asked, “Don’t understand me wrong, I’m not complaining, but where I come from you would have to fork over a good handful of hard earned credits to get a girl do a performance like these.”

  Willie could only laugh and shook his head.

  “Are you kidding me?” he replied in disbelieve, “The girls love this. You would not believe how many life long relationships started with the girl dancing for the guys. It’s a personal expression, a calling card, and an art form just as any other. You should have seen the show when Kevin and Gary got married,” he winked at Taylor.

  “Hey look,” one of Willie’s friends pointed at the space between the fires.

  Taylor turned around expecting to see yet another dance performance, but the figure standing motionless between the fires, clad in a white linen suit was obviously no woman.

  “Dad!” Willie jumped from his seat and ran towards the man. “I knew you wouldn’t miss a good show,” he exclaimed as they hugged, “Come on, you have to meet John.” He hugged his father’s shoulder and led him to Taylor who had gotten up from the bench.

  “Dad, this is John Taylor, the man who fell out of the sky, the man who they call Geronimo, the man who will marry your daughter,” Willie had a grand time making the introduction as formal as possible, “John, this is my and Lilly Ann’s father, Michael Angelo. I am so excited that you were able to make it, dad.”

  “It is great to meet you John,” Michael said with a soft but intense voice, “I heard so much good about you. You are a life giving phenomenon for this community.”

  “The pleasure is mine, sir,” Taylor answered sincerely, “I hope I can live up to the praise you have heard. Why don’t you join us for a drink? Willie has outdone himself organizing this party.”

  “Right,” Michael smiled, “I bet he told five people the day and time and expected for everything else to take care of itself,” he ruffled Willie’s hair like a little boy’s.

  “What are you talking about?” Willie laughed, “I told at least seven people and I personally picked up John at Lilly Ann’s house, that’s gotta count for something, right?”

  The rest of the night was filled with amusing stories about Taylor’s journey to Flugerton, more drinks and food and music and a myriad of jovial lighthearted well wishes for the groom. Taylor was amazed how little information he could gather about Lilly Ann’s father despite the many questions he had asked. Not wanting to be too direct or insistent he relaxed and enjoyed the building curiosity. ‘Something more to look forward too,’ he thought.

  The morning sun had already lifted the veils of darkness and painted the mountain tops with broad strokes of orange and red when a long trek of vehicles of all kinds, engulfed in a cloud of laughter and lively voices, rolled slowly into town, just to disperse into all directions to deliver the happy party guest to their homes.

  “I will never forget this night,” Taylor said to Willie as they parted, “Thank you so much!”

  “Ah, don’t mention it, brother,” Willie waved him off, “I’m glad you had fun, I sure did. Next time it’s my turn.” He laughed and turned back to the street to walk home. Earlier they had lost sight of Michael Angelo in the tumult of leaving the festival grounds but Willie had just shrugged, “Don’t worry, he’ll be there in the morning.” Taylor decided that this was not the time to find out what that had meant either.

  He quietly sneaked into the house and up the stairs. As he slipped into the bed Lilly Ann greeted him with closed eyes and a sleep drunken voice, “Did you like the girls?” she asked and smiled knowingly.

  “Yes, I liked what I saw,” Taylor answered truthfully, “but I really love this.” He wrapped his arms around Lilly Ann and pulled her closer. She answered with a soft moan of agreement as they both fell asleep.

  The term ‘perfect unfolding’ seemed like a crass understatement for the proceedings on May twelve of the year twenty-three seventeen in Flugerton. A crisp morning breeze had swept the valley clean of all traces of night fog, before it subsided to give way to the warmth and light of the early summer sun. Glistering dew nourished meadows and flowers to a supple light green, sprinkled with bright dots of yellow, white, red and blue. All sorts of birds and critters alike had caught on to the festive mood that had descended like a blanket onto the town and displayed their most beautiful colors and sounds and play. Life itself in its ever-expanding glory provided the stage for the celebrations to come.

  The female members of the bride’s family had gathered early in the morning in Lilly Ann’s house to help her with her personal preparations. The dress, hair, makeup, perfume, flowers, jewelry and a hundred more details had been thought of and arranged long before and awaited their application at just the right time. Everything fell into place, no rush and no second thoughts. A family with nothing but love for each other, vibrating in perfect harmony to draw joy from each other and beam it into the world.

  Taylor, who had been exiled from the house a day earlier and had set up his temporary quarte
rs at Willie’s pad atop the Schwyzer House tavern, was surrounded by the men of the family to help him into the elaborate wedding suit that Michael Angelo had surprised him with. Together they enjoyed a late breakfast and a leisurely exchange of the latest stories from around town. Michael had been chosen to lead the wedding ceremony, so he left early to see about last minute arrangements on the Sudbury grounds, which many busy hands had transformed into a magical garden of color and light.

  The sun had completed almost half of its daily path across the sky when it was time for Taylor and his best men to leave the house for Sudbury. Willie had borrowed a car from a friend that swiftly took the groom’s party to their destination. A crowd had already gathered in the garden abuzz with conversations and laughter, enjoying the various snacks and refreshments that were offered on silver trays by boys and girls in colorful costumes and tall feathered hats.

  Taylor was led around the guests to join Michael Angelo on stage with his friends to await the arrival of the bride. A murmur went through the crowd as the tall double doors at Sudbury’s main building slowly opened and a woman in a Swiss Guard’s uniform stepped outside, knocked her lance three times on the ground and proclaimed,

  “Madams and Sirs, I present - the bride!”

  To the sound of a fanfare and gasps from the wedding guests an otherworldly figure appeared in the passage. Completely covered from her shoulders down in a red and purple cloak which seemed alive with images from her own and Flugerton’s past, her face hidden behind a veil Lilly Ann majestically followed her guardian’s lead. The masses parted for the approaching bride revealing a path of pink and white rose petals leading up to the stage. As she stepped onto the colorful carpet she hesitated for a moment as if changing her mind. She looked at one of her bride’s maids and nodded her head. Both of the girls walked up to her side and took hold of the veil and the clasp, which held the cloak in place. They slowly lifted the veil over Lilly Ann’s head and parted the cloak in front of her and back over her shoulders.

  Freed of the burden of ceremonial obligations Lilly Ann squealed in delight, kicked a few rose petals into the air and skipped barefoot through a cloud of pink and white leaves towards the stage. She twirled in her short white dress, sparkling like a bowl of diamonds, and cart wheeled through the parting crowd.

  Arriving in front of the stage she did not make any effort to look for the stairs. She just spread her arms wide and with a look to her side she commanded two young men to lift her up onto the platform. She blew a few kisses into the crowd before turning around to face the royally amused wedding party that awaited her.

  “An entrance truly worthy of my daughter,” Michael Angelo smiled, “Shall we begin?”

  Lilly Grace along with the rest of the bride’s entourage had taken their places on stage next to the groomsmen to form a half circle around Taylor and Lilly Ann.

  “Friends, family, Lilly Ann, John,” Michael drew everyone’s attention to the events on stage, “We have gathered today to bear witness to the age old ritual of a woman and a man proclaiming their love for each other in front of God and man. Let the sun see the beauty of the couple before us, let the wind hear the truth of their words. Let the earth they stand on feel the lightness of their hearts and let the birds in the sky sing the joy of their souls.” He looked around the place to let his words sink in. Then he continued, “John, do you want to say something?”

  Love drunk and filled with joy beyond description Taylor had to swallow hard a few times before he could speak.

  “A silver bird dropped me out of the sky, for my darkest night to give way to my brightest day. I drowned in your spirit, Lilly Ann, your beauty and your grace. The truth of your soul cast the shadows out of my life. Today I choose to put my heart into your hands. Today I choose to be yours, and I am eternally grateful for your choice to be mine.”

  Without averting his eyes that were locked onto hers he reached for Lilly Ann’s hand.

  “This ring was once a symbol of love for one you loved and one you still love. Wear it as a sign that today’s choice lives on until - we choose otherwise,” he ended his vow with a boyish smile.

  Taylor kissed Lilly Ann’s hand, “I love you,” and slipped her grandmother’s wedding band onto her finger. He wanted to forever stay in the beam of light that Lilly Ann’s face shone onto him.

  “Taylor, John Taylor,” Lilly Ann could not help herself but to tease him a little even in this sacred moment. The crowd held their breaths in anticipation of what her words would be. Would she stay true to her never fading lightness and fun loving nature? Would she dare Taylor to join her in Abrahamster’s ways?

  Sensing and enjoying the suspense that was becoming almost unbearable, Lilly Ann unwrapped her widest smile and with clear and steady voice she announced, “I like you pretty good. Let’s see how it goes.”

  The crowd burst into cheers of relief and appreciation.

  Lilly Ann nodded to her mother who carried a small wooden box, which she opened to offer the content to her daughter. Lilly Ann took Taylor’s hand and with a steady gaze into his eyes she said, “John, wear this magic ring as a token of my love, not as a promise for what will be forevermore, but as a touch stone to remind us of the love we feel today.” With these simple words she slipped a plain wide band of silvery metal onto Taylor’s finger.

  “I love you,” she whispered into his ear before she passionately kissed him on his lips to the applause and cheers of everyone who had watched the heart-warming scene.

  “This was the longest day of my life,” Lilly Ann said to Taylor when they found themselves in the privacy of their bedroom, after an exhausting parade of drinking toasts and well wishes, more food than they ever had wanted to see in their lives, and enough to drink to replenish a small water starved desert. The jugglers and singers, the fiddle players and dancers, the clowns and comedians, fireworks to Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto Number One, the whole town had had a blast putting on a show that no one would forget for a long time to come. How much bliss can a man or a woman endure in one day? They sure made an honest attempt to find out just how much.

  “It was my happiest day too - so far,” she added, falling asleep in Taylor’s embrace.

  Chapter 16: Goodbye Papa