by Tiana Laveen
Aaron, you are a piece of work!
Her heart soared.
After a walk that seemed like an eternity, she finally arrived at his side. Her father was asked by the minister, “Who gives this woman away?”
“I do,” her father said in a warm, soothing voice. He bent low, kissed the top of her head, and headed to his seat.
She turned to Aaron and looked deeply into his eyes…drifting away from her own wedding, and falling into a place where they were alone and time stood still. Shaken out of the moment, the vows commenced after a short prayer. She heard the words, and responded accordingly. They went through their lines, just as rehearsed. She could see he’d meant what he said, despite the words being predetermined. But his body and his eyes, the way he looked at her, showed his true heart. The wedding was truly just for her; Aaron simply wanted the girl. The flowers, black and white décor, and all the rest weren’t even in third place…
A few minutes later he gently held her ring finger and slid a stunning diamond wedding band upon it, and she did the same for him; but then, she sensed a change in his demeanor. He cleared his throat, looked out into the crowd, then back at her. He took both her hands in his, and seriousness coated his expression.
“Mia, I love you so much. I’m not what I would consider an emotional person by nature. I know I have to talk to someone I can trust about things like this I suppose… I’m glad I have you in my life, because that person is you.” He paused briefly. “Everyone shows how they feel in different ways; you are learnin’ mine, and I’m learnin’ yours.”
She nodded in agreement.
“There are people that aren’t here because they couldn’t make it, but there are some people that aren’t here because they can’t appreciate who we’ve become. They want us to remain what we used to be, or at least to satisfy their perception of us. Like me…” He took a deep breath. “I’m a former white supremacist, leader in the National Socialist Movement and ex-con. I love big guns, big trucks, racin’ fast, and tinkering around with classic cars, too. I like to fight, refuse to get rid of my prized beer bottle cap collection, and I have on three occasions dragged you to motorcycle stunt shows that you weren’t too happy about attendin’.”
She smiled up at the man and gave his hands a gentle squeeze.
“For my job, I own a company that specializes in knockin’ the wind outta someone if they get too close to our protected target and I tend to catch gigantic, odd lookin’ fish in the river, bring ’em home and flop them in the sink for you to handle with no warning or explanation. With that sort of laundry list, it’s a wonder I found anyone that could deal with me at all. You sure know how to pick ’em.”
The crowd burst out laughing, and so did she. He squeezed her hands as his smile widened and his cheeks warmed with color.
How sweet… he’s blushing…
“I just thank God that He allowed you the wherewithal to see that there was more to me than met the eye. Most people wouldn’t have been able to look past my faults and find forgiveness and a future. You got to know me, fall in love with me, and somehow separate what I was doin’ from who I really was. Some have judged you for that, even accused you of bein’ crazy. Some have told you I was goin’ to break your heart into a million pieces… that I’d be your biggest mistake.
“Some have accused me of losing my mind, and to this day, some believe I will return to my old ways, pick up my mistakes, dust ’em off and carry the torch again.” He paused to catch his breath and shook his head. “I can’t ever do that again… don’t want to do it. That torch was too damn heavy. Carryin’ it wouldn’t make me strong; it would make me weak, break me down. Some weight we carry builds muscle and character. And some weight we carry just makes us tired, and we have nothing to show for it. It’s time I had somethin’ to show off, something to be proud of. I know who I am and what I want now. There’s not a question in my mind.”
“Amen.” He father spoke out and nodded in Aaron’s direction with approval.
“When I saw you lookin’ at me while I was playin’ basketball that day, I told you later how I felt about that, what I thought.”
She nodded at the recollection.
“I knew I was ripe for the undoing. You see, when somethin’ like that happens to someone like me, that means a change is gonna come. No one wanted to touch me with a ten-foot pole. So, who was going to get close enough to me to help me make that change?” He released her hands, shrugged, then reclaimed her back in his arms. “In order to change somebody, you gotta teach ’im. You gotta show them a better alternative to their way of life and thinkin’. You can’t take something away from someone and then not give them something else to replace it. It has to be a promise of some sort, or a gift, or proof that a better outcome can be had. That’s how energy works, you know? Once something exists, it will always want to exist. If you take it away, you’ll leave a void. No one wanted to help me fill that void; they just wanted to take my identity away from me. Some wanted to take it away out of jealousy, others out of necessity, and some, because I made them highly uncomfortable. But not you.” He shook his head.
“You wanted to take it away… ’cause… you loved me, and you knew…you knew I was better than that.” His voice cracked. “You saw the potential in me. You said I was a diamond in the rough, when everyone else only saw a dirty piece of coal. Nobody has ever treated me like you, Mia. You are incredibly kind, with the type of benevolence we don’t see too often in this modern day. I rarely had kindness extended to me, only respect due to fear or hatred. It was all I knew and after a while, it gets to feelin’ normal, how things should be. Your letters opened up something in me, though. You unlocked something in me that had been pushed away for so long. You didn’t want me for what you thought you could get. You weren’t afraid of me and you respected me not because I was a leader of a pack, but because you felt I deserved it.
“When you found out about my ideologies, hell,” he gritted his teeth, “they weren’t ideologies, that’s too fancy – they were messed up ideas and racist beliefs. That’s when 99% of people would have washed their hands of me, been done with it all. But, rather than doin’ that, you jumped in the slop with me…got down and dirty and decided to try and teach me how to wash my heart and soul clean!” A lone tear trekked down his face, and the emotions overwhelmed her to the point her eyes misted over, too. Her heart beat faster within her chest as the man poured himself out right before her. “You told me I could get clean, but you didn’t threaten to take my mud and murkiness away. You showed me I could have something better, and that ‘better’ was your love. So, I followed you. The leader became led, and he soon recognized who was really in charge… and it wasn’t him!”
“Aaron…” It was all she could say as her chin trembled and more and more tears fell. He paused to wipe them away with a slow swipe of his hand.
“I got this, okay?” he stated, his voice low. “Pretty little lady, you can trust what I say to you. I’m never goin’ back to that life. All these people are my witnesses.” He looked out into the crowd then back at her. “I could never want budget, low-grade hamburger again when you gave me filet mignon.”
A few chuckles lit up the airwaves.
“When it comes to me and how I’m goin’ to do you, treat you, don’t you lose one wink of sleep over it. I’m your man, your husband, and all those worries and accusations are unfounded and will never come to fruition. One thing I’ve always had as an adult is complete control over myself. This takes no effort, however, because of the gift you gave me, which was your heart. You filled a void, and it is too precious for me to ever jeopardize. And now, here we are. We made it. I told you that you could have the wedding you wanted, and I’d show up… just give me the date and time. It ain’t that I’m not happy with this.” He looked about the place, smiling and nodding at a few people before he turned his attention to her once more. “I am. It’s beautiful, the black and white… so symbolic. You did an excellent job and I looked forward to
this, too. Hell, I like parties… There are like ten kegs waitin’ for us.”
Marcus and his brother burst out laughing.
“You’re the love of my life, Mia, my first true love and my last love, which is even more important, too. I love you. You taught me, you stepped up to the bat and became my instructor. That is what makes this all the more special. In other words, I get to be that guy that marries their sexy teacher – live out all my nasty fantasies! Got my dunce cap costume, ‘I’m a Bad Boy’ T-shirt and everything – can’t wait for detention!”
It seemed just about everyone was laughing now, really getting going.
“I’m sorry Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong. Probably coulda kept that little detail to myself. It won’t happen again,” Aaron spoke out, raising his hand in her parents’ direction as people continued to roar and carry on while he second-guessed his perverted confessions. Her father simply offered a soft smile and nodded. After the laughter died down a bit, he went on.
“But Mia, on a serious note, what I love about you more than anything is that you were my friend. Despite how it all started, I know you just wanted to help me out. We were pen pals, two people sharing our lives via the written word and occasional phone conversations. After a while though, things got… complicated. To these people here, you’re their daughter, their friend, their cousin, co-worker or sister. To me, you’re my everything…” He stepped a bit closer to her, pressed his body against hers. “And to make sure just how much you never doubt this, let me tell you something, make a promise to you. If you need help standin’, I will swoop down low like an eagle and carry you away in my arms. Wait, that didn’t sound right; eagles usually do that to prey they’re going to take somewhere and eat…you know what I mean.”
Everyone burst out laughing again, including Aaron who was blushing once again at his poor choice of words.
“If you need a helpin’ hand, I’ll become your assistant, your hired hand, your handyman and the foreman, too. If you can’t breathe, I’ll turn into the air; osmosis will commence.
“If you’re tired, I’ll lie down and let you turn me into a mattress for as long as you need. If you’re sad, I’ll be your personal jester until I get that beautiful smile outta you. If you’re hungry, I’ll catch a hundred fish, go huntin’ in the woods, pluck the freshest fruit from all the trees and bring them to you. If you’re scared, I’ll stand outside with outstretched arms and block the night and dare the boogey man to come mess with what’s me and mine. You will never want and need for nothin’! ’Cause what do I always tell you, baby?” He grabbed her by her waist, drawing a few ‘awwws’ and coos as he took command not only of her ears and eyes, but her body and soul, too.
“That you’ve got this…”
“You damn right!”
The crowd burst out in applause as he pressed his lips to hers, made her turn into putty in his embrace. After a few moments, he released her, and the minister pronounced them husband and wife. Trudy quickly grabbed the microphone and announced wedding reception details while the crowd began to murmur and get to their feet in order to extend their congratulations.
Mia suddenly paused, her brows furrowed as she ran her finger across her forehead.
“Did you feel that?”
“Feel what, baby?” Aaron asked, soon distracted by people coming up and shaking his hand, then doing the same to her.
“Rain… and there’s another one! It wasn’t supposed to rain until this evening.”
Sure enough another plop came and then another…
“Oh my God, we have to get out of here. My dress is going to be ruined!” Soon, light rain began to fall, and people hastened toward the nearby enclosure for the party, while others lingered to greet the newlyweds. Trudy once again grabbed the microphone and screamed into the thing, causing it to whistle and whine with static.
“Everyone, go on inside the hall, please! You can extend your congratulations to the new couple in there.” The rain came down harder and harder, causing pockets of laughter, muttered curses, and light screams as people raced inside, where music began to bellow and a lovely five tier black and white cake awaited them. Mia began to take flight, but someone caught her arm, causing her to boomerang and bounce right back.
“Where do you think you’re goin’?” Aaron pulled her close and they were soon drenched.
“Oh my God! Look at me?” she stated pitifully as she struggled in his grip, wishing to salvage the little bit of luck she had left.
“I am lookin’ at you… That’s why I still have you here.”
She looked around, realizing they were all alone. The rain was coming down so hard now, she was soaked to the bone, and as the drops collected across the man’s forehead and dripped off the tip of his nose, he tipped her chin upward. Then, he pressed his lips with a million years’ worth of passion on hers, moaned into her mouth and slowly, so slowly, as if they had all the time in the world, slipped his tongue inside of her mouth. He double fisted her ass, gave it a hard, possessive squeeze. After a short while, he released her.
In silence, he took her hand, intertwining their fingers, and they walked as husband and wife out of the raging storm, into the warmth and security of a promising new future that lay ahead…
THE EARLY EVENING breeze ushered in the scent of the nearby river. The odors of damp moss, algae, and Earth intertwined, creating the intoxicating concoction he’d learned to love. The body of water was bursting with life, and he found himself standing out there often, trying to clear his mind. Aaron glanced up at the stars, barely in their full, sparkling glory as the night had not reached its true pitch-black potential. He slid his phone out of his pocket, glanced over his shoulder at the back of his home, then, on a sigh, turned back to dial the number.
“Hello?”
“Hi, uh.” Aaron slid his hand into his jeans pocket and began to slowly pace back and forth, causing the grass under his construction boots to flatten with each step. “Dr. Owens?”
There was a brief pause, and then light laughter on the other end.
“Well, my, my, my. What did I do to deserve this? It must’ve been pretty bad, whatever it was,” the man teased. Aaron broke out in a grin as he continued to walk back and forth, occasionally looking at the water that rippled from the fragrant zephyr.
“I just wanted to say hello and to thank you. I never actually thanked you, you know, for everything you’d done for me.”
“Aaron, you are welcome,” Dr. Owens said after a small pause. “Speaking of which, I did receive the wedding invitation and I’m deeply sorry that I wasn’t able to attend. I hope you and Mia enjoy the gift I sent nevertheless.”
Aaron shrugged. “Yeah, the gift card was nice, thanks, but the paintin’, well, you really made my day with that. Thank you; that was real thoughtful of you. I know you loved it.”
“I did. It was one of my favorites, but you needed it far more than I…”
“I’m uh, a little uncomfortable.”
“I can tell.” Dr. Owens laughed lightly.
“I have problems with stuff like this sometimes… Hope I didn’t disturb you, take you away from anything.”
“I just got back home from the grocery store, actually. I am putting things away.”
“Well, before I let you get back to that, I also wanted to…apologize to you for the shitty things I said to you… like makin’ fun of you for bein’ gay. You were right, by the way. I don’t really care about who you’re sleepin’ with, or anyone else for that matter. That ain’t none of my business. I was just trying to hurt you because I didn’t like what you were doin’ to me.”
“I knew you were, Aaron,” he stated calmly. “Also, not that it matters in the grand scheme of things, but I am not a homosexual.”
Aaron stopped pacing at the declaration.
“Oh… well, I’m sorry for sayin’ it anyway. Didn’t matter if you were or weren’t. I said a lot of things to you that were uncalled for, and I’m sorry for all of ’em.”
“Thank
you again, Aaron. I really appreciate you calling me and apologizing. I honestly do. The greatest thank you from you however is how you are living your life now. I cannot begin to express how proud I am of you and I wish you and Mia the best. I do hope that you stay in touch. Would it be okay if I emailed or called you from time to time? You know, just to see how you two are doing?”
“Oh, I’d love that, Dr. Owens.” Aaron’s lips curved in a big, satisfied grin. “Most definitely! You know, Mia talks about you all the time. I’m outside and she’s in the house or I’d put her on the phone right now, but…I think we’d both like to hear from you, and please come up and visit if you ever feel so inclined, too. You are our matchmaker after all, in your own sort of way.”
They both chuckled.
“I may just do that one day, Aaron. In the meantime, you take care of yourself and each other, okay?”
“I will. You kinda sounded like Jerry Springer when you said that.”
“What are you referencing?”
“He says, ‘Until next time, take care of yourselves and each other’ at the end of his trashy show all the time…like he’s full of untapped wisdom when he just let two half-witted cousins prance around his stage, fightin’ over another cousin they might be sleepin’ with! It’s a terrible show, Dr. Owens, but it entertained me when I was in the penitentiary.” Aaron tried to keep from laughing again, but it was no use. He was having a flashback of some of the antics he’d witnessed on television; sometimes, this had been a much needed distraction, despite the senselessness of the programming.
“Oh, I’m not familiar with his show.”
“I wouldn’t think you’d be… doesn’t seem your style. Never mind me. Just bein’ silly is all.”
“That’s fine. Sometimes laughter helps us survive another day… Aaron, before you go, one more thing.”
“Yes?”
