aheri's Journal

ITS BEEN ALMOST TWO MONTHS NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN MARRIED AND WE HAVE PROMISED EACH OTHER WHAT BOTH HAD LONG AGO PROMISED IN OUR HEARTS. THE MARRIAGE, A WONDERFUL MARRIAGE AND CERTAINLY NEEDING TO HAPPEN WHEN IT DID. NO GUYS, I WASN'T PREGNANT, AND NEITHER WAS ANNE. AND NOT FOR LACK OF TRYING EITHER. A LOVE THAT DEEP DEMANDED PROMISES FROM BOTH OF US AND WAS EASILY AND WILLINGLY GIVEN. THOUGH IT DID SEEM TO US A MARRIAGE THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE EVER TAKEN PLACE AT THE PACE OF THINGS THEN...EVERYONE WE ASKED TO MARRY US PUT US OFF...FOR WEEKS AT THE LEAST.. AND WE ASKED MANY. THE MAYOR IN MY TINY ASSHOLE OF A TOWN TOO BUSY..MAYBE TWO OR THREE WEEKS FROM NOW HIS SECRETARY TOLD US. SECRETARY? THERE'S ALL OF 14 BUILDINGS IN THE DAMN PLACE, GIMME A BREAK . COME ON GUYS, DAMN! ...WE WANNA BE MARRIED!! WE DROVE FOR HOURS TO GET THAT LICENSE TO BE MARRIED AND NOW COULDN'T FIND ANYONE TO PERFORM THE FUCKING SERVICE! THE PLACE WE HAD TO APPLY AT WAS A HUGE COUNTY BUILDING SEEMINGLY IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, THE DRIVE WAS AMAZINGLY LONG...AND FILLED WITH MERRY LITTLE JUDGES, ALL CAPABLE BUT THROUGHLY UNWILLING TO DO THE HONORS FOR US. CHURCHES, WITH OUR BELIEFS, WERE OUT OF THE QUESTION BUT EVENTUALLY RECONSIDERED OUT OF PURE DESPIRATION..THEN RECONSIDERED ONCE AGAIN..NO, NO WAY. NO DAMN CHURCHES ALLOWED. THE LOCAL COURTHOUSE WOULD MARRY US..ON A WEDNESDAY AND ONLY IF THE JUDGE FELT LIKE IT THAT WEEK. IF HE FELT LIKE IT? WTF? FEELING MORE LIKE A CONSPIRACY DAILY. ... BUT THE JUDGE THERE WOULDN'T EVEN HEAR OF US FOR TWO TO THREE WEEKS. BEGINNING SPRING SEASON, PERHAPS HIS GOLF SWING HAD SUFFERED OVER THE WINTER MONTHS? WE HAD BOTH BEEN RUNNING HITHER AND THITHER FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS BY THEN..OVERLY TIRED, COMPLETELY WORN OUT YET STILL ONWARD WE WENT...AND THEN WENT SOME MORE. WE HAD ORIGINALLY CONSIDERED CANADA AS THE PLACE TO MARRY. SEEMED LIKE SUCH A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME; ANNE'S PARENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THEIR ONLY CHILD MARRIED AND WE WOULD THEN LIVE IN CANADA AT LEAST FOR THE TIME. SOOOOO.....MY CHILDREN ARRIVED, PACKED UP ALL MY BELONGINGS INTO THE TRUCK POOR ANNE DROVE DOWN FOR THAT PURPOSE. TWO DAYS LATER WE HEADED FOR THE BORDER. ME, WELL I WAS NOW ABSOLUTLY GOING TO CANADA, WITH ALL I OWNED AND MY LOVE AS WELL TO BEGIN OUR LIVES THERE TOGETHER. WE WERE HAPPY, TOGETHER AND AWAITING A GLORIOUS FUTURE......UNTIL WE HIT THE BORDER AND I WAS PROMPTLY REFUSED ENTRANCE WITH A HOUSEHOLD OF BELONGINGS. BACK WE CAME, NOWHERE TO GO NOW, MY APPARTMENT KEYS TURNED IN BEFORE WE LEFT. NOW TIRED BEYOND REASON, COMPLETELY WORN OUT FROM THE BORDER GUARD'S GESTAPO TACTICS USED AGAINST US, ( I SWEAR I FELT HITLER GRIN) ,...PROBABLE TERROISTS WE WERE, NO DOUBTS THERE! TWO OLDER CITIZENS, BOTH WITH M.S AND SEEMINGLY BEING PREPARED FOR A PROMPT EXECUTION. PARDONED FINALLY, DESPONDENT AFTER THE REBUKE WE HAD RECEIVED AND WITH NO PLACE TO GO IN MICHIGAN, NOW WHAT WE THOUGHT. DRIVING FOR HOURS, FINALLY A WONDERFUL HOTEL ROOM FOR THE NIGHT..JUST TOO DAMN TIRED TO THINK ANY LONGER THAT DAY. NEXT DAY WE INVADED MY DAUGHTER'S HOUSE AND LIVED THERE FOR THREE DAYS. PLANS WERE CONSIDERED, RECONSIDED AND I ENDED UP WITH MY APT. BACK AND WITH ANNE AND I MOVING MUCH OF IT BACK IN BEFORE MY CHILDREN ARRIVED AND HELPED ONCE AGAIN. FINALLY INSIDE, OUR OWN PLACE... AND IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE TRULY. MY DAUGHER THE BEST HOST POSSIBLE, GRACIOUS AND KIND EVERY MOMENT. WE STILL NEEDED OUR OWN PLACE TO REALLY BE COMFORTABLE IN AND PLAN OUR FUTURES NEXT POSSIBLE MOVES. AND TO LIVE THERE IF NEEDED. TO MARRY WAS ALWAYS IN THE FOREFRONT OF BOTH OUR MINDS..WE FINALLY GAVE IN AND STARTED THE LONG, AND WHAT WOULD BE A HARD SEARCH...IN PART DESCRIBED EARLIER. ANNE AND I HAD BECOME REGULAR CUSTOMERS AT A FEW OF THE LOCAL RESTAURANTS WHERE I HAD BEEN UP IN THE PAST AND THE SECOND DAY HOME WE BOTH DRESSED AND OUT WE WENT FOR COFFEE, COFFEE AND TONS OF CIGS...THEN BREAKFAST. OUR MARRIAGE STILL ON OUR MINDS FROM THE MOMENT WE AROSE I TOLD HER TODAY WAS THE DAY..WE WOULD MARRY THAT DAY NO MATTER WHAT IT TOOK. BLESS HER, SHE BELIEVED ME..I HAD TO COME THROUGH NOW!! OFF WE WENT TO THE RESTAURANT TO CONSIDER, SUCK DOWN JAVA AND SMOKE LIKE HELL..THEN MORE JAVA, MORE SMOKES. WE DROVE INTO THE LOT AND I STATED TO ANNE..." I'LL FIND SOMEONE HERE"....THEN AS WE PARKED I TOLD HER THE PERSON WE WANTED WAS INSIDE. IS SHE, MY POOR LOVE SAID WITH PROBABLY AT LEAST A BIT OF WONDERMENT WITH HER SOON TO BE HUSBAND? YUP I STATED AND IN WE WENT, WHERE I PROMPTLY LOOKED ABOUT, THEN POINTED THIS LADY OUT TO ANNE...SHES THE ONE BABE. IS SHE? (HES NUTS, HE IS, LET ME OUT, NOW! ).

THIS PLACE WAS OUR LOCAL CONEY, SHORT ORDER KINDA PLACE, CLEAN, GOOD COFFEE. YOU GET THE IDEA. OUR WAITRESS, WELL, THE WOMAN I HAD POINTED OUT TO ANNE WHEN WE WALKED IN. SO DID WE? I MEAN I HAD REALLY, REALLY PROMISED MY ANNE THIS WAS THE DAY!!

SO...DID WE REALLY? DAMN RIGHT WE DID..WE TOLD HER WE WANTED TO MARRY, THAT DAY...DID SHE KNOW ANYONE WHO WOULD? SHE PAUSED JUST A FEW SECONDS, LOOKED STUNNED, THEN AMAZED, THEN GRINNED AND SAID PROBABLY. THEN PROMPTLY ASKED OUT LOUD OUR NEED TO THE ENTIRE PLACE. NO POSITIVES THEN..REMEMBER THE THEN. HOLD ON SHE SAID, I'M GONNA MAKE A CALL AND TRY AND HOOK YOU GUYS UP. MEANWHILE TO OTHER CUSTOMERS COMING AND GOING, OUR EVER CONSIDERATE WAITRESS ASKING EACH ONE AS THEY ARRIVED. A COUPLE OF WOMEN SAT DOWN IN THE SEATS JUST BEHIND US, WATCHED THE SHOW FOR A FEW THEN ONE LOOKED AT ME, ASKED IF WE WERE SERIOUS. YES WE BOTH ANSWERED. SHE CAME BACK AND SAT DOWN WITH US, ASKED A FEW MORE QUESTIONS TO BE SURE WE WERE SERIOUS. CERTAINLY WE WERE SERIOUS, MORE THEN EVER. OK, LET ME MAKE A CALL SHE STATED, I DO KNOW SOMEONE. ANNE AND I...JAZZED LIKE HELL AND BREAKFAST LONG OVER DRANK COFFEE AND SMOKED LIKE TWO CRACK ADDICTS AWAITING THE NEXT HIT. INTERRUPTION FROM THE NEIGHBOR TO THE NORTH..SHE WAS ON THE PHONE. YOU GUYS REALLY SERIOUS? ARE THEY SHIT FACED HER FRIEND HAD ASKED HER. JUST KIDS? NO, NEITHER. REALLY, NO!! OUR PHONE MINISTER HAD ASKED HER FRIEND. THEN THE PHONE CAME BACK TO ME... TO OSTENSIBLY RE-ASSURE THIS POTENTIAL MARRIER OF OURS. OK, SHE'LL MARRY US, AT THE RESTAURANT AS WELL!!. OUR WAITRESS CALLING THE LOCAL T.V. STATIONS OVER THAT ONE. THE GIRL IN FRONT OF US SITTING WITH US ONCE AGAIN... I MUST TELL YOU ABOUT MY FRIEND SHE SAID..SHES A BIT RADICAL, A BIKER CHICK, TATS COVERING HER ENTIRE BODY, RIDES A HARLEY, EVEN WORKS AT A HARLEY PLACE. NO PROBLEM WE BOTH SAID, THINKING THIS WAS GETTING COOLER BY THE MOMENT. ME WELL SUDDENLY I WAS THINKING PAST THOUGHTS...HMMMM..I KNOW A CHICK JUST LIKE THE ONE SHE HAD JUST DECRIBED..I DO. TOLD HER THAT,SHE SAID IT CAN'T BE HER, SHE HAD WORKED AT TWO DIFFERENT HARLEY PLACES...YUP, SO HAD THE ONE I KNEW. SHE SAID IT CAN'T BE, GOT UP FOR A MOMENT THINKING, THEN ASKED ME....ARE YOU JOSH'S FATHER ? YUP MY ANSWER, JOSH BEING MY YOUNGEST SON. SHE PROMPTLY MADE ANOTHER CALL, BACK TO OUR BIKER FRIEND,...... MY SON'S GIRLFRIENDS MOM WAS TO MARRY ANNE AND I...REALLY, REALLY, NO SHIT . AN HOUR LATER WE ENDED UP AT MY/OUR PLACE/ MY WIFE TO BE'S POSSIBLE NEW HOME, AS WE WERE STAYING TOGETHER NO MATTER WHAT. THAT EVENING WAS THE TIME, NOW WE HAD TO GET GOING, BUY WEDDING PARTY STUFF, TELL MY CHILDREN, MOVE THE FURNITURE BACK IN ITS PROPER PLACE, SHOWER & DRESS..SIGH...WHAT A DAY WE HAD JUST PLANNED OURSELVES INTO. HOWEVER, WE BOTH WERE FILLED WITH HAPPINESS, LAUGHING OFTEN AT WHAT HAD JUST OCCURED AND OFF WE WENT. FAST FORWARD TO EVENING TIME, EVERYTHING SOMEHOW WAS DONE, WE WERE READY, PEOPLE ARRIVED..INCLUDING A FEW WOMEN FROM THE CONEY PLACE TO WISH US WELL. OUR PASTOR ARRIVED, FOR SHE WAS INDEED A PASTOR, TALKED AND LAUGHED OVER THE ENTIRE DAY WE BOTH HAD. WE CHOSE A SERVICE OF OUR NEEDS AND WISHES THEN DECIDED TO MARRY OUTSIDE, IN THE QUITE COLD WEATHER OF LATE APRIL, AND BY THE LAKE. OUR PASTOR MAKING SURE IN SUCH CHILLY WEATHER, I TOLD HER SHOULD WE START WALKING TOWARDS YOU JUST WALK BACKWARDS INTO THE HOUSE BUT DO CONTINUE EITHER WAY. ANOTHER LAUGH AND OUT WE WENT TO MARRY WITH ANNE'S NEW FRIENDS THE TWO DUCKS JOINING HER AS WE ARRIVED. IT WAS COLD AND I SINCERELY BELIEVE WE ALL FUMBLED A FEW WORDS AS WE READ OUR PARTS. MY LOVE AND I, FINALLY KISSING A LONG KISS, THEN QUICKLY DASHING INSIDE TO THE WARMTH. ALL FOLLOWED, AND QUICKLY. IT TRULY WAS QUITE COLD OUTSIDE THAT EVENING. WE ENJOYED OUR NIGHT TOGETHER, MY CHILDREN ALL HUGGING ANNE AND WELCOMING HER INTO OUR FAMILY. TWO DAYS LATER WE LEFT, HIT THE BORDER, THIS TIME WITH MY CLOTHES, MEDS AND PERSONAL ITEMS AND WERE THIS TIME PASSED THROUGH. WE HIGH FIVED AND OFF WE WENT INTO OUR NEW LIFE TOGETHER.