The Big Day

The Big Day

Early the morning of the wedding day, I picked two big bouquets of flowers which I put into large bamboo vases on each of the girls' little tables, and swore Jamie to secrecy.

We swam for a while. I wanted to be as clean as possible, when I saw my bride. Naturally I would take another bath on the mountain top, but I had not seen her for nearly a week, an agonizing week. I wanted to be presentable.

I started to take a bedroll, but I decided the girls probably had thought of all that. We grabbed a canteen and some Jerky, called Little Sheba and Buster, and started the long agonizing trek up the mountain. Rascal and a couple other dogs came along too. We had gotten as far as Goat Field when I realized I had no idea what I was going to say to Sarah, when we pledged our vows. Since we had no preacher to ask us questions, we would have to do it all ourselves. She had obviously had planned all this for years, and had everything planned to the letter, except what I would say to her.

"God," I prayed silently. "Please help me know what to say to make this the most precious and pleasing ceremony to you and Sarah."

I thought about Sarah, my feelings for her, what I wanted to give her, and vows I wanted to make. My mind flooded with words, beautiful words that would please God, and the world's most beautiful bride.

When we peered over the rim of the crater, it was evident the girls had not spent the week in the ravine, as we had supposed. They had been scouring the jungle for flowers, and decorating the wedding scene. Flowers lined the rim of the crater. Flowers lined both sides of the trail around the crater. Flowers floated in the lake. The Top of the World was decorated with flowers. On the very top was a carpet of flowers on which we would stand to take our vows, and lie to consummate our union.

I looked at the girls, all grown up, standing on the other side of the lake. Their Flower studded, long, brown, wavy hair hung loosely covering their sun-bronzed bodies to the tops of their thighs. The bridesmaids wore skirts of flowers visible below their hair to just above their knees, and leis encircled their necks, hanging over their hair to their breasts. Debbie was two or three inches taller than the others, and Julie was in the process of passing petite Sarah who came to just above my shoulder. They were well-developed, young ladies, athletic, without an ounce of extra fat on their bodies. There was no question of genetics. They were sisters, having similar smiling brown eyes with a mischievous twinkle, long noses, soft mouths with natural upturns at the corners, and dimpled cheeks.

There were differences too.

Debbie, the tallest and thinnest, naturally, was slightly longer and thinner in the face. Her dimples were more like shadows until she smiled.

Julie had the fairest complexion of the three. Her hair had darkened to a light brown, lighter than the others. She had the tiniest of a pug at the end of her nose, and a dimple in her chin when she smiled, as well as the ones in her rosy cheeks.

Most beautiful of all was my bride in her orchid wedding gown. Hundreds of orchids had been woven together into the most beautiful of gowns. A crown of orchids adorned her head. Her face was more rounded. She had a double dimple on her right cheek that deepened when she smiled. Her hair was longer and a few shades darker, and she had a tiny brown mole on her cheek beneath the outer corner of her right eye.

I smiled at my miniature twin, who would soon catch me in size. He came about to the top of my ear, and I was approaching six feet. [I learned later.] His sandy hair was still a little redder than mine, and he still had a few freckles. Mine had disappeared. We were both lithe and muscular. The fuzz on his face was just beginning to darken, where mine had almost hidden my face before he had scrapped and nicked it, trying to shave me with a machete for the wedding. I looked into his greenish eyes and smiled. "Are you ready?"

"Don't ask me? You're the one who's taking on a lifetime of trouble." His broad smile turned on the light of orneriness in his eyes. "If you're gonna back out, you'd better do it quick."

"Not on your life, little brother."

"I don't think you've called me that since the crash."

"That's because I usually think of you as my son, which is closer than a brother." I hugged him. "Let's wash some of this dirt off, ladies are waiting."

It was so beautiful. I hated to disturb one petal, but we were so sweaty and dirty from the climb, I could not present myself to so beautiful a bride in that condition. In total awe, without speaking, or even acknowledging their presence, we quickly slipped into the edge of the pool, disturbing as few of the flowers as possible, and cleansed ourselves before proceeding.

The girls, in their preparations, had not overlooked us. Jamie said nothing, but looked a little embarrassed when Debbie hung a lei around his neck, and Julie tied an apron around his waist. My bride stepped behind the shelter momentarily, and reappeared with a robe of orchids for me. "No one was allowed to touch this garment or the Top of the World, but me," she whispered.

"How did you do all this?" I asked.

"With divine help. I have planned it for months, but its a miracle. In all this heat the flowers have hardly wilted."

"Truly, this is God's will." I whispered.

No other words were spoken. Jamie, still in shock over the transformation of the mountain top, stood in awe.

I looked into the eyes of my bride as she put a crown on my head. Our eyes said it all. It was time. We were ready.

They had made rock steps to the Top of the World, so we would have no trouble mounting the wedding pedestal in our attire.

With the others as our witnesses, we stood facing each other on the Top of the World. I prayed, "Lord God Almighty, Lord of the universe, our precious Heavenly Father, we stand here, king and queen of the island, and mother and father of our family, before you and these witnesses to formalize our union. We both believe you sanctioned this union years ago when you brought us to this island. On this rock where you have always met us, we present ourselves pure and untarnished to each other before you in this holy ceremony. We ask you to let us feel your presence, and to guide us in our vows, as a minister would if there were one present. We also ask you to bless our marriage, and any children that will come from it, as you have, and do, bless those we already have."

"And let the Sonlight, the S-O-N-light, of your Son, Jesus Christ shine down and fill us with your love," Sarah continued, "and be our guide, as we walk through life together. Lead us to make the proper decisions in all things, but especially toward each other, and in raising our children. Keep us from temptations that might arise that would bring trouble to our marriage and family, and would be wrong in your sight. We give ourselves totally to you. Keep us always in the very center of your precious will. We ask these most important things of you in the precious name of your Son, and our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ."

"Sarah," I asked, "are you sure in the depths of your heart that you want to be married to me? Have you thought about, the years ahead of us, and the trials and struggles that will come? Have you considered my short comings, and are you willing to put up with them?"

"I have considered all these things, My Love, and from the depths of my heart, I desire above all else, but to be in the will of God, to love you, and to be your wife throughout eternity. I promise never to look at another man with lust in my heart. Now I would ask you. Have you considered all the same questions you asked me, and do you still want to be my husband; to be a father to my children. Will you promise, to the best of your ability, to provide a home and the necessities for me and our children? and most of all will you promise to be a Christian, God-fearing example before me and our children as long as you live."

I pledge all that and more. I promise, also, never to look at another woman with lust in my heart. You will remain the queen in my life throughout eternity, but will you accept me as your king, and the head of our home, under God? Will you subject yourself to me and my decisions? Will you, to the best of your ability, stand by my side as my help mete? Will you be a Christian, God-fearing wife to me, and mother to our children? And be a Christian example before us? Will you watch over me as I lead our family, and lovingly correct me when I am in error, or you see me stray from the perfect will of our heavenly Father as long as you live?"

"Oh, yes! Yes! I will! I make that pledge from the bottom of my heart."

"Then, I accept you as my wife." I slipped a bamboo ring from the end of my little finger, and onto hers. "And I give you this ring as a token of my love. May it always remind us of the vows we have made to each other, today, before God and these witnesses."

I pulled my wife to me. As we stood in each other's arms, I prayed, "Almighty God, Lord of the Universe, Our loving Father, you have heard our vows to each other, before you and these witnesses. Therefore, feeling your blessing upon this union, I now announce to all present that we are now no longer two, but one in body and spirit, husband and wife, with all the privileges and responsibilities of such a union. Now I relinquish my position as head of the family to you, and subject myself to you, and your will in all decisions. We are still very young, and we will make mistakes. If I stray from this vow, Father, remind me and bring me gently back. In Jesus' Name I pray and make this confession. Amen." I turned to our witnesses. "I will now kiss my wife, Mrs. Timothy Allen Davis."

We kissed in a long embrace to the cheers and applause of the others, and the barking of the dogs.

We came down, physically from the Top of the World, leaving our hearts behind, to be hugged and kissed repeatedly by our family.

Before we said good-by to the wedding party, we stood in a familiar prayer circle as each of the others asked God's blessing on our union, and we prayed for God's blessings and protection for them. We said good-by and they left us, leaving only Little Sheba and Prince to care for our needs.

When they were gone, we returned to the Top of the World to complete our marriage in private. We did more surely than ever, see through each other's eyes, feel each other's feelings, and think each other's thoughts.

It was nearly dark when we came down from the Top of the World to bathe in the flower studded lake, and prepare our first meal as husband and wife. The shelter was filled with fruit and vegetables, and the dogs had brought us a rabbit, but had not disturbed us.

We stayed on the mountain for three weeks. I would have stayed longer, but Sarah said, "I must go! Tomorrow will be the time for me to go to the ravine."

"I am your husband, now. You know I love you. Can't you tell me what is so embarrassing that you have to leave me so soon?"

As she lay in my arms, she explained the details of the girls' embarrassment. I understood for the first time that their action was necessary, since there was no other way to conceal it. I understood, but I did not like the thoughts of losing her every few weeks.

We left our honeymoon resort immediately after lunch, and made a leisurely hike down the mountain. Debbie and Julie had already gone to the ravine. Jamie had left a note written with the red berries on the table rock that he would be at Lake Four or in the cove. He expected me to join him when Sarah went to the ravine. Before they left, they had filled the west room, and covered the bed with flowers. Sarah was ecstatic that we would have our first night in the cave as man and wife alone. Jamie had not been gone long. There was a blazing fire, on the fire rock, the goats had been freshly milked, and our supper was dressed, ready to be cooked.

We dove into the lake, but that was the end of the diving or running back up to the patio for that day. We swam and played, teased each other, had water fights, and generally enjoyed each other in the lake until the sun had set. After that, we fixed our supper and moved one of the double wide lounges I had made to the patio. We watched the bats, which seemed to applaud our marriage, come out, and the beginning of a star lit night. We enjoyed the beautiful evening and each other, and tried not to think about the morrow, when we must be parted for the first time.

Copyright © 1995
by
Leonard H. Hall, Sr.

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