40. Church Wedding
Brenda and Stan marry in St. Ann's Roman Catholic church, on a Sunday, a week after Brenda knows she is pregnant. A small ceremony, early morning, just the parents and Sister Barbara standing by, with Stan in rented black-suit tuxedo and Brenda in short white wedding dress, holding red roses to her front.
Father Don, the youngest priest, does the rite.
The reason for this unusual ceremony: Brenda & Stan accept the Roman church as part of their heritage but pay little attention to its rules. They don't want to be atheists, they don't want to join any other religion, they don't want to openly oppose. For them the religion is the getting married rite, having their babies baptized, and last rites. Otherwise they go their way, not the priesthood's. Father John, the boss at St Ann's is a wise old man whose favorite author is James T. Farrell, and book, JTF's Studs Lonigan, and he knows the value of young neighborhood folks like Stan and Brenda who come Sundays and contribute and will keep their children Roman Catholic. So he says to young Father Don in his heavy Irish brogue "Take cairre a the pairr, me boy. Good folk, they be." Then he smiles and adds "And let ourr crrazy Sisterr Barrbarra give the brride away. But dontchyee brreathe a worrd to any higherr up, me boy."
And it does not hurt Stan and Brenda's case, that Brenda's father - the richest parishioner, who owns Crystal Club the successful soda company, gives $2.000.
Were it up to the parents, it would have been a big church wedding. Stan & Brenda, however, feel that their taking marriage vows in a crowded cathedral would be just too much. Thus, the compromise. But Brenda's father. Mr Bordon, has gotten around the lack of a big wedding by making a party at a table atThe Latin Quarter, where his Crystal Club has a contract to provide all the soft drinks.
The Latin Quarter 2
The gang's all here, thinks Brenda at 3 PM Sunday in The Latin Quarter as she & Stan sit at one end of a white-covered table, facing the end that sits the great Dr Leo Davidoff in double-breasted brown suit & tie and on his left, his inevitable, severely blue-business-suited secretary Missy Prissy.
Card with Floor Plan of Latin Quarter
Stan is in a rented Tuxedo - black pants, white ruffled shirt and red clip-on bow tie under black jacket. Brenda, on his left, is in a striking red gown, a rose-red fluffy skirt, with a one-foot (0.3 m.) wide black waistband and above, covering her chest, some fluffy rose-red material and black shoulder-straps and a black choker with small roses sewn in. On her head is a front bride's crown over her fluffed, bobbed red hair. All of it was designed by local couturier, Hedy Goldberg.
"You are beautiful, tonight, wife mine!" Stan whispers in her right ear.
Around the oval table's corner to Brenda's left is an empty chair that causes her increasing worry as minutes pass. Around the table corner on Stan's right is Brenda's mom, Jane Bordon, looking like an older Brenda in blue party dress; then, Brenda's father Frank, sitting on his wife's right - actually born Francois Bordeaux in Bordeaux France but came to the U.S. as teenager - now dressed in an expensive Lord & Taylor's gray suit.
Stan's dad is his only surviving parent, a retired steelworker from Pittsburgh whom Stan brought to New York for the wedding. Mr Lech Pelkowicz is 71 years old, with military shaved scalp and Polish thick, flecked with gray, black mustache. He sits in ill-fitting rented black suit, on across the table from Brenda's mother. On his left are Lorna with a baby bulge in her front and, to her left, her husband, Dr. Irving Goldberg, and across from Lorna is Sister Barbara in black nun's garb. To Sister's right is the dark Xenia Green, Stan's very successful psychoanalysis, in simple green dress, and her now constant companion, lighter-skin Sam, the super's helper in Brenda's & Stan's building, dressed in sporty brown suit over green turtleneck sweater. At the end of table nearer the circle stage, around the table corner, on Dr. Davidoff's right, sits Professor John Edwardes in salt & pepper jacket with brown bow tie he ties himself and showing his well-trimmed Tom Dewey mustache. And Hedy Goldberg the couturier sits facing Professor Edwardes across and around the corner of the table on Missy Prissy's left and dressed in her own fashionable Paris creation.
Crystal Club ginger ale is served to everyone. Stan and Brenda decided no alcohol and Brenda is thinking I'll make it a good habit from now.
Frank Borden lifts the glass of his favorite soft drink. "To the newlyweds!" and everyone takes a sip.
Lorna says, "Brenda, you are radiant. What a gown!"
Lech Pelkowicz says to Stan, "Mein son and new daughter, I be proud this day. Haff children soon!" He lifts his glass.
Dr. Davidoff asks Professor Edwardes, "What and when will be your next Sunday seminar, Professor?"
"A new subject, Ecology, doctor and next Sunday."
"Ecology? Sounds like something I heard in my high school geography class too many years ago, sir."
Miss Prissy says to Hedy Goldberg, "I know your store is down on Jerome Avenue under the elevated train track and I should like to come to get this year's Easter Bonnet."
"Please do, my dear. I have Passover-Easter specials direct from Paree, going into the window next week."
Dr. Irving Goldberg asks Professor Edwardes on his left,
"How's your young assistant Eddie doing?" Leo Davidoff is listening too.
"He is now Sergeant and running the Army's computing machinery in Occupied Japan."
"An intelligent, lad", Davidoff, says. "I am hoping he will try for medical school."
"I'll let him know, next letter, sir."
Lorna gets up and goes to the empty chair by the table corner on Brenda's left. In low voice she asks, "Where-ever is Joe, Bren? You guys are always a three-some. I thought he'd be here?"
"You're in his chair when he gets here, I hope, I hope, I hope, I hope." She looks so serious that Lorna changes the subject. "Speaking of hope, you see my delicate condition don't you, Bren? We're hoping for a boy and I'll name him little Irving, the "little", of course, not to be put on the certificate."
Sister Barbara, across from Lorna and listening, thinks Oh dearr! Oh dearr Lorrd, that will be a complication! Two a them same name and, maybe, almost same face. I must prray forr a girrl. Then the Sister says to Stan's father, who sits across. "Sirr, I knew many nice Polish sisterrs in the convent. The Polish have the trrue faith. I am so happy Brrenda girl, found yourr wonderrful son. Two good young perrsons and that's what we need. and maybe a baby, don't we all hope?" To herself she thinks I don't hope, I know.
Sister turns to Xenia Green on her right. "I saw you in church, Sunday, darrlin'. Sure ye arre too beautiful. And he" - she looks at Sam - "is a verra nice man. And both a ye , the trrue faith."
Sam is thinking These ain't bad white folks. Still I feel out of place.
Jane Borden changes seats with her husband so as to be next to Sister Barbara. "Sister, I want to thank you for all the help Brenda tells me you have given her. Without you, it seems, we would not be here today."
At once, there flashes through Barbara's mind, Dear Lorr' What can Brrenda-girl have told herr Mitherr?
Mrs Borden quickly takes a folded hundred dollar bill and presses it into Barbara's hand under the table edge, saying, "And how is your old mither in Eire doing?"
"Verra well, dearrie. Thanks to you." Barbara slips the bill inside her nun's sleeve, thinking Well, whateverr she tell herr must be blessedly good, or me old Mitherr wouldn't be gettin' this Ben Frranklin.
The wedding party is just one table on a Sunday afternoon dining & show. Now Lou Walters the owner hops up on stage holding a microphone. "Ladeez and Gen'lemen, we got newlyweds here, Brenda and Stan!" He looks in their direction, "Stan' up kids, let'em see ya!"Applause ripples through the room.
"Folks, we got a new young singer - Stevie Lawrence. He's gonna be the next Frankie. Give 'im a big hand!" He looks to his right and the young singer in black tux comes on stage and takes the mic. "Hi ya, Folks!" He looks to his left at Lou Walters. "By the way, Boss, it's Steve, not Stevie." Back to the guests. "Now, I like to start off with a medley on dancing for the newlyweds. First, for their poppas. And everyone, lyez dance!"
The backup band goes into a rousing polka, especially chosen for Stan's Polish pop: And Steve sings, Poppa, Won't You Dance with Me. As the music starts, Brenda stands and practically drags the demurring, resisting Lech Pelkowicz out onto the dance floor, and he surprises with a rousing polka. And Jane Borden takes her husband and leads him in a French version, to the delight of the table guests. At song's end, Mr Pelk - as he asks everyone to call him - is quite out of breath and Stan looks a bit worried as he sits his dad down. Next the band strikes up Anniversary Waltz, popular from a few years ago movie, The Jolson Story. Steve croons Oh How We Danced on the night we were wed and everyone urges Stan to dance with Brenda, which he does, doing a rather good waltz. Following, they go back to their seats and listen to Steve sing the popular Dance Ballerina, Dance!
Brenda's mind is distracted, her attention deflected by the empty seat on her left. What'd I do to you, Joe? she thinks. I made you wait your turn for my love. And now you're gone. And I'm like that ballerina in the song. Damn! Her mind clears but her eyes fill with tears. Someone has sat down. The empty seat is so no longer. A familiar voice! Her eyes clear. Joe! He is handing a red ribbon-wrapped box to her and Stan. The familiar voice. "Congrats, you two. Just a little delay. You don't think I'd miss this, do ya?"
Brenda cuts the wedding cake, a 6-tier mocha with blueberries sticking in it and, atop, a bride & groom's cardboard cut-out; coffee & tea is served; and as she passes slices of cake around her attention is caught by a sound - a kind of gasp - to her left. Stan's dad! He is trying to speak but no sound comes. He grabs his throat in right hand over Adam's apple and stands up as though he can't get a breath. Irving Goldberg, nearest to the old man recognizes the sign - hand on throat, loss of voice and heaving attempt to get a breath. He rushes to the old man and pounds him hard on the back and the sudden blow expels the piece of cake that blocked his windpipe.
Lech Pelk takes in big breath but, instead of recovering, he falls to floor. Even 3 doctors at the table, they are helpless; all that Irving can do is pound the old man's chest to try and get his heart beating again after the cardiac arrest from the stress of a blocked windpipe.
Five minutes later, the old man lies blue-faced, not breathing. An ambulance arrives.
Later at home, Brenda thinks We should never have had a wedding party. Then she feels cold and scared. Gee! Death! Like Ali taught me, because we did the usual thing! Death! Mi-gawd! It's always lurking to pick off stragglers. Best way you avoid it is the Broken Field Run. Like Flitcraft! That's what Ali always was saying. Of course it only delays it. But, Gee! I hate to die like that - before a dumb crowd in a nightclub!
She calms and sits on the sofa. Well, I got a baby in me. And it will be the best. Then I'll give Stan a baby. And then Joe. Good old Joe, waiting his turn like "You first Monsieur."
"Life will go on. But we'll make it better with our New People, and Science Civilization."
It takes her a while to recover. But she does.
The End of Slim Novel 14
To start Slim Novel 15, click Slim Novel 15 Begins - Chapter 1: A Doctor I will...
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