Chapter 17: Weddings Are Always a Promise for the Future

Saturday night just after dinner there was a knock on the door. Tony answered the door. Fishing was all done. Little fish were still running, but the decision was to let them be. Perhaps they would spawn and return next year. So, Tony was home. Billy Nation and Sarah Lopez along with Willa had enjoyed a wonderful dinner with the Taylors.

There was another knock before Tony got to the door. Brad and Gloria entered, accompanied by their parents. Brad stood tall, “Can we visit?” Brad felt accepted, “And our parents have some questions and concerns?”

When they got inside, Brad introduced his father and mother, “Marvin and Daisy West.”

Gloria did the same for her parents, “Phil and Diane Parker.”

John and Jenny shook hands with the Wests and the Parkers and continued the introductions. John had met both men and had seen and talked with both couples during the fishing. John and Marvin had gotten to know each other the day John bought all of Marvin’s fruits and vegetables for the cannery.

John and Jenny had everybody seated at the table and moved into the kitchen, “Shall we make everyone a smoothie?” John asked.

“Yes, let me get the boys and girls started making the smoothies. Apples, blueberries, grapes, and a piece of ginger all right with everyone?” Jenny looked excited, “and ice!”

“We need you in there with the big kids.” John shared as he hugged Jenny.

“You go, I’ll be right behind you.” Jenny smiled.

“First off, you know me as Principal Parker. Diane and I grew up together. I had just entered college, and she was 13. Gloria and Diane often are asked if they are sisters. Being the bookworm, I didn’t date but, I did fall in love though. Diane’s parents talked her into calling me and telling me she was pregnant with Gloria. Grandpa had given me a trust fund.

Part to pay college and the rest when I got married or turned 25. I remember the phone call. She was sorry, and I was laughing. I was excited out of my mind. She finally demanded to know why I was laughing. I told her I loved her and wanted to marry her. I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life.

It seems funny the mother has the right to give the baby away, and yet it’s the father that gives the bride away.” Phil took a deep breath, “I married Diane within a week of the phone call when she was 13. How do we make this work?”

John shared some thoughts, “Our schools are way overcrowded. Our community college is way underutilized. What if we offer GED testing and those that pass get free tuition to our community college along with a mentoring program so when they graduate, they are ready to take on this world?”

John continued, “We are starting to see ‘help wanted’ signs all over the county. We might be well served to offer an apprenticeship program. The apprentice gets $10 a day and $5 a day goes into a fund. With two to four years of completion, the apprentice upon passing gets a certificate and the fund with interest.”

“That could be almost $5,000.” Willa was taking notes and did the quick calculation.

“That could give a young person or couple a good start.” John shared, “Buy some land, be a farmer. Have a trade on the side. Do pretty good.”

The smoothies arrived, and everyone enjoyed a fruit drink.

Jenny took her seat next to John.

Mr. West turned to his son, “Brad, what do you think?”

“I’ve seen a few unarmed kids take on a group of armed convicts and do the impossible. I wanted to catch a big fish. It took me a week of trying. Tony comes over and is talking to me about my lure and is asking what it looks like and then wham, I’ve got a fish on. Man, the first thing that fish wants to do is to drag me into the river. I fought that fish for an hour and a half. Big Henry gets his harnesses on and just as he gets the fish in the net the hook comes loose.

My heart stops. They drag Big Henry out and there it is a hundred-pound king salmon still in the net flopping about. When we brought Willa out of that river, she wasn’t breathing, and she didn’t have a pulse. Tony kept saying over and over, “Take us to God!” About the fourth or fifth time, he said it, we were there. Tony was touching God with his left hand and touching Willa with his right hand. She came back.”

Brad looked at Willa, “As good as new!” Everybody laughed, “I want to become an apprentice to the man who makes our coins. I want to learn all there is to know about metals and the making of coins. I want to work with Tony someday.” Brad turned to Gloria, “What do you think honey?”

Gloria looked to her mom and dad with a big smile on her face, “He talks to me, and he listens. I want to be a healer. I was there with Jenny when we did the healing on the high school student, Mason, on the bridge. Mason got hit four times. He wore the Green Lanyard, he just relaxed at the wrong time. That last guy must have had his gun jammed.

He stood up and fired off a clip full of rounds. Mason was hit first and there was blood everywhere. Two of the rounds went through him. Jenny brought out the two that were still in him. She handed them to me. I set them on the bridge deck and almost tossed my lunch. I took a deep breath and Jenny told me to say the Lord’s Prayer and visualize myself in the Christ ports.

I had never been in the Christ Ports, but I did put my left hand on God. So, I remembered that and just let my right-hand dance all over Mason’s body.” Gloria smiled, “It was like seeing a newborn baby take its first breath of air. It was magical. I want to do that. Your turn Willa.”

“I want to stand beside Tony in all ways and all things. I want to be there helping him get this world back to working. Tony has asked me to marry him, it feels so very right. I want it all, I want to heal, I want to teach, and I want to help mankind. I like what Papa John is doing.” Willa looked to Tony, “Hey you, what are you thinking?”

“I would like for us to get married. It feels right for Brad and Gloria too. I think we should allow the kids in high school and us to be able to take the GED. This will reduce the overcrowding in the schools just a bit. I like the idea of continuing our studies along the lines of what we want to know. Dad, I like the idea of you being my mentor. You know a lot and I want to learn what you know,” Tony was looking at John.

“We can add reading on your part to fill in those gaps that I have in my knowledge.” John shared, “John Keynes and Friedrich Hayek wrote most of the economic philosophy in the early 1900s. They both have holes in their thinking. You need to know them.”

“Thanks, dad! Mr. and Mrs. West and, Mr. and Mrs. Parker, you came here with some concerns?” Tony asked, “What answers are you looking for?”

Diane raised her hand, “I have no concerns. These two young couples show me they have respect, consideration, and affection for each other. They have bonded. Gloria is more mature than I was at 13 when I gave birth to her.” Diane turned to her husband.

“I’m okay with Brad and Gloria getting married.” Principal Parker shared, “That bridge incident changed all of us. Me too. I had a Yellow Lanyard that day, there were 5 dings and when it was all over there on the ground were five M-16 rounds. I picked them up and when my team leader asked if I was ready to be tested, I told her I had already been tested as I showed her the rounds.”

“Are you going to tell them who your team leader is?” Diane laughed.

“Diane is my team leader.” Everyone joined Principal Parker in a good laugh, “I got a Green Lanyard, and also got a hug and a kiss.”

“Promotions come with hugs and kisses?” Jenny deadpanned, “I don’t remember any hugs and kisses.”

John pulled Jenny off her chair onto his lap and started kissing her. “I’ll hug and kiss you all night if you want.”

“Oh goody!” Jenny had a big smile on her face.

Everyone laughed again.

“Mr. West, what are your concerns?”

“I love my son. I was just concerned this may be too much too soon. I am a farmer, and with my crops in and sold to the cannery, I was down on the river over a dozen times. Big Henry had that place so organized, it almost ran itself. Whenever possible he gave his people time off. At the other nine stations, people looked tired, they looked overworked. Several even had more fisherman and things were still chaotic.

I saw Big Henry sitting in his chair one day taking a nap. Tony came over, I think to ask a question or tell Big Henry they had caught 1,000 fish for the day. Tony saw that Big Henry was asleep, he just turned around and talked with Brad and the eight men that hung the fish on the smokers and tended the nets. I asked Brad and he told me Big Henry had given the men a night off.

He tended the fires all night, he had not slept except for this nap in a day and a half. I asked him later and he laughed. He said Tony, Brad, Gloria, and Willa are running this place. They are having a blast. Everything is automatic, I don’t have to do a thing. I’m here because I enjoy the show.” Marvin West looked around, “I’m willing to help any way I can to make this work for them. What do you think honey?”

Diane looked at her husband, “My brother left for the Marine Corp when he was 18. Six months later he came back home in a box.” Diane looked at the ceiling, “I’ve met my brother up there, and he’s fine. I’ve also asked God about these two couples. They will do incredible things. When they show up someplace in the world, people will cheer and applaud. Knowing what I know now, I’m in favor of this marriage between Brad and Gloria. Where are they going to live?”

Bill and Sarah had been quiet. Listening to the other parents and their concerns. Bill shared, “Margaret just had a duplex come available. It’s three blocks from the bank, close to the college and only $60 per month for each unit. The two couples went in together and bought some abandoned farmland up near Riverside. They also got jobs at the plywood and sawmill up there. Margaret permitted them to leave. Both units are paid through the end of the month, and she felt she could rent them out a hundred times in a day.”

“Who owns the duplex?” John asked.

“You do!” Billy smiled.

“We’ll give you kids three months free rent to help you buy some furniture as a wedding present.” John shared.

Willa slowly turned her head until she could see Tony’s face. Tony raised his eyes until they locked onto Willa’s.

Brad said, “It’s time!” When he pushed the chair back, it made a loud noise on the ceramic tiles.

Tony was still locked onto looking at Willa’s eyes, “The time for what?”

Brad was on one knee looking at Gloria, “I had some help from God, I ... want to marry you. Will you be my wife? Will you be the mother of my children, my partner to walk beside me to help accomplish what we planned before we were born?”

Gloria moved the chair back like Brad had, also making a loud noise, she got on the floor on her knees, “Thank you for this, I will marry you in a heartbeat, Mr. West.” With that, she wrapped him up in a hug and kissed him.

“Wedding tomorrow at 1:00 PM.” Jenny announced, “Come on girls, we need a double bridesmaid party. See you guys at 1:00 tomorrow at God!” All the women and girls disappeared.

Across the street, Peter got a kiss, and Patty also disappeared.

“Peter said “Okay” to space, “Wonder who is getting married?”

Johnny also got a kiss and a hug, “See you tomorrow at 1:00 PM at God for a wedding for Willa and Gloria.”

Back at home, “Gaia?” John called.

“Can’t tell you, dad,” Gaia responded.

“You are a good daughter.” John laughed, “His vision gave him a picture of his loved ones walking on the beach in Hawaii. He looked at the clock and it was 8:00 PM. That would make it 3:00 PM on Waikiki Beach.

“Where did they go?” Billy Nation asked.

“Good time for a stroll on the beach at Waikiki.” John laughed.

Billy made a sound in the back of his throat.

“Good place for a honeymoon Billy!” John laughed again, “It will be there when you’re ready.”

At one o’clock the next day, the men were all there. They were dressed to the nines. John Taylor could have been the poster child for the Scottish Visitor’s Bureau. Tony and Brad both had knights and ancestors related to English kings. Brad had a little bit of Okanagan Indian but choose to look like Tony. So, there they were looking very much like knights of old. Ben and Willy looked like junior knights.

Chief John Nation and his family were invited. They showed up along with Billy and Sarah looking like the tribe of American Indians they were. Sarah was descended from the Cherokee tribe and Margaret argued she had carried a future Indian chief in her belly for nine months. The Very Wise Mother Bear dressed both women as their position in the tribe reflected. As she put a headband with a single feather on Margaret she said, “If you want more feathers, have more children.”

“Mom, we will need a bigger house if I have more children.” Margaret laughed.

“The governor deserves a bigger house. We will start building in the spring.” Maiden then turned to Sarah, “Yes, you have Cherokee blood, did you know you also have Lemhi Shoshone blood?” Maiden asked.

“No, the family never mentioned it,” Sarah listened very intently as Maiden told her more about her family history.

“The Cherokee was on your paternal line. On your maternal line, you had a mother six generations up who was Lizette, the daughter of Sacagawea. You carry the spirit of the medicine woman and chief. It is time for my second son to step out of the shadow of his brother and be seen in the light. He will need you. Push gently.” Maiden stepped back and looked at the two women, “The power we have here could move mountains. I could not have chosen better for my sons.”

The two women were both touched and stepped together to hug their mother-in-law.

“Thank you, mom!” Both women spoke as they shared the three-way hug with Maiden, “We have much to learn.”

“We have time, but you two know all you need to know. Love my sons and grandchildren.

Peter also showed up. He stepped into his place as a member of the family. He too looked like a Scotsman.

The two brides showed up just after one o’clock. Tony and Brad were nervous wrecks. Brad’s father and John were doing all they could to settle down the young men. Steven and Ben did the best as they were still excited by being part of the fishing crew for the last three days. They were talking about what would happen on Monday at school. Tony and Brad relaxed just a bit.