Chapter 8: Weddings!

Sunday morning, April and the kids stood outside the bedroom door and sang here comes the bride!

Willy was so funny, he was giving it his all and was way off tune and had everybody laughing so hard by the time they ended, the words got lost in the laughter.

“Is everybody hungry?” John asked. The family went outside as though they were going to get into the car and go for breakfast. Johnny and Teresa came out to meet them and so did Samuel and Sheri along with Erik and Tami.

“Wait for us!” Patty and Peter were jogging up the driveway.

“Let’s try something. John centered and in the blink of an eye the group was standing across the street in the parking lot where the RVs were first placed when they came into town. There across the street was the People’s Trust Tent. A big sign read “Today is Wedding Day! Closed at 12:30 PM.” The group was still laughing as Here Comes the Bride was being shared as they got seated.

Here it was only 8:00 AM and the party was in full force. Margaret and John Nation drove up in Margaret’s car with balloons and streamers flying, honking the horn. The churches that had bells were ringing for all to hear. A line of cars behind the chief was also honking their horns. People were bringing tables and chairs and set them up under tents across the street.

When the family got settled, Willy was in John’s lap. Samuel and Sheri stood in front of Willy and very carefully set an 8-week-old male German Short Hair Pointer puppy in Willy’s lap. The family was all in a position to watch, “Daddy, puppy!” Willy whispered. The puppy looked around and when he saw Willy, he climbed up so he could wash Willy’s face. Willy giggled. It was a bond that would last a very long time. The little puppy would get his longevity gene turned on and would follow Willy for hundreds of years.

John looked into Samuel’s eyes, “Thank you, John, for my life.” Samuel stated.

“You’re welcome. Thank you for the puppy.” John shared.

Willy looked up, “I thank.”

“You’re welcome, Willy.” Both Samuel and Sheri smiled at the little boy.

“Kay.” Willy was rubbing noises with the puppy.

Tami had a basket with a pillow and blanket with room enough for four puppies. The little dog smelled familiar scents and settled down for a nap.

“Nap?” Willy asked.

“Yeah, the puppy is a baby, he needs to nap a lot.” John shared.

“Kay.” Willy watched as his puppy burrowed under a blanket.

All around them people were coming into the town setting up for a big party.

John’s phone rang, “Hello?”

“Uncle John?” The voice on the other end said, “Is that, you Uncle John? This is Kathy, your niece.”

“Where are you?” John asked.

Kathy started crying, “We are in Glenwood, near Mt. Adams.”

“Does anyone have a Washington State Road map?” John asked, “Okay, I got one coming.”

“Uncle John, they are charging $20 per gallon for gas.” Kathy cried, “They took a lot of our money.”

“Okay, I have the map, can you make it to Highway 97 and come north?” John asked, “We are in Omak, Washington. I will take care of you once you get here.”

“There’s twelve of us, Uncle John.” Kathy cried.

“We’ll put you in the bunkhouse. Kathy, you’ll have to work. No handouts.” John shared.

“Okay, Uncle John!” Kathy sounded better, “See you soon.”

John sat there in thought until Jenny touched his shoulder, “Trouble?”

“Family!” John tried to smile.

“Can’t be that bad?” Jenny looked into John’s eyes, “Oh my. They going to need help?”

“Yeah!” John nodded.

“When?” Jenny asked.

“Tomorrow, after the mercenaries.”

“Some honeymoon?” Jenny giggled.

“I’ll do everything to make it up to you during the next hundred years.” John kissed Jenny.

“Can you do that again?” Seth Wilson, the newspaper guy, asked.

John said, “What the hell?” and laid another smooch on his bride to be.

They stopped when they heard applause and both he and Jenny turned red when they looked around at their friends and neighbors all standing there with big smiles on their faces.

Captain Frank and Dora sat down with their four newly adopted kids, “Good morning. John, any idea how this is going to happen?”

“No. The chief and Margaret have this choreographed. There are going to be five couples getting married and from what little I have heard, there are going to be five ministers, one for each of the couples reading individual names.” John looked at Jenny and she took on a nice shade of pink, “I love you, being with you is like a dream come true.”

“It’s like my life started anew the day I met you.” Jenny smiled. Jenny looked around and realized a crowd of women were gathering around them. Margaret, Tami, Virginia and many more women and girls that Jenny did not know. The leader of the pack seemed to be Maiden Nation. She had been healed by God and had her immortality gene turned on. Maiden looked and moved as a 40-year-old instead of the 70 years that was closer to the truth.

“You come with us!” Maiden ordered.

“But my wedding?” Jenny asked.

“Yes, we prepare you for it. Bring your girls. We prepare them too! Come with us!” Maiden was not going to be put off.

Jenny stood and went to kiss John.

“Kiss him later, make him want you!” Maiden pulled a giggling Jenny away.

John made the motion of sending a kiss to Jenny. He watched as the women moved as a group and then they just disappeared, “Where did they go, Gaia?”

“I’ve been sworn to secrecy!” John heard a giggle, “Sorry!”

John looked at his boys, “Hungry?” The food had arrived as the women left. John laughed as Johnny, the chief and Billy with Steven and Willa distributed the breakfast for the Taylor men and friends. Peter, Samuel, and Eric also came up with their breakfasts in hand. Frank came back without Dora, but had Bill McCormick, “Let me guess, all of our ladies are off having a party? Willa, how come you didn’t go?”

“They asked me, but there will be other weddings.” Willa sat down next to Tony and looked up to him.

Tony looked down and gave Willa a great big smile, “Hi!”

Ben and Steven were both whispering and giggling.

“Boys, be gentlemen!” John suggested. He got a smile and a nod from Chief John.

“Yes, sir!” Both Ben and Steven responded and then laughed as they snuck glances at Tony and Willa.

John was just putting a fine piece of buffalo steak into his mouth when he heard, “Help!”

Peter was sitting across from John, “What did you hear Father John?”

John looked around as everyone was digging into their breakfasts, unaware of the cry. Even Willy was on his second bite. “Somebody asking for help a long way away.” John responded in a low voice so only Peter could hear, “Gaia can you tell me who is asking for help?”

“John, there are hundreds of millions of people asking for help on planet earth at this time. Take care of those you can and continue to expand your influence. Do not bite off more than you can chew. Reward your wife, for she will become your foundation and advisor as you build towards the future.” Gaia paused, “John, people are ascending. Even though the population of earth is diminishing, many of those are flowing into here with God because they have not died, like Peter’s dad, if they are ready, they are ascending. Jesus created that door for mankind and you have opened that door. When our planet has made it to the Fourth Dimension, they will again walk the earth.” Gaia did not sound like a six-year-old now.

John focused on the smiling face of Peter, then he looked around at the dozens of smiling faces. Willy stood up in John’s lap and kissed him, “Do good daddy?”

“I guess we have. We just have to keep working at it.” John smiled, “Did everybody hear what Gaia had to say?”

“Yeah dad, we did.” Everyone smiled and nodded in agreement.

John took a deep breath of fresh air, “There will be another wedding.” John was looking at Willa when he shared this.

Willa only dipped her head a quarter of an inch, but she agreed with what John said.

A group of five men approached the tables where John and his family and friends were eating breakfast, “Can we join you, gentlemen and young lady?”

John looked to the chief and got a nod, “Yes gentlemen, how can we help you?” John asked.

An older gentleman was the spokesperson of the group. “We have been asked to perform the marriages. We are Reverend Smith, Reverend Olsen, Reverend Mason, Reverend Watson, and I am Reverend Larson.

“I am John Taylor.” John was not very comfortable with five religious men looking for something to do on a Sunday Morning, “Gentlemen, I would like to take you to God!” When there was agreement all around, all the kids, men, and Willa went to God. John looked around and over to his left were all the regular churchgoers plus all their friends. There had to be close to ten thousand people sitting circularly. John turned to the five ministers, “Ministers, this is where you are needed. To help everyone develop a relationship with God. Please put in the effort, the rewards are going to be unbelievable. The five men nodded and walked to the center of the circle of ten thousand and bowed. The gathering all stood and clapped. They started with the Lord’s Prayer. When that was finished, the five ministers moved to where they could touch God. The families gathered to give their love and to receive a blessing.

John Nation came up to John Taylor as he watched the interaction with the five ministers, “Are they still going to marry us?”

“I don’t think they’re going to have time.” John shared.

“Any ideas White Eagle?” John Nation laughed as he read John Taylor’s face.

“We could have Master Sun marry us, or Master Sun could marry Jenny and I and then I perform yours and the other ceremonies.” John Taylor suggested, “I did promise my nephew I would perform his marriage. Pete also asked me to perform his marriage.”

“I want you to perform ours!” John Nation smiled.

“Who is the fifth couple?” John Taylor asked.

“Brad Summers. His dad owns the hotel. Last I heard, he was in his last year in a dual major of hotel management and architecture at the UW. He may be done with that by now. He was one of those who followed you out of Seattle.” John Nation shared.

“Who is he marrying?” As soon as John asked the question, his heart leaped in his chest.

“Your niece, April.” John Nation laughed at the look on his friend’s face.

The other three men to be married approached the two Johns. John noticed Eric wore a Yellow Lanyard around his neck and the other two wore Blue Lanyards. “Chief, where are you at in the training?” John Taylor asked.

The chief pulled out a Yellow Lanyard and placed it around his neck.

“Can you take us back to Omak?” John Taylor looked him in the eye as the chief nodded.

“Men, boys, Willy and Willa. We are going back to Omak.” John got okay. He looked to the chief and in a blink, they were back at the table in front of the People’s Trust Tent. Drums were playing, people were dancing and laughing. The chief felt his neck and looked down. The Yellow Lanyard was gone and in its place was a Red Lanyard. The chief looked to John Taylor. A million thoughts passed back and forth between the two friends. The chief knew he had a lot to learn. Taylor asked the chief to watch over this part of the world as he focused on gathering the continents and then the world. The two men were smiling at each other as Brad Summers came up to John Taylor.

“Sir, I’m Brad Summers. I was told I needed to ask your permission to marry April.” The young man was six foot one and looked like a runner. He was holding his hand out to John.

John took the hand and shook it. There was a spark when he did. Both men felt it. John saw a vision of a big building with a thousand rooms or more and then it faded. “You like to run?”

“Yes!”

“How far did you get on your schooling?” John asked.

“I got my bachelor’s in Hotel Management, was in my last quarter for a bachelor’s in architecture and on track to start on my MBA” Brad shared.

“What does God say about you marrying April?” John asked. He was still holding the young man’s hand.

“That we planned to come together at this time to help you serve God and planet Earth!” Brad smiled.

“Welcome to the family!” John smiled and let the young man’s hand go. “Do you have a place?”

Brad laughed, “My dad has given me the use of the Honeymoon Suite at the hotel until something comes available.”

“Do you have a job?” John asked.

“I’ve been working seven days a week for my dad at the hotel. When I’m not running the front desk, I’m painting or fixing things.” Brad smiled, “I get room and board and five silver dollars every week. I had tens of thousands of dollars of student loans. I think they are gone.”

“What’s your dream?” John asked.

Brad took a deep breath, “I would like to build and manage a five-star hotel of my own someday.”

“A thousand rooms or more!” John described the ‘building’ he was seeing.

Brad jerked as he looked at John Taylor, “You’ve seen it too?”

“I even know where it’s going to be.” John smiled, “Next to the capital.”

And so, it was Master Sun who performed the marriage of John Taylor and Jenny Roberts. When the “I Dos” had been said, the two hugged for the longest time. The seven kids plus Willa screamed their approval and Bert, Matt, Gaia, and Maria McCormick joined with them.

The five ministers stood with the audience and clapped their approval. They had been told their purpose and looked forward with joy as they realized they would be working with millions during the years to come. They would help teach mankind how to have a personal relationship with God!

Jenny had looked like a queen. She had asked God if she could wear white and God had said: “Of course!” Jenny had worn white with a small gold crown on top of her head. The other four ladies also asked and felt it was okay to wear white. The girls, Sally, Terri, Fanny and Lucy wore pink gowns. Willa also wore a pink gown. When John and Peter showed up in their Scottish dress outfits, Tony asked if he too could dress as his dad was. John asked about Tony’s ancestors and heard, “English.” When he saw Tony’s disappointment, John shared, “Tony, you have several knights and a few Lords in your tree.” Tony decided to be dressed as a noble knight. When he was so attired, Ben asked to be dressed as his heritage dictated also. Ben and Stephen looked at each other. An English knight and an American Indian. The two clasped hands and laughed, they did not care, their friendship was more important than their heritage.

It took John a few minutes to recover. After many minutes he came back enough to perform the other four marriages. The kids fanned out on both sides of the couple saying their vows. Jenny stood next to John. The four couples said their “I Dos”. There were thousands of voices cheering on the new couples along with Margaret and Chief Nation.

When people started dishing up the cake and ice cream, John and Jenny met with Tony, Sally, and Willa. John handed Tony a lanyard with a key on it, “You will find a box in your room, that key will open the lock. We are going to Hawaii to have some dinner and to walk on the beach. We will be back to help remove the mercenaries in the morning.” John hugged his kids.

“Bill and Nancy will get you home. There is lots of food in the fridge. There are two big pizzas in the freezer and all the fixings for spaghetti. If you kids want, Bill and Nancy will take you to the Trust Tent and you can buy hamburgers and hot dogs,” Jenny informed.

John handed Tony two one-hundred-dollar bills.

“We will be fine dad. You two go have some fun. See you in the morning.” Tony folded the two bills and carefully put them in his pocket with a big smile on his face.

Later, Tony and the two girls Willa and Sally found the box, tucked away in the corner of his closet. He opened it and found a tray of gold coins, a tray of silver coins and a bundle of one hundred $100 bills. He turned to Sally, “As long as we can buy food with money, we will never be hungry again. John and Jenny make good parents. Thank you, God.”

The three young people made spaghetti that night and cooked the two pizzas. Billy Nation ate with them and Henry and Beth and their kids did too. They watched some old Disney films and just had a really good time.

The next morning John and Jenny found them all piled on their king-size bed. The house looked okay. Twelve kids and no adults in the house.

“They are really good kids.” Jenny kissed John on the cheek, “How did we get so lucky?”

After the talk with Tony, the day before John and Jenny gathered up the other four newlyweds along with Peter and Patty, and Johnny and Teresa. John transported them to Waikiki Beach. The girls had swimsuits on under their outfits and the group made their way into the water. They played for hours in the warm waters. They walked the beach until they came upon the Royal Hawaiian Resort. A man was sitting on a bench looking lost.

“Can you help us?” John asked.

“What do you want?” The man asked.

“Is there any place to get a meal? Is anybody renting rooms?

The man frowned, “You’d think we’d be full up!” The man laughed, “but, we’re not.” The man pointed at the beach, “This place is about as dead as we have ever seen it. I have a meeting going on inside. You may hear shouting and maybe even a gunshot if we can’t come to some decisions. Those idiots can’t come to any agreement, so they are telling me I need to become the king because some DNA test says I’m a descendant of King Kal?kaua who was forced to sign a Constitution in 1887.”

“Has the water level changed from the Earth Changes?” John asked.

“We got hit with some big waves. Thirty to forty feet high. My hotel was fifty feet above high tide. We think we’ve lost about ten feet of beach. The waves came in during low tide or we would have gotten wet. We have had storms hit us during high tide and our lobby did get wet. Happens about every ten to twenty years. The next big storm, we may get very wet.” The man looked out at the pretty water, “You have any money?”

“Greenbacks?” John asked.

“I’ll give you a match, you can burn your greenbacks.” The man laughed at his joke. “You got anything else?

“Silver and gold coins.” John shared.

“Seven rooms, fourteen meals. How about fourteen ounces of silver?” The man then added, “in advance?”

So, the party moved inside to the registration desk. John paid the man and asked, “When will the food service be open?”

“Where you guys from?” The man asked as he looked at the pale skin & red sunburns, “How did you get here?”

“We are from Washington state. A little town called Omak.” John shared.

“We have a Navy Admiral in there telling us it would be better to stay with the old United States. Can you come in and tell us what’s going on over there?” The man looked at the smiling faces of the party with this man that looked like Santa Claus, “By the way, I’m Harry Jones.”

John had been looking at the faces of his family and friends. They were all nodding and smiling.

“John, I would like to be able to come back here often. This is everything I have ever heard of. Let’s talk with these people.” Jenny suggested.

“Who are you, people?” Harry Jones asked as he was looking at his register where everyone had signed, “County Executive of Okanagan, Washington, you wrote down. So, there is a government over there?”

“We are just getting started.” John had the feeling that this was certainly the case, “I’ve only been the County Executive for a day.” John transferred the copy he had of the County’s Policies and Procedures for taking possession of buildings without owners to the inside of his backpack. He’d brought it home to review to make sure he knew how to proceed.

“I would like to introduce you to our group, Mr. Taylor.” Harry Jones suggested.