It took us a while to get down to the ceremony once we were back
at the hall. Everyone wanted to know about Big John and what had happened to
the Mountie and Anatoli that made them so late, and were relieved when all the
stories were told and everything looked like it would work out after all.
The Mountie and Anatoli had to talk around mouthfuls of food
since they were starving, but no one minded the lapse in manners. Disaster had
come close to us and it was no time for formalities.
Since the Mountie was too filthy to put on his dress uniform
and we didn’t want to wait for him to bathe before the wedding, I stayed in my
slip and a borrowed sweater, which was mostly clean because the Braids had
insisted I put on an apron before I began operating.
Reverend McNab had the good sense
not to wander off into any stories or to try telling pointless jokes between
the Dearly beloved, we are gathered and the You may kiss the bride . This was a day
for rejoicing and prayers of thanks, but not for levity. Father White was also
on his best behavior and didn’t threaten anyone with blacklisting from bingo or
eternal damnation.
The specifics of the ceremony escape me to this day. The
only moment that is clear in my mind was when Wendell rose to offer his prayer.
Oh Great Spirit,
whose voice I hear in the winds
and whose breath gives life to everyone,
Hear me.
I come to you as one
of your many children;
I am weak ... I am
small ... I need your wisdom
and your strength.
Let me walk in
beauty, and make my eyes ever
behold the red and purple sunsets.
Make my hands respect
the things you have made,
and make my ears sharp so I may hear your voice.
Make me wise, so that
I may understand what you
have taught my people and
the lessons you have hidden in each leaf and each rock.
I ask for wisdom and
strength,
not to be superior to my brothers, but to be able
to fight my greatest enemy, myself.
Make me ever ready to
come before you
with clean hands and a straight eye,
so as life fades away as a fading sunset,
my spirit may come to you without shame.
I think most of us, even the crusty ministers who thought
Wendell a godless heathen, were moved.
The Bones, who must have broken every land-speed record and
perhaps an axle, made it back in just over three hours and he was able to
remove Big John’s appendix. He told me later that I had saved Big John’s life
and for some reason that made me cry. Maybe because I was glad to have finally
had the chance to repay the favor of his saving mine two decades ago.
Though Fiddling Thomas had done his work and then some, he
insisted that he had the energy to play one last song for the Mountie and me to
dance to. The choice was an odd one for Thomas who liked Celtic music, but I
couldn’t argue with “It’s a Wonderful World.” Because it was
indeed a wonderful place.
* * *
Sasha and Horace had positioned themselves down near the
lake in front of their fireworks display. Everything was ready and waiting,
especially the two engineers who had brought this particular display to life. They
were in walkie-talkie communications with the Kid who was in charge of
orchestrating the whole affair. Horace had been skeptical when the Kid came to
them in their forest lean-to and asked if he could somehow be involved in
setting off the fireworks. Horace knew that the Flowers would skin them alive
if she saw her stepson within one hundred yards of a functioning firework. It
was Sasha who eventually relented and found a way to include him.
“Ricky,” he said during the Kid’s last visit, “we have need
of your help.”
“Anything,” Ricky said joyously. “What can I do for you, Mr.
Ivanovitch?”
This was the first time that Horace had ever heard Sasha’s
last name. Horace wondered if the Kid had heard the Butcher of Minsk part yet.
“Ivanovitch-Jones,” he corrected. “Someone must lead couple
to scenic view to watch fireworks display. Mr. Goodhead and I
Similar Books
