Bellingham began.
"Wok," murmured Meredith under her breath. Anastasia suppressed a giggle. Beside her, she felt Daphne stiffen and choke back a laugh.
As the minister talked on, Anastasia saw that Kirsten, beneath her veil, was grinning.
Finally Reverend Bellingham moved to the lectern and began to read a psalm. "The Lord is my shepherd," he read. Anastasia composed her face into a serious look.
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow—" Reverend Bellingham read.
"Wok," the bride and groom both said together.
Reverend Bellingham looked flustered. He stopped, smiled awkwardly, and then finished the psalm.
There was a moment of silence. The bride and groom, and all four junior bridesmaids, were biting their lips and looking studiously at the floor.
The organist began to play a piece of music that Anastasia recognized from
Carousel.
Daphne nudged Anastasia with an elbow and gestured slightly with her head toward the balcony. Anastasia looked. Frances Bidwell, wearing a large green hat, had stood and was preparing to sing.
"When you walk through a storm," she sang in her high, loud voice.
"Wok," Anastasia heard herself say aloud. But she wasn't the only one. Daphne, Meredith, Sonya, Kirsten, and Jeff had all said it, too. The congregation chuckled.
The song continued. Anastasia looked out into the church until she found the place where Daphne's mother was sitting. She knew that Daphne thought her mother was going to freak out at this moment, the moment when Frances Bidwell sang. But Daphne's mother had her hand over her mouth, and her shoulders were shaking. She was laughing.
"Walk on, walk on, with hooooppe in your hearrrt," Frances Bidwell sang.
"
Wok.
" This time Reverend Bellingham said it, almost like a hiccup. The congregation laughed aloud.
Finally Frances Bidwell came to the dramatic conclusion of the song. She took a deep breath as the organ worked its way with flourishes to the final line.
"You'll neeeever walk aloooone," she sang.
"WOK," sang the bride, the groom, and maid of honor, the best man, the four junior bridesmaids, and all four ushers in unison.
A swell of laughter swept over the church.
Reverend Bellingham, chuckling, moved to his place in front of Kirsten and Jeff, read the vows, waited while the bride and groom each said "I will," and directed the exchange of rings.
"I now pronounce you man and wife," he announced. "May you wok happily together down the pathways of married life!"
The congregation burst into applause and the entire wedding party followed the newly married couple down the aisle. As Anastasia, holding the arm of Septimus Smith, passed the place where her family was sitting, she saw Sam raise his hand, with its tricycle bell, and give a loud
BRRRING
of celebration.
"That's
terrible!
" Myron Krupnik said, after Anastasia had explained the laughter during the ceremony.
Mrs. Krupnik shrugged. "What's so terrible?" she asked. "A wedding is supposed to be a joyous occasion. And the minister didn't seem to mind. Most weddings are so serious and solemn—maybe he liked the change."
"Maybe," her husband acknowledged. "He seemed in good spirits at the reception. I even saw him dancing with his ex-wife."
"Speaking of
dancing,
" Anastasia said, remembering something suddenly. "You know what? Me and Meredith and Sonya and Daphne—"
Her father raised his eyebrows at her.
"I meant," she corrected, "Meredith and Sonya and Daphne and I. We invited Steve and Eddie and Norman and Kirby so we'd have somebody to dance with at the reception! And they didn't dance! Not one of them! Not once!"
"Seventh-grade boys
never
dance," her mother pointed out. "You've complained about that to me a million times."
"I know," Anastasia said, making a face. "But we thought they would at a wedding, for Pete's sake! I'm giving up boys for
real.
"
"Anyway," Mrs. Krupnik said, "you did dance a lot, Anastasia. Dad danced with you, and—"
Myron Krupnik cringed. "I'm a terrible dancer," he
"Wok," murmured Meredith under her breath. Anastasia suppressed a giggle. Beside her, she felt Daphne stiffen and choke back a laugh.
As the minister talked on, Anastasia saw that Kirsten, beneath her veil, was grinning.
Finally Reverend Bellingham moved to the lectern and began to read a psalm. "The Lord is my shepherd," he read. Anastasia composed her face into a serious look.
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow—" Reverend Bellingham read.
"Wok," the bride and groom both said together.
Reverend Bellingham looked flustered. He stopped, smiled awkwardly, and then finished the psalm.
There was a moment of silence. The bride and groom, and all four junior bridesmaids, were biting their lips and looking studiously at the floor.
The organist began to play a piece of music that Anastasia recognized from
Carousel.
Daphne nudged Anastasia with an elbow and gestured slightly with her head toward the balcony. Anastasia looked. Frances Bidwell, wearing a large green hat, had stood and was preparing to sing.
"When you walk through a storm," she sang in her high, loud voice.
"Wok," Anastasia heard herself say aloud. But she wasn't the only one. Daphne, Meredith, Sonya, Kirsten, and Jeff had all said it, too. The congregation chuckled.
The song continued. Anastasia looked out into the church until she found the place where Daphne's mother was sitting. She knew that Daphne thought her mother was going to freak out at this moment, the moment when Frances Bidwell sang. But Daphne's mother had her hand over her mouth, and her shoulders were shaking. She was laughing.
"Walk on, walk on, with hooooppe in your hearrrt," Frances Bidwell sang.
"
Wok.
" This time Reverend Bellingham said it, almost like a hiccup. The congregation laughed aloud.
Finally Frances Bidwell came to the dramatic conclusion of the song. She took a deep breath as the organ worked its way with flourishes to the final line.
"You'll neeeever walk aloooone," she sang.
"WOK," sang the bride, the groom, and maid of honor, the best man, the four junior bridesmaids, and all four ushers in unison.
A swell of laughter swept over the church.
Reverend Bellingham, chuckling, moved to his place in front of Kirsten and Jeff, read the vows, waited while the bride and groom each said "I will," and directed the exchange of rings.
"I now pronounce you man and wife," he announced. "May you wok happily together down the pathways of married life!"
The congregation burst into applause and the entire wedding party followed the newly married couple down the aisle. As Anastasia, holding the arm of Septimus Smith, passed the place where her family was sitting, she saw Sam raise his hand, with its tricycle bell, and give a loud
BRRRING
of celebration.
"That's
terrible!
" Myron Krupnik said, after Anastasia had explained the laughter during the ceremony.
Mrs. Krupnik shrugged. "What's so terrible?" she asked. "A wedding is supposed to be a joyous occasion. And the minister didn't seem to mind. Most weddings are so serious and solemn—maybe he liked the change."
"Maybe," her husband acknowledged. "He seemed in good spirits at the reception. I even saw him dancing with his ex-wife."
"Speaking of
dancing,
" Anastasia said, remembering something suddenly. "You know what? Me and Meredith and Sonya and Daphne—"
Her father raised his eyebrows at her.
"I meant," she corrected, "Meredith and Sonya and Daphne and I. We invited Steve and Eddie and Norman and Kirby so we'd have somebody to dance with at the reception! And they didn't dance! Not one of them! Not once!"
"Seventh-grade boys
never
dance," her mother pointed out. "You've complained about that to me a million times."
"I know," Anastasia said, making a face. "But we thought they would at a wedding, for Pete's sake! I'm giving up boys for
real.
"
"Anyway," Mrs. Krupnik said, "you did dance a lot, Anastasia. Dad danced with you, and—"
Myron Krupnik cringed. "I'm a terrible dancer," he
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