Loretta and Travis are the mainstays of our village life. Their marriage was this burgs’ defining moment.
Travis is our home restoration guru. From plumbing to the shingles and everything in between, he was the master. He also made furniture when there was a break in home restoration work. His skills surprised everyone; how could such a tiny little place have such a highly-skilled craftsman? There was a backlog of folks wanting his furniture and restoration work. His blue eyes exuded kindness and understanding. His quiet demeanor belied his quick wit and sense of humor. Two skills he needed above all else. He was married to Loretta.
Our girl Loretta is another matter. She grew to be the calliope player in the parade. You can hear her approaching from miles away. Her music set the tone. You felt something amazing was going to happen when she arrives. A spectacle was always in the offing! Now if she knew where the parade was going was another issue.
Her marriage to Travis is the stuff of legends. They got married in the Baptist Church. The Methodist Church was not big enough. Loretta and Travis were of humble means, so the wedding was a make-do affair. The bridesmaids made all their own dresses and helped Loretta make hers. There were talented women in town who volunteered dressmaking, decorating, and baking skills. These folks have all known Loretta since she was a baby. For a few months, the zeitgeist of the village became “Let’s do what we can to get that ‘Little Shit’ married off.”
Travis was in charge of taking care of the groomsmen. He took their clothes to the dry-cleaners and even got the Best-Man’s shoes re-soled. They washed cars and mowed the church grounds. Whatever the women needed, he was their gopher and did what he was told. When he complained to his father about the bossy women. His Dad would say, “Good Training”.
Loretta and the bridesmaids oversaw decorating the church. There was a giant wreath of flowers in the vestibule to be used for picture taking after the wedding. Sprays of beautiful flowers were everywhere. They borrowed every large vase they could find. The girls bought all the flowers they could afford. The rest of the flowers fell under the beg, borrow or steal category. There is no way they had the money for this many flowers. Judging from the shock on the guest’s faces, a lot of local flowerbeds must have been raided to supply this many flowers. Everyone liked Loretta and Travis. The ladies that lost flowers to the midnight flowerbed raids said this is what the flowers were for and they were glad to be a part of the wedding. It was so beautiful in the Church. It looked like one of the Rose Parades’ Floats was turned inside out. Some of the gardeners claimed to have donated more flowers than they did. Everybody wanted to claim some credit for this wonderful display. The Baptist Preacher was moved to tears to see how gorgeous his church looked. “Surely, this is what God’s palette must look like.”, he said through trembling lips that were fighting the urge to cry. The aroma of the flowers was so fragrant and beautiful that it reduced the odor of dry-cleaning solvent to an almost imperceptible note.
The guests started getting restless. The ceremony was 15 minutes late and there was no sign of the groom and his best man. People were checking their watches and looking at each other with quizzical faces. Loretta’s Mother kept going back and forth from the anteroom off the vestibule, to the back of the Church. Looking for Travis and his best man at the altar. Each time she would go back to the anteroom and say “Not yet”. After 30 minutes had passed. The best man knocked at the door of the anteroom to tell Loretta that Travis was sitting in his pickup and wouldn’t budge. “He’s just sitting there staring at his hands on the wheel.” He said.
Travis was staring at the wheel and wondering if driving away to another state was a viable option. He was scared and just realized the huge step he was about to take. It was then that he heard his name called. She was a hundred yards away, but he could clearly hear Loretta’s voice. She was standing on the front step of the church holding one of the doors open as she yelled, “Travis get your ass outta that truck and into this church, right now!” The guests were stunned. They were breaking their necks staring back at the church doors. Loretta was holding one door open and yelling loud enough to be heard a mile away. The excitement was electric. This moment alone was worth the price of admission. They could tell he was on his way because she quit yelling and said in a forceful voice, “This should be enough mopey behavior to last you a lifetime.” Then a little bit later he came through the door with a sheepish look on his face. As he walked past her, she slapped the back of his head. Then spun around to go back to the anteroom.
His sheepish look morphed into a look of joy as he walked down the aisle. He realized she really did love him. That fear that one day she may grow tired of him and break his heart had vanished. She had decided that they were to be married and nothing was going to interfere. When the wedding march began to play and she appeared at the back of the church. It took his breath away. She was beautiful beyond compare. True, he had seen her just moments before, but this time she wasn’t pissed off. Amazing the difference that made (a lesson that wasn’t lost on him). Whenever he looked at her in the passing years, how she looked at that moment was all he ever saw. “You need the kinda woman that can keep the rifles loaded.” His Grand-Paw would say. Travis was confident he had found that woman.
The Methodist Minister presided over the Nuptials and the rest of the service was easy. He tried to apologize to the Baptist preacher for the ruckus. The preacher would have none of it, he was crying like the brides’ Mother and was happy to have been a part of the wedding. “Besides” he blubbered, “Never have I seen a young couple become so married so quickly.”
The reception was held at the Community Center/Laundromat. It was the only place large enough for the crowd. The tables used for folding clothes were perfect for all of the food. The food was another matter entirely. What these countrywomen could do in the kitchen is magic. Michelin would add a fourth star for this food. When it came to celebrating the wedding of our favorite couple, nothing was too good. Do you remember falling as a tot and scraping your knees? When your Mother would bend over with her cheek against yours and brush the dirt from your knees. Telling you it will be OK, and she loves you. That feeling of being loved and protected was exquisite. One bite of this food and those sensations rushed back from decades past. The ambiance of a restaurant be damned. These women specialized in food served with unconditional love.
Dancing in the parking lot, music from a boombox, and coolers filled with beer. That is how they party. Of course, the wedding supplied everyone with plenty to talk about. As a matter of fact, enough to talk about for years and years. They had witnessed something special and were happy to be included in the festivities. The newlyweds were ready to make their honeymoon escape and they wished them well. They took off in their pickup with tin cans attached and “Just Married” written on the back windshield. They were going to the lake to camp out for a week. Humble means, do not make for less fun.