CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

At last the day of the weddings was here. For some reason the past week, though very full of people, surprises and laughter, had gone at a snail’s pace.

Urs and David hoped that the past night would rush by since they had been banned from the house after midnight, booked into one of the posh American style hotels in the new part of town, in keeping with tradition. They were both appalled and complained loudly, to the giggling amusement of Janet and Elena, but at precisely 5 minutes to 12 midnight, the other men, in abject fear of the wrath of their Ladies, dragged them into the large van and escorted them to the Hotel, stayed for several hours comforting the forlorn men until it was necessary for Peter, on meds so he didn’t drink, to drive them home…a trip that took quite some time since he managed to go north on a busy southbound street and they all ended up at the local Policia until Cena bailed them out.

The morning dawned bright and beautiful and the Casa was filled with anticipation as the women gathered on the patio for a light breakfast, the men of course not in any shape to be up yet.

By ten there was a platoon of young people swarming over the grounds, setting out chairs on the dance floor and tables with chairs on the sides of the lawn, on ladders stringing white netting and roses from palm to palm and on the hedge up the driveway to the gates.

Elena and Jan kept busy in the Kitchen, making some of Urs and David’s favorite desserts, several of each: Decadent Chocolate Mousse bombes, Profiterole Pyramids drizzled with melted chocolate and Caramel, oozing Butter Tarts, Mango Cake with Lemon butter icing and pies, Peach, Mixed Berry, Pecan.

“How many people are you girls cooking for?” Anya asked as she came in the Kitchen and observed the quantity of food.

Elena laughed and Janet smiled.

“Even private affairs here can get out of hand. People drop in once they know there’s a party and who would have the heart to turn them away on such a happy day? So it’s always best to be prepared.” Elena shrugged and smiled with calm acceptance.

“What can I do to help?” the petite Swiss woman asked.

“Organize the kids decorating the tables and lawn. I think the flowers are here and just need to be put in place….. oh and Anya could you check that all the little vials they are in have water in them? You don’t have to do the placement, just direct traffic.”

A young girl pushing a three tiered cart came in the kitchen just as Anya left with a grin.

“Senora Hazel says to tell you that the whipping cream is all done and in the walk-in and she is going to sit in the sun for a while to warm up.”

Elena and Janet laughed at this news, aware that the only way to get whipping cream to actually whip in this climate was to freeze the bowls and beaters or do it in a walk-in cooler, which is apparently what Hazel had done.

They loaded another batch of goodies on the cart and Esme, the messenger, took it out to the walk-in.

Just after lunch on the patio with the whole group, including the small army of helpers, the food started to arrive, the recipes for appetizers and cold food having been farmed out to various family members, now ready and arriving.

Janet and Elena were banished to their suites to rest and shower while everyone else pitched in with the final touches.

A quiet of anticipation fell on the Casa late in the afternoon as everyone retired to shower and change into party clothing, the helpers using Cena and Neto’s house as their base camp, coming back to assume duties in shifts so all could enjoy the day. By five all except the main participants were at their posts or on the lawn while the young men on the gate directed cars to parking spots and guided guest to the Lawn and a squad of young men started up the massive BBQ’s and spits.

Seb and Maddie, Carlos and Gerry, the Millers, the Buhlers and Hazel, the Divos ladies in rosy red silk gowns, the Divos in Ivory white Armani with a red rose button hole came out to the lawn and were astounded at the transformation.

The entire place had been swathed in white netting, tentlike across the open top and down the sides in cascades that swept from palm to palm, gathered up into flounces with sprays of red roses. Red and white roses were on every table, atop the white linen cloths, in massive sprays combined with passion flowers and bird of Paradise at the altar that had been constructed in front of the dance floor/ chairs and at each side of the stage, where an orchestra, all in white shirts and black pants with vivid red sashes for belts was already playing softly. A thick red carpet over a wooden base formed a walkway from the side of the house to the wide center aisle of the approach to the altar.

The chairs had been covered with white, fitted slipcovers and each row adorned with a large white bow, tied around a small spray of roses. To one side of the entrance to the lawn a long white draped table was attended by several young men, all in white with red sashes, who handed out glasses of champagne to arriving guests, {Gingerale to the children of course} and several young women, also in white and red, circulated among the guests offering more or something from the beautifully decorated trays of appetizers.

Cena had been banished from the kitchen by Peta who today ruled that area with a quiet but iron fist, replenishing trays, directing the teens to their duties and encouraging everyone to ‘smile, today we see our Elena and her lovely friend Janet, united with their Novios.’

They recognized some of the guests from the Posada at Christmas and, sipping the excellent champers strolled around the lawn, talking, soaking in the feelings of love that was the dominant theme.


By four-thirty all six of the women had left, gone to help the brides get ready, leaving the men to bolster each other up and mingle with the growing crowd. What had been planned as a small affair was fast becoming the usual Mexican party with more people arriving by the minute.

At five-thirty precisely a young man approached Seb and Carlos, asking that they come with him, the men to join Urs and David at the front of the Casa, Sam and Neto to please join Elena and Janet on the patio.

**

Except for feeling like they were going to die from splitting headaches, David and Urs woke in the large hotel suite happy and more or less rested. They joined up in the lounge, each swallowing pain killers for their heads and gulping down glasses of ice water.

Urs grinned at his tall friend.

“You ready for this, Bro?”

“More than…. I can hardly wait. Now if I could just get my head to stop spinning. Great party though.”

They went to the balcony and parked lazily on the lounges waiting for the pills to have some effect.

“You want breakfast?” David asked after a few minutes.

Urs groaned.

“I do, but my stomach has other ideas. I better stick to juice this morning, maybe some toast.”

David levered himself out of the lounge and called room service, came back and sat quietly for a while again.

“I woke up expecting to be nervous but I’m not, not a bit.”

“Me too,” Urs admitted. “Actually I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. It’s like I’ve lived my whole life waiting for this one special woman and now I can’t wait to get on with our lives together.”

“I was a little slower getting going than you, buddy but now I know what you mean.”

“Well, you are young, little Davey…..” Urs started, loving any opportunity to wind David up about being the youngest of the group.

“Careful, Swiss boy…. You don’t want any bruises for that walk to the altar.”

Urs looked at David, flexed his toned arm, looked at the hard muscle there and raised an eyebrow at David with a wicked smile.

“Yeah, but my legs are longer, so I can run fast.” David said with a smirk and went to answer the discreet knock at the suite door.

They had a leisurely breakfast, Urs eating everything on his plate as David had known he would when he ordered two complete breakfasts.

They decided on a swim and went to the pool for a couple of hours, both tempted to call Jan and Elena but resisting the urge, skipped lunch and about three thirty went back to the suite to shower and shave.

A package arrived for Urs just after he got out of the shower and when he opened it he found a ring box and the platinum wedding band from Armando. It was lovely, simple, etched lightly with a fine line of slightly contrasting silver vines on each edge, tiny oval diamond for leaves. When he turned it over he saw ‘Siempre’ inscribed inside…Perfect.

By quarter of five they were in a taxi, taking the bypass to the Casa, early, but today of all days Urs didn’t want to be late.

**

Anya, Cena and Gerry helped Elena dress, fussed with her hair and generally tried to keep her calm and not crying.

“Has Urs told you yet where you are going?” Gerry asked as she carefully pinned tiny white rosebuds in Elena’s upswept curls and surveyed her handiwork.

Elena laughed nervously.

“No, he just said to pack a bathing suit, that I wouldn’t need anything else.”

“Ah…what does that lovely man have planned? He is such a romantic…just like my Carlito.”

“Two whole days alone with Urs…that’s what I want more than anything. We’ve hardly been alone since the first day we met.”

“Si…friends are lovely but sometimes you just need to be together, only the two hearts with no duties, no interruptions. I will tell you a small secret, perhaps that will make your day even more special.
Carlos and I are embarazada.”

Elena was overjoyed and hugged the happy Spanish woman, nearly crying again until Gerry teased her that it was supposed to be happy news.

“After eight years of never crying I seem to do it for any reason now, as if I’ve saved them up for too long,” Elena said with a smile.

They laughed and went into the bedroom where Cena and Anya were talking in Spanish, Anya slowly, since she had seldom encountered opportunities to use the language for a few years.

The two older women carefully lowered the long white dress over Elena’s body, taking care not to disturb her hair and Cena did up the many tiny buttons down the back while Anya found the white satin shoes and stood ready to place them on her feet.

Anya took a long velvet box off of the side table and opened it to reveal a string of perfectly matched pearls.

“I wore these when Peter and I were married and would be honored to have you wear them, Tochter…they were his Oma’s,” she said using the German words for daughter and grand mother.

She fastened the pearls around Elena’s neck, nodding approval at how perfect they looked, matching the pearls on the gown.

**

In the suite across the hall Janet was being prepared as well by Maddie, Hazel and Rose.

She also wore her hair up and studded with tiny rosebuds, keeping up a nervous chatter with the others and trying to get her mother to stop crying with happiness.

Her eyes were sparkling with anticipation as they slid the long column of her dress over her body and Hazel did up the few buttons, Janet’s dress mostly backless and elegant. She wore her mother’s diamond and sapphire ear-rings, a lovely complement to her blue eyes and the sparkle of her dress, slipped into her shoes and was ready. Maddie opened the door and stood back to let the bride exit first.

**

One final glance in the full length mirror and they left the suite, joining Janet who was already waiting in the hall, looking exquisite and nervous. They took the back stairs to the patio and waited for only a few moments, each toying with the sprays of white and red roses that they would carry. They could hear the music playing softly and the murmur of guests as they began seating themselves out on the Party Lawn.

**
Urs and David had arrived with only a 15 minutes wait ahead of them and were each brought a glass of champers by their very nervous best men, Carlos and Seb. They stood at the entrance to the lawn, peeking inside to look at the assembled people, both amazed at how the small affair had expanded in size.

They saw Chuy and Rosa, both looking splendid in their Sunday best, the children, like well dressed dolls, clustered around them trying to act all grown up. Armando and Amelia with their three daughters were talking to a tall distinguished looking man they didn’t recognize, the Mayor they later learned and Dr. Alvarez had become separated from his wife and was trying vainly to peer over all the taller people to find her. As they watched, Paolo and Leo brought her through the crowd and laughed as they chatted.

From behind them they heard the arrival of Father Bernardo who exited his long black car and adjusted his robes before joining them at the entrance.

“Too late to run now, my young friends. The ladies would hunt you down like dogs, I think,” he joked and they laughed dutifully.

The priest and his ever present attendants entered the lawn and walked to the aisle, his arrival the signal for everyone to claim a seat as he walked along slowly, nodding at parishioners and strangers alike until he reached the altar and spent a few moments communing in front of the gold cross that had been brought from the church.

Seb and Carlos returned to the two grooms and they all looked nervously at each other as the priest turned and the Mozart piece that had been playing came to the last eight bars.