Roman a Clef - Jessica Thompson (my reading book .txt) 📗

gowns. “Ash, I think you should try these on just to make sure.”
Ashley’s face changes from smiling to frowning with a raised eyebrow. “I am not trying those on mom”
“Ashley, I am buying the dress the least you can do is try them on.”
Ashley appeases her mother and tries on every dress handed to her keeping the dress she wants on a hanger by her side. Five hours have passed since the store opened and we are all exhausted. Ashley finally relents and says, “We have found the dress, and we are good to go.”
We all walk together toward the register. Ida spends $250.00 dollars on a $19,000.00 gown. What a deal and what a day!

“Patrick you may greet your bride with a kiss.”
Oh thank goodness I didn’t miss the best part. The bridal party walks into the ladies quarters to celebrate Patrick and Ashley’s nuptials and await further instructions. The guests are waiting outside. Patrick and Ashley run out to have rice thrown at them and they proceed into the limo and drive off. I announce to the crowd to go ahead to the reception and the bridal party is to follow after pictures are taken. When Patrick and Ashley return from their ride around the block Sierra approaches me.
“Jessica, you are the matron of honor right?”
I look at her curiously. “Yes.”
“Well, I am really tired of her attitude and she has bags in the ladies quarters that need to be put into the trunk of the limo and you are the matron of honor.”
I smile and say, “okay.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Nathan Dunn walking towards me. He smiles hands me my flask. “I thought you might still need this.” Nathan turns to walk back toward the church.
I burst into laughter, recanting the memory of it falling. “Thank you.”
“Hey Nathan, you lived with all this going on around you. How did you manage to stay so sane?”
Nathan walks towards me and says “Zenith.”
He has succeeded in peeking my curiosity. “Zenith?”
“Yeah, the time in which something is most powerful or successful. My mother and sister are going for Zenith with this wedding. The minute I understood that I just stood clear out of the way.”
I watched Nathan walk back in to the church and I stood there thinking. “I know Zenith will not work for me but I must fight through this anger to get through this event. Dad, I feel like you can hear me. I need your help right now more than ever. Give me guidance.”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. What would “The Wonderful” Jerry Johns do? Then I smiled. I know he would sever ties after it is all said and done. “Works for me.”

The photos take all of thirty minutes and Kelly and I decide it is times for us to go and gather the bride’s items after Ida announces that it is the Dunn’s family turn for photos. We arrive at the reception hall and the room is lit up with white Christmas lights and sheer tulle laced all over the walls and ceiling. From a distance it looks like a winter wonderland. The band was playing crooner tunes from the sixties and the guests were seated and mingling amongst themselves. The bridal party was seated in the very front of the room. After the bride and groom were introduced they proceed to dance as husband and wife.

When dinner was announced everyone took their seats. Not a single member of the bridal party outside of the bride and groom sat at their assigned table. I am guessing this made the bride a little uneasy; that or she was unhappy with the food, because the look on her face reads disappointment. The band begins to play a few up tempo tunes which bring guests on to the dance floor. I make my way over to Gwen. I give her another big hug and whisper into her ear. “I am so glad that you were able to come to the wedding!”
“Me too! I can’t wait to hear your speech. You always speak from the heart and give the best speeches.”
We break our embrace. “You are so sweet. I should let you know that I am not going to be making a speech.”
Gwen looks at me puzzled. “What! Why not? You have to; you are the matron of honor. If don’t toast her who will?”
Rolling my eyes in the back of my head; “I was taught if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all. Trust me at this point she does not want a toast from me.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“We are talking middle passage bad!”
Gwen’s eyes widen. “Yeah, don’t make a speech.”
Just as we wrap up our conversation, Nathan makes an announcement that he is going to toast Patrick. Immediately following Nathan’s speech is Sarah who toasts Ashley. I use this opportunity to use the restroom. I change into another dress that is more comfortable. Kelly finds me in the bathroom and tells me that they need help cutting the cake. As we getting closer to the cake table we notice that Sarah and Sierra have annoyed look on their faces.
I tap Sierra on the shoulder. “What’s wrong did something happen to the cake?”
“No, the cake is perfect. It is beautiful, but somehow Ashley has found something wrong with it.”
I roll my eyes and shake my head. “Of course, I had a feeling that the wedding wouldn’t be the end of it. Let’s just do our best at this point to individually have a good time.”
Sarah took a deep breath. “I just don’t understand how at this point a bride can still have time to complain, this is the reception for god sake. Let’s drink and be merry!”
I nodded in agreement.

During the rest of the evening as guests filed out the groom and groomsmen decide to get up on stage and flex their skills as musicians playing Beatles and Elton John hits. Ashley sat in the corner of the room with Patrick’s coat jacket sulking. Even at the end of the night the bride has no smile to wear. Kay announces to the few family members and friends left that it is time to clean up and would love any help from any willing bodies. We began knocking down tables and chairs. While the men stack chairs the women are rolling lights and tulle. The number of people helping drastically drops the moment Ida walks back into the building. Ida questions everyone in her walking path if they are going to hurry it up and get the lead out, which results in them dropping what they’re doing and leaving. Nathan runs up to me as I am walking outside to get some air. “Hey Jess, I forgot to tell you but we are going to take Ashley and Patrick to their hotel.”
“Shit! Seriously!”
My eyes widen and then squint in reaction to Nathan’s face looking as if it is worse than that. “What?”
Nathan takes a step back. “Well, we have to take them back to Ashley’s parent’s house first in order for them to get their luggage and Ashley’s mom has manipulated Ashley into opening up the rest of the gifts at their house tonight before jetting off to the hotel.”
Every muscle on my face is tensing. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“No.”
I take a deep breath and say to myself “Sever the ties that bonds us as friends.” I look up at Nathan who is standing patiently waiting for a response.
“Of course we will do all those things because they are family and that is what you do for family.”
Nathan smiles and runs to tell Patrick and Ashley that we are ready to go whenever they are.

While at the Dunn family home I remain silent. I laugh when expected and smile when noticed. I make a personal vow to never return to this place ever again. We drop the happy couple off at the airport along with them I leave our turbulent friendship. The drive home is silent. I take a deep breath, close my eyes and lay my head on my pillow.
Imprint

Publication Date: 03-23-2009

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
To every girl who has ever been a bridesmaid