My
Journal
By
Harriman Nelson
22
“No,”
Joe said as he and Lee went through the presidential calendar with Melody’s
mother in the red salon. They’d been
going over it for hours. “There’s just nothing open for a few months.”
“That
is un-accept-able,” she said, over a glass of Mur.
“Why
must the wedding be so soon, anyway?” Emmie yawned over her Blackberry Tea. “I
can’t understand the urgency.”
“Lee
will not be pres-i-dent all that much long-er.”
“So
it’s a status thing?”
“It
will make it easier for our kind to accept the union with a sub species if he still bears the position as leader.”
"Sub species?" Joe railed.
"Joe, chill," Lee ordered. "Ma'am, sub species
or not, in your opinion, it’s our wedding and we don't
give a damn about my status!"
“Lee,
please,” Melody said. “Mother only wants what is best for us. Don’t you have
any leeway? No pun intended. You changed your schedule before.”
“Perhaps,”
her father said, “he does not wish to
make you as happy as he has said he would.”
“That’s
not fair,” I said. “He’s a busy man and….”
“Too
busy to honor our trad-i-tions,” the captain said, "if you don't, we will not attend, nor honor the union.”
“Now
wait a minute,” Mrs. C. said. “Just what does not honor mean?”
“The
bonding will not be valid. My daughter will be dis-honored among our kind.”
“At
least,” Melody said, “I will be happy.”
“Hold
it,” Lee said. “Joe? There’s a half hour gap right here…”he said pointing to a
spot that wasn’t filled on his calendar. “Tomorrow at 1500.”
“Tomorrow?
And a half hour?” Emmie asked, “you can hardly fit in a wedding without much
notice. And a mere half hour? What about the guests, a reception…”
“I
want my wife to enter matrimony in the custom of her people. We can just go for a minor reception. We can go to Camp David
for the honeymoon. Joe?”
Lee asked, “have the West Wing issue the day and time to the invited guests. Nobody knew when it would be
anyway. Have
Drew, he’s at the Navy Lodge, come over to assist if you need help. “
“It’s
all computerized, Lee. We can do it in a second.”
“Not
all of the upper echelon guests use
email. Also contact Seaview. See where they are and if she can get here in
time. And…see what we can do about postponing most of the scheduled meetings on
my schedule. Wait,” he added after a pause, “postpone them all.”
“You
see?” Melody’s mother said. “You do have ‘lee-way’.” she giggled.
“Then
everything’s okay?” Lee asked the parents, “you’ll attend? She won’t be
dishonored?”
“She
will not be dis-honored. We will bring our own refreshments. We understand most
of your foods are unpalatable to us.”
“Except
for brownies and ice cream,” Melody said. “I hope you’ll try them.”
“We
will see you tomorrow,” the captain said as he and his wife rose, “good night.
Lt.? you will attend us aboard our ship.”
As
soon as they’d departed the room, accompanied by Lee and Melody, we all sagged
in relief,
“Leeway,
my ass,” Joe said. “There will be repercussions about delaying some of those
meetings. Not exactly politically correct.”
“Blackmailed.
Pure and simple,” Mrs. C. said. “I don’t
like these new in-laws. At all.”
“Well,”
Emmie said, “we really need to get back to the hotel. For a little sleep before
the big day.”
“Oh, I
almost forgot, Admiral,” Joe said, “Lee has those papers for you to sign in
order for you to preside over the ceremony. All you have to do is read the
script. I’ll go get them for you and I’ll arrange for a car.”
“I
need to find a hairdresser,” Mrs. C. said.
“Me
too,” Emily said.
“I’m
sure Ms. Simpson can arrange for it,” Joe said as he headed out.
As
soon as Emily and I arrived back at the hotel, there was a message waiting for
us. The Happy Day salon had scheduled Emmie for a hair appointment at 10:00.
Mrs. C. also had an appointment there at the same time.
“Well,
at least we’ll get a few winks, anyway,” Emmie said as we headed to the
elevator.
Few
was the operative word. But I did fall asleep about an hour before the alarm
woke me at 0600.
I
ordered room service for breakfast, but the full menu of the Seasons wasn’t
available for another hour. I did manage to get some coffee and toast sent up.
“Be careful not to spill any of that jam
on that script,” Emmie warned me as I studied my lines while she poured herself
a cup of coffee.
“Already
have. Hope nobody notices.”
“You
know, I can’t help feeling a little sorry for Melody. No bridal shower.
Wait…let me call Angie. Maybe she can think of something.”
“You
really want to call her at this hour?”
“It’s
an emergency.”
They
arranged to meet for a real breakfast at Angie’s hotel, already serving, and in
minutes Emmie was on her way the short distance by cab. I warned her to be back
by 0900 so she’d be here for the White House car to take her to the beauty
shop.
I
turned on the hot showers so that our wedding party clothes might have a little
steam to iron out some of the wrinkles. We’d put them on after our own
freshening up later.
At
7:00 I called for room service and added scrambled eggs to my stomach as I
watched the weather, traffic and local news as I flipped the TV channels.
Finally, they switched to the breaking news of the impending wedding….
“….Earlier
this morning the long awaited arrival of the bride to be’s mother landed with her
husband, the captain of the flotilla of spaceships orbiting Earth. They spent a
few hours as guests of the presidential couple and exchanged pleasantries with
Admiral and Mrs. Nelson, Mrs. Crane, and Cmdr. Jackson, the president’s chief
aide….”
Flip.
“….It
is unknown what was discussed, but the wedding date has been set for today at 3
o’clock. All scheduled meetings with the president for today have been
postponed. Again, in spite of the alien tradition of an almost immediate
wedding following the betrothal, one really does have to wonder if this is a
ray gun wedding…”
Flip.
“….The
bride’s mother and father returned to his spaceship, along with his Lt., who
you may remember has been the alien liaison on Earth. As you know the president
named him Lt. Numbers as it was easier than using his numerical name. It is
unknown if the president has renamed his future mother-in-law. We do not know
if during their brief stay, the future in laws met Winston the English bulldog,
and Missy the cat, the adopted pets of the presidential couple. It is also
unknown if they will attend the wedding….”
I had
just turned it all off when I got a call from Emmie. Apparently Angie had
brought a huge box of ‘goodie’s for the bride from employees who hadn’t thought
they’d be albe to attend the wedding.
All NCIMR employees had been invited. And some had anticipated coming and were
now busy calling Angie their ‘regrets’ that no airline schedule could get them
to D.C. in time. But at least Angie, Emmie, and Mrs. C. could give Melody a
little shower before Emmie had to return to get her ride to the beauty parlor.
The
storms and rain of yesterday have given way to brilliant sunshine of today and
I’m sitting on the outside
terrace watching the world go by as I record the events of the day so far. And
listen to the inside grandfather clock tick the minutes away to the biggest day
in Lee’s life.
I’d
better study my lines again. Script or not, I don’t want to make any mistakes.
Don’t
want to get on the wrong side of the mother-in-law.
