Chapter 15
“Bro....how?” Bruno asked
“ long story man” Phred said
“One long as story” Alisia said
I was thinking to when I last seen Phred, his dreads were shorter and so was his height but that was like 7 years ago. 7 sad years ago, when Alisia's dad found out that she was pregnant not only was she was pregnant & 17 she was pregnant by a black guy. Alisia's family has never been racist but man when he found out, I seen a side of him that made me never want to see him again. Not only did her mom watched as he threw all her stuff out the house,He disowned her. Burned her birth certificate and everything. I pleaded him for her to stay because my mama & Alisia had always not been on the same side of the train tracks. Mama always said she was a spoiled little rich girl who never gotten beat & had no manners even thought they could afford them but I knew Alisia was no where near that.
When I tried to plea for her Alisia & Phred threw the birth certificate, while it was on fire , tossed it on Alisia dad's car. His favorite all black Chevy with the sparkling white top and white wheels. They never realized that their sleeves was on fire until her mother started screaming & threw water on them. But even though all the pain she was in, she was strong enough to flip her dad a bird. That's why they shared the same burn mark on their arms. We helped her put her stuff in her car & together they walked hand & hand into her car & we drove off.
I looked at their arms and smiled, they were such a strong couple getting through everything together it was romantic that the burn reminded me of what they went through together but I don't know what happened between them.
“excuse me” Alisia said
she walked upstairs and Phred followed her. Bru looked at me & I looked at him, he had this look in his face like he didn't know anything.
“Didn't Phred tell you that he had a son?” I said
“yeah but, he never told me who the mother was” Bru said
“yeah, I didn't recognize him at first but yeah”
“whats their story”
“you know that burn on Alisia hand”
“yeah”
“well phred got the same thing, that's the story”
“damn”
“yeah”
“that's some real love shit right there”
I walked over to Bru and he hugged me. I listen for arguing but Phred and Alisia weren't making a sound. I gave Bru a kiss and helped me finish cleaning up. When we got done we went up stairs. I opened the door to Alisia's room and seen her and Phred sleeping together. Phred had his arms around her like he was protecting her & All I could do is smile. I looked down and seen their twin burn marks, whatever was going on with them, I hoped it worked out. I closed the door, went to my room and laid in the bed next to Bru and we were just staring at each other.
“Alicia” he said
“yeah babe” I said
“you really wanna marry me?”
“yes”
“are you sure?”
“yeah babe”
“you really want to be Mrs. Hernandez”
“why the doubts”
“i just don't want to pressure”
“none at all Bru”
“then lets get married now”
“right now?” I asked
“right now babe” he said as he kissed my hands
“Now Bruno?”
“i mean why not?, it's a beautiful night, & I know this little chapel on the boulevard, we can go, no one will know”
“But Bru...”
“Oh Come on girl”
“But look at me, I look like trash right about now”
“who cares if were trash”
“don't got no money”
“got a pocket full of cash we can blow”
“but what will we toast to?”
“shots of Patrone”
“Alrighty if you say so”
“& it's on girl”
He Stood up on the bed and started to sing & dance.
“don't no no no no no, just say yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah, & we'll go go go go go, if your ready like i'm ready”
“Bruno, ok ok ok”
“Baby dance with me”
He jumped off the bed and pulled me with him, he spun me around. He kissed my lips then lifted up my dress and kissed our child. I got a little cold sweat, forgetting I was about to be a mother. It seem like a long time from now but, it'll be here before we know it & that gave me butterflies. I left a note on Alisia's door put the ring on the dresser and we left.
We got to this cheesy chapel, with this cheesy person of a priest. He just smiled at us and let us in. He had a greasy slick back, Chocolate eyes, a gray pin striped suit with a ton of gold on him. The chapel was all pink, blue & red with white streamers & a red carpet. The walls were covered with pictures of people who have been here before & there was 2 spiral black metal stairs. There was a wedding banner over a podium with a black leather book. I looked at the guy & he was staring me down. Making me feel uncomfortable, I squeezed Bru hand a little harder.
“hello, my dearest. Oh let me guess you guys wanna get married?” the guy said
“yeah” Bru said
When he spoke he extended all his vowels & spoke in staccato. After each word he took a breath like he had trouble breathing.
“well, you came to the right place, by the way you can call me smoe”
“Smoe?” I said
“yes, Rev Smoe” he said
With a snap of his fingers 4 women & 4 guys came down the spiral stairs. The guys came down with a handful of tuxes and the girls came down with a handful of wedding dresses. The girls pulled me away from Bru and the guys did the same to him. I blew him a kiss and was dragged into this room.
I was stripped & dressed. Poked at pulled at. They were making me try on so many dresses and shaking there heads until they found one, pulling my hair into a style, spraying hairspray into my head over & over, make up put on and off my face. This was all going on and I didn't even get to see what was going on there was no mirror.
This all went on for about 20 minutes but felt like 10years, when they were finally done I was dragged into another room full of mirrors. I seen my self, all I could do was stare. The Dress was, absolutely beautiful. Light tan, Strapless, short but elegant, the beading on the bottom of the dress was in a design of flowers and my hair was like a flower. They had put it up in a French type of bun but with sharp twist and they put daisies in my hair. My shoes were light tan with beading on them like the dress. My makeup was a little heavy but it was good, seeing myself like this gave me goosebumps.
All of a sudden I heard a noise and the mirrors moved out of the way. The girls were holding the body length mirrors to hide me and so I could see myself. They were all dressed in dark tan with almost the same beading as my dress. Hair wavy they looked like dolls. On of them threw me my bouquet, when I looked up everyone was lined up on the side. Guys in there tux with tan ties & canes I finally looked at Bruno. All black suit with a Light tan tie & hat with a Tan feather.
His eyes absolutely sparkled as his jaw dropped when he seen me, my heart was beating so fast as someone played the wedding march. The aisle felt like it was a mile long & had butterflies, my legs were shaking and I felt as though I was going to vomit but when I got to the end Bru grabbed my hand and I felt better.
“you look....stunning” Bru said
“you look so yourself”
“but not like you Alicia”
“thank you” I said as I smiled
Bru smiled back and Smoe started the ceremony. We said what we had to say to each other. Bruno pulled out a regular ring and put it on my finger. When it was my turn I looked around to see where I could find a ring.
“flowers” someone said
“oh...thanks” I said
I said what I had to say and put the ring on Bruno's finger. We did our kiss as husband and wife, then was showed into our room. The room was all red with a heart shaped bed and pillows. On the bed were out clothes. Bru picked me up and put me on the bed.
“wow” we said at the same time.
“this really happen”
“yes it did Mrs. Hernandez “
“Mrs. Hernandez...”
I sat up not feeling so well, oh no, not this again. I put my hand on my stomach but I wasn't nauseated I just didn't feel good. Bru got up with me, with the same face I had.
“babe this don't feel right” he said
“ I was thinking the same thing”i said
“ I think the fact that Maria or Alisia aren't here”
“ lets get out of here”
We both got up, got dressed and walked out the room, Smoe was right at the steps with a bottle of champagne in his hand. He looked up.
“ oh hello” he said
“were gonna go now” Bru said
“oh no stay, to guilty?”
“how did you..” Bru said
“my wife had the same face as she did when we did the same thing”
“oh really” I said
“yeah, but she passed”
“...i'm sorry”
“we got married remarried 10 times because she loved weddings so much”
“oh my goodness” I said
“yeah that dress you have on was her favorite”
“...it's a beautiful dress”
“yeah”
“who were all of those people helping with the wedding?”
“my children” he said
“all of them” Bru asked
“yeah all 10 of them” Smoe said
“every wedding a new child” I asked
“yeah”
I felt bad, poor guy had to live his life without his love of his life and seeing me in her dress didn't help. No wonder her had a bottle of champagne in his hand. I looked at the walls again and realized all the pictures were the same couple. Smoe and his wife. With every picture there was one added child to a picture. His eye were sad and red and I realized that this was there home, his and all 10 of his children. At the top of the stairs was a picture of her in the dress I was wearing, no children. This was her first dress she ever wore. She had long black wavy hair, soft brown eyes, pail skinned and full lips she was beautiful.
“let me tell you your total”
He got up and walked over to a desk, throwing the champagne in the trash he showed us all of the things we had and the cost. The total was a lot but Bru pulled out a roll of money and paid the man. Gave him a tip too.
“no It's too much” he said
“take it...” Bru said
“ I couldn't man”
“please” I said
He looked at me and took the money.
“you guys have the same eyes you know?” he said
“who” I asked
“you and my Marissa”
I just smiled at him because he looked at though he wanted to cry. I gave him the dress and kissed him on his cheek. He put his hand there and a tear came running down. Bru told him he left the tux on the bed and Smoe just nodded his head. We left and snuck back into the house, took out my hair, took a shower together and got into the bed.
“Poor guy” Bru said
“yeah” I said
“i wouldn't know what to do if I loss you”
“same here”
Bru kissed my neck and pulled me closer to him. As I started to drift off I thought of Smoe and all 10 of his children. I put my hand on my stomach and smiled, being happy that Bru was by my side and I was Mrs. Hernandez. Maybe not officially but close enough. Closing my eyes I appreciated having Bru with me and fell asleep.