Page 25 of My Stepbrother's Wedding
“You mean you’re not asking us to cover it?” Elizabeth said. Dad’s face brightened, a hint of embarrassment in his eyes.
“How could I? It’s not your fault, and you’ve already come all this way.”
Dad took a relieved breath. “Well, I’m sure we can chip in a bit.”
Elizabeth crossed her arms and huffed.
“You no have to,” Miranda said, struggling to find the words. “We love our daughter.” She threw her arms around Irena. “We do anything for her.” The condition of the home made it clear she didn’t have the money, but the way she clung to Irena said it didn’t matter.
Dad frowned sympathetically. He whispered something to Elizabeth, who wiped a tear away with her napkin and nodded.
“Good,” Mira said. “The problem is solved. Let’s dance!” She turned the music up and waved her arms to the beat.
A laugh reverberated around the room, and the Malegonians formed a new circle, as if the stress had been forgotten. I was amazed at how fast they could move from crisis to celebration. Still, I wondered how they could cover the extra costs.
***
After another hour, Dad, Elizabeth, and I escaped the party under the pretext of getting ready for the ceremony rehearsal. We still had an hour before Pastor Ludwig expected us at the mission church, but our hosts seemed to catch on to how overwhelmed we were with all the local customs.They tried to convince us to stay but eventually walked us out. Will came with us to ensure we’d find the church. We made it to the marketplace before anyone spoke.
“Does Irena’s family have the money for the new venue?” I asked.
Will frowned. “They had a little money hidden away. They were hoping to buy a new house one day.” The hesitation in his voice told me there was more to this than he wanted to share.
“They can cover this though, right, Will?” Elizabeth said. I could tell she thought they were too poor to come up with five thousand dollars.
Will shrugged. “It will be hard. I’ve tapped my savings already. Irena’s family doesn’t have much, but when it comes to family, they always find a way.”
Elizabeth gave Dad a hard stare. “Ralph, we should cover this. I know money’s tight, but this is special.”
“Fine,” Dad said, less annoyed than I expected. “I’ll pull some cash out of the ATM, but I doubt the bank will let me take out five thousand dollars.”
“They won’t,” Will said. “The only place to get that kind of cash is from the money exchange places, and you don’t want to be in their debt.”
Memories of the money exchange in Achris City flooded my mind. I imagined Uncle Vito pushing some Italian guy into a newly poured building foundation for not repaying a loan. Dad glanced at me, and I saw he was thinking the same thing.
“No, I guess that wouldn’t be wise,” I said.
Will grinned. “Good thing Irena’s parents have the cash.”
Chapter 10
After a short break at the villa, we navigated the winding streets of Enkelana until we came to Will and Irena’s hideously ugly church. Good heavens, I didn’t know such unsightly places of worship existed. Don’t get me wrong—I respect people’s religion, and the change in my stepbrother was a welcome improvement. It was just that the cold concrete walls and aluminum siding had less warmth than the graveyard across the street. Will explained the building had been a factory during communism. I could tell.
The inside was as bland as the outside. White, unadorned walls with a slight yellow tint supported a high ceiling. The folding chairs and wooden podium made the place look like a meeting hall, at least, but there were no altars, pews, or stained-glass windows. The only decorations were a few ribbons and balloons, apparently for the wedding.
Pastor Ludwig stepped out of the office and greeted us in his German accent. I was happy he didn’t plant any two-cheek kisses on us. Germans didn’t do that, it seemed. He talked about some church program in the “willage.” I nodded, masking my confusion. As he rambled on, I realized he was trying to say “village.”
I glanced at my watch—six o’clock. We were right on time, but no one from Irena’s family was there. They lived just around the corner, so I figured they would be in at any moment. We spent the next half hour listening to Pastor Ludwig go on about visiting orphans and widows, wondering what was taking the Malegonians so long to get there.
“Why the holdup?” Dad finally asked. “I figured we’d be done with the rehearsal by now.”
“People tend to be late for things here,” Will said. “Just give them a few minutes.”
Dad frowned, and we sat impatiently in the front row. The pastor offered us coffee. I declined, figuring if I drank any more on this trip, I’d have a stroke. Dad and Elizabeth asked for a cup, and Ludwig returned with two American-style coffees a moment later. I gaped in envy but was too embarrassed to ask for one. As jet lag caught up with me, I regretted that decision and had a sudden urge to nap.
“Why don’t you call Irena,” Elizabeth said to Will. “It’s almost seven, and they still aren’t here.”
Will nodded and dialed a number on his mobile. I heard Irena answer, wedding music blaring in the background.
