The Wedding

It should have been the happiest day of Clark’s life but his mother was trying to ruin it for everyone. She was wearing a face like a toddler who’d just been told she had to put the chocolate back on the shelf and she’d been wearing it the whole day. Clark didn’t know whether to laugh at her or cry. She should have been happy, her only son getting married and to a woman who ticked every box on his Mum’s rather long and fussy check list. Every box that is, except one.

His mum had been happy when Clark and Lucy had told her about their impending nuptials. In fact she’d been like the kid in the sweet shop as they had suspected that she might be. Clark and Lucy understood both sets of parents were traditional so the wedding was as much about the family as about them. They would have been happy to go on as they were, but having decided to start a family they knew it would please their more traditional parents if they did it from the confines of wedlock. 

So why the look? Why the tears? Why the temper tantrums? Well in Clark’s mum’s mind’s eye, she’d seen a big wedding in a church with all the traditions. She hadn’t been expecting an ‘undignified’ quickie ceremony at the Chorleywood registry office followed by a knees up above the local pub. She found it disrespectful and was willing to tell anyone who would listen and many who wouldn’t

‘I bought that boy up a Christian,’ she’d tell anyone in earshot. ‘And what does he do? Trample all over his upbringing. Just because of that atheist woman. How can I show my face in church on Sunday?’ Although rhetorical the answer to that question was easy, you are going to love church on Sunday, a whole new group of people to whinge to, but nobody dare say it.

It had never crossed Clark and Lucy’s mind to have a church wedding, they weren’t religious - religion played no part in their lives whatsoever. Even Christmas was a low-key event, preferring to get away from the consumerist hell with a few days in the sun or in a remote cottage. They didn’t hate religion; it just wasn’t really on their radar.

The band struck up, and Lucy and Clark danced their first dance before others joined them on the dance floor to jive to covers of well know hits. Clark watched a little jealously as the best man got a little too close to Lucy in their dance while the bridesmaid Clark got to dance with was a snotty, 9 year old cousin.  The band were good, close your eyes and you could really believe you were listening to the Killers or the Stone Roses. They’d been surprisingly recommended by Clark’s mum who eventually seemed to have found her smile and was now enjoying the attentions of the father of the bride.

‘It’s a privilege to play here at Mr and Mrs Edward’s wedding.’ The lead singer said. ‘It’s good that you are enjoying our covers but here’s one of our own songs.’

Lucy and Clark were just wondering if they were allowed to sneak off from their own wedding, when they heard the lines from the song.

‘He lives in ever one of us, he’ll be there till the end, in good times and in bad times, Jesus is our friend. When you need someone, on him you can depend, he’s there for each and every one of us, Jesus is your friend.’

Clark swore quietly and then looked at his mother who was idly playing with the cross on her necklace and smiling like Jesus himself had just walked into the room.