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45 Years
Ago Today – Part Four
(This post follows the one of September 6, 7, & 8 – yesterday)
I said
yesterday that…
“At that
moment as we walked down the aisle and to the back of the church… I checked my
watch… only 2 hours and 15 minutes until the airplane was leaving with us on
board. It would whisk us away to the
beginning of our new life together. The
departure was 1:30 PM and whatever was planned for the reception – we would be
on the plane!
I checked
my watch again…”
As we
exited the church our guests followed.
Alida and
I had a special task to do before we took part in the next steps after the
ceremony.
Outside
in a car, just outside the church entrance, was my Uncle Bob. Uncle Bob was a quadriplegic that was
confined to a wheel chair and at that moment he was confined to my Grandpa’s
back seat.
There was
no Handicapped parking in 1967, at least at that place.
Further
to that my grandpa Kirkpatrick had made a decision that Uncle Bob might let out
a “Whoop” or two when he would get excited.
Grandpa Kirk had left Bob in the car for the ceremony.
Alida’s
first wish was to go see Uncle Bob in Grandpa’s car. She came over to the car and opened the door
to talk to Bob. We wanted him to be part
of the service but understood Grandpa’s feelings. Things in 1967 were not as
they are today.
Bob gave
out his “Whoop” as expected. He couldn’t speak clearly. But found great joy in letting out a beller
when he was feeling the joy… then he would laugh like crazy after he did
it. As we approached the car he was
already whooping.
Bob
couldn’t feed himself, He had never dressed himself and his hygiene was not
always the best… but this man loved his nieces and nephews… and prayed for all
of us. Praying he could do well… and all
of us knew that Bob may have been the protecting angel for our family. A
handicap that came at his birth was not going to hold him back from “loving his
kids”.
Grandpa
took him home after the ceremony. The
excitement of a wedding reception was not for him.
That
moment with Uncle Bob showed me what kind of woman that I married. Others were
always more important to her than her own joys or needs. Uncle Bob was part of my life and now he was
part of hers as well. He was family and we loved him.
We were
whisked off to the Photographer’s Shop to have a wedding photos taken. When I look back now at this special
treasures we have – the grin on my face still had the feeling behind, “Come,
get going, it is now 11:45 AM and times a wasting! The airplane leaves at 1:30 PM and we are
going to be on it.
Our
reception was very simple. There was a table for the sandwiches and
sweets. Alida took the sandwich tray and
helped serving some of the older folks that couldn’t do the buffet thing. Another snap shot of her serving others.
Some of
these older folks had watched her grown up from her skinny little girl stage to
become the beautiful young lady dressed in her wedding gown… glowing with her
own joy and happiness.
With the
speeches done and toast made – time was ticking.
We were
told that we could change into our “going away outfits” in a small room off the
main church hall. It could have been a
Sunday School Class room… all I remember was that it was small. My new wife slipped off her wedding gown and
stood there looking for her going away dress and stuff. I was going to wear the same suit on to the
airplane – so I tried to help her. Too funny.
It is not
ever person that just gets married watches his new bride disrobe with all the
guests standing outside the little room – waiting to see what she would be
wearing.
Sexy? Not really…the atmosphere of a Sunday School
Class room doesn’t really add to that idea.
I looked
at my watch again… and there was not time to dally. The plane was leaving soon!!!! Let’s go!
At the airport…
My dad
drove us to the airport. We unloaded
everything and together Alida and I carried our own suitcases. I didn’t trust any of “my friends”. They had done
things to others in our group and these things were nasty.
They had
stolen suitcases. They had filled suitcases with food stuff at other weddings. They were all tricksters and loved getting to
“one of their own”!
Whew! We made it to the counter without any problem
so far… the girl at the check in counter saw us coming and greeted the newlyweds
with a big smile. I guess some how she could tell – or someone had told her?!
She asked
for my tickets and our names. After
looking the tickets over carefully… then pausing she said slowly and with a
very apologetic expression… “I am so sorry sir… these tickets are not right…
your reservation has been cancelled…”
My heart
stopped beating at that moment. Alida lost
her smile too. The rush to get there on
time had failed. Somehow, someone got it wrong.
Can you imagine – CANCELLED!!!!!
Another
airline lady was standing behind the one that we were talking to and that had
just told us about the cancellation. A
smirk came over her face and she grinned at us.
The one dealing with us had a deadpan expression…
My reaction
was instant. I looked the airline lady
in the eye and said… “I think you can reverse that cancellation – now… can’t you!?”
She burst
out laughing as did all my friends and cousins that had put her up to it. I looked around and shook my head. They were all
laughing so hard that they would haven’t heard me cuss them for my heart
failure!!!
With the
boarding pass in hand something then took place to mess me up some more.
Alida’s
nurse friends, all very nice girls, asked to the two of us to come outside for
one last photo.
After the
photo all these nice girls rushed us and dumped one or two bags of confetti
down our necks!!!! Alida got as much as
I did...!!
The call
for boarding came and we headed inside… with a trail of confetti coming slowly
down my pant leg.. and dropping from Alida’s dress. It dribbled out all the way to the airplane…
down the aisle… to our new seats.
There was
not guessing where the newlyweds were sitting on the airplane. There were few giggles and smirks as they
looked at us.
For the next
four hours I sat in a sticky and itchy wad of paper confetti in my
underwear. Mistakenly I had grabbed my
underwear top when trying to get it out of my shirt… and in it went.
What a send-off! That was 45 years ago today – September 9th
1967.
The
adventure started 50 years and one month ago when I first met Alida. This morning I presented her with breakfast
in bed… and big kiss with a thousand memoires behind it.
I love
you Alida Jones Lincoln! Thank you for
45 of the best years of my life – and I am looking forward to all that we have
left together.
~
Murray Lincoln ~
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