Wisdom Seeds (20 page)

I was preparing for finals and trying to find a job for the summer. Jason was studying for finals, interviewing and preparing for graduation. He had been offered a very good job at Morgan Stanley in New York, but had not yet accepted. I had only talked to Jason twice that week and assumed he was afraid to tell me he would be leaving. I couldn't blame him, even though I wanted him to love me enough to stay. He came by the night before graduation.

“Hey stranger,” I greeted him as Josh ran to him.

Jason smiled and kissed me on the cheek. “Hey stranger yourself.”

He sat on the floor and began playing with Josh. “I didn't take the job in New York,” he announced stacking blocks for Josh to knock down.

“I know you really wanted that job.” I sat down next to him on the floor.

“What I really want is you.” He put Josh on his lap. “And this little guy here. I took the Business Manager position with the school district. I start in June.”

“Jason, I'll make it worth it,” I whispered after I kissed him.

Dr. and Mrs. Singleton, Maureen, Ellis, Adrienne and her fiancé, Scott, came to Jason's graduation. We went to dinner afterward and Jason told them of the job he had taken. Mrs. Singleton smiled and no one questioned why he turned down the job in New York. Maureen's husband, Ellis, played with Josh during dinner and talked about having some playmates for him the next time the family got together.

It was a good evening and I was happy to be part of it. Maureen and Ellis invited us to Detroit for the Fourth of July – the family cookout was at their house. By the end of the evening I felt like family. I exchanged numbers with his sisters and promised to keep in touch.

June was busy and my two classes sometimes seemed like a full load. Jason came with me to Pittsburgh for Alicia's wedding. My parents were unable to attend which meant they would have to wait until October, when Rhonda was getting married, to meet Jason. I tried to get up the nerve to wink at him during the ceremony, but couldn't do it. I thought about him, playing over and over in my mind, and hoping, that one day Jason and I would be getting married. I loved him and was confident of his love for me and Josh. Jason was my soul mate – he made me feel complete. As we walked down the aisle after the ceremony, Jason caught my eye and winked at me.

Andrea invited us to come back to Pittsburgh for the
Fourth of July. She was disappointed that we were going to be in Detroit so we made plans to visit one weekend in August after summer school was over.

We arrived back in Columbus early Sunday afternoon. The sky was clear and the sun was shining. I felt guilty about having to study because it was a beautiful day to go to the park. Jason volunteered to take Josh while I went to the library to study. What a trade off!

Jason insisted we go out to dinner the night before we went to Detroit. I should have suspected something because Denise called me and offered to baby-sit.

After we ate, Jason handed me a huge gift bag. “This is just because I love you. Open it,” he smiled. “I think you'll really like it.”

It was a huge red velvet pillow wrapped in layers of white tissue paper. It was a different kind of gift and I wasn't sure of the significance.

“Do you like it?”

I was hesitant to answer because I didn't want to offend him.

“Let me show you what that's for.” He took the pillow from me and put it on the floor. Kneeling on the pillow he took a ring box out of his jacket pocket. “In six months I've fallen madly in love with you. I want this feeling to last a life time. Will you marry me?”

I was speechless and had to remind myself to breathe. It was as if time stood still and I couldn't say yes fast enough. Jason kissed me and everyone in the restaurant applauded. I was going to be Jason's wife.

By the time I got home it was almost midnight – I called my mother anyway. She was sleeping and asked me to repeat myself. Then she congratulated me through her tears and said she couldn't wait to meet her future son-in-law.

Jason announced our engagement to his family at the cookout, which really wasn't too much of a surprise. Mrs. Singleton obviously knew and had asked to see my ring when we arrived.

Mrs. Singleton hugged me. “Now you can call me Mom and Josh can call me Grandma,” she smiled. “He's my first grandchild.”

Again, I was overwhelmed and had to excuse myself. I hated crying so easily – I was overjoyed to be welcomed into the Singleton family with open arms. It was another good weekend and I had the chance to meet Jason's aunts, uncles, cousins and his high school friends.

We arrived in Pittsburgh a few weeks later and Andrea cooked dinner to celebrate my engagement. On Saturday, Andrea arranged for two of her undergraduate sorority sisters to keep Josh so we could go to Kennywood Park.

It was a humid August afternoon and the Rotor was the first thing we rode. Andrea's boyfriend, Harvey, talked us into riding the Racers. I hated roller coasters so I held onto Jason and screamed during the ride. We ate funnel cake and Potato Patch fries and stood in lines for hours. It was one of the best times of my life.

October didn't come soon enough and I was anxious to show everyone my engagement ring. We arrived in Smithtown for Rhonda's wedding just before the last of the leaves fell to the ground. Smithtown was always beautiful in the fall.

“Look at my ring!” I smiled as Mom met us in the driveway.

“Oh, Danielle!” Mom hugged me. “I'm so happy for
you! Congratulations to you, too,” she said hugging Jason.

Mom took Josh out of his car seat and kissed him repeatedly. She put him down and he played in the leaves piled in the yard.

I was upstairs changing my clothes when I heard Mom introduce Jason to my dad.

“David, this is Jason. Dani's fiancé.”

“Well I guess congratulations are in order,” was his stoic reply. “This seems rather sudden. When's the wedding?”

“Next year sir,” Jason said shaking his hand. “We're looking at May or June after Dani graduates.”

“Hey Dad,” I said coming down the steps. “I'm getting married!”

He turned and smiled at me. “So I hear, so I hear. Will I get the honors of performing the ceremony?”

“Don't you want to walk me down the aisle?”

“We can talk about that later,” Mom interrupted. “The three of you better get going over to the church. Josh and I have cookies to bake.”

Rhonda was standing on the church steps when we pulled up. I stuck my hand out the window to show off my engagement ring as she walked up to the car and we hugged each other through the open window. I remembered that Christmas when we both thought our love lives were hopeless and now we were getting married.

Rhonda's wedding was everything she always talked about having, including the designer dress from Saks. The bridesmaids wore lime colored Lois Lane suits with matching pillbox hats, gloves and shoes. Her cousin, Karen, and I wore the same suits in lemon. The changing leaves provided a breathtaking backdrop for pictures after the ceremony. Rhonda deserved every moment and I hoped her
happiness would last forever.

Before going back to my parent's house, Jason and I drove to Atlantic City. We talked about the kind of wedding we wanted as we walked along the boardwalk. The night was clear, the stars were shining and I was in love.

Unintentionally, we dressed in coordinating outfits for church the next morning. I wore the navy pin stripped coatdress Jason bought for my birthday. As Rhonda so often reminded me, I added a red silk scarf for color. Joshua had on navy pants with a white cotton sweater trimmed in navy and red. When Jason came down to the kitchen we laughed because he had on a navy pin stripped suit with a white shirt. His tie was shades of blue with two red pin stripes. Mom took our picture on the front porch. It was our first family photograph.

I should have warned Jason, but I had hoped my dad wouldn't do it. However, just as I expected, before the benediction, my dad announced from the pulpit that I was getting married. He had Jason stand and introduced him to the congregation. After the service some people wanted to congratulate us and some only wanted to see my ring. The pretentiousness made me laugh to myself – some things in Smithtown would never change!

Time was moving quickly and planning a wedding was much more detailed than I anticipated. Elaine agreed to be my wedding coordinator and Denise agreed to sing. Josh would be our ring bearer, my nieces would be junior bridesmaids and my nephews would be junior groomsmen. Andrea, Alicia, Rhonda, Adrienne and Maureen were happy to be bridesmaids. My excitement about getting married made focusing on my first semester difficult.

My final semester was spent at a middle school where I completed my internship. My old boss, Omar Powell, was the Guidance Counselor and supervised me. He continued to be encouraging and permitted me to implement the self-esteem model that I developed in my Group Therapy class. By the end of April I had fulfilled my required hours and Omar gave me an outstanding evaluation along with an employment recommendation. I submitted my application to the district for the upcoming school year. Omar and I worked well together and I welcomed the opportunity to work with him again.

My mom and Mrs. Singleton surprised me with a bridal shower the Sunday after graduation. Everyone who had become special in my life was there – only Nana was missing. Hard as I tried not to, I cried through my shower.

Jason and I were married on July 21, 1984 at St. Luke's Baptist Church. In spite of the storm during our wedding rehearsal, the morning was beautiful. The flowers glistened from their fresh watering and someone placed white bows on the hedges lining the front walk of my parent's house. This was the day my dreams would come true.

As much as my dad said he wanted to do the service, I hoped it meant more to him to give me away. He was presenting me to Jason, and in his eyes, making me a decent woman. I was now someone's wife, not just his daughter with a baby. One of his closest friends, Reverend Welch, performed the ceremony.

Standing at the back of the church with my dad, I smiled at the wedding party. Joshua wore the cutest white tuxedo, just like Jason's. He waved to me as I waited for the bridal march to begin. The groomsmen wore black tuxedos with peach colored vests. My brothers were groomsmen and
Noah surprised me by getting a haircut. My nephews looked like a pair of little Noah's and took turns waving at their mother.

Our bridesmaids wore peach gowns that scalloped off their shoulders. Rhonda, my matron of honor, carried a bouquet of ivory-colored carnations and the bridesmaids carried bouquets of peach colored carnations. My nieces wore ivory tea length dresses made of taffeta and lace. Elaine made them ivory baskets which were filled with peach colored rose petals.

I felt like a princess as I descended the aisle. My ivory Victorian lace gown was scalloped off my shoulders and flared at my waist. The front of my gown touched the floor and my train flowed from the bow on the back of my dress. I carried a mix bouquet of peach and ivory colored roses.