Chapter 41
Wes
Yesterday, Elli showed me all around her favorite parts of Provo/Orem.
She drove me past her alma mater, Utah Valley University and pointed out her favorite lunch and study spots.
We drove all around Provo where she showed me her old elementary, middle, and high schools, and where she would hang out with her friends after school.
A DOLLAR!
I also found some sick band t-shirts that were only three bucks each. I can see why the thrift store is so popular, since everything there is so cheap.
She explained that the big white “Y” on the mountain represents Brigham Young University and that it’s tradition for freshmen to hike up the mountain and light it up at the beginning of the school year.
Elli told me the story of how a few years back, a group of people, both students and not, hiked up to the Y and lit it up with rainbow lights.
BYU apparently freaked out and denied any involvement in the act.
They said it was not authorized or sanctioned by the school, and any students involved were punished.
That’s some bullshit if you ask me. Who wouldn’t want to see the mountain lit
Today is Spencer’s farewell. We haven’t seen anyone from her family yet, and Elli is buzzing with anxious energy as she gets ready. I haven’t seen her in a dress like this, it’s much more…modest than what she usually wears.
It’s a pale pink dress that goes down to her calves, and the sleeves puff a bit and go all the way to her elbows.
It’s a V-neck, but a higher v, and has a white polka dot pattern and buttons all the way down the front.
She’s paired it with brown flats, and has pinned her hair into a bun.
She’s got on gold hoops, and is currently trying to fasten a necklace around her pretty neck, but her hands are shaking so bad she can’t get it to clasp.
“Let me help you, baby.” I say gently, standing behind her and taking the necklace from her. I get it fastened, then run my hands down her arms and wrap my arms around her waist from behind. “You look beautiful.” I say, making eye contact with her in the mirror.
“Thank you.” she sighs, leaning into me. “This is how I used to dress all the time. I haven’t put on this dress in months. It’s weird. Like I’m playing dress up as someone else.”
“I can see how it would feel that way. Are you going to be okay today?”
“Yeah. I’m excited to see my siblings, and hopefully Hannah will be here. We better get going before we’re late, my mom will have a fit.” She sighs, turning to give me a peck on the cheek.
I’m not satisfied with that, so I pull her back and devour her mouth. I can feel some of the tension leave her as we kiss and it makes me feel like maybe I can actually help her through this.
“Say the word any time today, baby, and I’ll get you out of there, okay? I love you.”
She nods, then turns to walk away. I give that juicy ass a spank and she yelps in surprise but I’m not sorry.
“C’mon baby. We’re going to be late.” I tease and she rolls her eyes at me.
I can’t even count how many identical churches we’ve passed in the ten minute drive from the hotel, but every time I thought we had arrived, she just drove right past our destination.
When we park, I watch men in suits and women in dresses enter into the red brick buildings, and I glance down at my black chinos and gray button up and feel a little underdressed.
“Elli? Am I underdressed? Everyone here looks like they’re going to a job interview or a funeral.”
Elli chuckles and shakes her head. “No babe. You’re dressed just fine. Besides, it won’t be your clothes that draw attention.”
I roll my eyes this time. I can see how a tattooed, pierced, long-haired guy would stand out in this crowd. Not like I haven’t stood out my whole life, but here, it’s very obvious.
We walk into a lobby type area and Elli leads me through big double doors into a room filled with benches and uncomfortable looking metal chairs. I see they’ve opened up an accordion door type thing and filled what looks to be a big gym area with the chairs.
Up in front, where all the benches are facing, there’s a big podium with a microphone, a row of benches, an organ, and a piano. Behind those, are more chairs that look like a choir should be sitting there.
Huh, maybe the music’ll be good.
Off to the side of the podium is a table covered in a white cloth that looks suspiciously like a body is laying underneath the sheets.
“Um, Elli?” I whisper in her ear.
“Hm?”
“Why does it look like there’s a body up there?” I subtly tilt my head towards the table so as not to draw attention.
“Oh, that’s the sacrament. It purposefully looks like a body so you can imagine it’s the body of Christ.”
I don’t even know what to say to that so I just nod in agreement.
All the walls in this room are white. Now that I think about it, all the walls in the lobby area are white, too. Except for the bottom half, which is covered in rough looking carpet type material. Even the benches are covered in carpet.
Carpet floors. Carpet benches. Carpet walls.
Interesting design choice.
Elli leads me to one of the side benches where a blonde woman and a bald man are standing with a younger guy in a suit. The woman turns around and I recognize her instantly from Elli’s instagram as Louise Monson.
Elli’s mom.
The young man in the suit sees Elli first and gives her a head nod, like he’s too good to talk to her. That must be Spencer. I can see the resemblance. He has the same dark hair, same nose shape, and the same blue eyes, though his are duller than Elli’s.
Elli’s mom and dad turn around to see who Spencer is acknowledging and their eyes immediately lock onto our interlocked hands. I watch Louise’s face morph from one of disgust to politely impassive in a way that has to be practiced.
“Elliana. So glad you could make it.” She says with a fake smile, pulling Elli into a stiff, awkward hug.
“Good to see you, Elli.” Her dad says, patting her heartily on the back. “You must be Wes. I’m Kent.”
I take his outstretched hand, shaking it firmly. “Nice to meet you Mr. Monson. You as well Mrs. Monson.” After I let go of Kent’s hand, I offer my hand to Louise and she looks at it like I’m going to give her a disease.
Eventually she takes it lightly in her hand and shakes it once, muttering a “You too.”
Louise turns back to Elli and gestures towards three big benches, “We’ve saved these three benches for the family. Sit on the end of this one.” It’s not a request, but a demand. I’m immediately in defense mode, ready to defend my lady.
“Sure.” Elli tugs me along and lets me sit on the outer edge. She sits beside me, her knee bouncing anxiously.
I place a hand on her knee and rub little circles, hoping to soothe her, but she only offers me a polite, forced smile in return.
Ten minutes later, our bench is filled with people. Izzy was able to sneak over to sit by us before her mom got upset, and that’s given me a bit of comfort to know Elli won’t be sitting by someone who’s going to be rude.
I’ve been introduced as Elli’s boyfriend to seven aunts, six uncles, and at least ten cousins. But those are just the ones who have come to say hi to Elli. She really wasn’t lying about having a big family. They’ve given me looks that range from disgust and fear, to curiosity.
Just as the organ starts to play a soft melody, Elli nudges my arm. “There’s Hannah,” She nods toward a woman two rows behind us,” she’s in the black dress and has blonde hair. We’ll have to go say hi after.”
“Sounds good, baby.” I reply.
A middle-aged white man with a bald head stands at the podium and introduces himself as Brother Casey, the first counselor of the ward welcoming all the visitors. His eyes snag on me and he visibly flinches before he continues and avoids looking in my direction the rest of the time.
I lean over to Elli and whisper, “Who’s brother is he? Are the three white men up there all related?”
Elli covers her mouth to hide her laughter, and leans over to say, “No, that’s how they refer to people who don’t have higher titles. Like, I was Sister Monson when I was called on.”
Brother Casey gives the agenda for the meeting, and then everyone opens the green books scattered throughout. Elli and Izzy share one, and I lean over to read the chords and the lyrics.
They’re singing an upbeat hymn called Called to Serve. I assume it has something to do with missions. It honestly sounds a bit like a battle song. The congregation, as they call it, overpowers the organ in sound as people shout the hymn.
Immediately after the song ends, a petite blonde woman who looks to be about twenty-seven, holding an infant on her hip, steps up to the podium and offers what they call an opening prayer.
I lean over and whisper in Elli’s ear, “Is it a rule you have to be blonde?”
Elli just shakes her head and tries to contain her laughter again.
Once the woman is done praying, the brother dude gets up again and calls a bunch of names and gives them jobs like “relief society second counselor” or “elder’s quorum president.” I make a mental note to ask Elli what those mean later.
When he concludes his business, there’s another song. This one is monotone and boring, titled As Now We Take the Sacrament.
As the people sing, I watch the three young boys around Luke’s age sitting at the table that looks like it has a body on it, unfold some of the sheets and begin… tearing up bread? I can’t fully see from here, but that’s what it looks like.
When the song is done, one of the boys disappears behind the table and a voice begins reading a prayer that talks about the bread being the body of Jesus.
Okay so that’s really fucking weird.
But then again, Catholics do something similar, right?
Then a parade of eight boys go up to the three sitting at the bench, take a tray of bread from them, then begin passing it out. One stands at one end of a bench, one at the other, and they trade off directions of the bread passing.