Chapter 11
I curled up on the white tile floor, resting my forehead on the toilet bowl to relieve the pounding.
How was I supposed to know mushti was loaded with alcohol?
You couldn’t taste it at all. I fought off another dry heave and tried to fall asleep.
My earlier euphoria had transitioned into a hangover the moment I’d destroyed Irena’s dress.
Mira had been merciful enough to drop me off at the villa.
I had a sneaking suspicion the other Malegonians were considering some type of medieval torture if I stayed another moment at the party.
As terrible as my body ached, the shame hurt worse.
I’d made a complete fool of myself and caused another crisis on a trip that had already been plagued with misfortune.
I replayed the shocked expressions of everyone at the party in my mind as I sobbed into my arm.
At least I’d never have to worry about them trying to marry me off again.
** *
Morning sunlight woke me. Apparently I’d staggered to my bed sometime during the night, although I’d not managed to get out of my clothes or under the covers.
My head still ached, and my stomach turned.
I rummaged through my suitcase for a bottle of Advil and downed three capsules.
The pain might fade, but how would I ever live down the spectacle from the previous evening? I’d become a human dumpster fire.
After a shower and change of clothes, I made my way downstairs for breakfast. Dad and Elizabeth were already there, sipping tiny espresso cups and finishing the last morsels of their meal.
Dad clenched his teeth when he saw me, and Elizabeth sighed.
I lowered my head and sheepishly pulled up a seat at the table.
“Morning, Winifred,” Dad said in a voice that oozed disappointment.
“Morning,” I said, just above a whisper. We sat in awkward silence for a moment. A waiter brought me a plate of eggs and toast. I prodded it regretfully with my fork, too humiliated to say anything .
Elizabeth rubbed her forehead and broke the silence. “We need to be at the church before noon for the reception.”
“Did they find a new dress?” I asked.
“Fortunately, yes,” she said. “Irena’s family called the bridal shop owner and got him to come in after hours.”
“And I had to volunteer another small fortune to pay for it,” Dad said. “I’ve spent so much money on this trip, the bank just froze my card. I got a message saying my transactions looked suspicious, and I’d need to call during business hours to get my account unfrozen.”
I clenched my teeth, wanting to snap at Dad for caring more about money than his own daughter, but I had no right to act defensively. This fiasco was my fault. I took an anxious breath. “I’m sorry. It was an accident.”
“Don’t apologize to us,” Dad said. “Apologize to your stepbrother and Irena. I never thought you’d get drunk at the wedding and do something that clumsy.”
“I didn’t know that drink had alcohol in it.” I tried to sound unshaken, but my voice gave my emotions away. Tears formed in my eyes.
Dad shook his head and didn’t speak for a moment. “Elizabeth, dear, could you give me a moment with my daughter?”
“Now, Ralph, there’s no need—”
“Please. I just want a minute with Wini.”
Elizabeth gave him a long stare, then flashed her eyes at me. “Very well. I’ll be upstairs.”
Once her footsteps faded, Dad laid his hands on the table and groaned. I pursed my lips as the sharpness of my headache intensified.
“I love you, Winifred,” he said solemnly. “Do you believe that?”
His words caught me off guard. I nodded, unsure how to respond, as a tear rolled down my cheek.
“And I also love your stepbrother, Will, and I’ll grow to love his new bride and her family.
” He paused, as if trying to choose his words carefully.
“I know things have been hard on you since your mother died, and you had no choice but to live with Elizabeth and me. I also know you and Will never hit it off. I get it, but you have to try harder to get along.” He shook his head and downed the last of his coffee.
“You’ve not had a good attitude about this trip, but today, can you please turn off the snark and try to be decent?
You and Karen can run off afterward if that’s what you want. ”
I wiped my eyes. “Okay, Daddy.”
“Good. Now get ready. We need to go in just over an hour.” He left the café, an irritated twitch in his jaw.
I sat alone, reflecting. Every word he’d said was true.
I’d been unfair to the entire family. Even before we’d left Chicago, I’d done nothing but complain.
I’d never shown concern for anyone else.
In short, I’d acted like a monster since I heard about the wedding, and I knew it.
***
After breakfast, I returned to my room and sulked before getting dressed.
Outside my window, a perfect summer day awaited.
Beachgoers flocked to the sandy lakeshore, and tourists crowded into the cafés.
I should’ve been enjoying the time of my life visiting this exotic destination.
Instead, my personal rain cloud hovered overhead.
Dread gripped me at the thought of seeing everyone I’d humiliated myself in front of the previous day.
I put on my dress and touched up my makeup. As I was finishing my eyeliner, the phone rang. Will’s voice spoke on the other end.
“Wini, I need your help,” he said.
“What’s the problem?” I asked, half expecting him to scold me.
“Irena’s family went to the wrong church. Can you meet them and show them how to get here?”
“Weren’t they at yesterday’s rehearsal?”
“Yes, but they got confused and thought the ceremony was at the Orthodox church.”
That seemed strange to me, but everything in Malegonia seemed strange. “All right. I’ll meet them.”
“Thank you. I would’ve asked Mom and Ralph, but they have to get here before the others.”
I said goodbye and hung up. Under normal circumstances I would have groaned about running errands for Will. Not today though. Humiliation had a way of making me kinder than usual. I’d never fix my mistake, but I owed it to everyone to try.
A moment later, my feet shuffled through the backroads of Enkelana toward the Orthodox church.
After a brief walk, a crowd of well-dressed in-laws appeared on the road ahead.
Most had been at the party the previous day.
They were speaking to a black-robed priest with a bushy gray beard.
Vexation spread across the priest’s face, and I could tell he was unsure why these people were at his church for a wedding.
“Come with me,” I called out. The Malegonians gave me confused glances. Someone said, “Wini,” and several heads nodded, as if they understood who I was. No one moved, of course, and no one spoke English.
“The wedding isn’t here,” I said. “It’s at a different church.”
Blank stares.
“Irena, Will, the wedding.” I motioned for them to follow.
More blank stares.
I repeated myself to no avail. Then I kicked my feet and flared my arms as if circle dancing. The Malegonians peered at me like I belonged in a mental institution. My shoulders slumped, and I reverted to shouting in English. No one moved.
“Hey lady, where you from?” said a voice behind me with a perfect American accent. I turned to see a chubby boy no older than eleven with black hair and a blue Sonic the Hedgehog T-shirt.
“You speak English?” I said.
The boy smirked. “Of course, bruh, we got YouTube in this country.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Can you tell them to follow me? They’re at the wrong church for the wedding.”
“Wedding? Awesome. Can I come?” The boy threw his hands up like he was dancing.
“If you translate for me, I’ll be sure you get an invitation.”
“No problem, lady. I’m just kidding. I’ll tell them to follow you.
” The boy turned to the Malegonians and rambled off something I couldn’t understand.
The in-laws nodded, and their faces brightened.
They looked at me with excited smiles and started to follow.
A few of the older women planted kisses on the priest, who frowned in mild annoyance.
A moment later the entire procession of well-dressed relatives was behind me, navigating the muddy side streets toward the location.
If anyone thought I was an obnoxious lush who’d ruined the previous evening, they didn’t show it, or at least I didn’t understand them.
We arrived at the correct church thirty minutes late for the ceremony—right on time by local standards.
Irena was in the foyer with her parents, waiting for the procession to begin.
Her new dress dazzled angelically in the morning light.
She was even more stunning than she’d been the previous day.
I wondered how much Dad had shelled out on the last-minute switch.
My mouth went dry, and my palms sweat when she turned her eyes on me.
Her gaze swelled with emotion. I knew it had nothing to do with me though.
She was getting married. There were bigger things to worry about.
Petrush extended a handshake, and Miranda hugged me.
I started to hug the bride but stopped, fearing I’d somehow dump another cup of mushti on the new dress.
My lips tried to form a clumsy apology, but the words stuck in my throat.
I worried I still sounded drunk. Irena gave me a faint smile, and I ducked my head and stepped away.
I stepped into the sanctuary and sat in the back next to Kyle and Mark, glad to find people who hadn’t seen me make a fool of myself the night before.
Their suits made them hard to recognize.
I’d only ever seen them in dork clothes before.
They looked almost dignified, even if Kyle wasn’t hiding his bald spot and Mark needed to lose fifty pounds.
Will stood at the front next to Pastor Ludwig.
He was handsome in his formal coat and tie, although he fidgeted back and forth, like someone on the high dive for the first time.
Our parents stood at his right, Elizabeth beaming and Dad bearing a silly grin.
I considered moving to a closer seat, but Here Comes the Bride sounded over the speakers.
Every face in the audience turned toward the entrance. The big moment was here!
The bride did not enter.
Instead, a procession of old ladies in black dresses stepped into the sanctuary, the same women I’d just led to the church.
Will’s face turned milky white. The pastor fought back a chuckle.
The women talked casually as they strolled down the aisle, shaking hands with a few people before sitting down.
They seemed oblivious that they’d just ruined the bride’s grand entrance.
The music stopped. The bride was still nowhere to be seen.
Pastor Ludwig shouted something in Malegonian, and the ushers in the back disappeared into the foyer.
They returned a moment later, followed by the bride, her mother and father beside her.
The light from the windows reflected off the jewels on her dress, transforming Irena into a sparkling queen, breathtakingly stunning.
I’d never seen a more beautiful bride. Her new dress was even nicer than the one I’d ruined, and there was no sign of the nuclear holocaust her hair had endured a couple of days prior.
“Music,” Pastor Ludwig said.
Screeching feedback ripped through the sanctuary. Everyone covered their ears until the hideous sound ended. The men manning the soundboard broke into an argument and took a few seconds to get their act together. Finally Here Comes the Bride sounded over the speakers, and Irena walked forward.
The bride seemed to float down the aisle, as if some beautiful magic carried her ahead.
Once she arrived at the front, the pastor started his benediction.
It took longer than most church services because everything was translated from English into Malegonian.
Will and Irena stared at each other the entire time, seeping with nervous energy.
I half expected one of them would pass out, but they didn’t, amazingly.
The preacher told a few funny stories about the couple and gave them a backward dollar bill in a picture frame.
He said it was for them to remember “In God We Trust” when hard times come.
He said it with such sweetness that my eyes watered.
After that, the couple exchanged vows and placed rings on each other’s fingers.
I couldn’t help but get a little emotional watching them confess their love to each other.
I’d seen a million weddings, of course, but watching my dorky stepbrother become a man was something else.
A smile stretched across my face. I was glad to be there, honored even.
Irena’s skin turned redder than a firetruck when the kiss was announced.
She glanced at her father, who stood as stiff as a statue.
Will leaned toward her, clearly not expecting a delay.
She took a deep breath and planted a kiss on my stepbrother’s lips.
The pastor announced they were married, and the room erupted in applause.
I stood and clapped along with everyone in the church.
The perfect moment was cut short by ear-shrieking feedback, followed by traditional wedding music.
It was official. My stepbrother was married.