Page 75 of Margins of Love
“Nemen es aun gevin far aundz.Take it and win for us.” He turned around and disappeared into his back room. These words meant everything to Fave, a chance to forge a path of acceptance for the Jews. The competition meant more than just a store at Piccadilly.
Even though Arnold was perplexed, Fave knew what he had to do. But first he wanted to go back to his bride.
CHAPTER47
Eve arranged the wedding ceremony with her telltale attention to detail, elegance, and romance. White and orange peonies complemented the cerulean blue damask wallpaper. Even the baby grand piano looked like it belonged, with flowers cascading along its legs.
A self-standingchuppah, the wedding canopy, was in the center of the great hall of the Pearlers’ majestic home. As the cover of thechuppah, Stella had brought a large canvas cloth with silver embroidery. The seven blessings of a traditional wedding ceremony were stitched on the rims. It was the same canopy that she and Ilan had been married under. Gustav and Eve had welcomed Stella, Ilan, and Sammy to the family wholeheartedly.
Only a few chairs were arranged on the sides because the closest family members stood under the wedding canopy with the bride and groom, symbolizing a united household in the marriage of two families, not merely two individuals. Following tradition, Eva and Gustav led Fave to the chuppah, where Arnold and Lizzie were brimming with joy. Sammy sat at the piano, fumbling with his necktie.
“Mazal tov, good luck, my darling,” Eve said with a wistful smile when she kissed Fave’s forehead and assumed her position under the chuppah. Then, Sammy sat at the piano and played something Fave no longer heard, for as soon as he saw Rachel, the blood drained from his body. Her parents held her on either side and walked slowly and proudly toward him. Her light blue gown sparkled like morning dew on snowdrop blossoms. And yet, it only enhanced her natural beauty. He could not believe his luck,mazal tov,indeed. Her peachy cheeks would be his to kiss every morning from now on.
And then she was next to him. But… oh no, “Where is she going?” Fave asked his family under thechuppah. He had never been to a Jewish wedding and the rituals were unfamiliar.
“She is circling you eight times,” Lizzie said as she bent over Rachel’s veil and carried it after her, “one circle for each blessing of the King and Queen.”
At that, Fave smiled. The Rabbi had told him that a bride was a queen for the first year of marriage. “Forever my queen,” Fave had told him.
The ceremony that followed was a haze. Rachel, Eve, Lizzie, and Stella had cried so much, that the gentlemen ran out of handkerchiefs. Even the Rabbi, who had brought extras, ran out. James was seated with the Newmans’ cook, their tissue supply equally depleted.
Rachel donned her new earrings.
“Why did Pavel insist that you have them today?” Fave asked her when he stole yet another public kiss from his blushingly beautiful bride.
“I don’t want to say.”
“You can tell me anything,” he insisted. She was so precious, and he felt invincible with her in his arms.
“It was meant for a fallback. Half my dowry, portable in case I have to run.” She lowered her gaze. But Fave gently lifted her face by her chin and looked deeply into her eyes.
“You are with me now. This is your home. You belong and I will protect you.”
Sammy rang the dinner bell a little too vigorously. An opulently decorated dinner was set out, a fine feast. Rabbi Solomon was the only person outside the family to attend the intimate wedding. And he left immediately thereafter. The Newman’s cook had prepared a large silver tray with all four kinds of Rachel’s favorite rugelach, tart cherry, quince, walnut, and chocolate. Both Sammy and Arnold had polished off nearly half the tray.
Sammy tugged on Fave’s coat and raised his arms, giving him the sternest look an eleven-year-old could muster.
“Yes?” Fave asked with a deep voice.
“You are my brother now, I understand.”
“So it seems, Samuel.” Fave saw that he was serious and suppressed a chuckle.
Sammy’s forehead wrinkled as one would expect from a quite old man. “I have to warn you, never hurt my big sister!” He came closer and stood on his toes to make direct eye contact. “Never!” Sammy growled, for good measure.
Fave looked back in his eyes and his heart filled with love for the little boy. “I promise you with all my heart that I will love and cherish her, and never hurt her.” He paused with a solemn smile. “Never. Ever.” Fave placed his right hand on his heart.
Sammy went off his toes but still looked at Fave. He nodded, not quite sure what to do now. His eyes brightened when he glanced at Rachel, who was embracing Gustav.
She wore a white veil of Belgian lace and sparkly new earrings. Her hair was in a half updo and her eyes shone brighter than the twinkles of the grand chandeliers above them. The ceremony had been short—and redundant in Fave’s opinion. But he enjoyed nothing more than the moment under the tallit, the prayer shawl he held over his and Rachel’s heads, symbolizing the unity of their marriage. He had stolen a kissthath had earned him frowns from both mothers and the Rabbi—and filled his heart with joy. And, for the first time in his life, he was allowed to add the special parts of the blessings and prayers to the service that are only reserved for Cohanim.
“Samuel?” Fave asked.
“Sammy.”
“All right, Sammy.” Fave accepted the olive branch. “You are my little brother now. So I will always protect you, too. If anything ever happened to you, Rachel would be inconsolable.”
“You m-mean…” He scratched his ear. “You mean that I have a big brother now?” He beamed at Fave.
