Page 83 of See No Evil

He grabbed his brand-new shoes—Christian Louboutin Dandyrocks black velvet loafers with spiked heels—and slipped them on over black satin socks. Finally, his Rolex watch adorned his wrist.

He walked out of the bedroom and sat down on a chair where an associate of his, Thomas, who was also his barber, was waiting with Axel, Caspian, and several other men he’d gotten close to over the years. A drape was placed over him, and his haircut commenced. Beard trimmed at the end, he looked like a billion bucks. The three brothers all walked out together and got into a white limo that was waiting outside.

As they made their way to the church, Caspian took a loud, deep breath. Legend studied him as he opened his tuxedo jacket, and pulled out a white feather…

“When you see that feather, that means she’s about to start making things real uncomfortable,” Legend offered. Axel nodded in agreement. “Shit just got real. How many dreams have you had of her so far, and when did you get the feather?”

“Four dreams. Two days ago.”

“Get ready. Here she comes.”

Caspian swallowed, placed the feather back inside his tuxedo jacket, and looked gloomily out of the window. Axel no longer had dreams of Ms. Florence. Legend had received his final one several weeks ago. She’d moved on, and was now working her magic on Caspian. There was no escape.

When they arrived at the church, there were cars galore. The entire parking lot was full, and people were milling about,laughing and talking. When he and his crew got out of the car, the crowd began applauding. Legend slapped hands and hugged several of them, then entered the church, to find it about half full. It would be standing room only pretty soon.

“Y’all late,” Melanie barked. She stood with her tall, thin self, looking them up and down as if they were dirt on her shoes. “Come on over here.”

“We’re not late! We got—”

“Shut up. You should’ve been here ten minutes ago. Anyway, get in position. I’m about to tell these folks to come on in because we need to get started. Y’all must think this is a game?!”

Melanie began pushing people around, so different from her typical laid-back self. She and Desiree had become friends, and realized they had a lot in common. Sometimes, he was jealous, for it seemed Desiree was spending more free time with his sister than with him. Regardless, he was happy that they were so close.

Moments later, he was standing with the minister, Reverend Allen March, an older Black man with a pleasant smile and quiet disposition. They’d spoken several times prior to today’s nuptials, and Reverend March had recommended pre-marital counseling, as he said he did to all couples. Legend begrudgingly attended a few sessions with Desiree, with an actual marital psychologist, and in those sessions, his reservations came out immediately. Many things were touched upon, stuff he hadn’t even considered, but he was glad it was highlighted—for it let him know that he had some improvements to make in how he saw the world. The psychologist also provided tips on how to be a better husband.

“Legend, you stand right here,” Reverend March instructed. Legend took a few steps back as people began to quiet down, and the music started. ‘The Point of it All,’ by Anthony Hamilton, began to play, cuing everyone to quiet down. Soon, Monica’s, ‘Love All Over Me’ was sung by a trained singer. The groomsmenentered one by one, their arms looped around a beautiful bridesmaid. The bridesmaids were dressed in flowing peach dresses with slits on the right side. The flash of cameras began, and Legend felt himself getting warmer.It won’t be long now. She’s coming soon…

Axel and Caspian stood right by him, all smiles. He swallowed his nerves and held his chin high while Desiree’s little niece came down the aisle in a frilly peach dress, tossing dried peach rose petals and faux diamonds all along the way.

Everything got super quiet and somber then…

The back doors of the church opened, people stood to their feet, and in the distance, he saw his heart. The sight choked him up and he bowed his head. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and knew it was Axel. He looked back up as, LTD’s ‘Love Ballad’ started to drift from the speakers. Desiree wore a hip-hugging cream dress that reminded him of a jazz singer’s gown from the 1940’s. A bold slit went up the side, showcasing her long, shapely legs, the feet encased in sparkly cream heels. A large cream flower was pinned on the side of her hair, which was half up, and half down. At the top was a braided bun adorned with diamond beads. The strands flowed down her back in loose spirals.

Her deep dimples had a diamond in each of them, too. Though he knew she hadn’t gotten them pierced, it was a nice touch.So pretty.Tina held her right hand, the woman dressed in a beautiful peach and white gown. Kaylee also wore the same colors, her dress having a sash and bow around the waist. She proudly held Desiree’s left hand. The three began making their slow descent down the aisle, while Destiny held the bride’s train.

Legend was pleased to see that all of Desiree’s sisters and brothers were in attendance, in spite of the ongoing tension and dysfunction in her family. He knew that meant a lot to her. On the other hand, he did not see his mother. She wasn’t invited,and he’d made it quite clear to her, several days prior, that the best wedding gift she could give him was to not be there.

He focused back on what was going on, clasping his hands. His heart was thumping so hard and loud, it seemed to create its own tune. The reverend asked the usual question of who was giving the bride away, and Kaylee and Tina said, “We do,” at the same time. Tina kissed Desiree’s cheek, took Kaylee by the hand, and they went to their seats.

The minister first said a short prayer. Then, two women came to stand beside him in traditional African garb, each holding two glasses. One had lemon juice in it, the other chili sauce. The third glass contained melted unsweetened chocolate syrup and the fourth, honey. These represented the Yoruba practice of marriage being bitter, sour, spicy and sweet. Each glass was passed to Legend. He tasted the contents, then passed it to his bride. The women explained the significance of this ritual, which represented for better or worse, and through thick and thin in marriage.

After the tasting ceremony was over, Desiree took his hands in hers, blinking back tears. The minister explained that the bride and groom were going to share a few words with one another, for all to witness, and then the customary vows would be exchanged.

“Legend, God has chosen you for my husband. I choose you for my life partner, forever and a day. I’ll choose you over and over again, with no pauses. If I were blindfolded in a big room, with hundreds of men, I’d find you in the crowd within minutes. I know your smell, your laugh, your touch. I know how you move. I know when you’re happy, and when you’re tired or down, without you saying a word. I know you, for you are me, and we are becoming one.” She sniffed as a tear rolled down her cheek. “You are my chosen love. I choose you…”

Leaning close to her, he gently wiped the tears from her face.

“Legend…” Reverend March nodded in his direction for him to begin.

His jaws tightened, and he briefly closed his eyes. He once again felt Axel patting his shoulder, as well as heard several people crying already in the crowd.

“None of this was supposed to be for me. No beautiful wife. No smart and funny daughter.” He glanced at Kaylee, who was silently crying, her head on her grandmother’s shoulder. “No beautiful house to start a life I was told I didn’t deserve. For most of my life, I did not know what real love was. I knew how to help people. I knew how to care about people. But I didn’t understand what lovereallymeant. I thought I did, but I was clueless, until I found you.” He took another deep breath, and continued, “You are the embodiment of strength, Desiree. You are powerful. Intelligent. My best friend… But I don’t want you to have to be strong all the time. I want you to lean on me. Let me do the heavy lifting. Your days of draggin’ around baggage and stress solo are over. I got it from here.”

“AMEN!” someone yelled, drawing a smattering of laughter.

“You know my secrets.” His lower lip quivered, and he swallowed, pausing for the briefest of moments. “You know my dreams. My passions. You know my weaknesses. You know my strengths. I wanted someone I could trust. I ended up getting a beautiful lover. A best friend. A helpmate. A cheerleader. A truth teller. Someone who loves me enough to tell me when I’m wrong, and to support me when I’m right. This wedding is beautiful, but our marriage will outshine this day. I plan to be the best father I can be to Kaylee, the best son-in-law I can be to my second mother,” he glanced at Tina, who was crying her eyes out, “and the best husband to you, so that during good times, or bad times, you’ll never doubt my love for you.”

Another tear fell from Desiree’s eyes, and though he tried to fight it, he couldn’t stop the dam from breaking. They reachedfor one another to wipe each other’s faces. Lifting her hand to his lips, he kissed her palm.

---