Today's our anniversary for an amazing 38 years. Looking back to that day, I'm almost shedding tears. Three years we'd lived together with plenty of up and down. Many problems you overcame without as much as a frown. It was my second wedding, but the first for you. My first wedding was like a fairy story come true. We'd met in the March and engaged in the June. A fancy engagement followed by a romantic wedding quite soon.
A Christmas wedding was quickly arranged. Now as I sit here remembering, I must have been deranged. Seven bridesmaids were dressed in velvet fire engine red. I really must have rocks in my head. A page boy also accompanied us down the aisle, every face on both sides bore a beautiful smile. I'm the most superstitious person I know. So red and white together I would never show. He stressed my dress should be high at the neck, this small thing I did for him, "What the heck."
No specification about the back did he make, so it was cut out to the waist for my own sake. My hour glass figure was my pride and joy, it got me plenty of whistles from both man and boy. My idea of marriage was to compromise. We'd come to church today to make our ties. Our reception was held at the very best Hotel, our engagement was there, so we know it quite well. That day should have been the happiest in my life. But when I look back that was the beginning of his womanising strife.
How many women he had in that 10 years of marriage I really lost count, I've found that in life there's always one problem you can't surmount. A nineteen year old girl believed his lies, I told her to take him much to his genuine surprise. My second husband I met quite by a quirk of fate. My brother couldn't come up and left it quite late. So his friend brought my shopping with his other friend, ginger blonde long hair and a tash and a beard was his trend. By this time on my own with three kids, I was well over weight. But he always says that my humour really sealed his fate.
For six months we were the best of pals quite grand, but playing cards one night Cupid dealt its hand. We lived together for 3 years, both working quite hard, fate had definitely dealt us a raw hand. I'd been left bankrupt so we had nothing to spare, but of my three kids he took extremely good care. Every penny he earned he always gave straight to us. Being a Farm worker sometimes walking home when denied a ride on the bus.
He told me to sort out the arrangements for the next Saturday, the only money we'd have would be his weekly pay. In my lunch break on the Monday I rushed into the town, on Saturday the registrar looked at me with a slight frown, you need a special licence, so there's another expense I found. Could I possibly get an advance on my wages of maybe only £10. "you've just had your wages," my boss hastened to say. He was sorry but I'd just have to wait for my monthly payday. That night I couldn't wait to get home and make tea, already on the table for my intended to be.
When he came home with his usual cheery smile, he made the toils of the day seem really worthwhile. My Mother on leaving with the kids left us a small task, could we just paint all their one bedroom bungalow was all she would ask. We donned our old clothes and walked around the sheet, the paint, paint brushes and the cleaner were there to greet. We started to get on with the job on hand, she wanted it sparkling and looking quite grand. We got the bedroom finished and hastened for the door, checking to make sure there were no drops of paint on the floor.
My dress I took from the wardrobe, I'd press it so neat, I carefully used a damp cloth pressing carefully each pleat. Our clothes hanging up really looked quite smart, Only our shoes to do, so I better make a start. His boots I polished till I could see my face, mine were thick with mud and an utter disgrace. Eventually they were done and I flopped into bed, shouldn't see each other before the wedding someone had said.
We had no choice we needed to check the paint had dried alright. We rang for the taxi driver who we knew and was aware of our plight. He picked us up and I remembered I had no bouquet, so I hurried upstairs and got the prayer book from my confirmation day. We went round and checked the paint and to our dismay, the paint in the kitchen was showing through all the way. My dad had a carnation that caught my eye, mam had a blue ribbon that I could try.
I pinned the carnation to the piece of blue ribbon so neat, then draped it through my prayer book, quite a fete. We got into the taxi and then we were ready to go, the taxi journey seemed to be ever so slow. When we got to town I remembered a very important thing. In all of our haste we didn't have a wedding ring. The driver stopped in the market place and I raced out, into Woolworths for a 75p ring was what I was about. The ring bought we raced to eventually get Wed, but we needed two witnesses the secretary said.
The taxi driver was only too happy to assist and a guest at the next wedding couldn't resist. She loaned us two button holes and we look pretty smart, this had been nothing but a disaster from the very start. The wedding over we returned to paint the kitchen, the 75p ring on my finger was quite bewitching. I took it off and put it in a very very safe place. The horrendous argument we didn't want to face.
We painted the walls and took our clothes back, we had to go and pick up the family and help to unpack. The kids were happy and everything they saw they'd had to try. About our escapade we decided that we'd keep it quiet. On the Monday morning I went into work and changed my name, the boss thought I was joking and playing a game.
My brother rang me and was going to see mam and dad, I asked would he tell them my news about the Saturday I had.
I'm going to end my story here and now, cos after 38 years we're still together anyhow. I don't look back on the first wedding and have no souvenir, but that little piece of blue ribbon, the 75p ring and pressed carnation I hold very dear.
The End.
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