Vasquez

I have always envied the way birds.

I have envied the way, that they can fly away in the wide sky.

I have envied their freedom.

I have envied the way they can measure the horizon and I am sitting in a ridiculous dress, in a ridiculous place envying the tiny birds outside my window, enjoying their song of life. Even those tiny eyes held more emotion than my soulless ones. The guy who was paid to these hollows twinkling was fussing over which shade of brown would complement the dress more, asking me as if I had a say ever.

My trance was broken for a milli second when the curling iron hit my open back, and I saw the horror in that woman’s eye. She apologized with tears in her eyes and I passed a wry smile, as if that tiny burn had any impact on me. You can burn the paper and bask in its glory, but you can’t keep burning ashes. I am nothing but a mere pile of ash.

I could hear my name being called, and I saw her reflection. She was dressed to perfection. Her green eyes complementing the brown dress. Her model walk as she strutted towards me with a smile on her face. Her skin made of diamonds and her eyes shone brighter than sun, twinkled harder than the stars, her smile warming up the room. You could feel the air changing in the room.

“Aren’t you competing with Grace Kelly ?” She said, looking at me through my reflection and I gave her the same smile as before. I think you can call it a smile. I could tell that she expected a response at least or even a nod of acknowledgement but all she got were my stretched lips which I kept selling as smile. She took a breath waiting for me, before agreeing with herself and signaling the staff around that it was time.

“Valentina, it’s time.”

I froze upon mention of my old name. Maybe my real name. The name I once so loved which now makes my blood run dry. I was dragged out of my chair, myself and she put down the veil, adjusted a few flyaway and guided me towards the church’s door from my room. She kept up with her appearance, stating every detail that has been done so that I look perfect.

Perfection. Another word I hated.

I never understood the meaning of the word perfection. I tried really hard, but you see perfection is for people who have time to kill in world. For people like me, who are not even sure whether they are going to be alive by the next meal time, for those who wonder if they will die of starvation or their father fist, words like those don’t exist. By now, you must think that I am another person with jealousy issues wrapped under huge victim complex. Could be true, could be false but again for people like us where its kill or get killed those words don’t exist.

My inner monologue was overcome by the serenade coming from inside the church. In no world, I understand what are they trying to play but whatever it was, it sounded horrendous to my ears, almost a trigger so I can throw up yester meal. I heard Georgia remove her arm from mine and turn me towards her.

“This is it.” She squealed. “It would be nice to see him have a partner in crime. It’d be nice to see him have someone to depend on, to love, to cherish, to hold for eternity.” I nodded at each of her words trying to register whatever she was trying to say, but all I could see was black.

Pitch black

All of these love, hold, cherish, eternity sound so noble. In fact, the whole arc of marriage sound so biblically beautiful to make anyone cry. However, each of these words are nothing but a chain to hold you down from flying into the horizon. Love is a farce; it’s a temporary state of insanity that makes us do stupid things like write poetry, buy expensive gifts, and make promises we can’t keep. and marriage is nothing but a transaction between money and sex. The comforting sun fades away welcoming a lonely night. Nothing lasts forever. And in case of Valentina they never existed. Hence, I can happily thank my previous black mold of a life that I don’t fall prey to such inconveniences.

Georgia shook me, and whatever is left of my burnt soul left my body bringing me out to reality.

“Its your big day. Smile.” And I stretched my lips farther.

“A bit more than that Valentina. Think of him, and let your heart control you happiness now. And if you can’t bring a smile on your face, then just pretend. Its not everyday that a Vasquez marries. ”

I acted along with her. If I let my heart control, then I would end up in tears, so even if the word happiness broke me, I chose to copy her smile as much as I could. The giant doors opened, and all I could see was flashes going around, but working for the round table for 4 years taught me to shine my brightest with flashes. Inside the church, everyone turned their head around to see me walk to my new master. I am dressed in the prettiest dress, with the prettiest flowers I my hand, with the shiniest tiara on my head, yet I looked like a grim reaper. I walked behind Georgia, stepping carefully after her each step so as to not trick and fall myself. People clapped, quartet kept playing their sadness and I kept walking an awfully slow speed. I got to the altar and I saw him descend to me, hold my hand and guide me to the stairs and make me stand. He gave me a sweet smile, and whispered in my ears,You look beautiful.

The father started cleansing our souls and I almost laughed out loud. My past could not be cleaned even by Jesús himself, let alone a father. I tuned out of whatever he was saying an fixated myself on the birds outside the church. Their song kept me entertained until I saw his hand reach out to hold mine and his voice going,

“I Alexander Marquee Vasquez, take Valentina Gomez to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.” His green orbs tunneling me from the inside out.

It was my turn. My turn to promise him a lifetime. It is funny, how every morning I wake up, I plot my own death and here I am promising my entire life to someone else. The father turned to me to speak, and I saw him with almost pleading eyes for me to declare my love for him to the world. I just nodded towards the father and he understood my disability, so instead of me he said the words,

“I Valentina Gomez, take Alexander Marquee Vasquez to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”

I nodded looking towards Alex, and saw his smile. He removed his hands from ours and instead bought them to my cheek and the other one to my waist and he pulled me in for a kiss, claiming me to be his, to love, to obey, and to cherish him in front of the entire world. The kiss itself was very passionate and I could feel his dominance, so I gave it to him. Not because I wanted to, but because he needed it. His other hand kept caressing my sides and I could feel the urgency in his kiss. So I let him have me, the way he wanted me. That’s what 4 years at the round table teaches you.

And with that Mr. and Mrs. Vasquez were pronounced to the world.

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Welcome to the Vasquez's world!

This is my first time publishing a story, the one I that is really close to me. Hope you'll enjoy Alexander and Valentina's world!

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