The Whole Story - All 399 words
I many reasons not to attend the wedding, but none were enough to overcome my sense of obligation.
I knew the bride both in the social and biblical sense. We had once been secret lovers. It was an intense affair which burned so hot that it consumed itself within a week.
Affairs built on lust and desires were like that. Once lust was satisfied, and desire fulfilled, there is nothing left for tomorrow. Then the tomorrows stopped happening.
Back in college, I had been a drinking buddy of the groom. I thought history required my attendance.
I adjusted my tie and walked into the church.
As luck and poor planning would have it – I was too early by 30 minutes.
Sitting in the pew, I killed time and fought to stay awake. I did long division in my head.
I drifted mid-way between slumber and wakefulness. It was a place where lucid dreams happened. Dreams which I could control.
I dreamed about the wedding which had not yet happened.
Dreaming in the twilight zone is fun. I could freeze the clock and walk about like an invisible time ghost. Now and then I would stop and look into the eyes of the players and listen to their thoughts. You can do that kind of stuff in dreams if you want.
I let time slip forward and would hit pause, then rewind to catch a missing word or thought. I would examine expressions and glances for deeper meaning.
Playing with time was fun.
“Do you take [fill in the blank] as your lawfully wedded wife?”
Click! I listened to the thoughts of my old friend.
“Her old dad is super rich and deathly ill. When he dies, I got it made!”
My old buddy was a gold digger.
I floated above the assembled guests.
Hey! This is my dream, and I’ll fly if I want to.
Next, I stood next to myself and listened to my thoughts.
“Why am I here? They only invited me for a wedding gift, and I didn’t have the guts to decline.”
I merged with my doppelganger as I shook myself awake.
Looking at my watch, I still had a couple of minutes before the wedding started.
I stood up and quietly walked to the back of the church and was stopped by an usher.
“Are you leaving?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I said walking toward my car.
