MY FIRST WEDDING

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I remember the first wedding I was in. I wasn't the one getting married, it was my Aunt Minnie. This happened when my parents and I were living in North Carolina.  My aunt Minnie was visiting from Tennessee, and planned to stay for the summer.

There was a young man in town who was quite outgoing, and who knew everyone in the town we lived in. He had several part time jobs as well as a full time job. He had a strange way of getting hired. It seemed like he would just hire himself. If he wanted to work somewhere, he would just go in and start working. He always ended up getting hired.

He worked at the cotton mill for his regular job, but also worked part time at the Soda fountain, Movie Theater, and the Mortuary. He also had a great garden with plenty of vegetables.

When Earnest met Minnie Hazel (my aunt) he decided to marry her. There were plenty of girls in Cliffside he knew, but she was the one that he wanted.  For Minnie it was because of boredom that motivated her to go on a date with Earnest, but with him it was love. They saw each other quite often for it seemed that every time she stepped out of the house, there he was.

When things were getting too serious on his side, she decided to return to her home in Tennessee, thinking that was the end of that.

It wasn't long before Earnest traveled to her home in Tennessee, and was ready for the wedding, which she had no intention of being a part of.  As was his usual style he just moved into my grandfather’s home, and followed him around calling him Poppa.

This seemed strange to my grandpa for he didn't really know him. It was the custom of our people to extend hospitality to others, and Ernest took advantage of it. After some time my aunt decided that the only way to stop Earnest from aggravating her was to marry him, and the wedding was to be that day.

My dad and mom and I were visiting grandpa at this time and it was decided that we would take them to the justice of the peace for the wedding.  My dad had a 1934 Chevrolet coupe with a rumble seat. Earnest and Minnie and I got in the rumble seat with my dad and mom in front. I loved to ride in the rumble seat so this was a treat for me although it was crowded.

A few minutes later we were in front of the JP' house, and my dad blew his horn to let him know we were there. The JP came out before we could get of the car and said; “What can I do for you?” My dad said; “these guys want to get married,” and as we started to get out of the rumble seat the JP said; “Just stay where you are, and I'll do it right here.”

The ceremony took place with us sitting in the back seat with me sitting in the middle. As a rule I was always talking, not saying much but talking. When the JP started the wedding I didn't make a sound, he was asking things like. “Do you?” He also told them to say. “Yes.”

I made sure I didn't say anything because I was sitting in the middle and I was afraid that if I did - - I might be married, and I wasn't ready for that.

It was only about an hour from the time she said yes until she was married, that didn’t give much time to back out. Anyhow it worked out for they were together for many years until her demise.

That was the first time I was in a wedding party and it wasn't for another 15 years, until the wedding was my own.

This post is shared at:  “Tell Me a True Story” http://letmetelluastory.blogspot.com/