Ella

So I have had the attack of the insomnia monster these last couple of days, which has meant that I have had some time to write.  I have started writing two more short stories to add to my collection.  Here is a snippet from one of them titled Ella.  I hope you enjoy it.  Remember that if you have any comments or suggestions please feel free to let me know.

Thanks!!!!

Ella

By Morwenna Petaia

“Do you Ella take Apelu to be your lawfully wedded husband to love and to hold from this day forth?”

“This amazing man standing before me, who you all know as Bruce, is a wonderful, kind, thoughtful and selfless man who since I met him has brought me so much happiness and makes me want to be a better person.  Of course I want to be his wife!”

“And do you Apelu take Ella to be your lawfully wedded wife to love and to hold from this day forth?”

“My life has been far from easy, particularly moving away from my parents in Samoa but ever since I met Ella I have had nothing but peace of mind and I want my life to continue to have the beauty that is only brought about by having Ella by my side.  I would love nothing more than to have the privilege of being Ella’s husband.”

Tears ran down my face the second Bruce spoke those words, it didn’t even bother me that my mascara was running and we hadn’t even taken photos yet.  The warmth that pulsed through my body at the knowledge that I finally found a man who was honest, cute, and intelligent, had a good job, and was kind and funny and he loved me just as much as I loved him and he just agreed to be my husband!  These tears of sheer joy ran freely as Bruce lifted my veil and kissed me as my husband.

Bruce held my hand and guided me to the dance floor; it was our first official dance as a married couple.  I had spent weeks before our wedding teaching him the waltz.  It took a few weeks of bruised feet but Bruce being the determined man that he is managed to out dance me at our last practice session.  I could tell he was nervous because he started sniffling, his nose always runs when he is nervous.  I gently squeezed his hand and whispered in his ear “you will do great baby, just pretend it’s just the two of us.”  The music started and the soulful tones of Otis Redding filled the room “These arms of mine…”  We moved around the room in unison and I got lost in his arms and the closeness and the rhythm of the song made me wish that it was just the two of us.  I put my head on his shoulder and breathed in his sweet scent, always fresh and clean with a whiff of a fragrance I could never figure out.  I am still in awe that such a good man would be in love with me and has married me and that he also loves my daughter Sharon, even though he is not her biological father.  I felt so safe in his strong arms and I looked around the room and I was so proud of my husband and that all our guests were here to witness our love.  They all wore such lovely colours. 

Then all too quickly the colours faded to grey and the memories of that beautiful day blurred into the kitchen table and I heard his voice, that annoying high pitched almost a screech voice.  “It’s not a hickey honey, it’s a bruise.  I went to the doctor and got some hydrocortisone cream.  If you don’t believe me you can call the doctor and ask.”

You would think that after all this time he would come up with some more believable excuses for his adultery but no, Peter is far from being any kind of a man compared to Bruce, my sweet Bruce.