Led by the Ring in His Nose

The brother said something. With the distance and the music I didn't hear what he said, but I knew. Momma spun in her chair and looked. Since everyone but me was moving I was easy to spot. She looked at her husband and said something. He and the two brothers got up and headed in my direction.

I didn't move. When the three men entered the dance floor the music stopped. The tune wasn't over, it just stopped.

I heard the voice of the man I'd spoken to, "Do you believe in Love?" He asked over the microphone.

"Yes!" Said four hundred voices. Neela's Father and brothers kept coming, but slower.

The man's voice said, "There's a man here tonight who asked a woman to marry him a week ago and she said Yes!" Cheers sounded across the room.

"No!" He said. "Her Mother doesn't like him. Her mother took the ring off her hand, breaking her finger in the process. Her mother convinced all the men of the family that their lives would be ruined unless they stopped her from marrying him. That man and that family are here tonight." He paused. Neela's father and brothers were not moving.

The man said, "That man is standing in the middle of the dance floor. If you've been dancing you've danced around him. It's as close as he's been able to get to the woman he loves. If you look you can see her father and two brothers between him and the woman he loves sitting with her mother at table twenty-eight."

He paused while boos were heard. Then he said, "He's prepared to stand there for the rest of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 to show that he loves her. If you love the woman you're with, take her in your arms and dance with her. End this year and begin 2009 showing each other your love."

The band began to play. I recognized the song as one I'd heard hundreds of times sung by Alison Krauss. They played it a little differently and hundreds of people began to dance. The bandleader had picked a two-step and the couples moved in a circle around the floor. I didn't move. The song was, "When You Say Nothing at All."

The singer sang and when she sang the line, "The truth in your eyes says you'll never leave me..." Neela stood up. She turned away from her mother and walked around the table and out onto the dance floor. She walked right past her father and brothers and into my arms. We danced. I looked at Neela's father and saw him take a step in our direction. Four couples danced in front of him, blocking his way.

Neela put her head on my shoulder and held tightly to my hand. I said, "I love you and I'm sorry I was right."

"Take me home, husband." I stopped dancing and then started again. As we got close to the bandstand I stopped us again and the man jumped down beside us. I said, "I already owe you more than I can ever pay you, but maybe you can do me one more little favor?"

He smiled and said, "Let me guess. You'd like me to find someone to marry the two of you right here, right now!"

I nodded and he motioned to a couple standing nearby. They were introduced and agreed to do the ceremony. The band guy got back up on the bandstand and when the tune ended he spoke again.

"Folks, we need your permission. Seems there's a couple here who don't want to wait until 2009 to get married." He paused to let the applause peak and then he said, "Can we take a couple minutes break from the music and get these two married?" He had to pause again. "Will you all be witnesses for their wedding?" When the applause died down a little he said, "We'll give them a couple minutes to talk with the Reverend then we'll have a wedding!"

The Reverend asked some questions and we answered. His wife made a suggestion and we agreed. Neela and I walked to the back edge of the dance floor and the Reverend and his wife stood in front of the bandstand with a microphone.

The band started the wedding march and Neela hooked my arm. We walked in time to the music, together, to stand in front of everyone. The Reverend did us proud. He said, "We are gathered here in celebration of a uniting love. In the sight of God and these witnesses these two individuals become a life long partnership. Neither being the power partner, both being equal partners striving to make life joyful for each other. Do you each promise to love, honor, cherish and nurture each other for all your lives?" We answered, "We do!" in unison. "Then, by the power vested in me by the church and by the state of Illinois I pronounce you husband and wife." He held the microphone in front of his wife and she said, "You may kiss your partner, your spouse, your lover!"

We did. Flash bulbs popped. Music started again and we talked to quite a few people as the dinner-dance-wedding became our reception. At midnight balloons were released and the band played the traditional song that no one understands. I saw Neela's Father headed in our direction. I said, "Neela, your Father is headed for us."

She stiffened and held tighter to my arm. He stepped close and said, "Hold out your hand please."

"That didn't work out very well last time." I said.

"Give me another chance, Ok?"

I held my hand out. He dropped a room key card in my hand. He said, "There was only one room key for that room. My wife checked us in and only got one key. Since we aren't staying it would be a shame to let the room sit idle."

Neela asked, "You aren't staying?"

"Right after you were married she gave me the room key and she had Amir take her home. She said I could stay here if I wanted, but whenever I came home I would be sleeping in the basement."

"Oh Father, I'm so sorry." Neela said. I said, "I'm very sorry, too."

He said, "This should have happened in 1971 when her Father gave me the ring. I don't think she's willing to change now."

"In any case, I'm sorry for the pain and the missing." I said.

"Are you going home?" Neela asked. He nodded. She leaned to him and kissed his cheek. He turned and slowly walked away. As I watched him go I was reminded of the phrase, "Dead man walking." He was resigned to his fate.

We took the elevator to the eighth floor. When we stepped into the hallway Neela's sisters were all there. They didn't come to us. They stayed together in front of room 808. Our key was for 810. Neela said, "Momma took the boys and went home right after the wedding. She told Father he could stay here if he wanted and when he came home he'd sleep in the basement. He gave us his room key and he went home."

"She didn't take us home. She didn't even tell us she was going..." Sariah was ready to cry.

"Do you have room keys?" I asked. Sariah nodded.

"We have two rooms," Asmah said.

"Then you're fine. Spend the night. In the morning we'll have breakfast together and I'll make sure you get home."

Sariah opened room 808 and they went inside. I opened 810 and we went inside. Neela said, "I thought I would feel different on my wedding night."

"Me too. The Reverend missed some things in the ceremony."

Like?"

"Like you obeying me." I attempted to embrace her as I said it and she jumped away from me.

"A partnership doesn't include obedience!" She said.

"And don't forget it!" I laughed and danced out of reach.

"He missed the part about "in sickness and in health, in the good times and the bad..." I said.

She shook her head, "No, he said it. He said, "Do you each promise to love, honor, cherish and nurture each other for all your lives?" That includes all the good times, the bad times, the hard times, the sickness, the health. It's all in there."

"Good. Would you mind if I helped you get undressed? I think it might be tough for you with just one hand."

"Momma broke my finger when she took off my ring."

"I know. I heard about it. Not to worry, we'll get another ring for you and one for me." I helped her get undressed. We showered and crawled into the big King-sized bed. We were both exhausted but made the effort and consummated our vows before we fell asleep.

As we drifted towards sleep I wondered how 2009 would turn out.

2009 Begins... It was still mostly dark when my cell phone rang. It rang again and I was trying to wake up far enough to find it. By the third ring Neela had it in her hand and said, "Hello."

She said, "Mom! We'll be there as quickly as we can. Here's Ben." She handed me the phone and began dressing.

I said, "Mom?"

Her voice said, "Come home Son. Your Dad is gone." Her voice was flat and the emotion was gone. Mom's partner was gone!

"We're on our way!" I hung up and joined Neela in getting dressed. We were almost ready to go when I remembered telling the sisters I'd take them home. I went next door and banged on the door. I heard Asmah's voice ask, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Ben. Please open up."

She said, "Just a minute" and in a minute the door opened. She and Sariah stood there in robes, barefoot and with messy hair looking cute and sexy. I said, "My Dad died. Neela and I are going there. Have breakfast here in the hotel and take a cab home or to our apartment. We have your cell number. We'll call you later, OK?"

"We'll be Ok. Go, take care of your Momma."

I gave them about two hundred dollars in twenties, a key to our apartment and Neela and I left. We got the El Camino out of valet parking and in just under an hour we were holding Mom in her living room.

After a few hours of getting things handled with the coroner's office, the mortuary and making twenty phone calls to friends and family we sat down and Neela somehow produced a meal for us. We ate it and Mom said, "That's the first meal anyone has ever made for me in that kitchen."

"I hope I didn't offend you by doing it." Neela said.

"Not at all. You just remind me that we need to talk. The three of us. All the paperwork is done except for a few signatures. Your Dad wanted everything set for when he died. The mortuary is paid. His plot and mine are paid for, too. The house is already yours and so are the truck and the Corvette. When the two of you get married we can amend the titles to include Neela."

I said, "Mom, we have a story to tell you but the bottom line is that we got married last night."

"It was YOU?" She screamed and jumped to her feet! "We saw you getting married on the news just after midnight! They didn't announce your names and the camera wasn't close enough to see your faces, but we thought it was you!"

"Dad saw us get married." I said. I was shocked. I didn't know we'd been on the news.

The three of us hugged and a few more tears fell. Dad saw us get married! Somehow that felt incredibly good to me. Mom asked, "Neela, weren't you a business major?"

"Yes. I have an MBA from Northwestern."

Mom stood up and dragged us to the dining room table. She got papers from the drawers of the china cabinet and said, "Our lives were built around Roger's business, trucking. When we knew he was sick we did everything to transfer the business to you. Evans Trucking is yours and you need to be on the road day after tomorrow!"

"What?" I asked.

"You've got eighty-thousand pounds of machine parts to pick up from Pittsburgh on the third. They need to be in San Diego on the eleventh. You can make it but the weather may make it close."

"Wait!" I said. "I have a job. They expect me at work on the third."

Mom looked at both of us and said, "As the owners of Evans Trucking you have a contract to fulfill. A contract with the U.S. Navy. Your Dad has had contracts with them since 1972 and has never defaulted or been late."

I sat with my feelings for almost a minute before Neela said, "If we need to be on the road day after tomorrow I need to learn as much about the trucking business as I can before we leave!"

The Ben and Neela partnership was working. Mom said, "Ben, get started preparing the truck for the run. You'll need food and more blankets. Neela and I will get her supplies together and the food for you."

I wandered out behind the house to Dad's truck. When my hand reached for the handle on the driver's door it hit me. The truck wasn't Dad's any more. It was mine and it had always been mine in his mind. When we were overhauling the engine he knew he wasn't going to put many miles on it. It was preparing it for me to put four million more miles on it.

Inside the cab I noticed that he'd had the driver's seat reupholstered. In the sleeper I saw tags hanging from a new mattress. Out loud I said, "Thanks Dad." I sat on the bed for a while thinking about my Dad's love and how he showed it.

An in-depth examination showed me Dad had the truck ready for the run to Pittsburgh. Turn the key, put her in gear and go. Then I realized that the real preparation was in Chicago! We had an apartment to deal with! We needed clothes and things for a trip to Pittsburgh and then California! I climbed out of the truck and went back into the house.

Mom and Neela were still at the table. Papers were spread on the table and both women held pencils. Neela looked up first and smiled. I asked, "Can I interrupt for a couple minutes?"

Both pencils went down on the table. I said, "I need to go back to the apartment. We both need clothes and things for a two-week trip across country. The truck just needs food and extra blankets... and a couple new pillows."

Neela said, "I need to go with you. The thought of you packing for me for two weeks scares me. I'll end up with five sexy teddies and no warm clothes at all!"

"You both go. I'll go get food and blankets for you. I've been stocking that truck for years. I know what to get." Mom said. Ten minutes later Neela and I were in the El Camino headed home.

Twenty minutes down the road my cell rang. I handed it to Neela. She flipped it open and said, "Evans Trucking." A few seconds later I figured it was Mom and they were talking about food. When the call ended Neela said, "I hope I wanted an adventure, because I have one!"

"Maybe we should call your sisters. If they're at our apartment they should have some warning that we're coming home."

She dialed Sariah's cell and when she answered Neela asked, "Where are you?" They were in our living room watching the Rose Parade. Neela told them where we were and that we were on our way there. When she asked Sariah about her Mother Neela was quiet a long time. When she spoke it was to tell Sariah that she needed to talk to me and that we'd call her back in a little while.

"Ben, My mother is on a rampage! She has thrown my Father out of the house and threatened to burn the house down! Sariah and Asmah are in our apartment because they are afraid to go home."

"I think they should stay. I think they should also invite their Father to move in until your Mom comes to her senses. The rent is paid, there is heat and both girls can cook and take care of him."

"That's what I thought too. Do we tell them what we're doing? Where we're going?"

"Let's think about this. If we both quit our jobs and cannot be found can we be threatened, coerced, convinced or change our minds about the partnership?"

"We could change our minds, but not because Momma leaned on us." She paused and added, "We should call home once in a while and leave messages on the machine, but not say where we are or what we're up to."

"Agreed." I said. She called back and they talked some more. They hung up and she told me that Sariah was calling her Father, inviting him to come stay, rent free, for at least two weeks.

When we were pulling into our parking spot I saw Neela's SAAB. I thought out loud, "Maybe Asmah needs wheels." We went inside and were met with hugs and tears. We set about the task of packing. Both girls wanted answers to where we were going and what we would be doing and why. They got no satisfaction. Neela said, "If you don't know any answers you can't slip and tell. You don't know. No amount of torture or money can get you to tell Mother where we went. You don't even know when we'll be back."

I said, "I can tell you that we don't either. One of us will call here every few days and let you know we're Ok. When we're within a few days of being back here we'll let you know what we'd like for supper."

They watched us pack and made guesses about where we were going based on what we packed. When Neela packed a bikini they guessed Hawaii. When I packed four sweaters they were confused.

Neela's Father arrived while we were finishing up our preparations to leave. He came to me and asked, "Why are you leaving?"

"We won't explain it to you. If we did someone could convince you to tell. You cannot tell what you don't know. I can tell you this; we would be going no matter how your wife felt about us. We need to go."

"Then, can you tell me why you are letting Sariah, Asmah and I stay here?"

"The other choice is to read about three people who froze to death in their cars in Chicago." I said.

"I'll be first!" Asmah said, "I don't have a car."

Neela gave her keys to the apartment and her SAAB to Asmah. She said, "Don't sleep in it. Sleep here."

I gave keys to Neela's Father. He accepted them, looked at me and said, "I was going to tell you to take good care of my daughter... but I already believe you'll do better than I did, Son." We hugged and Neela and I left.

As I got on the highway Neela said, "My Father called you Son."

"I heard it."

"He would never have done that before today. I've heard him say a thousand times that no man was going to be good enough for his daughters. He just said you are."

"I plan to work hard to keep that opinion in your mind and his." We drove in silence most of the way to Mom's.

"You know I've never ridden in a semi." Neela offered.

"How are you at being a navigator?"

"I think I know how to read a map, but I've never taken a long trip before except the roadies with you and your Mom and Dad."

"Those were for fun. This is business." I said. She leaned to me and put her hand on my thigh.

"Can't we enjoy it, a little?"

"Oh my! Yes, I think this may be the best trucking I've ever done!"

When we got back to Mom's house she had stocked the truck and had made dinner for us. Over dinner she filled us in.

"Because it's winter, we can easily delay the funeral until you get back, so I did. You have food for five days in the truck. I put an envelope with all your permits, credit cards and other necessary papers in the pouch on the back of the drivers seat. I know you left family in your apartment in Chicago. As soon as practical you should either transfer it to them or close it. This house is yours. Dad and I moved into the bedroom that was yours over a year ago. There's a new bed, new curtains and empty closets in the master bedroom. We have room for and legal permission to park the truck here."

Neela said, "I thought we were sleeping in the truck tonight."

Mom said, "Can if you want to, but I think you'll like your own bedroom."

After dinner I did what I'd seen Dad do a thousand times. I went to the family room and turned on the weather channel. Mom and Neela went back to all the papers on the table and the lessons for Neela continued.

The weather for our first leg would be cold, but clear. By using the computer I found the leg to be 496 miles, well under the maximum of eleven driving hours allowable. When it was getting close to ten Mom said, "You two ought to get to bed. To miss the morning rush you should be gone by five. I'll make a good breakfast for you before you go."

I knew she knew what she was talking about. Dad made this run hundreds of times. She'd made breakfast at four in the morning often. Neela and I went into our new bedroom and I discovered they had changed it so much there was no energy in the room that made me feel like it was my parent's bedroom.

We showered and played as we got clean and ready for bed. As we got into bed I said, "I'm sorry. I had thought that when we got married we'd go on a Honeymoon."

"We leave right after breakfast! We're going on a Honeymoon where we make money!"