Munchin

"Your Daddy was a smart man. Has he been gone long?"

"He died in seventy-five. He was sixty-eight. The doctors said his heart blew up. There was nothing anyone could have done. In his entire life he had been in a hospital twice. Once when I was born, once when my brother was born. He was born in the farm house where I grew up. He worked that farm his whole life. Mom sold it a week after he died to my uncle. A month later Mom was gone too. My brother was dead, I was on my own and she missed my Dad a lot. She just went in her sleep one night."

Ami kissed my and held me in her arms. When the clock on the night stand showed 6:18pm she asked what I would like for dinner. I smiled and said, "More Ami."

She said I'd had enough for a few hours and asked what she could make for our dinner. While I thought about an answer the back door opened and we heard someone in our kitchen.

Ami whispered, "You expecting company, sailor?"

I shook my head. We waited. The noises went on for three or four minutes and finally Gena's head came into view in the bedroom doorway.

"I figured that since Ami came home early from work you might like someone to deliver dinner. That way you don't even need to get up."

"How do you know I came home early?"

"You were home before one and school lets out at three-ten. Duh!"

"Oh, that."

"Was he as good as I said he was?"

"He is as good as you said, and better!"

I asked, "What's for dinner?"

"Salmon with a mango salsa, braised green beans, brown rice and iced tea."

"Will you eat with us?"

"Naked on the bed, one plate?" Gena had a big grin on her face.

"Is there a better way?"

She disappeared for less than a minute and walked in nude, with a platter of food, one fork and a dish towel. The dish towel became our table cloth. She ran back to the kitchen and brought back a pitcher of iced tea and a big glass. She served all three of us while I held the glass of iced tea and refilled it as needed. Everything was great. I asked about Bob.

"He's working a little overtime tonight so he can be free to help Ami move tomorrow. He's excited about the whole thing."

"Did you save some salmon for him?"

"Nope. When he told me he would be working late I went and bought salmon. He likes some fish, but not salmon. I love salmon. When I saw this fresh salmon in the store and it was big enough for all three of us, I bought it!"

We both kissed her thanks. All three of us went to the kitchen and did the clean up. Gena was ready to go home and picked up her plates, pan and things when Ami said, "Aren't you wearing clothes to go home?"

Gena blushed and said that would be great to be seen going home from my house naked. We laughed and I worried about Bob's reaction. After she dressed and went home I stuck a 3X5 card on the back door with the words "GET DRESSED" on it.

Ami and I went to bed early. At dawn we were both up and dressed in work clothes. She gave me directions on what needed to be done in our house and she went to supervise the packing at her apartment. Two women from the school arrived at ten to help. They came to our house. They worked with Ami and wanted to help, meet me and join the party. They brought cleaning supplies and set right in getting my already clean house even cleaner. At a little after eleven Judi arrived with enough food for an army. She bought a three foot long sandwich. It came with cole slaw, potato salad, chips and a bag of cookies for dessert.

At noon a truck pulled into Bob's driveway. Not Bob's pick up, but a bobtail from Bob's company. His boss had let him use it for the day. They had everything Ami owned in the truck. Judi jumped in her car and took off, back to the sandwich shop. Bob had four guys with him and we didn't have enough lunch! They got started and Judi was back before all the food was gone.

At one the lunch was gone and we began unloading the truck. Ami supervised. Lots of stuff went into the garage. Some stuff went home with the workers. The couch from my living room went. Ami's couch replaced it. By a little after six she was moved in. I offered to take everyone to dinner and Momma smiled at asked what time it was.

Ami told her and Momma said, "Set the table. Dinner will be here in fifteen minutes. Boys, get washed up." She had arranged for her neighborhood Italian restaurant to deliver dinner. Bob and his friends got a sheet of plywood from his garage and we put it on top of my dining room table. Then we could seat everyone at the table. Gena and Bob brought chairs from their house to augment those I had.

Judi found some candles and two flat sheets to use as tablecloths. When the food arrived we sat and ate like a huge, happy family. Unlike some families, this one cleaned up when the meal was over.

By eight there were four people in my... our house; Ami, Judi, Momma and me. We sat in the new living room.

"Can I ask questions?" Momma asked.

"Certainly." I answered.

"Who are you? How did you get my daughter to fall for you so quickly and when are you getting married?"

"Ami picks the date. She said next Saturday was too soon. My name is Pete Peterson. I was born with a different first name but changed to Pete while I was in the Air Force. I was born in Malad, Idaho and lived my youth on our family farm. I had a brother and he's dead, as are my parents. Oh yes, how did I get your daughter to fall for me? Ask her."

"I didn't fall for Pete. I chose him. I decided to love him. I decided the night I met him. I decided the next morning and I'll keep deciding every morning for the rest of my life."

"How did you meet?"

"Bonnie introduced us. Bonnie told me that if she wasn't married to John she would marry Pete and be happy for the rest of her life."

"I'm worried."

"Mrs. Lachman, you can worry if you want to. In ten years when we're still happy, loving and laughing I'll ask you to quit worrying. You can decide to stop any time you'd like between now and then. My first wife died in a drive by shooting. I could hide away and decide not to ever have a partner because she might get shot too... or I can marry your daughter and be happy every day of the rest of our lives."

"Ok. I think I'm getting the picture. Now, when?"

All three women got out their calendars and picked a date two months away. Bonnie had volunteered her place for the wedding so Ami called her and found out that the condos where Bonnie and John lived had a club house that could hold two hundred for a sit down dinner. Ami gave her the date and she called back in five minutes confirming the date.

I made a note to call the tux rental place the next morning. I was done. I smiled. I was done and they were just starting. Momma and Judi went home after eleven. Ami slept in my arms all night. I enjoyed Ami for breakfast and lunch. We got the house put together before dark and went out for dinner.

Monday evening Momma, Judi and Ami took over the dining room for planning. It was that way for a week. Then it got worse.

The next weekend we had to make the list of who got invited to the wedding. Ami and I talked privately about that and I had to tell her that the only people I had any interest in inviting, my only real friends were guys I had been in the hospital with or women I had been munchin. The list came to eight men and twelve women. Ami sat with that for a day and sent all of them invitations.

My schedule got more crowded. My work at the computer still took up about thirty to forty-five hours a week. I still had Bonnie, Gena, Andrea and Beth coming for munchin during the days and Ami at night. Ami had us involved in social activities with the people she worked with and her friends from before Pete. I wondered if things would calm down after the wedding. I was so busy I didn't think about the eight men invited from when we were in the hospital together. We still emailed and spoke on the phone once in a while but hadn't seen each other in years. I gave Ami the list and promptly forgot about it.

Two days before the wedding Jack Williams called. Ami spoke to him. He was flying in the night before the wedding and wanted to know if he could bring someone with him. Ami said yes. An hour later Antonio Piscano called and confirmed again that he would be there. Two of the eight. Ami forgot to tell me they called.

The morning of the wedding I was banished from my own home. I went out for breakfast with Bonnie and Bob. Bob couldn't quite wrap his head around the reality that Bonnie was a lover of mine and had introduced Ami and me. After breakfast Bob went home to dress for the wedding and I went to Bonnie's to dress.

We were in the clubhouse half an hour before the wedding was scheduled. I don't know what time Ami and company arrived. The minister that had helped me when Honey died agreed to marry us and he was there on time. Ami and he had talked a lot about the ceremony, all I said was I didn't want the traditional exchange-of-property ceremony.

The clubhouse was a huge round room. The chairs for the ceremony were set all around the center and the dais was in the center. We would be surrounded by family and friends.

At the start of the music (The Wedding Song by Peter, Paul & Mary) were walked in from opposite sides of the circle and met in the center. The minister had us hold hands as we faced each other.

He spoke briefly about the symbolism of a marriage. How it could be the public statement of two people intending to unite their lives for common goals, common nourishment, common focus and support.

He held up a purple ribbon about three feet long. He told that the binding of our arms together with the ribbon symbolized our coming together for a purpose larger than we could do or be as individuals. The purpose was to share love. He asked Ami and then me if that was why we wanted to be bound together. We said yes. He held the ribbon for the people in the room to see and he asked, "If you can support Ami and Pete in their commitment to love and share their love please join with them and say, Yes!"

The "Yes!" was strong and we felt their support. He wrapped the ribbon around our right wrists, binding us together.

He held up a blue ribbon and spoke again of it symbolizing our willingly being bound to honor each other with respect and care for all our lives. He asked for our agreement and for the agreement of all those in the room. The "Yes!" rang through the room and he wrapped our left wrists with the ribbon.

Six ribbons bound us together. Six times all our friends and relations said "Yes!" to affirm their support and agreement. The minister then gave us his blessing and had everyone stand and say the words: "From this moment forward Pete and Ami are joined. Their lives, souls, hearts and spirits are as one, joined in love, bound by their promises and our support and love. And so it is. Amen."

The room was silent for about five seconds and then it erupted in noise. Cheers, clapping, whoops and laughter.

The way the ribbons had been tied the minister could cut the ribbon between our wrists and still we each remained tied with three ribbons on each wrist. We left them on the rest of the day.

We all sat down and had a lunch together. Then a friend of Bob's turned on his DJ's equipment and the music started. He began by announcing that the first song would be started by Ami and me and that we should quickly be joined by everyone. He played "The Wedding Song" again.

We danced for hours. I think I danced with every woman who was there and Ami danced with every man. Ami's Mom cried all the time we danced. After Ami danced with my two friends from the military she came and found me and cut in. I took her in my arms and she sobbed.

She looked into my face and said, "I talked with Jack and Antonio. You were my hero yesterday, now I am in awe of who you are for those two men. I love you, Pete."

"I love you, Ami." We finished that dance together. Antonio and Jack had contacted the others who couldn't come for various reasons. One had just had another surgery and was still in the hospital. They all pitched together and gave us a wedding present. Ami knew about it but didn't tell me until we were ready to cut the cake.

Everyone gathered for the cutting of the cake and Ami spoke. "Pete has some very good friends from when they were all in the military. They have given us a present and I want to thank them." She had Antonio and Jack come forward. "These men were in the hospital with Pete when they came back from the Spanish American War." The people laughed. "Maybe it was some other war, but they were together. They bought us our honeymoon. We leave tomorrow an a seven day cruise! We're going on the Love Boat!"

We got back from the cruise on a Sunday night. Ami went back to school on Monday morning. Flowers were delivered to her school just before lunch. That evening we had dinner with Judi and Momma. They heard about the cruise and our adventures. Tuesday night Bob and Gena came over for dinner. Bob was dressed up and so was Gena. Ami made lasagna, one of Bob's favorite foods.

When the meal was over and we were just sitting and talking Bob got the floor. "Three months ago I came to your back door wanting to kill you. You treated me like a friend. You helped me learn how to better love Gena. Thank you. Please accept my apology for thinking you would violate my marriage."

"Thank you, Bob for being such a great friend to both of us." Ami and I said it together.

"I would like to ask for a favor. I'll understand if you say no, but... no, never mind." Bob looked embarrassed.

"Bob, if I can grant you a favor, I will. What is it?"

"Can you teach me how to eat pussy?"

The room froze. Not one of us moved. All the color in Gena's face drained out. Bob kept looking at me and holding his breath.

"You want..."

"I know you've been eating her. I know I've never even touched her pussy and I want to be able to give that to her. Will you teach me?"

"You're not angry?" Gena asked.

"I was. Angry, disappointed and having thoughts about killing both of you. Then I went to the wedding. I sat and talked with Jack Williams. He told me about your injury, your wife, your way of looking for a way of seeing sunshine even in the rain. The more I thought about you and Honey and Gena and all the other women I've seen around you the more I realized you weren't trying to take my wife. You were simply loving her in ways I wasn't willing. While you were gone I tried to eat Gena. I failed. I just don't know how."

Ami looked at me and softly said, "When the Master is ready, the student will appear."