Stormwatch – A Wedding in The Wood

"What about the cider?" Josh asked. Veronica looked at him questioningly and he said "She came up to me and said she represented Children's Hospital and wanted to see the books on the money we're collecting, she wanted to make sure that everything was properly documented so the IRS wouldn't get suspicious, so I brought her up to the cabin to show her the 501(c)3 paperwork. I opened the gun safe and pulled the books out and as soon as I opened the gun safe door, she handed me her cider and said, "I think the cider has gone bad." so, like a dummy I tasted it."

"And then?" Veronica asked.

"The next thing I remember is a pounding headache and you screaming."

"I'm sorry," she pouted and stroked his temples.

"All I can think is that they were here for the money," frowned Josh. The gun safe was still open and every box that was inside the safe was opened and dumped out.

"How much did they get?" groaned Veronica as she picked up the ledger book.

"Hang on, let me check." Josh walked over to the cold fireplace, crouched down and reached up into the chimney and pulled the lever to open the flu damper and a heavy strongbox dropped down into his ready hands. "NEVER store money or other valuables in a gun safe." He took it to the table and opened it and he quickly counted it. "Looks like it's all here."

"I'm so sick of this, gasped Veronica. "This has to stop now," she groaned, and she took out her phone.

"There's one question you never asked," said Josh as she started typing on her phone.

"What's that dear?"

"Who took the photos?"

Veronica stopped typing. "I never did think about that... I hope it's that jerk she married, because otherwise, it's my mom."

"What are you doing?" Josh asked.

"Inviting her to our wedding."

**********

Magda -

Please come to my wedding, come early, at 10:00 AM so we can talk, otherwise your act to portray yourself as an attorney and a sample of the cider you spiked and gave to my fiancé will be turned over to the police.

Casual attire is acceptable, RSVP quickly.

**********

A megadose of Tylenol later and a casual walk around the cabins helped Josh to feel better. Neighbors Tommy and Jeff Schaffer were setting up a large grill to roast a calf that Josh purchased from the nearby dairy farmer Gerry and Irma Hirsh, getting ready for tomorrow's feast. The path around the campsite was illuminated by the lights of the different campsites, Jack O' Lanterns flickering happily in front of each cabin or camper made the walk in the dead leaves enjoyable. Veronica clung to Josh's arm letting the anger drain out of her, she should have seen that 'attack' from Magda coming, but she was so focused on this entire celebration.

The night was chilly but not cold, so a light jacket was all that was needed. "How did we do ma?" called Terri as they walked past her camper.

"Why don't you join us by the campfire? We'll have a little meeting while Josh entertains the kids."

"K, come on loverboy," said Terri as she nudged Mateo who was still pretending to be dead.

"Wha? No more!" He looked at Josh and said, "She's an animal! Completely debased and unsatisfiable!"

"Are you complaining or bragging," asked Veronica.

"Bragging," grinned Mateo as Terri pulled him out of the chair.

"You can't get the genie back in the bottle kid, get your ass up and take it like a man," kidded Josh, "and bring your folding chairs."

As they walked around the campground that hasn't seen this many campers in decades Josh said, "This is incredible, maybe I should ditch this computer nonsense and open this up as a campground."

"What a fun idea!" said Veronica, "even if it doesn't work, we can survive nicely on my salary."

"Oh crap, did I say that out loud?"

"We can make it happen," said Veronica. "John and Macy had mentioned that they would like to have campouts for their church, and I know a group of people that would like a discrete campsite, they tend to swing the other way... if you know what I mean."

The idea started to take in his head, Josh has spent his life taking orders from another man, Uncle Sam, Ant Friedman, he loved them both, but it would be nice to be the one giving the orders... maybe on a part time basis.

As they completed their lap around the campground they gathered quite a following of folks with their folding chairs and they ended up on their lawn by the pond where the twins and the Friedman kids waited along with a couple new children from two families who were here from Andalon, the new VP of Marketing Jared Connely and his wife Jennifer, and their seven year old son, also Josh's co-worker Eli Goldman along with his wife Olivia and their two girls ages six and five.

Anthony had started the bonfire and when they got there the fire was burning merrily and the whole gang had gathered including the Jareckis from across the street. The scent of fallen leaves and scorched pumpkins filled the air and the Olean NY radio station WPIG promised an even nicer day tomorrow. "I want to thank you all for coming out and joining us for Josh and Ronnie's celebration of love tomorrow," said Paul Jarecki as everyone had settled down. "And thank you so much for helping out on Beggars Night, we were completely astounded by the free will donations, our little campout has raised for Children's Hospital, not counting the donation from Andalon, five hundred thirty-five dollars!"

After a round of applause Paul continued, "A donation from Andalon raised the total to two thousand dollars." As they applauded Anthony's largess Josh spotted Kenny Johnson and Yi-jin Carlson sitting quietly behind John and Macy Jarecki. "And Kenny! Your idea! Holy Jumpin' Catfish! Kenny had an idea for a guillotine for the haunted house in Springville and that thing is still raking in the money!" Kenny's idea was a guillotine with flashing lights. The crowd just sees flashing lights, but to the person in the guillotine it looks like the blade is actually coming down on you.

"The total by Friday was over six thousand dollars," called out Paul.

Gus Didomissio pointed to his girlfriend Lucy Kosis who was laughing and blushing, "I got my head cut off four times!" At the haunted house you could bribe the cosplayers to execute almost anyone. It was said that yesterday's execution of Buffalo Bill's former quarterback Jim Kelly raised a thousand dollars.

"If we could get the kids together," called Veronica, "Josh has agreed to tell some ghost stories," and soon Josh had a dozen eager listeners and he told three ghost stories that kept the kids enthralled. To a few of the adults they seemed a bit familiar, but they couldn't remember where they had heard the story before.

Josh's final story involved two settlers who and snuck into an Indian tribe's war council. The medicine man said that he couldn't predict the outcome of the attack but he knew that everyone in the longhouse would be back tomorrow after the battle. The settlers raced back to their village and warned them of the attack which came at sunrise, and it was a fierce battle that the Indians won, but dozens on each side were killed. The two settlers were angry and went back to the tribe's battle council after the attack, they crawled into the longhouse and started throwing pinecones at the tribe elders to get them to fight but the elders looked around in terror and ran out leaving the medicine man behind. Josh finished up by saying in his spookiest voice, "The medicine man looked around and even right at the two men and said, "I can't see you, but I know you are here!" and left. That's when the two angry settlers knew that they were ghosts and that they had died in the battle!"

When the sufficiently terrified children returned to their parents the sticks, marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers came out and s'mores soon eased their damaged psyches. John and Macy Jarecki brought their guitars and started playing duets and led a sing-along while Josh and Veronica sat next to each other bathing in the warmth of the fire, their love, and the friendship of the gathered friends. Gus leaned over and said, "Those were some great stories, but I know I heard them before... at least two of them. Where did you get them?"

Josh smiled, "they were all episodes of the Twilight Zone."

Lucy leaned over and asked, "How did you know that the kids wouldn't have seen them?"

"These are all children of the twenty first century, I doubt that a single one of them has ever watched a black and white TV show."

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HALLOWEEN

Wedding Day

It was a beautiful autumn morning, the sun was warming the land, bathing Western New York in a warmth and brilliance that the area will not see again for another five months. The WPIG weather forecast for tonight was for two to four inches of snow in the city, more in the "south towns" which included the land that they were standing on right now.

Josh and Veronica sat by their small campfire sipping coffee, their breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast made over the fire was complete, they were now waiting for the storm before the wedding. "I've never had toast like that!" exclaimed Audrey.

"I know!" gushed Veronica. "Who would have thought that toasting bread over a wood fire would inject such flavor!"

"You've never had bread toasted over the campfire?" asked Mike. "Your education has been sincerely lacking in refinement."

"You never took us camping dad," said Veronica.

"And whose fault was that? You and your sister are the ones who insisted on going to beauty pageants."

"That was an all-local breakfast," said Josh, "The eggs came from Paul and Andi's chickens across the road, the bacon came from Brad and Dianna Clemmons' hog farm," he pointed east, "and the milk and butter and tonight's calf came from Gerry and Irma Hirsh's dairy farm," he pointed west, "and Audrey made the bread yesterday here in our cabin."

As Audrey began toasting the last two slices of the loaf of bread that she made, not counting the end slices that she saved to make into a sandwich for Mike for later, Veronica turned to Mike and spoke in a serious voice. "Dad, Magda and Jameson are in the area."

Mike's expression suddenly turned glum, "Are you sure?"

"She stopped by yesterday and we talked a little bit," said Josh. He wasn't about to say any more about it, not today.

Mike frowned, that damn daughter caused more harm to him than his ex-wife ever could have dreamed of causing. "I don't want to see her."

"And you don't have to," said Veronica. "Josh and I are going to speak to her at ten o'clock while people are starting to arrive. After we talk, she is either going to leave, or be the politest person you ever met, I personally promise you."

"I'll believe it when it happens," grumbled Mike. "If she does anything to disturb Audrey..."

At ten fifteen a ten-year-old Buick pulled into the driveway behind Josh and Veronica's cabin and two people nervously got out. The passenger was a tall, shapely redhead who looked a lot like Veronica with dark red tinted hair, the driver was a short, slim, blond man who looked about nervously then an ill-concealed look of panic spread over his face as he saw Veronica and Josh appear from behind the cabin. Jameson had left Veronica standing at the altar years ago when he ran off with her sister Magda who was carrying his baby.

Veronica and Josh walked up to Jameson and Magda and stood uncomfortably close and Josh started the conversation with a smile. In his "aww-shuckin" good ol' boy voice he said, "Was it you that took them pichers of me an' Magda?"

Jameson nodded and with an embarrassed smile said, "Yeah, I guess it was."

Quick as a flash of lightning Josh punched Jameson in the gut and the skinny blond crumpled to the ground with an agonized groan. Josh stood over him ready to hit again, "I didn't hit you because you took the pictures, I hit you because you're a weak, gutless, coward. You allowed your wife to convince you to commit a felony? What the fuck is wrong with you?" he roared.

Jameson could barely gurgle an answer. Veronica saw fire in Josh's eyes as he continued, "If you ever cause my wife a fraction of the pain you caused her yesterday I assure you, you will be on the ground again, and you will not be getting up."

Just then Magda turned to grab Josh, but Josh glared at her and said, "Touch me and I'm going to kick this spineless worm right where his balls should have grown. No man allows a woman he cares for to treat other people like that. A man doesn't allow her to talk him into doing wrong." After a moment he stepped away from the groaning Jameson and turned his wrath on Magda. "And you! Do you think your sister is stupid? Once she studied the pictures it took less than a second to realize that you damn near killed me with whatever you put in that cider." He pulled a glass tube out of his pocket filled with a sample and showed it to her.

"It's true," said Veronica. "Josh has PTSD from being trapped in an airplane that was shot up, he doesn't let anybody, or anything come between him and the exit. If he were conscious, he would have tossed you across the room to have a clear path to the door."

"What do you want?" said a visibly scared Magda.

"Simple," said Veronica. "It's your choice, you can go right now and never speak to us or dad again, or you can stay and celebrate our wedding and not say one disparaging word to anyone, and maybe even take the opportunity to apologize to your father."

"And if we don't?" asked Magda.

"Let's just put it this way," said Josh as he helped a groaning Jameson to his feet. "If you chose to leave quietly, we'll consider that a head start. If you stay and be nice, we may not give that cider, the cup with your fingerprints, the card with your fingerprints, and the pictures to the Town of Concord detective's department. It all depends on how nice you are."

============Ѽ============

The wedding ceremony started precisely at 1:00. The time was set to allow time for the celebration and to allow the guests and celebrants time to get home time to see the kickoff, Buffalo Bills vs the Las Vegas Traitors Raiders. "There's been a lot of bad blood between the Bills and the Raiders since the AFL and..."

"There is a wedding today, right?" interrupted Mike.

"Yeah, it's just, you got to understand how important the Bills are to the people of Western New York, they are the only NFL team in New York State!" gushed Audrey, a lifelong Buffalo Bills fanatic.

"What about the Jets and the Giants?" taunted Mike.

"The both of them play in New Jersey, the Jets only play in their home state once a year, here in Buffalo."

"Ok, ok, ok, calm down little one," chuckled Mike as he gave his curvy lover a hug and a kiss on the forehead. "You go get with the girls and I'll see you in a few minutes." And with a kiss, Audrey hurried off to join the brides' maids.

The pavilion was full, the crowd spilling out into the open area where benches were originally set up also, but today folding chairs were in order. The thirty pumpkins were lining the stage in the front and there was a pumpkin at the end of each bench. The stage was set with bales of hay and bundles of corn stalks and illuminated with tiki torches.

"These gourds are not signs of otherworldly influence," started Macy as she stepped in front. "They are the manifestations of the imaginations of our children, each pumpkin is crowned with a happy smile designed by our babies, even this one." she held up a pumpkin with an upside-down smiling face.

"That's mine!" cried Madeline from Yi's lap. "Momma said I was borned upside down!" her cry of excitement brought chuckles from the crowd.

"That solves the mystery of the upside-down pumpkin," whispered her father Paul, Josh's groomsman, as he stood with Josh and the best man, Anthony Friedman. The three men soon stepped out to the front. Each man wore blue jeans, a plaid flannel shirt and a denim jacket. Josh wore a large silver buckle on his dark brown belt which had "Josh" stamped on the back, dark brown cowboy boots and he wore a black necktie but other than that each man wore the neck unbuttoned. Back in the rear row of the pavilion, Jameson and Magda watched in silence, Magda shook her head, her sister Veronica never would have thought that blue jeans were acceptable at a wedding! What did this man do to her?

Now the bridesmaids began to enter, they were wearing full length Chambray skirts, a cloth that looks like denim but is much lighter, and flannel shirts like the men. They looked like they were ready to go cut down trees as far as Magda was concerned. First Terri came up the aisle, followed by Audrey, then the matron of honor, Marj Friedman. Then John began to play the banjo, it was the bridal march but the way he plucked that five-string banjo made the age-old piece sound as dignified and as beautiful as if he was playing it on an organ.

Now Veronica came up the aisle escorted by her father. He was dressed like the two groomsmen, and Veronica was dressed like she too was ready to go camping, or maybe dance a two-step at Worzils. Her skirt was full length Chambray with blue jean style pockets, a loose-fitting white blouse with tie front, lace pattern at the neckline, elastic banded sleeve cuffs. Like Josh she wore a wide dark brown belt with "Ronnie" stamped on the back and a large silver buckle. The buckles were custom made and they showed two happy pumpkins side by side and the buckle said Nica & Josh, October 31.

To complete her dress Veronica wore baby blue ornately embroidered cowboy boots with western style woman's heel. Her bouquet was almost identical to her matron of honor, Marge Friedman, and her brides' maids Audrey and Terri, red and yellow roses with a spray of autumn leaves.

Magda almost screamed in shock! Her little sister is dressed like some country hick? Years ago, she would have only wanted a wedding worthy of royalty, now she's cavorting with farmers. What did he do to her?

After Mike announced that he was giving his daughters hand in marriage with a joyful heart, he joined Anthony and Paul as a groomsman and Veronica stepped up to face Josh and the ceremony began.

"I first met the bride in the days when we were both fashion models," started Macy. "We met in Toronto at a shoot for Black Velvet Canadian Whiskey, remember Ronnie?" Veronica laughed and blushed and Macy continued, "We looked très bien, really good in those dresses made out of black velvet, didn't we Ronnie?" Again, Veronica nodded in agreement with a blush. "Oui chéri, you keep that dress in mind. When things get a little chilly in our household, I just show my amoureux a picture of moi in that dress and he will keep me warm toute la nuit, (all night long), I'm sure Josh will appreciate the dress." Said with Macy's silky French accent, it was the sexiest thing Josh had ever heard in his life.

"We come today to witness the joining of Ephraim and Veronica, Josh and Ronnie, Effi and Nica in holy matrimony..." The rest of the ceremony was lost on both Josh and Ronnie. They wanted to say special vows to each other, but Macy was right when she talked them out of that idea, even in this relaxed venue, in their own backyard, the emotions of this occasion washed over them preventing such a thing. Josh was lucky to remember his own name.

The year of longing for each other, too terrified to speak, gazing at each other across a crowded conference table, only rarely the chance to whisper their little names for each other. Then came the day when they were trapped together in a blizzard and they dared to allow their love to bloom... as their love grew, they felt the courage to reveal their darkest secrets to each other, Veronica's lesbian dalliances and her past as a sexual plaything, Josh and his nightmares, his PTSD... then the day he proposed to her in front of all of their friends and co-workers, it all came rushing back. They barely remember saying "I do," but they do remember sliding their rings on. Josh finally placed the wedding ring on Ronnie's finger to accompany that 2.5 karat diamond that has been wearing since December, and now Josh is wearing a ring on his finger for the first time in years. They were swimming in each other's shimmering eyes when Macy said, "By the power vested in me by the state of New York..." Macy chuckled and trying to imitate Josh said, "y'all husban' and wife, go on and kiss!"