Nine Hours Before I have to be on a plane to Mexico. Six hours ago, I should have been in a meeting with the team in Canada. Oil in Canada will not wait for my son's wedding.
My Son.
I could not control the loud scoff that escaped my lips with that thought if I tried. But I quickly remember where I am as my wife pinches my arm, reminding me to behave myself. I attempt to stare her down with a dark look; a futile attempt really, the woman has never been a pushover, or we wouldn't be here. A supportive family putting on a lavish ceremony for our undeserving son. The bane of my existence. A murderer, a waste. If I had my way he would be far away, a destitute, not living off my wealth like he has a right to it. But his mother always has the last word, and because she wants us to be here, here we are.
For a man feared by many, my wife has a big influence on most of my actions. Lesser men would say she wears the pants in our home. I say, I love her, and why not indulge the woman who has sacrificed most of her life to give me a wonderful home? I know I am a difficult man, and yet she has never complained. Letting her have this day is one of the ways I reward her for pleasing me.
Of course, there is another woman here who holds the reins on my decisions even more firmly than my wife does. Her wishes to me are law. I look to my left and watch in fond amusement as she sits still in her pew, her back straight, eyes fixed on an unseen object in the front of the chapel. Velda. Tough matriarch. The single most feared woman in the room. And my benefactor.
No one remembers now, but there was a time when my now-sprawling empire was only a far-fetched dream. I was a young man with a shell of an inheritance and big dreams, and no means of ever achieving them. And then a mysterious heiress changed my whole life in one afternoon. No one really knows the true source of Velda's wealth, and naturally I was curious, but when she offered me her unlimited means to pursue my dreams of reviving my family’s legacy by tapping into the earth's liquid gold, I asked no questions. In seven years, I was wealthier than I had ever imagined. And now, thirty years later, Velda still remains in the background, giving advice, planning the great future, pulling the strings, learning my many secrets...
Like my son.
Many years ago, I had gone to Velda with fury and murder on my mind. My wife had come to me with good news that after years of trying unsuccessfully to have a child, she was finally pregnant. I knew without a doubt that she had been unfaithful, it was impossible for me to have children. Velda had listened quietly, without judgement, speaking only after I said all that was on my mind. She looked me in the eyes and said firmly "You will go home, tell your wife that you are happy and excited about the news, and you will love that child like he was your own. You need an heir. No one ever needs to know. No one." It was difficult, but Velda was right. So, I accepted my first son, and my twin daughters, knowing every day of their lives that they were proof of the greatest betrayal from the woman I loved with my whole being.
Only, a secret I thought I could live with turned out to be almost too much to handle. Our son grew from a delightful boy into a reckless young man. The ungrateful bastard has caused me and his mother more grief than any other problems we have ever had to deal with. From the horrible behavior all through his younger years, to more dangerous activities as a teenager, all culminating in the murder of an innocent man outside a bar abroad. At every turn, his mother pleaded and I obliged her, paying off the best lawyers to make his troubles go away. But after he was convicted, I knew that he could never inherit my empire. His mother asks why I hate him, it is not hard to point at his actions instead of his conception...
I look away from him and exchange a nod and smile with his Best Man. He could be my heir. He lost his family at a young age and we officially adopted him as our own. It was the best decision we ever made. He is everything I want in a son: smart, respectful, responsible. Velda agrees. It was also a brilliant coincidence that he was in love with Velda's god-daughter. We had it all planned out, we would wait until she was done with her MBA, and guide them gently into a lasting relationship together. He would be my heir, she would be Velda's heiress, as well as her father's. Together, we would create the greatest empire in the country, and I would finally have a son I could be proud of.
But as she walks down the aisle towards the wrong son, I have no choice but to accept that even without a penny to his name, he has again thwarted my plans, reminding me why I hate him so much. But there is still time to put our plans together. Velda has a plan and she is patient. So am I.
We all face the priest.
"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God, and in the face of these witnesses, to join this Man and this Woman together in holy matrimony; which is honorable, instituted of God..."
God. This needs to be over soon. I glance at Velda and her displeasure is evident on her face. I always wondered why she never said anything to stop this sham. But as I have learned, things are never as they seem with her. The priest continues to drone on and on about the sanctity of marriage, I tune him out as I rehearse again the few words I have prepared to sway the Board of the new company I am acquiring.
"Now, if anyone knows of any reason why these two should not be joined together in Holy Matrimony, speak now, or forever hold your peace..."
The silence gets my attention and I look around. Everyone is staring at the one person who dared to interrupt this joyous occasion. And for the first time, Velda may be smiling...
Coming up: Our Family Wedding VI (Velda)
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