Let's Make a Deal Pt. 17

Author's note:

This is part of a long story. No part of it is intended to stand alone. I suggest starting with Part 1

In revising the whole story, I've corrected errors, but also filled in a lot. This has inevitably made it all even longer. My apologies to anyone who read it in the original form and now finds it changed for the worse.

If you're looking mostly for explicit sex, this probably is not the story for you, so why don't you just go on to something else? There is explicit sex in some parts, but even there it's not the focus.

Also, some parts contain religious discussions which will offend some people and bore others. If you're one of those people, again, why not go on to something else?

81. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

At last the day for the wedding came. It was a beautiful day, which always helped Scott's mood and in this case also made things run a lot more smoothly. They didn't have any attendants besides Lynda and Brian, and didn't have any of the sort that many people there probably expected. The women simply walked up the aisle normally, not stretching things out. Martha didn't have anyone giving her away. To Scott's eyes she was radiantly beautiful.

Pastor Bob spoke on Ephesians 5. He went through its application to them carefully, not finding anything new to say but showing clearly what was there. At the end, he told them all, "I talked with Scott and Martha about what I should speak on, after we had already discussed this passage between us. This is what they chose. They had already shown me that they understood it as well as I do. So why did they want me to speak on it again now? They wanted to be reminded of the responsibility they each bear, in the Christian life in general and in their marriage in particular."

He went on, "Every couple I talk with about marriage is different, and there are always surprises. Scott and Martha provided more surprises than most. I want to tell you some of what they said about this passage of scripture. Martha said this, among other things:"

Submitting to Scott as to the Lord, well, I think the difficulty will be with me, not with Scott, for the most part.

Scott stiffened. That was exactly what Martha had said, word for word, as far as he could remember! Had the pastor been recording their discussion? He listened closely as Pastor Bob went on.

I don't mean that Scott's authority is the same as the Lord's. God doesn't make mistakes. I've known Scott to make mistakes, once or twice.

The pastor paused as people laughed. Scott whispered to Martha, "I should have brought in what the Lord said to Samuel about Saul."

"Shh! I need to hear this."

But he's been very clear to me, that if it's a choice between obeying him and obeying God, there's no question which way to go. And Scott has always, without exception, encouraged me to think about what he said, when he asked me to do things—not demanded that I do them whether they were right, or even smart, or not. Always! He's not after unthinking obedience. So the real issue is my attitude. Do I insist on doing things my way, or do I take what Scott wants—no, not what he wants, what he thinks needs to be done—as something which should guide me? It's really about attitude and trust.

"And here's a little of what Scott said:"

How can I possibly live this out? Love her as Christ loves the church? If I understand it at all, I'm supposed to present her to him, in the end, pure and spotless. I'm not even doing such a good job of that with myself! I truly will do the best I can, and that will sometimes mean requiring her to do things she doesn't want to, but there's no room there for demanding that she please me! This is something I can't possibly do on my own.

The pastor finished by reiterating the chief points. "This is in a context that begins by commanding us, all of us, not just marriage partners but all Christians, to submit to one another out of fear of the Lord. Martha, the wife is to do this partly by putting her husband's will ahead of her own. Scott, the husband is to put his wife's welfare ahead of his own and ahead of his own wishes. You both know and understand this. What I just quoted shows that. Now go and live it out."

They had stuck pretty closely to tradition for their vows—of course, traditions vary a lot anyway—with Martha promising to obey and Scott to cherish. They did promise never to lie to or mislead each other. Of course, "Forsaking all others" was in there. Pastor Bob had made sure, in their meetings, they both understood, accepted, and were committed to this. He also strongly urged it on them as part of the formal vows, as a public declaration, not primarily for reasons of tradition. But Scott and Martha had also talked about it from before they were formally engaged, and would have been prepared to insist on that themselves had it been necessary.

Brian handed Scott the ring, and as he took Martha's hand he said to her, very quietly, "Here's another point of no return." She smiled even more beautifully as he put the ring on, but didn't laugh. When told that he might now kiss her, he made sure it was long and enthusiastic, not that Martha needed any encouragement.

The photographer, just another friend from church who had a good camera and took lots of pictures, knew that they weren't going to do any kind of extended photo session, and the kiss was in fact the first picture taken after the point when Martha had reached the front and the wedding service proper had begun. She did set up next to where they stood afterward to receive congratulations, so most everyone who came up and spoke to them was photographed with them. She caught Lynda and Scott exchanging hugs and kisses on the cheeks, with Scott bent way down to make this possible, but all the other shots were taken so as to show all involved at their best. There was also a video of the service, since the church routinely recorded services for those who couldn't attend, and the camera was running.

82. A Long-Expected Party: Step we gaily, on we go, Heel for heel and toe for toe

When they finally were able to go to the fellowship hall for the reception, the musicians had their own little joke ready. These were, after all, people Scott played with for dances. As the couple came in, they shifted into "Haste to the Wedding." There was laughter and applause. Scott wondered how many people simply thought the change to a jig was amusing and how many recognized the tune. On the last half of the repeat of the B part, he took Martha's hands and they did a balance and swing, swinging to the end of the tune, getting more laughter and applause as he bowed to Martha at the end. The musicians meanwhile switched seamlessly into a reel, "Mairi's Wedding."

The musicians then played another bit not prearranged with Scott, the wedding march section from Mendelssohn. No trumpets, alas. Scott wondered whether they were just being cute, or whether he'd told one of them, sometime, how much he loved that whole piece, the overture and incidental music, and also whether they had found an arrangement or were just faking it. Of course, it hadn't originally been scored for this specific combination of instruments. After that, they went back to the baroque music that had been planned.

Once everyone was seated, people were asked to fill their glasses with sparkling cider or sparkling grape juice, from the bottles on the tables. Rather to Scott's surprise, it was Lynda who stood up, not Brian.

"Brian's going to offer a toast, too, but I know Scott much better than he knows Martha, and I have some things to say, so he's agreed to let me get in first.

"These two mean more to me than I can say. When I needed a place to live, Martha took me in. Since I didn't have a full-time job, my life being in shambles, she didn't charge me any rent for a long time. She made me finish high school, arranging everything from admissions to getting the bus to stop, and got me moving in the mornings so that I was on time. She helped me apply for my job where I now work, and I've been working for Scott for a few years now as a result. She's been like a mother to me, and those of you who have teenage daughters have some idea what that involves. She was always more patient than I deserved. Always!

"OK, those of you who know me know I get emotional and cry. This is one of those times.

"Scott is the kind of boss anyone would dream of. He's courteous, kind, completely trustworthy, and always fair—except sometimes he treats you better than you deserve. When I asked questions he always answered them. When there was trouble about how Martha was doing her job, he let the two of us do some extra work, well, a lot of it, as part of giving her one more chance, and that is when I really got to see him in action. He showed me what a man of strong character was really like, and in the end what mature Christian manhood is. Of course he's not perfect, but it's because of his example—even more than his willingness to answer questions and go through the Bible with us—that Martha and I are both believers today. In so many ways he's been like a father to me.

"If he wasn't marrying Martha, and if he asked me, I'd gladly marry him myself—if he didn't ask me, I'd propose to him and not take no for an answer! But these two were just made for one another. People talk about marriages made in heaven, and I truly believe that this is one, that God prepared them both for each other. I'm praying that they'll have a few kids to keep them busy, and looking forward to seeing the results.

"So let's toast Scott and Martha Davidson! May they build each other up, and continue to be an example to us all, for many years to come." She lifted her glass. "To Scott and Martha!"

When everyone had sipped, with a lot of cheers and applause, Brian got up. "I'm not sure what I can add to that, but here goes! I've known Scott now for eight years, really. I really got to know him after I joined the Bible study and fellowship group he's part of. His comments were always both enlightening and practical.

"I was a beginning guitar player, and I asked him for help with that. For about five years, we got together weekly, and he taught me. These weren't structured lessons, for the most part, but he listened to me and patiently showed me, over and over and over, how to do things better, things I never could have learned on my own. He never tried to tell me what to play, but always asked to find out what I wanted to play and then helped me see how to do it. And he refused to charge me for this, even though it was a huge time commitment on his part. He told me to be as ready to help someone else, if I felt I needed to repay him.

"In doing that, he had to listen to and work with me on a lot of music he didn't like at all. Think about what it meant for him to be willing to do that, over all those years! He broadened my own musical horizons, too, but his goal was always to help me play what I wanted to play, not to make me play what he likes. I'm not sure I could ever do that for someone, and for sure I couldn't do it that well. I finally got to the point where I can usually figure things out for myself, which I think was his goal, but I still occasionally go to him for help. Or just to play together for fun.

"But of course we talked about other things, too, almost every week. I shared things I hesitated to talk about in a larger group, and asked for advice. He almost never said, 'Here's what you need to do,' or anything like that. The closest he came to that was to lay out what my options were, when my thinking was muddy. But he'd say, 'Well, what does scripture say about it?' And when I answered as best I could, he would ask what it meant, or point me to other passages I'd never thought about and ask about what they said about it. He always, always put the texts in context. He'd never let me get away with quoting one verse in a way that changed its meaning out of context. And a lot of the time, he had me look things up, but he wouldn't look at the text because he knew it by heart. I don't know one other single person who comes close to him in knowing whole large sections of scripture by heart. But he always made me look it up and read it myself, in context.

"A while ago, we stopped seeing him so much, and eventually we found out why. He was giving all his time to these two lovely women. And it's really no surprise that they both came to know the Lord through him, or that Martha is marrying him.

"As Lynda said, I don't know Martha all that well. I'm sure that's going to change over time. I know her well enough to know that she has a keen sense of humor, though she reins it in so she doesn't hurt anyone's feelings. She's a great match for Scott in that. Seeing them together, how they treat each other and talk to each other, is an example worth watching. I'm looking forward to getting to know her much better.

"So I too give you Scott and Martha. May their marriage flourish and be an example for all of us!"

When the dinner was over, and many of the guests had left, Scott and Martha got up to leave. Martha went off with Lynda to change out of her dress. Lynda was taking it, and some other things, home with her while Scott and Martha went to a hotel in a nearby town for a week.

The plan was for Scott to move into Martha's house, with Lynda taking Scott's apartment when they returned. They had already moved a few things, mostly clothing, and while the couple was away some friends would move a few pieces of furniture. The really important one, from Scott's point of view, was exchanging Martha's double bed for Scott's queen size. He really wanted a bed he could stretch out full length in. He was very thankful that Martha had no qualms about sleeping in the bed he had shared with Chris.

Before they left, they stopped in the kitchen to thank the women who had prepared and served. A package of leftovers was waiting for them, so that they wouldn't have to go out to eat that evening. Other things were being made ready for Lynda to take. Scott thought that they wouldn't need to cook for a week or more once they got back. They both thanked these women at length, trying not to interrupt their cleanup too much. Scott knew the kitchen crew had eaten, in shifts, while the guests were also eating, but there had always been several serving and making sure that nothing was lacking.

They also stopped to thank the pastor and his wife. He said, "I've never performed a wedding where I've been so sure that the couple understood what they were getting into. The Lord be with you until we see you back here."

Scott took the opportunity to ask him whether he had quoted them from recordings. Pastor Bob laughed. "No, that would be a really bad idea, I think. But in seminary, well, even before that, but especially there, I had professors who expected us to remember everything. And I do mean everything. I learned to take notes in a kind of shorthand, as close to verbatim as possible, then as soon as possible after class go through them and type it all in before I forgot. I even learned to maintain eye contact, looking down when I had to go on to a new line and not much more than that. It all takes time, but it's invaluable in any kind of counseling. I mark up my typed notes with what I think is most important, so that I can skim it before future meetings."

And they stopped to say goodbye to Sheila. She had come in a couple of days before the wedding. Scott had not been surprised to like her right off. He could easily see the qualities that had made her such a close friend to Martha. Given everything Martha had experienced before that, he could see how that had grown into love as well. He wondered whether Sheila's attraction to women was like Martha's, and Lynda's, had been—the result of earlier experiences—or whether it ran deeper. Either way, it wasn't his job to do anything about it. He was sure she knew what he thought, anyway. But she had been a good friend, and a source of stability, to Martha long after all that was over, and he was grateful for that.

He had, however, been surprised to find that she was apparently a few years older than he was. Maybe around fifty? In appearance, she was fairly plain, but at least to Scott's mind not unattractive.

Sheila looked at him for a long moment, then gave him a hug. "You take good care of her, Scott. I can see how happy you've made her, far more than I ever could. Thank you! I'm so glad she's settled where she can be that happy. I wish we had time for me to get to know you a little better. Maybe we'll arrange it somehow, someday." She kissed him on the cheek, and he returned it.

Scott told her, "If you can manage to visit us, once we've had time to figure out how living together is going to work, we'd both love to have you come for a week or so. Or more, perhaps."

"I'd like that. I'll do it if I can arrange the time."

She went on, "You know—I trust I'm not violating any confidences—several years ago, Martha wrote to me that she had fallen in love with her boss, but that she felt she couldn't even express it to you." She glanced at Martha, who nodded. "She told me why, of course. Nothing much more relating to you came up until, oh, maybe close to a year ago, when she said you had fired her, and why. And then, nothing more about this until suddenly she and Lynda were studying the Bible with you. And then quite without warning you were engaged. I must admit to being curious. You should be on your way, so I am not asking any questions now. But I wish that Martha—or you—would write and fill me in somewhat."

Scott thought a moment and said, "Too much of it I would prefer not to have in writing, if you don't mind. And some of it involves more than just us, things we shouldn't discuss without permission and probably involvement. But we'll spend some time together thinking about how much we can say, and if—when—you come and visit, we will talk about it with you.

"But you've now roused my own curiosity. When you do come and visit, would you bring these letters and let me read them? Assuming that you've kept them and that Martha doesn't mind?" He looked at Martha, who nodded vigorously. "And is it OK with you—both of you—if I read the letters you wrote to her, assuming she's kept them?"

Martha said, "Scott, I did just promise to obey you, didn't I? I'm sure I remember saying that!" She gave his hand a squeeze.

"Yes. And we've discussed what that means, limits and all that. I wouldn't ever read your personal correspondence without your permission, unless I really thought I needed to. Never just for curiosity. And for that matter, I hereby give you blanket permission to read mine, unless I specifically ask you not to read something specific. And I can't imagine doing that without reasons you'd approve of." He looked back at Sheila. "If it's OK with both of you, in general, but there are parts I shouldn't know, it's fine to read me only the parts that are OK, or to give me a summary."

Sheila looked at Martha and laughed. "You gushed a lot about him, and I see what you meant." To Scott again: "If it doesn't embarrass you too much, and won't embarrass Martha, it's fine with me."

And then she said to Martha, "You take good care of him, too, lady. From what you said, he's been lonely so long that you'll need to be careful not to push him back into himself. I can see why you love him, anyway. You just make sure you make him as happy as he's making you. Anyone can see how much that is." She gave Martha a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Martha dripped a couple of tears.