Marrying Atlantis

Chapter 6

The seven sisters had stopped by again, and were talking amongst themselves about nail care. Sebastian had cunningly retreated to the office where he was catching up on some work.

“What’s it like to get married Topside?” Viola, the musical one, asked out of the blue. The other six had stopped for a second and looked at me.

“Well I have never been to one down here and I’m still single, so I don’t really know how different it is.” I admitted. I had suddenly noticed that they had all surrounded me again, waiting with big eyes for a better answer, one of their common habits. I thought for a bit.  “Where I lived, there were all types of weddings. Depending on your culture they varied. You could also have themed weddings, like horror or musical or even an underwater wedding.” The seven all laughed at the mention of their home

“Wouldn’t it be hard for them?” Dominique asked playing with her seahorse friend who I found to be called Cringle. I nodded in agreement.

“I’ve only been to traditional weddings. Well traditional where I come from.” I clarified.

“Ooh what are they like? Are they fancy and beautiful?” Lena, the pretty one asked. I had noticed everyone had all edged closer by at least a meter. If this continued I would soon be engulfed.

“Well it starts with the bride getting ready in her gorgeous white gown, probably the most expensive dress she’ll ever wear. She’ll get her makeup done, nails and toes, her hair will be beautifully arranged with either flowers or jewels along with the veil. And as the old rhyme goes; ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.” They giggled nodding having heard the term before.

“All her brides’ maids will gather round her and faun over her as she is, after all, the star of the show. They’ll hand her, her bouquet and tell her that she is the luckiest girl in the world. She’ll then depart in her fancy car with white ribbon strung across the bonnet,” I smiled remembering my cousin Emily’s wedding in which I was the flower girl.  But I made sure to keep this fact a secret from the rather receptive seven.

“What’s a car?” Dominique asked curious.

“It’s what the people from topside travel in sweetie,” Irene, the eldest explained. “Keep going…” she smiled. Irene rarely spoke, but she wasn’t above telling her younger siblings off. She was at least a good ten years older than me, but didn’t look a day over twenty.

“Then she’ll arrive at the church or where ever the ceremony is being taken place. The music will start with, ba dum de dar, ba dum de daar.” We were all giggled and smiling at my pathetic attempt at holding a tune. I continued. “Everyone will turn to look at the door way, where first her bride’s maids will walk down.  The bride’s father will kiss her on the cheek with a tear in his eye and lower her veil. He will give her his arm, and they will then take the long walk down the aisle. Granny will be there sobbing away while aunty stresses over keeping her bubba quite.  And there at the end of the aisle is the man you love, who turns to face you with a smile stretching across his face, thinking, ‘this is my wife’.” They all suddenly sighed going all gaga on me. “The she’ll be passed over to the groom with his best man beside him and they will step up to the celebrant. He’ll gabble on with some sweet words about commitment and then ask them to repeat the vows both ending in ‘I Do’.  He’ll smile and then pronounce them husband and wife and say his final words. ‘You may now kiss…”

I felt the passionate lips of Sebastian against mine. I hadn’t even heard him enter the room. The sisters all sighed, awed and giggled. I could feel my face go red as Sebastian pulled me closer his fingers tangling in my hair. He finally stopped for a breather and then gave me a little peck on the cheek before loosening his grip on me.