Under the Mango Tree: 101 Tales (4)

FAMILY PLANNING

Challenge No. 67 - Strange Phenomenon.

Describe a normal, everyday object or activity from the perspective of a character who perceives it as a strange phenomenon they are struggling to understand.

-----

Weddings are joyous occasions except for the Emile family where such announcements were met with deep trepidation. In the mind of members, a wedding was more often than not preceded by a funeral.

Marcia Emile was going to marry Carl Soomer and the family took a collective deep breath and held it.

The next day the newly engaged couple went to visit Marcia's parents to break the good news. The news was met with an initial silence.

"Mum?" Marcia prompted.

Her mother snapped out of her pause. "Congratulations, Marcia." She said with all the enthusiasm of one learning of the loss of something precious.

Her father was less diplomatic. "Wonder who's going to die."

"ANDREW!" His wife admonished.

"Well!" He glowered.

"Daddy, you're not helping. I'm already stressed."

"What's going on?" Carl asked.

"Marcia!" Her mother hissed. "You didn't tell him!"

"Marcia." That was all her father said.

"Of course, I did. Before I even answered the proposal, I told him. I warned him, but he didn't believe me. He still doesn't." Marcia defended herself.

"You mean the funeral before the wedding thing?" He chuckled.

"You see anyone here laughing?" Andrew Emile asked, his face was grim.

Carl's smirk slipped off his face. He looked from Marcia to her mother to her father. "You cannot be serious!"

"Carl, this is serious. We are serious. As soon as news of our engagement starts to make the rounds everyone is going to be on edge." Marcia looked forlorn.

"I thought this was a good thing. You know. Getting married." Carl was confused.

"It is! It is! It's just that we're watchful. That's all. Experience does that to people." Dad tried to soothe Carl. "Come. Let's have a drink to celebrate. Welcome to the family."

Later that evening the couple were alone. "Marcia, this is ridiculous!"

"I warned you when you proposed. You laughed at me then. You saw my parents. You laughed. Since then, you've heard from one or two of my cousins. Still, you laugh?"

"You are asking me to believe - no. You are asking me to accept that our wedding is going to trigger death."

"Yes."

"I can't."

"That's fine."

It was one week before the wedding when the news came. Mum called.

"Marcia. It's mum." Her tone told the tale.

"Who? Mum, who?" Marcia dreaded the name about to be said.

"Uncle Brian. He went fishing yesterday. They just got back. A wave swept him off the deck."

"Oh, God. I caused this."

Her mother said nothing.

"If I had not agreed to marry Carl, this would not have happened."

"We cannot be hostage to this." Her mother replied.

"Talk to you later mum." Marcia ended the call. She turned and saw Carl standing there.

"You heard?"

"Some of it."

"There's been a death. My Uncle Brian."

"I'm sorry."

Marcia nodded her thanks.

"What now?"

She snorted. "Despite all your scepticism, my family has a funeral to plan even as a wedding is about to take place."

© 6 May 2022

===

https://www.patreon.com/dawnnbooks for longer stories