The Engagement

1. A Thin Line Between Love and Hate

City Hall is the worst. No one wants to be there so everyone is in a bad mood, even the workers. The monthly trek from my apartment to the large, gray, domed structure sucks. It's raining today. You shouldn't have to go to city hall when it rains. But bureaucracy doesn't care about the weather I guess.

Rhapsody in blue plays from my pocket as I step on the train. I answer my phone in an attempt to make the other passengers stop staring at me, a five year old with a finger in his nose freaks me out the most.

"Hey Fiona." The singsong voice of my friend Mandy comes through the phone.

"Hi Fi!" Camryn chimes in a little too loudly. It sounds like I have speakerphone on when I don't.

"Hey gals. What's up?" I ask, turning away from the nose-picker and come face to face with a Chihuahua in a sweater. The dog snips at me and I slide as far away from it as I can.

"Where are we going for brunch today?" Mandy asks.

"I want pancakes and French fries." Camryn says eagerly. I wonder where she gets all that energy from.

"Sorry gals can we push brunch back an hour? I have my monthly at city hall." I say.

"Boo!" Mandy says in the deepest voice she can muster.

"Monthlies aren't so bad." Camryn says.

"Camryn I thought you hated government regulation of marriage." I say.

"I did back when I thought I was gonna get engaged to a man no matter what. But my co-worker Julia got engaged to a woman recently so I'm optimistic." Camryn says.

"Let me call you later. The train is stopping." I say before hanging up.

Angel Bonameade is my marriage officer. Don't let the name fool you. She's no Angel. She takes delight in drawing out the delivery of my monthly marriage status. Every time she pretends to look through various papers on her desk when she could just search my results on the computer. Once she finds the info she reads it as slowly as she can. I think it's because she is fifty and has never been engaged.

"We regret to inform you that you have been engaged. We wish you the best of luck with your new spouse." She says methodically. Although she says it slowly it doesn't sink in.

"Excuse me what?" I ask. Angel doesn't repeat herself. She hands me a gold ring and a folder full of papers.

"Put that on your left hand." She says, pointing at the ring. "And here is your nuptial itinerary." She hands me the folder.

I'm speechless. Since I reached the age of marriage at twenty I've been coming to my monthly appointments at city hall. It's always been a confirmation of my single status every month. Now, at twenty-six, I sit here engaged.

I exit city hall in a trance. It's an odd feeling. Marriage was always going to happen for me. Everyone goes to city hall on a monthly basis to find out if they have been engaged or not. I shouldn't be confused or shocked but I'm currently feeling both emotions. Is this how everyone feels when they are first told of their engagement?

The high pitched squeak of breaking train wheels on the track notifies me that I've reached my destination. I don't even remember getting on the train. As I step off into the train station that is a block from my apartment, I look at my watch. It's half past ten, almost time to meet my friends and I accidentally travelled to the wrong side of town. I need to call them.

"Brunch time!" Camryn yells into the phone before saying hello.

"Sorry girlie, no-can-do." I reply.