GI Joe and Ebony, An American Love Story (12 page)

“Yes,
you
can.
Not
another
word.
Get
dressed.
I'll
meet
you
there.
”

Ebony
immediately
gets
up.
For
once
she
let
Jay
have
the
last
word.
She
opens
the
bedroom
door
to
look
for
help
and
a
crowd
of
women
swarm
in
to
get
her
dressed
and
ready.

~*~*~

Ebony
nervously
stands
at
the
top
of
the
aisle.
She
is
joined
by
Lieutenant
Bonner.
“
Thank
you
for
doing
this
for
me.
”

“It
is
an
honor
and
a
privilege
to
stand
in
for
your
brother.
”

The
organ
begins
with
a
jubilant
rendition
of
Here
Comes
the
Bride
as
Ebony
watches
the
flower
girl
skip
down
the
aisle,
dropping
rose
petals
she
went.
Even
though
her
legs
felt
like
jellyfish
tentacles,
Ebony
walks
proudly
and
purposely
to
her
waiting
groom.
The
crowd
quickly
rises
to
salute
her.
Although
their
hearts
are
broken
their
spirits
instantly
lift
as
they
watch
the
stunning
Bride
slowly
make
her
way
down
the
aisle.

“Dearly
beloved
we
are
gathered
here
in
the
sight
of
God
to
unite
this
man
and
this
woman
in
holy
matrimony.
Who
gives
this
woman
to
be
wed
to
this
man?
”
The
minister
asks.

“I
do.
Sir
on
behalf
of
Major
Jason
Terrell
Saunders
of
the
United
States
Marine
Corp
I
proudly
present
to
you
your
beautiful
Bride.
”
Officer
Bonner
proudly
announces
as
he
places
Ebony's
hand
into
the
hand
of
her
anxious
groom,
GI
Joe.

~*~*~

Later
at
the
reception
Ebony
takes
the
microphone
to
make
a
speech.
“
I'd
like
to
thank
you
all
for
joining
us
tonight.
Many
of
you
may
have
heard
that
I
lost
my
brother
Jay
to
the
war
two
days
ago.
But
what
most
of
you
don't
know
is
that
we
received
the
news
of
his
death
earlier
today.
And
even
though
this
is
hard
for
us
and
even
though
our
hearts
hurt
like
hell
and
even
though
we
haven't
had
an
opportunity
to
really
begin
the
mourning
process
we
are
going
to
do
what
Jay
would
want
us
to
do
and
that
is
to
live.
So,
tonight
we
are
going
to
have
a
good
time.
We
are
going
to
celebrate
a
life
that
was
way
too
short
but
very
well
lived.

Everyone
who
knew
Jay
knows
that
he
loved
music
and
he
loved
to
dance.
There
will
be
plenty
of
time
for
us
to
mourn.
But
tonight
I
invite
all
of
you
to
dance
with
me
in
honor
of
my
brother-
Major
Jason
Terrell
Saunders
of
the
United
States
Marine
Corp.
And
I
petition
you
to
dance
in
appreciation
of
all
the
soldiers,
like
my
brother
and
my
husband,
who
have
dedicated
their
lives
to
the
United
States
armed
forces
so
that
we
can
have
the
right-
no,
the
privilege
and
the
opportunity
to
live,
to
love,
to
dance
and
to
be
free.

Wedding
guests
wipe
tears,
hold
back
tears
and
allow
tears
to
flow
freely.
The
room
is
silent
as
the
DJ
cues
a
fast
paced
song.
Ebony
starts
to
dance
alone
and
is
quickly
joined
by
GI
Joe.
One
by
one
everyone
begins
to
dance
in
celebration.
No
one
could
see
him,
but
Jay
was
out
there
dancing
with
them.
Happy,
at
peace
and
with
no
regrets
he
celebrated
his
sister's
wedding
and
his
extraordinary
life.

~*~*~

After
the
reception
the
happy
couple
rushes
to
the
limo
to
the
cheers
of
the
crowd
who
threw
rose
petals
’
at
them.
The
car
pulls
off
and
barrels
down
the
road.
They
continue
to
wave
goodbye
to
the
cheering
crowd
as
the
car
disappears.
An
elated
GI
Joe
grabs
Ebony
and
kisses
her
hard
in
the
mouth.

“Woman,
I
am
so
in
love
with
you.
And
I
’
m
going
to
spend
the
rest
of
my
life
proving
it
to
you
every
day
that
I
live.
”

Overwhelmed,
Ebony
was
completely
speechless.
Tears
burst
from
her
eyes
and
flowed
down
her
beautiful
face
like
pouring
rain.
By
some
miracle
she
had
survived
this
day
from
the
bowels
of
hell
and
she
knew
that
GI
Joe
was
that
miracle.