War Torn Love (21 page)

             
The Rabbi asked, “Will you please hand Abram the ring.”

             
I took a deep breath to refrain from shouting out my excitement. I put my left hand out, preparing to receive my dream. Abram looked into my eyes so affectionately and my heart melted. Though, he looked as nervous as I. He then placed the ring onto my finger. His hand was not steady - as he slipped it
on,
he almost dropped the ring.

             
Then on, he began reciting the following verse loudly, “Behold you are consecrated to me with this ring according to the laws of Moses and Israel.”

             
Tears of joy poured out of my eyes, hearing him recite these words. I cannot tell you how many times while lying in bed, I had dreamed of hearing him recite this to me before God.

             
The Rabbi said a speech focused exclusively on Abram and I.  Blessing us, as we begin our new lives
together. Then that was proceeded on by a prayer begin sung by a Cantor, about the sadness Jewish people at the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem. Remembering that even in our happiness at being of our marriage, we still mourn and pay respect to those who have suffered.

             
Once the cantor was completed, the final ceremony before we were finally to be man and wife. Abram broke the glass wrapped in a towel. The old joke to this is, “This is the last time the husband will be able to put his foot down.”

             
Then the Rabbi smiled and then spoke, “Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Balsam!”

             
It was weird and so wondrous to hear my name was now Mrs. Hana
Balsam -
just like that, forever more, my last name was now Balsam. I was so happy - I was positively grinning, from ear to ear. My stomach unwound some. I shall never stop thinking about this moment. It is the diamond of
my memory – set in the center
of that necklace of time.

             
Then we turned to face one another. Abram came in close towards me - I zoned everyone else out for that special moment, as if it was just him and I. Our lips finally met together in complete harmony, so perfect was our kiss it seemed like a fairytale, but I could have never dreamed up something this wonderful. As we began to kiss, I knew God now blessed our happy union together. It is hard to explain the wonderful feeling I experienced in that one blissful kiss it was like fireworks going off inside of me,
hard to put to words, something that was so unbelievably good. It was like a whole course of electricity flowed through my body, but in a good way. A rainbow of all colors and each color represented a happy feeling from the moment. Then my husband hugged me, I felt so completely good in his powerful, yet gentle arms. We held onto one another -I know I did not want to let go of him, not now, now that he was officially mine.

             
Whispering in each other’s ears, “I love you.” “I love you back.” To each other for the very first time as man and wife - it had a familiar, yet different ring to it. We then both formally turned to face everyone, of course, now we had to remember we were not alone. The crowd of people began to cheer for us. I smiled and waved to them all, as did Abram.

             
As tradition would so luckily have it, we were whisked off to a temporary room set up for just the two of us.  To allow us to spend some time alone and unaccompanied, before we began greeting all our guests.  We both could not believe that we had finally gone through with it. We smiled at one another. We sat down on some pillows laid out on the ground.  Though to lay down in this particular dress was difficult - it was for looks, it was not meant for such movements. But we carefully arranged ourselves – him lying me down tenderly before joining me.  We laid side-by-side.  Not able to control ourselves. We began kissing - soon his kissing was moving down my neck, down to my shoulder, it was driving me positively wild. He had never kissed me as passionately as he was then.  For some unexpected reason, he abruptly stopped this
bombardment of wild-passion. It was a good thing too, another thirty seconds longer of this, and I would not be so confident I would have been able to stop myself. He certainly gave me something to think about. A new exciting feeling was coming over me.

             
“Mrs. Balsam, what do you say we go out and celebrate with all our guests?”

             
“Well then Mr. Balsam, I’ll go along with that, on just one condition if you were to kiss me just once more, and you tell me how much you love me! And more importantly how beautiful I look.”

             
“Ok I can do that! Well then, Mrs. Balsam - I love you enough, to want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I have never imagined that you could be so beautiful!”

             
I smiled back at him, feeling a bit naughty after that. I put my right hand on his cheek, “That was very sweet of you to say - that will work; I’ll tell you what, I love you enough to onset to give you my body – my virginity to you tonight, after everyone is gone – as we begin our honeymoon. Something for you to think about as you go out there.” I then kissed him on his hot-moist lips, nibbled on his ear a smidge - that really got his attention, he suddenly cleared his throat, he smiled with a look of shock, he looked like a duck out of water. All women know the look men get, they all do, when they know, or think there about to get sex. And I was just getting an introduction to what Momma had been teaching me about men.

             
Trying to gather his strength, he smiled and grabbed onto my hand, and then he happily led us back out to the others.
             
Then we began greeting everyone of our guest, as man and wife.  Then as is tradition, we finished drinking the other six cups of wine to complete the ceremony.

             
Then thanks to the help of so many of our good friends. Everyone had brought all the food for our potluck meal. We were all poor folks - so we helped one another, when in need.

             
We served up roasted chicken, several potato dishes, and many wonderful fresh vegetables, loaves of fresh baked bread, and wine to drink.

             
Before everyone began to eat, a religious ritual blessing over the “Challah bread,” seven blessing were recited, which were made in honor of our young blossoming marriage. Given as an honor to seven guests, as their way of having some participation in the ceremony.

             
Then as we, all ate our meals, and drank our wine. I looked around everyone looked so happy, and full of joy, it warmed me to see that. I think that is one of the greatest gifts of that day. The best man, bridesmaid, which was my sister gave speeches. In the middle of her speech - hearing her say all those sweet things, about me, and my husband I just had to go hug her. Then we both told each other we loved each other. And not to be left out of the mix, both sets of the parents got up and spoke, as well as a few other people before they concluded.

             
After dinner had concluded, the drinking continued, and we all danced to traditional Jewish music, played by people attending the wedding. My Uncle got up and sang he had a beautiful voice.  Abram and I had the first of the dances, for the evening. Everyone of our guest got up out of their chairs, and then gathered around the dance floor, and watched on as the two of us formally danced. I was on cloud nine as we danced, I could even almost ignore his two left feet. My poor toes took a terrible beating. I’ll was lucky my toes were never black and blue.

             
It would seem my dance card was full up - proceeding after I had my initial dance with my handsome husband. I danced with my Poppa, for a father-daughter dance.  Abram danced with my Momma, I should have probably warned her to watch her toes. Then Abram danced with Sissy.

             
Finally, it was just him and I took the liberty of whispered in his ear, and “Poppa I can’t believe I am now a married woman, it feels so strange. Poppa oddly, I am extremely scared, and excited at the same time.  To think that I am starting a whole new life together with my husband, do you think that I am going to be a good wife?”

             
I guess honestly, I was searching to hear Poppa’s words of wisdom, on the matter - I just needed him to
reassure
me that it was all going to be ok.

             
“Oh my daughter, it’s ok to be nervous, everyone usually is when they get married. I know I certainly was. You are now entering a completely new phase in your life. With your union, you have started your own family. You’re
now part of your husband’s house, no longer of mine. Of course, it is going to be scary, but can I let you in on a little secret, it’s quite exciting all the same, besides I have complete confidences in you, your mother and I have prepared you quite well, my daughter trust in me you’re as ready as you could be. Remember you are not alone in this, you now have a husband, and you still have your family, we are not going anywhere.” He paused, and looked into my eyes.

             
“I will tell you something else- when your sister got married, she was just as nervous as you are right now, maybe even more so. She was so nervous she had thrown up right before the ceremony. Nevertheless, look how she has come into her own, she is quite happy now, the two of them are so much in love, and now they have their own family, with their second child on the way. So was your mother, she cried.”
Again,
he paused, looking around the room, as if searching for my mother.

             
“I am proud of both my daughters. If you ever find yourself so overwhelmed with life, don’t worry I’ll still be here if you need me, just remember it’s just going to be a little different now, but I would like to think in a good way, this is just the next step in your life. Besides, you have yourself quite a husband. You have been chasing after him all these years. I think you have known that he was always the one. Am I right?”

             
“Yes, thank you Poppa, I really needed to hear that. I guess I already knew that, but I just am nervous, and scared of my life changing, from what I know, and comfortable with. I needed to hear from you that it is going
to all be
all right
, Poppa you always have known what to say to me, to make me feel better, thank you, I love you so much Poppa! And yes I always knew he was going to be the one.”

             
“I love you too my little Bear; You know you cheered me up as well, I guess I was a little blue too!”

             
“You Poppa?”

             
“Yes, today I witnessed my baby girl turn into a woman! He gave me a big smiled; I smiled back, and gave him a big hug. Hey, what do you say you go dance with your new father-in-law? You’re not just mine any longer.”