The Brooch

The Wedding Reception

When the storm let up, Maple asked her Uncle Jeffy to please give a note to Tator Tot agreeing she would see him. But only on her terms. She agreed to meet with him at the wedding reception that was to be held Sunday afternoon after church in Miss Millie Wexler's backyard. Till then, Maple did her darnedest to keep what little sanity she had left to help her Mama and sisters prepare for the big day.

Against his better judgment, Uncle Jeffy, did as he was asked by Maple and managed to track down Tator Tot. And to Tator's fortune. It was without breaking his legs in the process...

Sunday morning finally arrived. The skies were now clear. And luckily for the Woods, the storms had passed on. But one storm still raged. And that was the one in Maple's mind as she thought about nothing but confronting Tator Tot.

Consequently, prior to the wedding nuptials, and quiet as a mouse before cheese a trap, Tator, trying to be discreet as possible, snuck into to the back of the church till the service and wedding was over. He just couldn't wait to see Maple...

Before all knew it, the wedding was finally over. Frustrated about her sudden disappearance, Tator lost sight of Maple in the crowd. They were like a parade on a fancy holiday, as the wedding party, all marched down the way from the church, to an awaiting and overzealous Miss Millie's house! You would have thought the way Miss Millie, Maple and Mama Woods styled that backyard, it would've been for kings and queens!

While all celebrated, Maple anxiously awaited in Miss Millie's kitchen for the arrival of Tator.

"Landsakes!" Mama Woods said suddenly walking into the kitchen and fanning herself profusely with her fancy hat! "It sho is hot out there dumplin. Hotter than a day of...well... you know whut." She said stopping herself in mid sentence and kissing Maple on the forehead. "Not that I would eva know. But you catch yo Mumma's drift."

"Mmm hmm." A distracted Maple uttered pretending to mess with the cake on the table. She set in motion to add more buttercream icing to one side of the cake.

"Mmm hmm? That's all you kin say?" Mama Woods laughed. "Well you are a one for words today."

"I'm sorry Mumma." Maple replied. "I just got a lot on my mind."

"Well I know there's one, you can now officially take off that heavy weighted mind of yours, shuga. This here weddin!" Mama Woods replied.

Maple nodded in agreement. Mama Woods continued on....

"You know, I have to give it to yo daddy. He's not one for many ideas, but this one here, well I'll say was downright ingenious of him wouldn't you say?"

"You mean for payin for one weddin party instead of two?" Maple responded.

"The one in the same!" Mama Woods grinned. "Do you know if he didn't come up with the idea to have just one big double weddin, ain't no doubt, yo daddy would still be in the office till this day and tryin to work a second job just to pay this shindig off!" Mama Woods said gazing at her newly married daughters through the back kitchen window. "Sides, I can just see it now. If there were two weddins instead of one, yo two sisters there, woulda been scrappin more than they already have with just this one! Each woulda have tried to out do the other! Burnin a whole in our pockets! Runnin me ragged! Not to mention yo poor daddy dry! Bless the Lawd almighty, we don't gotta worry bout that with you do we, Maple?" Mama teased.

"That's last thang on my mind." Maple groaned still messing with the cake.

"Maple, shuga, that cake is jest fine." Mama Woods said stepping away from the small window as she took the frosting spatula out of Maple's hand. "Sides if you add anymore icing, I fear not only will that cake topple over to the one side, but you gone give uh extra ache to those sweet tooths already out there." She snickered. But Maple didn't return the smile. "Glory alive! What's ailing you? I can see somethin is on yo mind shuga." Mama Woods concernedly asked. "It's evident You done been overly distracted since I got in here. And it ain't about that cake neither. So out with it."