King of Nothing

Then (9)

"Hey buddy, how are you feeling?" My dad sat down beside me as I sat on the concrete with my legs dipped into the shallow, yet cool, pool. 

"I guess I'm good. Wait no, that's not the right answer. I'm fantastic, today is the day I get to marry Liz, after all." I replied to him. He chuckled and patted my back very gently. He couldn't afford to injure the groom on his wedding day. 

My dad was a tall man, nearly a foot taller than me. I was five-foot-six, and he was well, six-foot six. He had tousled brown hair that was receding as a side effect of age, and right on the hairline a few strands of grey hair were mixed with the brown hue. He didn't want to admit it, but he did have a fair amount of wrinkles. He was a caring, yet stubborn man. He has this beard he started growing a couple years back and no matter who teold him to shave it off, he refused to. He said it made him look younger.

To put things into a clearer perspective, I like my father, and he liked me. Which is kind of the polar opposite to the relationship my mother and I have...

"Well that's good pal. Before you take that final vow I want to make sure you take your time and think things threw, so you don't do anything you regret. Your mother and I rushed into our relationship, and look where that got us! Divorced. I don't you and your fiance to have the same gloomy end as I good. Messy marriages are the worse. So make sure you truly love her." My dad explained to me, and I wish I had listened to my father more often because most often he spoke words that were true and wise. 

"Okay, I will." I replied. At the time I had more important things to worry about, so I foolishly ignored what he advised. I was more focused on what to say for my personal vow I will say while we were sharing with eachtother in front of the audience right before we sel the deal with a kiss. 

"Alright my boy. Well I guess I should get a move on it. They probably need everyone seated so we can prepare for your lovely bride to walk down the alter in her stunning dress. See you soon." He answered. He then proceeded to winking at me, and then he left me there to drift my legs through the pool and to think aimlessly about the many great questions of life. 

After several minutes of trying to come up with a personal vow, I just gave up and decided to wing it We were supposed to have them prepared a month ago, but I just couldn't cmoe up with words and cleverly contructed sentences to describe my love for Liz. We had been seeing eachother for two whole years, and this had been the most difficulty I had to overcome since the getting-her-to-date-me part. 

I walked up the stairs into the main lobby faster than ever, and then slipped into a room which lead to the mini stage that was set up as a platform, to make the newly weds seem more important thn everyone else on their special day. 

I hopped up onto the stage with as much confidence as possible, which now that you think about it, havnig confidence was nearly impossible on a day that sealed your fate for an extremely long time. 

The preacher walked up to me immediately and said, "You ready to get this ceramony started? I have to go pick up my kids from school after this." I felt bad for him. 

"Yeah, sure." I said. I wasn't ready at all, but it made him happy. Plus, I couldn't delay the inevitable for much longer. That would raise some sort of suspicion. 

"Okay great. I will tell Liz she can come marching in, then." He smiled at me and whipped out a walkie-talkie, which he used to bark orders in. 

It felt like forever waiting for Liz to come, but she does, eventually. 

She is so gorgeous, on the inside and the out. It made me tear up. She really outdid herself. I had never seen Liz look so beautiful and nervous at the same time. It truly was astounding. 

She slowly marched up to me with all the wedding-people that are suposed to march up with her, and then she takes her place beside me on the mini-stage. I tapped my leg anxiously.

It was a blur, really. I don't really remember it at all. Not even Liz's wedding vow, all I remember was how ridicuous mine was.

"Liz Anne Armada," I spoke. "I have a confession. I didn't prepare any vows for you today. Because no words can describe why I like you, and why I will love you until the end of time. I literally could not think of anything.You are always talking about how I saved you that night, and how I fiixed you. You always say that, to every single person that asks about our relationshiop. But that's a lie, we all know it. I didn't fix you, you fixed me." 

That was all I had to say, and by that time Liz and I were both in fits of tears and joy. It was an emotional moment to say the least. Just thinking about it makes me happy. Oh, how I miss all the good memories I used to share with all those great people. But now I'm stuck here on the streets, homeless. 

"Now you may kiss the bride!" The preacher shouted. I leaned in close, and she did too. And I planted a kiss on her lips passionately. I kiss her, and kiss, and kiss her until we run out of breath and are hungry for more. 

"I love you." Liz whispered in my ear.

It's too bad she doesn't think the same way of me now.