Emily was beaming. She woke with a blissful grin plastered on her face, feeling Davids warm breath tickle the back of her neck, and she smiled again. Their honeymoon fund was already set aside. Yesterday shed bragged about it to David, listening half an hour as he praised her for being such a trooper and assured her shed made the right choice.
Just a couple of weeks earlier, Emily had doubted the decision. David introduced her to his family, and she felt uneasy around the strangers hed grown up with. The turning point, however, was that she was a rich bride, bringing along a tiny, battered old Mini that her grandmother had left her. Thats where they both lived.
One bedroom was lockedGrandmas room. Emily left everything exactly as it had been in her grannys days: the antique chest of drawers, the rocking armchair, the cluttered writing desk and shelves piled with colourful skeins of yarn. Of course, after the wedding that room would look very different but for now everything stayed as it had always been.
Sometimes, in the evenings, Emily would slip into that room, settle into the rocking chair, switch on the dim old lamp and drift into her thoughts. David didnt fancy those moments; he called them whims and melancholy, yet he could do nothing about it. Hed grumble at the wasted space, never stepping inside.
In her own family Emily was the eldest. Her parents quickly realised they could use her as a makessenseofthings, and soon all the childcare for her younger brother and sister fell on Emilys thin shoulders. It didnt mattershe was constantly nagged about not cleaning properly, not washing fast enough, not dressing right Her siblings soon got used to her being the scapegoat and began to exploit it. So, after finishing school, Emily packed her simple belongings and moved in with her grandmother.
Grandma adored Emily, calling her little songbird, spoiling her with fresh scones and teaching her to live a good Christian life. One morning Emily crawled out from under a cosy quilt and rushed to the kitchen to fry cottagecheese pancakes for breakfast. Soon, yawning and stretching, David shuffled in, plopped down at the table, grabbed a plate piled high with hot pancakes and began to dunk them in thick cream.
Listen, love, he said after polishing off his fifth pancake, Ive been thinking forget the honeymoon! Lets splurge the money on a car instead. We could take out a loan, theyll sort us out.
Emily stared at Davids creamslicked face, but said nothing as the frontdoor lock clicked. Before she could react, a small procession burst into the hallway: his future motherinlaw, her teenage daughter and an 18yearold grandson, followed by a mound of three suitcases and a duffel bag.
Welcome, bridetobe! Come on in! chirped Linda, Davids mother, from the doorway. We decided right after you and David talked yesterday that wed just drop everything here.
Emily shot another bewildered glance at David, who was already hauling the suitcases from the hall toward the door of Grandmas room.
Darling, open the door, David called. We still need to tidy up. Lets move that chair to the balcony, cover it with plasticnothing will happen to it. Well leave the rest of the furniture; theres enough space for a little boy. Just get rid of those old yarn balls, throw them away, alright?
What do you mean theres enough space for a little boy? And why am I supposed to throw things out? And how did Linda get a key to this flat? Emily whispered, piecing together the mornings chaos.
Linda laughed. Youre lucky, love, youve got a roof over your head. The weddings in two weeks, youll buy that car, David told me. And theres a spare room, right? While you dont have kids of your own, your nephew can stay there; its only five minutes from you, and hell have a short commute to university.
Come on, Emily, David added, grinning, we cant keep the old junk forever. Weve already planned a kids room in there. He flexed his shoulders, showing off his manly vigor.
Sophie, Davids lively sister, piped up. I know a bloke selling a brilliant cartake a loan, add a bit, ditch the honeymoon, hit the road! This is a chance you dont want to miss.
Alright, love, look for the spareroom key while I treat everyone to more pancakes. Our pancakes are fingerlicking good with cream! David said, leaving a palelooking Emily in the corridor as he marched off with the family.
Emily slipped into the spare room, flopped onto the battered sofa David had dumped there and stared into space. It was clear shed missed breakfast. Her future inlaws, a ravenous pack of eager mouths, would soon empty the fridge, leaving her to haul groceries again in the evenings.
Shed soon have to dip into the wedding stash, because David offered no helpwhen he moved in, he declared theyd live on her salary while he saved for a bigger house. Do you really want to spend your whole life in that old council flat on the outskirts? he asked businesslike. Emily didnt protest, especially with the wedding looming in six months.
Now new surprises emerged: David had already got a spare key for her flat, and theyd decided the nephew would live there. Why should she endure an indefinite stay in a house belonging to a young man she barely knew? The final straw was that infamous car.
Emily had dreamed of the sea since childhood. Her parents had taken her to the coast twice when she was little, but never let her stay. She resolved her honeymoon would be unforgettable: the sea, Greece, a nice hotel, a trip to Sicily, ancient temples, tart Greek wine on a terrace, a room with seaview windows. She burst into tears, a soft, childlike sob. In her mind, Grandma appeared instantly, perched in her favourite armchair, kind eyes watching her grandchild weep. Dont worry, my nightingale, marriage isnt a plague. Just make sure it doesnt become a disaster. Find someone who loves you, for love means caring. Look for that care and you wont go wrong.
The decision came quickly. The kitchen filled with the cheerful chatter of relatives who werent really relatives, and a man who wasnt really her husband. First she called work, asking for two weeks leave ahead of schedule. Then she rang Mariah, her university friend, explaining the mess and begging her to watch the flat while she was away, so the family wouldnt do anything in a righteous fury. Mariah lived two houses down and readily agreed.
Dont worry, Ill sort them out! Youll see what theyve concocted! Mariah promised.
Having secured the flat, Emily finally phoned the travel agency where shed been picking a honeymoon tour. They swiftly offered a hotdeal package. Her suitcase was already packed; shed been longing for the sea so long shed prepared everything in advance, long before the wedding.
Fifteen minutes later she was out the door, quietly closing it behind her and leaving a note: Wedding cancelled. Hand the keys to Mariah. Buy the car yourself. Its no longer my T. As she pulled up to the airport, her phone buzzed incessantly with missed calls and frantic messages: Are you out of your mind?! She silenced the relentless device.
Yes, Ive gone mad! a distant voice from her childhood shouted inside her head. What a pity! And somewhere deep in memory, Grandmas gentle smile lingered, reassuring her that everything would be all right.
