Anna's parents arrived a week before wedding. Hoping for a glorious wedding, Fatie, Anna's mother, did not like her simple wedding gown, and the fact that Anna did not intend to wear even a vail bothered her even more; but she dared not to say a word about it to her daughter. Shahzdeh had warned her of their new opinionated and liberated daughter.
Steve and Anna had already rented an apartment close to school and the hospital Anna was studying and working. Steve's furniture was adequate for their two bedroom apartment; nonetheless, when Anna's parents came, they insisted on buying a new bedroom suit, some china, and a nicer dinning table set as a wedding present for them. They had also brought more jewelery for Anna, a gold watch and necklace, and a diamond ring for Steve. They had even brought some gifts for Stacy and Steve's parents.
The wedding took place in a private room in their favorite Italian restaurant which had become a hanging place for them during their courtship. They got married in a simple and small ceremony by a Justice of the peace. Only family members and some close friends of Steve and his parents were attending. They had dinner and cake for reception. The wedding ceremony began at six in the evening, New Year's eve, and ended by elven. However they stayed till midnight to celebrate the New Year.
Shahzdeh and Fatie were staying in a hotel this time. They had rented a car to get around. Shahzdeh had an international driver license. Anna and Steve were staying in a fancy hotel on their first night of their married life. Because of some business Steve had to take care of, their honeymoon, which was Shahzdeh's gift again, was to be in a month in Hawaii. They would leave February second for two weeks. But for now staying in a hotel the first night was to be their honeymoon.
The room in the hotel was extravagant. They were brought a bottle of champagne with two crystal glasses and a red rose on a tray. Anna stood in the middle of room, still wearing her simple wedding gown, knowing she could not say no to Steve anymore. She looked at the young man,who brought the tray. He had the hotel uniform on, navy pants with white strips at side seam, red jacket with gold buttons and shoulder flaps, white starched shirt with a red bow tie, and a pleasant smile on his face.
Steve gave him a tip and he left the room. He poured champagne in the two glasses and handed one of them to Anna. He still had his navy color suit, they had bought for the wedding. Her light blue tie was opened and hanging around his neck. Anna crumbled the cocktail napkin inside her closed hand, slowly sipped her drink and waited for Steve's attack. But he was not a man of violent and force. He gently kissed her lips and hugged her. Anna tossed the wadded napkin into the tray. The warmth of his body and kisses melted her shyness and she let him to carry her to the bed. In a way, inwardly, she was overpowered by this intruder, who was privy to scheme her life. There was no escape from what this man would intend to do to her. Part of her wanted him to tear her apart, to tear her wedding gown to pieces, and to take her virginity, but another part of her wanted to stop him from what he was entitled to do.
His tone of voice was meditatively affirmative and apologetic. Anna turned to look at him with a glance that coincidentally unveiled an appealing question and a disturbing obstruction. Suddenly his voice meandered to a vehement compassion. He whispered in her ears with an intimacy that she detected both annoyingly self-assertive and affectionately romantic: "I love you, sweet heart. We're married now. It's okay."
She thought his tone of voice was skillfully covered with gentleness and somewhat sorrow. He moved his hand to her back and opened the zipper of her gown. She was frozen without responding. Suddenly he stopped, turned her over, bent as close as possible until Anna could breathe his oxygen and said in a sad, yet firm voice: "What is it? Don't you love me?"
Anna stayed silent for a long time. He thought she would never answer him; but when he was about to approach her in another way, she said with a soft and sad voice:
"I respect you too much to feed you lies which neither of us would tolerate them anyway." She stopped.
Steve looked bewildered. Finally he said: "Are you sorry that you married me?"
"No, no, that is not it! I am happy, very happy. I love you so very much." She was suddenly ebullient. Then she continued: "I am scared. Will you give me some time?"
Steve kissed her forehead with so much tenderness and then said: "As long as you want, my love!"
They lay next to each other on bed and gradually Anna move closer to him and put her head on his shoulder. Their bodies became one under the comforter on that cold night, as snow flurries outside dancing wildly, and soon they both fell asleep.
At four o'clock in the morning, Anna woke up and found herself folded in Steve. He was asleep like a child. This was the first time she was watching him asleep. She could hear a soft snore coming out of his mouth. "Was this how married life to be." She thought. She looked at his handsome face and closed eyes and kissed his lips gently. He woke up. He began kissing her back. She let him to touch her forbidden parts of her body. He kissed them all.
They had a ceremonious struggle, a heated, savage passage of love. Then she understood that her cautious silence was so preposterous that it could awaken the neighboring people more than the sound of growling that they both trying to avoid.
She was twenty years old that day.
To Be Continued
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