Odyssey... 28- A Friend's Wedding

Hana is overwhelmingly blissful to hear Sam is coming home soon. He is about to finish his advanced training and before he is sent to his unit, which is unknown at this time to Hana, he can spend ten days with his family. The field he has chosen is infantry. As a privet first class, he needs to serve for a year or two before becoming the second lieutenant. For the first time, when Hana speaks to him on the phone, she feels he is happy. She thinks as disappointed as she was when he chose to join the army, after all it was not a bad decision. If that choice makes him happy, it is good enough for Hana.

Hana is extra busy with another joyous task these days. A week later after her argument with Farhad, Valery breaks and unexpected news:

"I'm getting married."

Hana is astounded. How can it be? How secretive! Valery apologizes her friend for hiding this new man in her life. She says:

"I was tired of people judging me for not being able to hold on a relationship. I met Mick three years ago and we dated for awhile. Then he had to move to Washington for a position that paid well. I was very disappointed. He was the first man that didn't want to use me. He continued calling me and came to Dallas to see me every few months; but I acted very aloof towards him. I was hurt and felt rejected. He offered repeatedly that I move to DC to be with him and I refused. When one day he called me, about six months ago, and said he was in Dallas because he could not stand to be far from me, I couldn't believe it. Luckily the company he works for has opened a branch in Dallas, and he asked for transferring and they agreed. The same day he came to my home and asked me to marry him." Valery stops at this point while Hana can see a glow in her eyes.

"Then what happened?"

"You can imagine how scared I was first; but the more I saw him the more I knew he was the one for me. I said yes to him three weeks ago. We don't want to wait a long time. We are getting married the first week of November."

Valery is very pleased when Hana offers to sew her wedding gown. As the three weeks is not much time for taking care of all the chores for a wedding, Hana begins by making a pattern for the style she designs for Valery. Every afternoon or evening when she comes home from work or college, she works on this pleasant task, making a wedding gown for her only friend. She refuses any money from Valery either for the material or the work.

"This is my gift to you."

Somehow Hana feels that Valery is like her sister or even her daughter and she is doing all these for her own blood. In return, Valery includes Hana in every aspect of the preparation as though she is her older sister or even her mother. After all, she has lost her mother many years earlier, and does not have a very good relationship with her sister. Hana find Mick, Valery's fiancee a right man for her. When Valery asks her opinion about him, she says:

"He is very gentle. He loves your son, John. You two are perfect for each other.

To Be Continued