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Wedding Tales

Book Two

Honeymoon Caper

Graphics from the Nassau section of the story told in Honeymoon Caper. Two other storylines include Lebanon and Germany-NE Pennsylvania.

Snowbound? Never

New York City:
January 30, 1966

 

Rebecca awoke early, sleeping no more than two hours. She felt stiff and cold. Khalil must have pulled off her shoes and slipped her stockings and blue knit skirt off her legs so it wouldn’t wrinkle while she slept. They were now on the back of the chair at the small table next to the window.

 

She looked out the window. The snow continued to fall, but it seemed softer than the gusty blizzard that blew them across the street from the train station to the hotel. In fact, it was quite picturesque outside. The snowflakes tap-danced on the blurry-lighted lampposts before settling on trapped car rooftops seven stories below. Snow Fairies spun crystalline white lace curtains from the flakes and hung them from the hotel and store canopies.

 

She wanted to wake Khalil to show him the pixies dancing on the trees, but he looked so peaceful, that she let him sleep. Instead, she went into the bathroom and ran a tub of hot water, filled it with fragrant bubble bath and lowered her tired, aching body into the steaming water. She rolled up a towel and placed it under her neck. She eased her head against the enamel headrest.

 

Rebecca closed her eyes. Various scenes from their wedding flashed through her mind. She envisioned her mother helping her dress for the nuptials. She remembered how Khalil broke into a joyous smile when she walked down the aisle. She could still hear Lou Savary’s brilliant trumpet guiding her to her love and the harmonious voices of the Woodstock Jesuit Singers. Father Anthony’s stirring homily would remain with her forever. She felt Khalil’s love as she danced with her husband for the first time. She was so grateful that she had such loving friends who made the tasty food for the reception. She was happy that she ignored her brothers and didn’t rub the wedding cake all over Khalil’s face, although she would have enjoyed licking off more than a morsel of the scrumptious cake.

 

Rebecca imagined gliding along the train tracks. A rogue wind caught her and tossed her into a world above the snow. Beyond the top of the mountain. Beyond the clouds. Beyond the sun and the moon and the stars. Soaring into the heavens above.

 

Splash! Splash! The water whirled around her as a naked man jumped into the tub. Rebecca screamed. In all her Catholic school modesty, she grabbed a towel and covered herself. She had never been in the bath with a naked man. In fact, she had never even seen a naked man before. In her “Living in Society” class, Miss Tewksbury, CHC’s Social Director, had never covered the possibility of a man jumping into a young woman’s bath. If Miss Tewksbury had discussed this possibility, she would have said: “Girls, even if you fill the tub with bubbles, entertaining a naked man in your bath is not de rigueur.”

 

I’ll have to confess this the next time I go to church. How embarrassing to whisper this offense to the priest who has his ear pressed against the metal screen separating us.

Wait! This intruder is no ordinary naked man. This bubble-covered brute is my husband. My HUSBAND! I’m married. I can’t believe it. I’m married to HIM.

 

All the Catholic morality slid off her back into the frothy water. She gathered a handful of bubbles and spritzed Khalil with them until they were both laughing and kissing and holding each other for dear life.

 

As Rebecca dressed, Khalil grabbed the phone to check the status of their Pan Am flight to Bermuda. “They say it’s leaving on schedule,” Khalil told Rebecca.

 

“That’s good,” Rebecca said. She pulled on a pair of lightweight slacks and donned a short-sleeved blouse. Since they had reservations in Bermuda, she didn’t pack any clothing fit for winter temperatures.

 

“I don’t know how we’re going to get to the airport,” Khalil said, watching the morning news. “The weathermen say this is the biggest snowfall on record since 1920. The plows haven’t even cleared the major highways, much less the side roads. The wind is creating drifts twenty feet high.”

 

“We’ve got to try to get out,” Rebecca said. “I didn’t bring any clothes that are warm enough for this kind of weather. We’ll end up sitting in this room for a week if we don’t make that flight!”

 

“Okay, we’ll try,” her patient husband said, wanting to do everything in his power to please his wife of a few hours.

They carried their luggage to the street and looked for a taxi. A few cabs parked on the corner itched for a fare—but who would be so foolish as to venture out in this weather?

Khalil raised his hand to beckon a cab. The distinct clink-clink-clink of tire chains sent a ray of hope to Khalil as the cab inched forward through the snow. “We’re in luck,” he told Rebecca. “This guy came prepared to work.” They bundled into the back while the driver put their luggage in the trunk. They gave their destination when the cabbie returned to the front seat.

 

“I don’t know if I can make it to the airport,” the cabby said. “They haven’t plowed many of those roads yet and some of the airlines haven’t reopened after the snowfall yesterday. The Airport Authority may close the airport because of the high winds. If I do get you to the airport, it’s a long shot that your plane will take off.”

 

“This is our honeymoon,” Khalil pleaded. “I called Pan Am this morning and they’re open for business.

“Okay! I’m game to try,” he said, pulling into the empty roadway.

 

“This isn’t as bad as it looks,” Khalil said.

 

The cabbie drove through the empty city streets. His taxi skimmed atop snow packed down earlier by a few trucks that managed to navigate the snow–clad streets.

 

“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” the cabby said. “The tall buildin’s keep the snow from driftin’. Wait till we get onto the expressway.”

 

He was right. The Grand Central Parkway and Van Wyck Expressways had mountains of drifted snow. In many sections, the plows had cleared the lanes an hour before. The wind blew gusts of snow that again shrouded the lanes with a veil of freezing whiteness. The cabby pushed ahead, breaking new ground with each turn of the wheel as he crawled toward the airport. He called his dispatcher to see if the airport was still open. It was. The airport came into sight. The last stretch was the worst. So close, yet so far.

 

Rebecca looked at her watch. Forty-five minutes before departure. Will we arrive at the airport only to miss the flight? Rebecca said a quick prayer to her angels, the great aid to travelers.

 

The only thing separating them from the distant control towers was an unplowed expressway covered with several inches of snow. The cabby was undaunted. “We made it this far, we’re goin’ all the way,” he said. He got off the expressway at the airport exit and maneuvered onto the entrance ramp to the Pan Am departure gates. Here, the airport maintenance crew had plowed the roads earlier, and they were still passable.

 

The cab moved faster. It pulled up to the international terminal half-an-hour ahead of the departure time. Khalil and Rebecca thanked the cabby with a twenty-dollar tip, then rushed into the terminal to the Pan Am desk.

 

“The flight to Bermuda has been delayed. Check back in ninety minutes. We should have a better idea when it will take off. I’ll ship your bags through,” the ticket clerk said.

 

Khalil and Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief. “This will give us a chance to get something to eat,” Rebecca said. “You must be starving.” They had had nothing to eat since the reception the previous afternoon. They sat in the coffee shop and ordered a full breakfast. Over coffee, Rebecca heard an announcement for the Bermuda flight. She hurried to the desk to check if the plane was boarding.

“I’m sorry, but we canceled the flight to Bermuda. The high winds in Bermuda are fierce; no planes can land safe,” the clerk told her.

 

Rebecca heard another announcement: “Last call for Flight 201 to Nassau. All passengers must be on board at this time.”

 

Rebecca turned to the reservations clerk, “Can we get on that flight to Nassau?” she asked.

 

The clerk checked her computer. “There are two seats left, but they’re not together.”

 

“We’ll take them,” Rebecca said.

 

The clerk called the departure gate. “Hurry. They’re holding the plane for you,” she said as she pulled two tickets and put them in the envelope. “Your luggage won’t make the flight. We’ll have to send it on the next one.”

 

“Okay,” Rebecca said. She saw Khalil coming out of the coffee shop. She grabbed Khalil’s hand and started running to the departure gate.

 

Khalil didn’t know what was happening. Rebecca was too out of breath to explain.

 

Only after they boarded the plane and Rebecca caught her breath did she tell Khalil: “We’re on our way to Nassau.”

 

“How did you manage that?” he asked. On the plane, they hurried to take their places close to the back and several rows apart. After they were airborne, Khalil went to Rebecca’s seat to find out the details.

 

“Where will we stay?” he asked. “I tried to get reservations for Nassau months ago and there were no rooms available.”

 

“Don’t worry we’ll find a place,” Rebecca assured him.

The gentleman next to Rebecca offered to switch seats with Khalil. The newlyweds were together again—ready for their next adventure.

 

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