The Inevitable Bells of Change

The day had always been expected, but it still was a surprise when it came. When they received wedding invitations from Katrina and Peter, the gang knew their world had changed.

Ray immediately met Peter for a private meeting where he revealed the secret truths behind matriphoney. Peter acknowledged all his points, but admitted he couldn’t live without Katrina and their new home would make everyone happy.

Peter’s big hesitation was where they were going to live if they married. The answer was so simple that it stared them in the face. His landlady Mrs. Donnelly told them she had more than enough room in her large house and would get more rent from two boarders. There was no problem with Katrina keeping her job. They would save and one day buy the house from Mrs. Donnelly who said she looked forward to helping look after a child if they had one.

Rico received a telephone call for a rendezvous with Ray at a downtown dimestore luncheonette.

Ray traded joking repartee with the attractive younger waitress who clearly was fond of him. Rico thought he resembled an unflappable TV private eye in his slick suit. If Angie saw them there’d be a TV Western saloon brawl and he’d get a black eye!

‘People’ll be wonderin’ why I’m not drinkin’ my own coffee.’

‘This is only a place to grab coffee or a sandwich…Rico’s is an experience…’

‘It is with the Down and Outers around!’

When the waitress left after bringing Rico his coffee; Ray’s eyes changed.

‘So, yuh couldn’t talkem outta it…?’

‘No…Katrina’s a nice girl, and they lucked out with their living arrangements. You talked to him too, Rico?’

‘Yeah, I probably toldem the same things you did, when ya say “I do” you’re done; and I toldem two women under the same roof with one man was an invitation to trouble. Peter said he had no problems with his sister and mother, I remindedem his father was a second man.’

He kept looking into Ray’s eyes; Ray was trying to hide fear.

Rico recognised the look because he had been a squad leader in the war. He was talked into remaining behind in Sicily to get a promotion by being an interpreter for the upcoming invasion of Italy. He had his reservations about leaving his buddies behind fearing that they would think him a coward who punked out for the easy life. The reverse was true; everyone from his Captain and First Sergeant down to his buddies told him he was a sucker if he didn’t do it. He’d have more money, a better lifestyle with the brass hats, and had nothing to prove after North Africa and Sicily. His 1st Infantry Division sailed to England; his buddies were killed on Omaha Beach on D-Day.

‘Didn’t Joey tell yuh yuh weren’t losin’ a friend, you were gainin’ a couple? Peter’ll still be in the National Guard with yuh.’

The National Guard’s one night a week, one weekend a month and two weeks every summer was a Mystic Knights of the Sea-type lodge who’d pay you to get away from your wife.

‘I dunno, Rico…’

His fellow Musketeers Stash and Joey were dating a pair of nurses; only their odd hours kept them from being together more often. If Ray fell from their grace, he knew who would be there to pick him up…Angie was waiting for her chance…

‘Things change, Ray…everythin’ changes…yuh know that…it’s not just somethin’ women go on about. Things change...Catch yuh later…Madame La Zonga might predict where I am.’

Things change…A week ago, a bunch of young punks came into Rico’s and acted obnoxious until the gang stepped in. Joey gave some of them his ‘airplane rides’ to the floor or to the wall, Ray and Stash punched the others out and threw them out the door to the applause of the customers.

‘Don’t let me catch you alone, Pop!’, one of the punks shouted.

‘Catch this pop!’, cracked Ray as his punch knocked the punk to the ground; his flunkies carried him off.

After returning home, Ray realised that ‘Pop’ was what you called an old man…

* * *

Tuxedoed Ray was best man; Angie, who looked like a million dollars, was Maid of Honour. Katrina was given away by her parents. Stash, Joey, and George, who Peter called his platoon psychiatrist, were Peter’s groomsmen; Betty and Connie, Katrina’s nurse girlfriends and George’s fiancée Athena, were the bridesmaids. Mrs. Starr played the church organ. The bridal couple would honeymoon on Lake Geneva. In Peter’s absence, Mrs. Donnelly was pleased to let George and Athena stay in her home; the gang would show them around their city and Chicago.

* * *

As it was a Roman Catholic church service, the gang got their joke in by painting “HE” and “LP” on the soles of Peter’s shoes that were enjoyed by the front rows of the audience when he knelt before the altar.

Rico closed his restaurant a few hours for the reception. Ray stood by himself watching the happy couple. He imagined he would see them less and less, then not at all, and some days he would have wondered if Peter had really existed? No, no how, no way, it was a small city, they’d bump into them as Katrina still worked downtown…for the moment…Had Peter really been a part of the gang?

Katrina threw her bridal bouquet.

Ray thought Angie would trample over everyone to catch it herself, but she moved and slightly pushed Athena so that she caught it. As George and Athena were engaged, Ray was proud of her.

She came to him and held his hand.

‘You’da hadda heart attack if I caught it….Yuh know, Ray…yuh don’t have ta give up fun just because you’re married; yuh just gotta have fun with ME.’

‘Easy!’

FIN

Author Notes: Short Stories 101!
I'm the author of three Extra Dimensional/Ultraterrestial military science fiction novels MERCENARY EXOTIQUE, OPERATION CHUPACABRA and WORK IN OTHER WORLDS FROM YOUR OWN HOME! as well as two travel books THE MAN FROM WAUKEGAN and TWO AUSTRALIANS IN SCOTLAND (all from Lulu.com). I live happily ever after with my wife in paradise (coastal Kiama, NSW Australia).

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