Elopement

 

I received a message from my ex-husband's best friend Steve on Classmates. He had a photo that he thought I might like. I had not heard from Steve in almost 40 years, but I said yes and he sent it.

It was of my wedding day, the day I eloped with Rick1. 

By looking at it, it created a waterfall of memories.

My mother had insisted I break my engagement to my high school sweetheart who at the time was at the Naval School of Music in Washington D.C. When I wrote him that I was breaking the engagement I put in the seal of the envelope, "I had to write the letter I don't mean it." My engagement ring was returned to his brother and his wife.

I had not been in a hurry to marry. I would have been happy to be engaged while I finished college, but my mother was convinced that my fiancé only wanted to marry to get out of the required service. So that was why he was at the Naval School. He had joined the service. 

She wasn't satisfied thus

The plan was I would go back to college in Lowell. Instead of unpacking in the boarding house where I lived with four other students, I left all my clothes and possessions in the car. 

Instead of registering at school, I registered at the City Hall for a marriage license. I went before a judge to get the waiting period reduced from three days to one. I only hoped if it were published in the Lowell Sun, my landlady wouldn't see it and tell my mother.

Rick1 (my second husband is Rick2) drove up from D.C. We planned to marry in Lowell and I'd return to Washington with him.

Friday morning, I woke up early. Rick1 was parked outside,

We went to City Hall to marry.

We were told because my husband was from Reading, we also would have to register in Reading, our home town.

We drove to Reading. Steve and Kenny, who would be Rick's best man and Kenny my male bridesmaid were waiting for us. They went to the Methodist Church across from the town hall to see if the minister would marry us, while we faced the town clerk.

Reading was a small town. Boyd, the town clerk said, "I promised your mother, I'd call her if you came in."

"Did you say how soon?"

Boyd smiled. "You've 15 minutes."

We rushed across the street where Rev. Snook had put on his robe. The secretary, Mrs. Sias, had found a floral arrangement to put on the altar.

We still had 10 minutes. Even if Boyd called immediately, it would take my mother another 20 to drive from our house to the church. I had no idea if Boyd knew which church. Had he watched us out the window?

Rev. Snook counseled us, and counseled us and counseled us and... our time was up.

I called Boyd.

"Why don't you tell me when you're married, then I will call your mother."

It felt so strange exchanging our vows. Not the white dress affair I had imagined. I certainly hadn't planned on a male maid of honor.

Outside Steve took photos. 

I called my mother than Boyd. My mother wanted us to go home. I did. It wasn't pleasant and we left.

We found a motel in Framingham. I called my father and stepmom. They asked us to stop by the next morning on our way to D.C.

We did. My aunt, uncle, cousins and grandfather were there. Growing up I'd been separated from my father's family, but they welcomed me, although I couldn't remember seeing them before. My paternal grandmother had died the month before. It would be the only time I would see my grandfather. 

My father made sure we had $100. In 1962 that was a lot of money. To us it was a fortune.

We made it back to D.C. late Sunday night. Monday Rick, got his orders for the 82nd Army band in Stuttgart, Germany.

While we were overseas, my mother tried to have the marriage annulled. Although she had a custody agreement, the judge felt as I was 20, my husband was 21, we didn't want the marriage annulled, in fact we weren't even in the country there was no reason to annul the marriage.

I hadn't thought about that event for decades. I went on to have a daughter, a divorce, build a life, move to Europe, change nationality. In a way it is like it happened to someone else. I look at the young woman in the photo. She has no idea of the future, but if I could talk to her, I would say, everything will be all right -- in fact it will be more than all right.