We spent an afternoon reading our books on Magic Island, a man-made peninsula and peaceful beach in Honolulu that is favoured by the locals. The masts in the Ala Wai Harbour, the skyline of Waikiki, and the steep slopes of Diamond Head made it difficult to focus on the words. Outrigger canoes, sailboats, and surfers added more visual distractions.
We gave up reading altogether when a bridal couple, two children, a maid of honour, a best man, two photographers and a pastor strolled into view. The groom was African American; the bride was Hawaiian. He wore khaki pants and a white shirt; she wore a knee-length white dress and carried a small bouquet of pink roses. Oblivious to our presence fifty feet away under a shady palm, they began an ocean side wedding that we could see but not hear.
The pastor, carrying four orchid flower leis on his right arm, raised a conch shell to his mouth and blew a long, low note. After speaking to the couple at length, he invited them to exchange vows and rings and draped one of the flowered leis over their clasped hands. The groom then spoke some personal words to his bride and placed the lei around her neck, kissing her gently on both cheeks. Taking another lei, she responded in kind, giving her groom even gentler kisses on his cheeks as he tenderly wiped her tears away. The newlyweds then placed the remaining two leis on the young girl and boy. Her children? His children? Theirs? Now they were a family of four wearing the same lavender leis.
"I hope they'll be kind to each other," I said.
"They seem to be," Marja observed.
When they left, Marja shouted, “Congratulations!" Surprised to discover that their intimate wedding had been witnessed by two strangers, the bride laughed and said, "Thank you." Then, like a romantic fantasy on a sultry afternoon, they were gone.
"Did that really happen?" I marvelled, as the spectacular God-made setting for this lovely, simple wedding was filled once again with the sight of surfers riding the breaking waves.
- Pastor Peter
We gave up reading altogether when a bridal couple, two children, a maid of honour, a best man, two photographers and a pastor strolled into view. The groom was African American; the bride was Hawaiian. He wore khaki pants and a white shirt; she wore a knee-length white dress and carried a small bouquet of pink roses. Oblivious to our presence fifty feet away under a shady palm, they began an ocean side wedding that we could see but not hear.
The pastor, carrying four orchid flower leis on his right arm, raised a conch shell to his mouth and blew a long, low note. After speaking to the couple at length, he invited them to exchange vows and rings and draped one of the flowered leis over their clasped hands. The groom then spoke some personal words to his bride and placed the lei around her neck, kissing her gently on both cheeks. Taking another lei, she responded in kind, giving her groom even gentler kisses on his cheeks as he tenderly wiped her tears away. The newlyweds then placed the remaining two leis on the young girl and boy. Her children? His children? Theirs? Now they were a family of four wearing the same lavender leis.
"I hope they'll be kind to each other," I said.
"They seem to be," Marja observed.
When they left, Marja shouted, “Congratulations!" Surprised to discover that their intimate wedding had been witnessed by two strangers, the bride laughed and said, "Thank you." Then, like a romantic fantasy on a sultry afternoon, they were gone.
"Did that really happen?" I marvelled, as the spectacular God-made setting for this lovely, simple wedding was filled once again with the sight of surfers riding the breaking waves.
- Pastor Peter
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