What God Hath Joined
The small group stands in front of the altar: a bride and groom, a minister, and his wife. The candle light plays on their faces, and makes their shadows dance on the empty pews.
The minister continues, "If anyone can show just cause why these two may not marry, speak now; or forever hold your peace."
All four turn when they hear a cough by the door. “Well, Padre, I have a few things to say.”
The voice comes from a huge man in an army uniform wearing shoulder stripes. Two armed guards stand on either side. “First, this man is A.W.O.L. We ship out tomorrow, and I aim to make sure he is on board. And second, he is going to war. He could be dead in a matter of months. Marriage now is not a good idea.”
The minister asks, “And how can he be A.W.O.L if he has been gone only for a few hours?”
“Okay, you got me,” says the sergeant. “Technically, he isn’t A.W.O.L. - yet, but he is if he misses that ship.”
“Let them finish,” begs the minister’s wife.
“Not a good idea. She could be a widow soon,” answers the sergeant.
“What is your name?”
“The name’s McAvoy, First Sergeant Thomas McAvoy, C Company, Fifteenth Infantry.”
“Well, Tom, where are you from?”
“Not that it matters, but I am from Torrington, Wyoming.”
The minister’s wife turns to leave, “I will put on a pot for tea.”
The soldier asks, “How did you find us?”
“That was easy,” replies the sergeant. “I found a letter from your girlfriend. We went to the return address. Her mother said you were here.”
“Ten minutes, please,” begs the minister.
“No!” answers the sergeant, a little irritated.
“You must know that it is against military regulations to arrest anyone in a church. It is sanctuary – Holy Ground.”
The sergeant stops in his tracks. He looks at the minister’s face to gauge whether he is lying.
Finally he concludes, “You are bluffing, Padre. And you a man of the cloth and all, and in God’s House too. You should be ashamed.”
The trembling bride finds her own voice, “We have to get married!”
The sergeant and minister both ask, “What?” at the same time. A little slow but finally the soldier asks, “What?”
“I’m pregnant! We have to get married.”
The men look at the soldier who looks bewildered. It is obvious that he did not know that his bride was pregnant.
“Look,” says the sergeant. “I know this soldier. He is a good boy. And I met your mother, and she says you are a good girl. I think you are telling a lie.”
The girl stamps her foot, “You don’t know what kind of girl I am, and neither does my mother. I love him! He is going to war! I know I may not see him again! You don’t have to tell me that. We know what we want. We are two adults who are in love, and we want to get married.”
The sergeant looks at his guards who shrug their shoulders.
“Okay, but hurry up.”
On cue, the minister continues, “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Immediately both guards start down the isle.
“Wait!” shouts the bride. “The honeymoon!”
“You are pushing your luck, little lady. Besides, it is a little late for that,” growls the sergeant as he motions the guards forward.
“Sergeant,” says the minister’s wife from the side doorway.
Everyone stops and looks her direction. “You have phone call.”
“What? Who can it be?”
“They did not say, but they asked for you.”
The sergeant follows her to the rectory hall telephone followed by everyone else.
“Hello?” says the sergeant into the receiver. “Oh my God! I don’t believe this. Yes, of course. Yes, okay, I will do it. It is nice to hear your voice too. Goodbye.”
The sergeant turns to face the puzzled group. Looking at the young couple, “You have two hours, Private. If you are not back tomorrow, I will personally track you down.” Taking out his wallet,
“Here is twenty bucks. Take a cab.” He looks at the snickering guards and says, “The first one to say a word gets a fat lip.”
The stunned soldier says, “I can pay you pay day.”
The sergeant waves his hand, “Consider it a wedding gift.”
The bride rushes up and kisses the sergeant, “Thank you.”
Before anyone can say another word, Good Wife says, “You can use our bed. Come, help me put on clean sheets for you.”
As the couple climbs the stairs, the soldier asks, “Are you really pregnant?”
“Not yet,” she answers with a giggle.
The minister escorts the sergeant and the guards out the rectory door. A few minutes later his wife joins him in the living room. “How did you do that?”
“I appealed to a higher authority,” she says coyly.
“Don’t tease me, Good Wife. I am dying to know.”
“I called his mother in Wyoming.”
“Of course! What a great idea! How many McAvoys can there be in Torrington Wyoming?”
His wife chuckles, “Quite a few, apparently. When the operator asked me which one, I said the mother of Tom. When I explained to Mrs. McAvoy what her son was up to, she agreed to straighten him out.”
“You are amazing. I am in awe.”
“What will we do for two hours? We could have a cup of tea or we could we cuddle on the couch like newlyweds.”
“Tea sounds good right now.”
“I’ll make a pot.”
The End
The minister continues, "If anyone can show just cause why these two may not marry, speak now; or forever hold your peace."
All four turn when they hear a cough by the door. “Well, Padre, I have a few things to say.”
The voice comes from a huge man in an army uniform wearing shoulder stripes. Two armed guards stand on either side. “First, this man is A.W.O.L. We ship out tomorrow, and I aim to make sure he is on board. And second, he is going to war. He could be dead in a matter of months. Marriage now is not a good idea.”
The minister asks, “And how can he be A.W.O.L if he has been gone only for a few hours?”
“Okay, you got me,” says the sergeant. “Technically, he isn’t A.W.O.L. - yet, but he is if he misses that ship.”
“Let them finish,” begs the minister’s wife.
“Not a good idea. She could be a widow soon,” answers the sergeant.
“What is your name?”
“The name’s McAvoy, First Sergeant Thomas McAvoy, C Company, Fifteenth Infantry.”
“Well, Tom, where are you from?”
“Not that it matters, but I am from Torrington, Wyoming.”
The minister’s wife turns to leave, “I will put on a pot for tea.”
The soldier asks, “How did you find us?”
“That was easy,” replies the sergeant. “I found a letter from your girlfriend. We went to the return address. Her mother said you were here.”
“Ten minutes, please,” begs the minister.
“No!” answers the sergeant, a little irritated.
“You must know that it is against military regulations to arrest anyone in a church. It is sanctuary – Holy Ground.”
The sergeant stops in his tracks. He looks at the minister’s face to gauge whether he is lying.
Finally he concludes, “You are bluffing, Padre. And you a man of the cloth and all, and in God’s House too. You should be ashamed.”
The trembling bride finds her own voice, “We have to get married!”
The sergeant and minister both ask, “What?” at the same time. A little slow but finally the soldier asks, “What?”
“I’m pregnant! We have to get married.”
The men look at the soldier who looks bewildered. It is obvious that he did not know that his bride was pregnant.
“Look,” says the sergeant. “I know this soldier. He is a good boy. And I met your mother, and she says you are a good girl. I think you are telling a lie.”
The girl stamps her foot, “You don’t know what kind of girl I am, and neither does my mother. I love him! He is going to war! I know I may not see him again! You don’t have to tell me that. We know what we want. We are two adults who are in love, and we want to get married.”
The sergeant looks at his guards who shrug their shoulders.
“Okay, but hurry up.”
On cue, the minister continues, “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Immediately both guards start down the isle.
“Wait!” shouts the bride. “The honeymoon!”
“You are pushing your luck, little lady. Besides, it is a little late for that,” growls the sergeant as he motions the guards forward.
“Sergeant,” says the minister’s wife from the side doorway.
Everyone stops and looks her direction. “You have phone call.”
“What? Who can it be?”
“They did not say, but they asked for you.”
The sergeant follows her to the rectory hall telephone followed by everyone else.
“Hello?” says the sergeant into the receiver. “Oh my God! I don’t believe this. Yes, of course. Yes, okay, I will do it. It is nice to hear your voice too. Goodbye.”
The sergeant turns to face the puzzled group. Looking at the young couple, “You have two hours, Private. If you are not back tomorrow, I will personally track you down.” Taking out his wallet,
“Here is twenty bucks. Take a cab.” He looks at the snickering guards and says, “The first one to say a word gets a fat lip.”
The stunned soldier says, “I can pay you pay day.”
The sergeant waves his hand, “Consider it a wedding gift.”
The bride rushes up and kisses the sergeant, “Thank you.”
Before anyone can say another word, Good Wife says, “You can use our bed. Come, help me put on clean sheets for you.”
As the couple climbs the stairs, the soldier asks, “Are you really pregnant?”
“Not yet,” she answers with a giggle.
The minister escorts the sergeant and the guards out the rectory door. A few minutes later his wife joins him in the living room. “How did you do that?”
“I appealed to a higher authority,” she says coyly.
“Don’t tease me, Good Wife. I am dying to know.”
“I called his mother in Wyoming.”
“Of course! What a great idea! How many McAvoys can there be in Torrington Wyoming?”
His wife chuckles, “Quite a few, apparently. When the operator asked me which one, I said the mother of Tom. When I explained to Mrs. McAvoy what her son was up to, she agreed to straighten him out.”
“You are amazing. I am in awe.”
“What will we do for two hours? We could have a cup of tea or we could we cuddle on the couch like newlyweds.”
“Tea sounds good right now.”
“I’ll make a pot.”
The End