美国故事 SENEWS-2007-0901-FEATURE

Our story today is called Golden 1 Wedding. It was written by Ruth Suckow. Here is Shirley Griffith to tell you the story.

Mrs. Willie turn to her husband and said, "Pa, you are to change your clothes. "
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Well," she answered, "you want to be ready when George comes, don't you?"
"Oh, he will not come, how can he get his car through all this snow."
Mrs. Willie quickly answered, "Yes, yes he will, Pa. They invited us to their home, didn't they? So you go now and put on your good clothes."
Mr. Willie said something under his breath 2, he still looked angry, but he obeyed his wife. She watched him go and thought, "Why does he do this?"

He always acted this way, ever since they got married fifty years ago. Every time he knew he ought to do something, he protested 3. So it was every time they had to go somewhere.

George will not come today, it was just like Pa to say that. If he knew his wife was depending on something, he had to be against it. He never wanted to agree that anything was going to be right. He was always tearing down her hopes. If she felt that something would turn out right, he was sure it would turn out wrong. She was always pulling forward, he pulling back. But in fifty years of marriage, this pulling usually ended with his doing what she asked.

Mrs. Willie looked out of the window at the quiet white street. The snow was still falling. For a moment, she became fearful 4 that perhaps this time Pa was right. George would not be able to get through the snow. But then she said softly 5, "He will come. George will come."

As she watched for her son-in-law George, her husband came back into the room. She looked up and said, "Oh, Pa, why did you have to put on that old necktie? "
" What old necktie? "
"Oh, you know what I mean," she answered, "I should think you would be ashamed 6 to wear that tie at all. Just think of where we are going today. You go and put on the nice one, the one Jenny sent you for Christmas. Just try and look nice for once today. You don't know who maybe there and see us."

Again the angry look, "Just who do you think is going to be there?"
"Well, you know the dinner is for us," she answered.
"Oh, there won't be many people who would come out in all this snow just to eat dinner with us!” But he went back and put on the other tie.

She felt like crying. Her hands shook as she sewed. Oh why did he have to hurt her and why today? They knew each other so well, each knew without even thinking just what little things could hurt the other. Now he was saying that this dinner was nothing special! Today – their golden wedding anniversary 7! Married for fifty years! Nothing special? That was what he meant by wearing that old necktie. He always talked to her about their age, how nobody cared about them. But to do it today on such a special day! Yet, after all if you looked at it one way, he was right. Here they were in their old house, two old people living alone! May be he was right, and may be she was a fool to want to celebrate her fifty-year marriage to him. They had had enough bad luck as he always said they would. Still, she hoped for the best. He wanted to, but was afraid. She felt her grace 8 silk dress. It looked so nice, and then she called to him, "Pa, here comes George! Hurry and get ready."

Pa was ready, in fact it was she who had to run back to her bedroom to comb her hair. And it was time to go! Pa turned to George, "I didn't think you get here," he said.
"Oh," his son-in-law answered, "there is more than one way of getting here." And there in front of the house was a big sled. Pa and ma followed George to it. They wore heavy wool coats.

Mrs. Willie looked up and saw two of their friends in the sled. They were the minister reverent 9 Baxter and his wife. They helped the old couple to get in. Mrs. Baxter smiled. Her cheeks and nose were red from the cold and her eyes were bright.

“Well,” she said, “How's the bride and groom 10?”
“All are right, I guess,” said Mrs. Willie.

And then George looked around and called “Get up!” And the two big brown horses ran quickly. The snow was beautiful. The road and the trees were like silver. It was warm under the furs in the sleigh. It felt like a holiday already. After a time, they arrived at a big farmhouse 11, standing 12 behind trees that looked blue-brown in the snow.

They got out of the sleigh and went up to steps and into the kitchen, there was their daughter Clara. She looked happy. Her fat arms were bare and she was pink from the heat of the ovens 13. What good smells came from those ovens! Roasting 14 chickens and biscuits and there were dishes everywhere. Clara took Mrs. Baxter and Mrs. Willie to a bedroom. There they took off their coats and gloves.

Clara said, “Now mama, you don't have to help me. You go into the parlor 15 and talk to Mrs. Baxter. Minnie will help me. ” Minnie was Mrs. Willie's daughter-in-law. So she was there too with Mrs. Willie's son John. Mrs. Willie was glad she had worn 16 her best dress. It wasn't a big party, but there was Clara, and George and their daughters, John and Minnie and the Baxters too.

Mrs. Willie sat in a chair and folded her hands. It was a party! The smells in the kitchen, all those dishes, even the bedroom was very clean. And she could hear children's voices in another room, laughing and shouting. Now she looked around and she remembered. She remembered how this same house had looked when she had come to it fifty years earlier! Then it looked different. It seemed smaller and very empty with a feeling of open space around it.

Suddenly, noises broke into her thoughts. Shouts came from outside. Mrs. Willie turned quickly to the window and a great sleigh came up to the house. People were in it and they were calling and waving. Again, Mrs. Willie's hands shook. But this time it was from happiness. She and her husband stood up and a great crowd of people came in crying, "Where is the bridal couple? Look at the happy groom. Well, well, congratulations 17!"

Then, the door of the dining room opened. Everyone said that Ma and Pa must go in first. They were gently pushed forward by the others. They sat at the head of the table. Mr. Willie looked almost afraid. He seemed to be thinking, "All of this for two old people?" But Mrs. Willie was happy. She saw the room as one great light glasses plated silver, white and yellow all around. There were laughs and calls everywhere, then all stood quietly while Mr. Baxter said a prayer 18. It was all very quiet and serious. Only a child's voice broke the silence. They sat and the laughter 19 began again. "Oh, isn't this lovely?" someone said. "Well, grandma," said one of the children, "what do you think of it?" Mrs. Willie turned pink and said slowly, "I don't know what to say!" Here was the celebration 20 she had dreamed about and now it was real! So real it was actually happening!

We will tell you more about this golden wedding celebration next week when we will bring you part two of our story.

You have been listening to the American story "Golden Wedding". It was written by Ruth Suckow. It appeared in the book Iowa Interiors 21 published by Alfred A. Knopf Incorporated 22. Your storyteller was Shirley Griffith. Listen again next week at the same time for the final part of Golden Wedding. For VOA Special English, this is Steve Ember.