Besides our celebrants, Juliette and Antoine, we invited all our newest friends in New Zealand. Abel Tasman would be proud because two were of Dutch origin. Tw of course. And Aafke. Aafke and Sukie are a lesbian couple who now live here in Doubtless Bay, at Cable Bay — I hope I don’t get sued by those tiresome folk on the Isle of Lesbos who, as I read in the papers, are suing the Greek Gay and Lesbian Rights Organization over the use of the name of their island. Sukie is English and Aafke is Dutch and they have been together for about forty years and in New Zealand for even longer.
Dolores and Mary Margaret, or Dolo and M&M as everyone refers to them, are another lesbian couple — boy, I’m really asking for trouble from those bored and tortured straight souls on the Isle of Lesbos — from right here in Doubtless Bay, from Mangonui, in fact. They are the ones who originally introduced us to Pip and to the Miss Mangonui Beauty Pageant.
Dolo and M&M run the Mill Bay Suites Motel in Mangonui and if you come to Doubtless Bay, you must stay there. We call them the Mill Bay Sweets — yes, I have always been corny. From their place, you can walk to the village and to the Waterfront Café — which does breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as, if not better than, any fine restaurant in Auckland and is much cheaper, of course. And the Sweets’ rates are reasonable, and the units are Japanese-clean.
These two have been together for twenty-some years and although Dolo is from Boston via L.A. and M&M is from Ireland, they met in Japan, where they taught at an international school for twenty years before immigrating to New Zealand.
We believe Dolo was a geisha for many lifetimes past for she loves nothing more than being a perfect hostess and making sure that her guests and friends always have anything and everything they could possibly dream of wanting: food, drink, music, conversation, kindness.
Fishing rods and tackle.
M&M plays the guitar and sings. Or so we thought until she made questionable warbling sounds at our wedding.
And, of course, we couldn’t keep Beau’s mum away from the wedding.
Ma. We’ll have the wedding ceremony up on top of the hill just for you. It’s too steep for you to go down to the beach.
I can do it! The wedding is at the beach. You want it under that big tree. I can do it. Just you two watch me!
So we were a few Americans, two Dutch, one Irish, a couple of Brits, and several Kiwis. There are a lot of immigrants in New Zealand. And our two dogs, Sophie and Deva, of course, now with Kiwi passports.
So I want to invite you to our wedding too since you are here. Why not? I never wanted a big wedding but now I do — it will give me more readers.
I had originally suggested to Dee that we could even give her a high-powered telescope and she could stay home, comfortable with Kanji and Poggio, and watch the entire ceremony from across the bay.
I’m coming to the beach! I can do it! Stop talking! Dear God, make them two stop talking!
So, friends, this book can be your high-powered telescope to watch our wedding from across the Big Waters.
Beau and I made countless trips from the top of the hill down to the sand and all the way across the beach to the giant Metrosideros Excelsa, lugging bottles of Champagne, food to last all afternoon and into the late evening, blankets to sit on and folding tables, folding chairs for Dee and Madame La Juliette and Tw. By the time the guests arrived, we were tuckered and sweaty but relaxed.
Beau and I put together the ceremony ourselves from readings and poems and various blessings that we love and we gave some guests a copy of something to read for the ceremony and, of course, everything was then coordinated by our celebrant. It all came together like this:
JULIETTE: Today, BEAU and AARON promise to dedicate themselves completely to each other, with body, speech, and mind.
In this life, in every situation, in wealth or poverty, in health or sickness, in happiness or difficulty, may you work to help each other perfectly.
May your relationship help you to attain enlightenment by perfecting your kindness and compassion toward all sentient beings.
Vows AARON ALLBRIGHT and BEAU RODRIGUE are happy today not only because they can share the joy of their love for each other with dear friends [and now Dear Readers], but also because they have the opportunity to express their aspirations for the future.
BEAU and AARON, do you pledge to help each other to develop your hearts and minds, cultivating love, compassion, and wisdom as you age and undergo the various ups and downs of life, and to transform those ups and downs into the path of love, compassion, joy, and equanimity?
[“They do,” said Dee.
“Ma!” whispered Beau loudly.
“Sorry.”]
Recognizing that the external conditions in life will not always be smooth and that internally your own minds and emotions will sometimes get stuck in negativity, do you pledge to see all these circumstances as a challenge to help you grow, to open your hearts, to accept yourselves and each other, and to generate compassion for others who are suffering? Do you pledge to avoid becoming narrow, closed, or opinionated, and to help each other to see various sides of situations?
“We do.”
[Beau looked sternly at Dee.
“WHAT?” she WHISPERED]
Understanding that just as each of us is a mystery to himself or herself, each other person is also a mystery to us. Do you pledge to seek to understand yourselves, each other, and all living beings, to examine your own minds continually and to regard all the mysteries of life with curiosity and joy?
“We do.”
Do you pledge to preserve and enrich your affection for each other, and to share it with all beings? To take the loving feelings you have for one another and your vision of each other’s potential and inner beauty as an example and rather than spiraling inward and becoming self-absorbed, to radiate this love outward to all beings?
“We do.”
Do you pledge to remember the three poisons: of clinging attachment, of ignorance, and of anger, and when these arise in your minds, to apply the antidotes of love, wisdom, and compassion? And to remember the kindness of all other beings and your connection to them? Do you pledge to work for the welfare of others, with all of your compassion, wisdom, and skill?
“We do.”
Do you pledge, day to day, to be patient with yourselves and others, knowing that change comes slowly and gradually, and to seek inspiration from your teachers not to become discouraged?
“We do.”
Do you pledge to continuously strive to remember your own Buddha nature, as well as the Buddha nature of all living beings? To maintain the awareness that all things are temporary, and to remain optimistic that you can achieve your greatest potential and lasting happiness?
“We do.”
AARON and BEAU, please repeat after me the words of the old Keres Pueblo song:
I add my breath to your breath—
That our days may be long on the earth—
That the days of our people may be long—
That we may be one person—
That we may finish our roads together—
May the Great Mother bless you with life—
May our life path be fulfilled.
SUKIE:
I
The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to New Zealand
In a beautiful pea green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
‘O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!’
II
Pussy said to the Owl, ‘You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! TWENTY-FIVE YEARS! We have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?’
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Pohutukawa tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.
III
‘Dear pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?’ Said the Piggy, ‘I will.’
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.
DOLO:
May all those with sicknesses in the universe, world, New Zealand, Doubtless Bay, immediately be cured.
May those who are suffering from poverty be able to have wealth.
May those who have relationship problems find much peace, happiness, loving kindness, and compassion.
May those who are blind be able to see.
May those who are lame be able to walk.
May those who want to find a spiritual teacher immediately be able to find a perfectly qualified teacher.
May those who need teachings immediately be able to receive teachings.
May those who have much difficulty in their lives because of depression, without the delay of even a second, be healed, and may their hearts be filled with joy and peace.
May those who are dying and are terrified of death immediately find peace of mind.
May everyone’s wishes for happiness be achieved in accordance with the Dharma, the Tao, the Way.
AAFKE:
Just as the soft rains fill the streams,
pour into the rivers and join together in the oceans,
so may the power of every moment of your goodness
flow forth to awaken and heal all beings,
Those here now, those gone before, those yet to come.
By the power of every moment of your goodness
May your heart’s wishes be soon fulfilled
as completely shining as the bright full moon,
as magically as by a wish-fulfilling gem.
By the power of every moment of your goodness
May all dangers be averted and all disease be gone.
May no obstacle come across your way.
May you enjoy fulfillment and long life.
For all in whose heart dwells respect,
who follow the wisdom and compassion, of the Way,
May your life prosper in the four blessings
of old age, beauty, happiness, and strength.
So within yourself let grow
A boundless love for all creatures.
Let your love flow outward through the universe,
To its height, its depth, its broad extent,
A limitless love, without hatred or enmity.
Then, as you stand or walk,
Sit or lie down,
As long as you are awake,
Strive for this with a one-pointed mind;
Your life will bring heaven to earth.
AARON: Let the world be quiet.
BEAU: Let the heavens and the earth and the seas be still.
AARON: See how Spirit pours
through each and every opening in the turmoil,
and bestows new splendor on the Sun,
and its glorious Earth,
and all its radiant Inhabitants.
BEAU: And this Earth becomes a blessed thing,
and every I becomes a God,
and every We becomes God’s sincerest worship,
and every It becomes God’s most gracious temple.
AARON & BEAU: And Love alone will shine today
JULIETTE:
Exchanging of a KISS
This kiss is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in partnership.
Pronouncement: By the power vested in me through the wishes of BEAU and AARON, as well as the blessing of the lineage of their Spiritual Friends, I now pronounce your Sacred Union of twenty-five years to be recognized and blessed now, according to the laws of our lovely country, New Zealand— Aotearoa —
Well, we then ate so much and imbibed so much Champagne. For hours there beside the sea.
Sukie began to tease us.
“You made me read that poem just because you wanted to hear a lesbian say, Pussy! Pussy, pussy, pussy, pussy!”
“Have another glass of Champagne, darling,” said Aafke.
“Anything to hush her up,” said Dolo.
“Shove an apple in her mouth!” said M&M.
“They’re not all locked up!” WHISPERED Dee.
By the time the sun had well set and it was growing dark, we doubted whether we would make it back up to the top of the steep hill. We knew we couldn’t manage to carry up everything we had brought down so Beau and I threw all the empty Champagne bottles and the folding chairs and tables up in the sea grass at the bottom of the hill, vowing to fetch them on the sober morrow. We didn’t make it back down for them for three days but they were still there, waiting patiently to be fetched and carted up the hill in several forays. Good exercise for the legs, heart, and lungs.
I still don’t know how Dee managed to get herself back up to the top of the steep hill that wedding day. All I remember is her shooing away any and all proffers of assistance. As we all huffed and puffed our food-and-Champagne-heavy way to the top, we could hear Dee bringing up the rear, whispering to herself in her booming style, “I CAN DO IT! I CAN DO IT! I CAN DO IT!”
The little engine that could, I thought.
At the top of the hill, Juliette lay down in the tall grass and rolled back and forth with Sophie and Deva. “I did it. I made it back up, Tw.”
“THEY’RE NOT ALL LOCKED UP.” Dee had just made it to the top herself.
It was only later that we learned from Tw that Juliette had just gone through a rough bout of cancer, had radiation, surgery and chemo, and was just beginning to get back some strength. She had never said anything about it to us when we asked for the wedding on the beach at our farm, down the steep hill and back up.
Aaron do you know you have leukemia
Beau framed our best photo from that wedding day. Here, take a look.
See the two of us on the beach under the giant pohutukawa, smiling happily, drunk with love. Whenever I look at it, I can almost hear the warm waves of that afternoon and evening as they gently lap the shore at the foot of our sandy wedding chapel, which is framed by the branches and trunks of the pohutukawas, the Metrosideros Excelsa. Gloria in excelsa.
I can almost feel the warmth of that December summer sun Down Under and the warmth of the sand underfoot, the floor of our barefoot-wedding cathedral. I can clearly remember, and feel again, the surprising emotions that well up in both of us that day and in all our guests too.
Who would have thought a mere wedding, especially one after twenty-five years of life together, could bring so much overwhelming joy and gratitude and profound feelings of commitment? We never knew.
The only thing I didn’t appreciate about the photo was what I expressed to Beau when he first placed it on the table in the little house at Whatuwhiwhi.
“Oh, my God, Beau, put that photo away. Why did you have it framed? We look so old.”
“My darling, twenty years from now we will gaze at our faces in that photo and say, Oh, how young we were!”
The photo stayed. A photo of happiness. And hope. And a sort of youth.
END OF CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Wait for the next chapter on Substack or buy the whole book on Amazon
IF YOU LIKED THIS, PLEASE GIVE MY HEART A LITTLE TAP AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST
Aaron Allbright’s novel in five parts will be published soon.
IN A DESERT OR A CITY
BOOK I
‘PRINCE CARTIER’ or HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE BEING GAY WITH MY SAUDI PRINCE AND TO START WORRYING
BOOK II
MONSIEUR LE PRINCE, PARIS
BOOK III
THE MYSTERIES OF PARIS
BOOK IV
TYROMANCY AND LUCIFER
BOOK V
WHY WAIT FOR THE LIGHT?