Groom Trapped in Elevator while Bride is blissfully Clueless (Part II)
Across town things have gone awry (a fictional tale)
While the bride and her maids were getting their hair done, the groom was pulling his out!
He was OVER THIS. Now he was just MAD. He growled. He hit the walls while yelling himself hoarse. Why doesn’t somebody miss him? Why can’t anyone hear him? This nightmare did not fit the perfectly planned day they’d imagined.
His tantrum-like performance did release some of his pent-up anxiety and bottled-up energy but in the aftermath — silence and despair reigned.
The elevator was still stuck, and his cell phone continued to be defunct. He only barely resisted the urge to throw the frustrating little piece of technology against the wall.
His grumbling stomach and caffeine-deprived, unfocused brain weren’t helping him cope. He found a mint in his pocket and that helped a little.
He lay prone from corner to corner and closed his eyes, resulting in some meditation and prayer.
“Please God,” he fervently implored, “Don’t let this kink in our plans mess up our marriage. And BTW, God, this hoopla wedding matters to HER a lot. Please see what ‘cha can do about my trapped predicament.”
And a peace that passes understanding and simple reasoning washed over him like a warm summer rain.
I am the bride! It’s finally MY TURN. My off-white dress was apparently made just for me. Its flowing lacy sleeves and cinched waist made me feel like a bohemian queen the minute I first laid eyes on it. My artfully messy, curly bun added a softness to my lightly made-up face, and I felt ridiculously satisfied with the results.
My bridesmaids were all wearing their hair in riots of curls with variations of pinned-up hair — here and there. We were a magazine-cover-worthy bunch.
Pictures were being taken in the city garden. The weather was ideal. There was cloud cover and a light breeze, making for the perfect photo conditions.
Only one tiny blip interrupted the steadily wonderful atmosphere of the morning. A teasing niggle of discomfort sent a shiver down my spine — was that a whisper of a worry, something about the guys? I know I saw some hidden frowns and clandestine conversations and texting — but then I doubted myself and figured I was just being overly sensitive and imaginative.
I chalked it up to it being my perfect day — it’s just hard to let yourself really enjoy perfection. Doubt can creep in — but I’m not letting it.
Not today! I turned my back on the doubt and smiled brilliantly and easily for every angle and request by the professional photographer. It was a day for easy smiling and enjoying of the day that I had been anticipating and practicing for what seemed like my whole life (Just think — a real groom, a guy I loved with my whole heart, would kiss me to seal the deal, TODAY.)
Yes, the bride’s maids were whispering. Yes, there could possibly be a real PROBLEM.
No one knew where the groom was. His hotel room was empty. His car was still parked on the lot. Upon inquiry, his tuxedo was still in the shop waiting to be picked up.
WHAT IN THE WORLD?
“Don’t tell HER,” was the general consensus.
The best man felt the brunt of the responsibility to get to the bottom of this.
Could the groom have bailed?
Did he get the proverbial cold feet?
The best man had been friends with the groom since their high school days and he just couldn’t imagine this kind, thoughtful, steady friend leaving his bride at the altar.
But did anyone REALLY KNOW what went on in the mind of a wedding day groom?
Didn’t the groom say something about “biting the dust”? — something about “bachelorhood coming to a screeching halt?” — something about “one woman for the rest of his ever livin’ days?” Was he foreshadowing or was he really just saying the expected goofy things guys say?
No.
No way had he bailed. SOMETHING was up, but not THAT.
The best man rallied the groomsmen and they all agreed that the groom would show up.
Stay the course and follow the game plan.
“Guys, let’s do our jobs, let’s get dressed and ready. Let’s show up on time. And let’s NOT share this with the girls. Let’s spread out and search! And contact me immediately if any of you find him.
“Be subtle, but start asking questions.”
The bride and her maids were stunning and the photo shoot was wrapping up. The guys were scheduled to be photographed post-wedding, as per the plans, along with the bride and groom.
The wedding was at 3:00. The wedding party and family were scheduled to be at the church at 2:00. The men were set up to be in the basement classroom area while the women were a whole floor away in the pastor’s study and adjoining prayer room.
Everyone in the family and wedding party knew the vow of complete separation that the bride and groom had planned for the pre-wedding. Everyone was charged with the responsibility of keeping this divide up until their eyes met at the church, while the bride was being escorted down the aisle.
— and so, the bride was blissfully unaware. Blissfully clueless.
I couldn’t remember in the last two years ever having gone a whole morning without any communication from my guy and it was starting to wear on me a little. I kept reaching for my phone to share a tidbit, to ask a question, to send my love in emojis but ended up just patting the hidden pocket in my gorgeous dress.
Did I mention that I feel gorgeous in my dress? Sigh.
Following a very light lunch that mom brought to the church for the women, I was ready! My bridesmaids were anxious and excited to begin, as well. We relaxed a little — drinking bottled water and simply enjoying each other’s company. These were my favorite peeps! I was happy and sated and SO excited.
There were still no sightings of the groom. No word either.
Concern turned to genuine worry — which was quickly turning to panic!
The groom had no idea what time it was. His anger at the situation and the lousy timing of this crazy mishap had come and gone. Sadness seeped into his very bones.
All he WANTED was to be married to his lovely fiancée, his best friend.
All he HAD was a big fat mess with no apparent solution.
He had never felt such ROCK BOTTOM helplessness before… and on the day when his life should have been on a mountain-top pinnacle.
The silence roared in his head. His ears were ringing with the stillness.
— and so the deep male voices above his head were not immediately comprehended. but the jerk of the floor and ensuing buzz couldn’t be missed.
He was about to be rescued!
Springing to his feet, he began to yell and pound and stomp like the crazy man he’d become.
The voices shouted something indistinguishable. And then the lights innocently blinked on and the gears engaged as the elevator continued its long-interrupted path to the ground floor.
It felt like a miracle, yet felt so ordinary as the doors opened revealing life rolling along merrily without him.
The huge bank of elevators had doors sliding open with blinking lit numbers and dinging doors effortlessly sliding open and shut — to a familiar, ordinary cadence.
— while one groom with a “deer in headlights” face caught a glimpse of the lobby’s decorative ginormous clock — 2:30 p.m.
The groom was blindsided by a side tackle — his best man — as he was good-naturedly man-handled/dragged to the parking lot. There was NO TIME for so much as a, “Hey where ya been?”
The group text was brief. “I found him. We’ll meet you at the church.”
No tux, no shower, and starving like a grizzly bear… how is this going to end? I may have some answers for you…
Here is Part I of the above story…
