Chapter 4

Originally Lanh wanted to get married on the front lawn using the house as a backdrop, but the number of RSVPs made that idea an impossibility, so they changed to the east side of the house using the small orchard as a backdrop which worked out beautifully because the trees were covered in white blossoms.

Their altar was a small gazebo on a stage backed with a rose trellis decorated with white silk roses, a small table containing the chalice and wine for the Catholic communion portion of the ceremony. It was flanked by apple trees in full bloom, and the sight was breathtaking for the guests as they found their way to their seats. The invitations were quite clear that this was going to be a “country” wedding; come dressed up, come dressed down. The only thing you need to bring is an appetite and a side dish, so the guests were not prepared for the beauty of the venue.

Guests filled the seats as a couple of guys from the swim team dressed in blue jeans and black t-shirts bearing the title “Usher” led the visitors and well-wishers to their seats, and finally Bao in a black tuxedo escorted Ralph and Sandy to their seats in the very front row. Rather than sitting, Sandy stepped up to the electric keyboard, made her settings, and set up her sheet music as Bao and Sydney took their place sitting next to Ralph. Sandy began playing various classical pieces as the guests took their seats.

As the appointed hour neared, Father Steinbach and Pastor Loomis walked up the aisle and took their place in the gazebo where they stood and looked welcoming.

When Sandy began playing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, Trung, in a black tuxedo, slowly escorted his mother in a turquoise áo dài with white trousers and slippers the length of the aisle to her seat. The non-Asian guests admired the simple, comfortable looking elegance of the knee length blouse and wide leg slacks that make up the traditional áo dài. After Trung returned to the farmhouse, Grandma Tri came slowly and carefully walking up the aisle wearing a matching turquoise áo dài, and she was being escorted by Grandpa Odie. They were followed by Grandma Hilde; she was being escorted by Grandpa Minh. They stopped in the front row and the old veteran shook the sweet old woman’s hand. She gestured to him to lean over and when he did; she kissed his cheek, then whispered something in his ear, eliciting a smile from him. Grandma Hilde received a kiss from Grandpa Minh, then she and Grandma Tri exchanged kisses, then all four sat down on their sides of the aisle.

Pastor Loomis and Father Steinbach stepped up to their microphones as Sandy finished the piece. “Thank you everyone,” said Pastor Loomis, to start the ceremony. “Many of you know the grandfather of the groom, United States Army Staff Sergeant Lars Odegaard. Grandpa Odie tells me that he did three tours of duty in Vietnam and that he volunteered for all three.” He paused for loud applause from the guests.

Then Father Steinbach continued, “The beautiful lady he escorted to her seat is Tri Pham, maternal grandmother of the bride, she did only one tour in Vietnam, and it lasted twenty years. Back in nineteen seventy-four the congregation of her church saw the writing on the wall. Knowing that if there was a communist takeover their lives would be in jeopardy, so they pooled their resources and emigrated here to America, to safety. Without the courage of Tri who made the crossing with her young daughter Mai the mother of the bride, and Minh who made the crossing with his son Duong, the father of the bride ... well, we wouldn’t be here today, celebrating in joy downwind from that delicious smelling barbeque.”

Again, there was more joyful applause.

“For you wedding buffs, we have to warn you, this is going to be an untraditional ceremony but at the same time it is based on the traditions of two nationalities, two races, and two religions,” said Pastor Loomis, “and two souls that felt rejected by society. They found each other in the nick of time, and the love that blossomed is what we’re here to celebrate.”

“So, if an untraditional wedding isn’t your thing, it’s ok if you want to head over to the barbeque now,” said Father Steinbach, “we’ll catch up with you in a few minutes. But the rest of us will stay here and share the love of these two utterly amazing young people.”

In the Bunkhouse, now known as Lanh’s apartment, the three Nguyen sisters watched the crowd grow as they sipped wine and munched on petit fours. Two of the three did. Lanh was too nervous and excited to indulge. Lanh was expecting maybe 20 people at the most. Now Tam estimated five times that number was out there and the valets from the swim team were setting up more chairs for the late arriving guests. “We are going to need a bigger pig,” said Tam.

“Grandma Tri is here,” whispered Kim-ly. “Grumpy Odie is escorting her up the aisle!” she said, using Don’s nickname for Grandpa Odie. “And look! Grandpa Minh is escorting Hilde!”

“Who woulda thunk it?” said Tam. “I just hope YOUR brother put Jake in an aisle seat.”

“That ain’t my brother, that’s YOUR brother,” said Kim-ly as Lanh stood with her back to the window and nervously drank the half glass of wine her mother left behind. “Grandma Tri just kissed Grumpy Odie! ... Hilde just kissed Grandpa Minh!” gasped Kim-ly.

Now Lanh felt a panic rising, possibly bringing a scream with it. Grandma Tri was a sweet old lady, but she didn’t trust anyone that’s not family, and now she’s kissing someone she never met? A WHITE person? The world has gone crazy! “We should have eloped for my eighteenth birthday,” groaned Lanh as she looked in vain for another glass of wine. “This should have been my baby shower.”

“Come on,” said Tam when she saw Don, Craig, Huy, and Trung walk up to the stage. This was their cue to get ready. She urged her sisters and Rosa to go to the back door, where the photographer and Duong waited for them.

Don looked at the orchard full of people and noticed that one wasn’t in her expected place. “Where’s Cindy?” he whispered to Craig.

“I asked her to make nice with Lanh because her attitude was scaring her. She refused, so I told her to take a hike,” Craig replied.

“What about the recessional?” asked Don, fighting back a panic.

“Got it covered buddy,” said Craig with a wink to Lanh’s friend and singer Sydney McCloskey. Sydney smiled and surreptitiously waggled her fingers in a wave back.

“That’s awesome pal,” grinned Don. He chuckled. Craig was never short of girlfriends, then Don realized - he was getting ready to marry his very first girlfriend. Is this stupid or first time lucky?

Don, Craig, Huy, and Trung were dressed in simple yet elegant tuxedos. The same style is also currently being worn by Bao, Duong, and Ralph. The stylish yet timeless cut of the tuxedos gave them a suave look of James Bond handsomeness. They turned to each other and shook hands, Craig, Trung, and Huy encouraging Don with a slap on the back, then they turned to face the farmhouse and the room divider that the girls were hiding behind.

Behind the divider, the photographer’s assistant Kimberly and Duong helped make sure Rosa and the nervous sisters had their flowers and were lined up in order. Dressed in flowing pastel colored áo dàis and their matching khăn vấns, which were a turban worn back on the head and looked like an angel’s halo. Rosa, Kim-ly and Tam were huddled around Lanh in her white with gold embroidered flowers and dragons, áo dài with white khăn vấn. The khăn vấn made Lanh look like a tiny angel, and not far away, two invisible figures gasped when they saw her wedding outfit. “And she calls us angels!” gasped the taller one.

Before Lanh was ready, it was time. Sandy started playing the Prince of Denmark’s March, her organ sounding for all the world like a brass quartet. The girls lined up behind the divider to hide them from the view of the crowd, and instead of stepping out as practiced, Rosa whirled and gave Lanh a hug. “I love you coach!” Then she turned around and stepped out and headed up the aisle.

Now it was Kim-ly’s turn, but she, too, paused. She took a deep breath and hugged Lanh. “I know I teased you our whole lives, but it’s because I didn’t have the courage to tell you how much I love you,” she said, her eyes sparkling with tears. “You and Don are so perfect together, and I’m so jealous of your love.” She suddenly gave Lanh a kiss, then turned and headed out from behind the screen.

“She’s going to make me ruin my makeup,” said Lanh, fighting back the tears.

“You never answered my question last night,” said Tam as she took Lanh’s glasses and handed them to her father, then dabbed the tears from Lanh’s eyes. “Will you be my maid of honor?”

“Yes, of course,” Lanh was shocked that Tam thought she had to ask. “It should be you and Jake out there today, not me. You raised me; you are my momá, you should be first.”

“No baby, Jake and I love each other, but you and Don, you are made perfectly for each other. You are both halves of one beautiful whole, it’s so much more than love, and it would be criminal to keep you two apart one second longer than necessary.”

Now both the girls were tearing up, and it was their dad, Duong, who was dabbing their eyes. “Ok, honey, go,” he said, patting Tam’s bottom. “You’re late.”

“I can blame it on Kim-ly,” she said, and with a kiss to Lanh, she departed.

And now it was just Tam and Duong behind the divider. “I’m sorry I put you through so much hell daddy,” sniffed Lanh now that they were alone.

“Baby no, Bao and Kim-ly put us through hell, it was because of them that Tam had to help raise you.”

“No. I mean Don and I...”

“It wasn’t hell, it was a joy watching you two so much in love, it made us feel young again,” said Duong as he straightened her white khăn vấn. We wished we had more daughters.”

“Really?” asked Lanh as Sandy played the opening chords of the Bridal March.

“Well, no, I was kidding about that last part, you three are enough. But watching you and Don has been wonderful.” He led her around the divider and the guests rose as the little Asian woman, who was a girl only moments ago, walked toward her waiting man. “We love you two so much,” continued Duong, “and we can’t wait to see where your love will take you.”

“Daddy...” sniffed Lanh, and then looking up to see Don, she realized she wasn’t wearing her glasses! She took them off when Tam wiped her eyes. She could barely see anything. Most importantly, she couldn’t see Don! “I have to go back; I lost my glasses.” She stopped and was about to head back to the house, but Duong held her hand.

“Let me be your daddy one more time,” he said and took her glasses out of his pocket and put them on her radiant face to the sound of a collective “Awwww” from the guests. “Now let’s go get you married.” Lanh looked up and there was Don! Her face broke into a huge, joyful smile, and she almost broke into a trot. Her heart screamed at her to “throw the bouquet, grab him, and go!” but her dad held her tight and led her slowly up the aisle.

Lanh and Don’s eyes remained locked on each other with every step up the aisle. The agonizing hours of separation were over, and no one could ever separate them again.

The guest’s reaction to her choice of wedding dress was interesting, to say the least. The Phams and the Nguyens saw the traditional áo dài and khăn vấn, but the color was all wrong. It should be bright red. The Odegaards and the Campbells saw the traditional color, but the dress was all wrong. She’s wearing a long shirt and pants. It should be a flowing gown. But to Don she looked perfect, a beautiful porcelain angel, almost too beautiful to touch. His mouth went dry, and a lump caught in his throat as he realized she was coming to him to be at his side for the rest of their lives.