The wedding

     OVERTURE

     The Wedding March by Mendelsohn was filling the air in the cathedral, spiraling among the old wooden pews and suggesting a colour tide of headdresses and hats which moved in excitement in view of the impressive image of the bride. She advanced slowly, taking the arm of her proud best man. In the meanwhile, an impatient, broad shouldered groom was waiting for her, inexplicably with his back turned. The bride's dress long train was trailing along the aisle old marble tiles.

     It was a high society wedding day. The aristocratic father was going along the central nave leading her daughter to the high altar. The altar piece was extremely beautiful, profusely decorated by ornate detail. Suspended from the dome, several pouncing angels complemented a magnificent baroque sorrow Christ who presided the holly place.

     Suddenly, the groom turned over, smiling at his fiancée in ecstasy. Then, my head became a closed, hermetic auditorium where the only prevailing sound was the echo of the Mendelsohn's Wedding March. My brain hurt, my soul broke, my heart ripped in a total confusion, a puffy cloud of meaningless questions, a huge maze of mysteries.

     About to collapse, I clutched my mother's hand. Stunned, she could not understand that incongrous situation. My nostrils were filled with the sickly-sweet scent of white lilies and incense. I started to whisper..."That can't be!" "That's impossible!".

     The priest was preaching on the Proverbs 31:10 " A wife of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies", he said. A lady in front of me was wearing a pair of valuable red rubies earrings. "Proverbs 31:10, Proverbs 31:10", I whispered untiringly.

     My mother was perceiving my trembling but could not understand what was happening.

INTERMEZZO

     Two weeks before, at the end of April, I had been talking to my fiancé. Overwhelmed by our future wedding, I felt anxious about my wedding dress.

" At the beginning of May there will be a fabulous fairytale wedding in the cathedral. Why don't you go and inspire yourself on her gown? As there will be thousands of guests nobody will notice that you are not one of them", suggested my future husband.

FINALE

     Pachebel's Canon in D had been the melody chosen to accompany the couple after the ceremony. Slowly, they were covering, arm in arm, the distance that separated them from the way out. No sooner had the groom stepped close to me, than I took off one of my stiletto heel shoes and struck him wildly on the head.

     Inert, he still had time to glance at me, startled by my mad gaze, and while his empty look vanished, he collapsed in a heap.