Now, the gaze of the chubby, grey-headed priest conducting the wedding ceremony fell upon the congregation. For a short while, he gave us a rather stern look before he asked the one-million-dollar question typical of a church wedding,
”Is there anyone here who doesn’t want this holy matrimony to take place between these two?” the priest coughed softly into the microphone, the floating tune from the piano in the background filling the air. “If there is any such person, let him speak now or forever remain silent.”
At once, a blanket of silence fell upon the hall, eyes and heads turning from pews to pews. Everyone was interested in seeing the idiot whose testimony would halt the progress of the wedding ceremony.
I wanted to raise my hands but I couldn’t. I wanted to walk up to the pulpit, to grab a microphone from the grizzled preacher but I couldn’t. I didn’t have the courage to tell the congregation that the bridegroom was the father of my triplets, that I have the DNA results.
“Therefore did I pronounce you man and woman,” the priest smiled at the couple before him, his lips sagging slightly. “You may now kiss the bride.”
Well, Joe could indeed kiss the bride for as long as he deemed fit. However, one thing was very clear, that I was not ready to forever remain silent.