Ben and Dorcas had been living together for just over a month and he
found it difficult to remember the time he lived alone.
It had been a bit
of whirlwind romance and in
just a few short months Bens cozy little life had been completely turned upside
down.
From the moment Dorcas breezed into his
life on a bright June day when she almost sent him into the afterlife from
behind the wheel of her car.so they met in June, he proposed in August and they
officially moved in together in November, although they were together virtually
all the time from the moment of the proposal.
It was the most wonderful thing that had
ever happened to him and she changed his life in a heartbeat.
The only blot on the landscape for them was “The Wedding” and that didn’t
mean in any way shape or form that he didn’t want to get married to her, he
did, very much so, and she felt exactly the same way, it was just the subject
of “The Wedding” that was getting them down.
It had become all consuming, they thought they had been quite canny,
leaving it in the hands of their parents but they were driving them mad.
And the wedding had taken on a life of its own, and it was not a life
form that they recognized or wished to embrace.
They were constantly being pressed for a date and being told that the
plans couldn’t proceed any further without knowing the date.
They had thought that once they got into December their focus would shift
from the wedding to Christmas but no it seemed to get worse if anything and it
was only the 1st day of the month.
They were both sitting in the lounge at the cottage having both come off the
phone with their respective parents engulfed in gloom.
After about ten minutes Ben had a light bulb moment and he said
“Why don’t we get away?”
“Get away?” Dorcas replied
“Yes, let’s get away for a week and escape the harassment”
Get away?” Dorcas repeated
“We’ll be back in time for Christmas” he continued “but until then we can
avoid all the talk of wedding plans”
Dorcas just sat looking thoughtful so he pressed on
“We’ve both got holiday to use up and we could do some Christmas shopping
while we’re away”
She said nothing for a full minute and then suddenly she excitedly said
“Let’s go on line and see what’s available”
He switched on the laptop and she sat next to him as he opened the
browser
“Do you want sun?” he asked
“No I’m not fussed about the sun” she said
“Ok, do you want activity?”
“Nah”
“America?”
“No, to America and nowhere that’s more than two hours flying time” she
said decisively
“So Europe then” he said
“I think so”
“So how about Natural beauty?” he asked
“Nah”
“Well present company accepted” Ben added and kissed her
“You’re so sweet” She said and kissed him back
“Historic?” he asked
“Hmm” she responded thoughtfully
“Romantic?”
“Definitely” she replied
“City break then”
“Oh yes a city break” she said excitedly “but it must be a city I’ve not
been to before”
“How about….” he pondered he knew she had been to the usual places,
Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels etc. so he cast his net a bit further.
“Berlin” he suggested
They had decided on a city break somewhere in Europe.
“How about….” he pondered he knew she had been to the usual places,
Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels etc. so he cast his net a bit further.
“Berlin” he suggested
“Berlin?” she repeated “Oooh I haven’t been there”
“It has history, romance and a Christmas market to boot” he added
“Oooh a Christmas market” she said enthusiastically
“Ok then Berlin it is” Ben said
“Let’s find somewhere to stay” Dorcas added
An hour later they had a 10 night booking at the Regent Hotel and flights
booked for the following Thursday, St Nicholas Day, the 6th
December.
And a return flight on the 16th, which would give them a full
week to do all the last minute stuff and enjoy the run in to their first
Christmas together.
So on the Monday morning they put in their holiday forms to their respective
employers and the wheels were set in motion.
They did however have a minor panic when Dorcas couldn’t find her
passport.
She thought she had it last when she lived in Finchbottom but after an
extensive search of the cottage and her unpacked boxes proved fruitless the
realization that it must be at her parents’ house dawned on them.
The simple thing would have been to ask her mum but that would have
alerted her to their plans and would have led to increased wedding questioning
that would have to be answered before they departed and they didn’t plan on
telling anyone they were going away until the last minute.
Dorcas had to leave it until Wednesday afternoon, when she knew her mum
would be at the Women’s Institute, when she could sneak into the house and
search unmolested.
It was cutting it very fine as they were due to leave the next day, but
all the sneaky subterfuge and stealth paid off and she phoned him from the
house to say she had it.
That evening they asked John and Carole from next door to pop in and feed
Pandora while they were away and then they were all set.
At that stage they were the only two, outside of work colleagues, that
knew they were going away.
So they were feeling very pleased with themselves when they reached the
airport on Thursday morning and they had shown the family a clean pair of
heels.
However once they got through passport control they phoned Helen to let
her know what they were doing.
“Good for you” she said “I wouldn’t blame you if you got married while
you’re away, Have a great time”
They flew into Tegel Airport just after 11.00am and arrived at the Hotel
Regent about an hour and a half later and they were not disappointed by their
choice, it was absolutely beautiful and very luxurious.
They had a beautiful room and from the main window there was a wonderful
view of the imposing dome of, what they found out later was the French
Cathedral.
Ben and Dorcas were so very pleased with their lovely room that they
didn’t leave it all afternoon.
In fact they only left it in order to go and eat and then they went back
to the room and had an early night.
On Friday the weather was very English and it
bucketed down with rain so they decided to make use of the Hotel facilities for
the day and they began their holiday proper on Saturday morning after an early
breakfast and they crammed in a lot on their first day out and about.
They took full advantage of the unseasonably mild weather and did the
Brandenburg Gate, the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and the Glienicke Bridge in the
morning and the Christmas Market at Charlottenburg Palace after lunch and into
the evening.
When they woke up on Sunday morning they were exhausted after packing so
much into their day, so they decided that they should perhaps have a more
relaxing day beginning with breakfast to be followed by Church.
After speaking to the waiter the pair took his advice and got a taxi to
the Kaiser
Wilhelm Memorial
Church on the Kurfürstendamm.
And when the
driver turned onto the very broad, long boulevard full of shops, houses, hotels
and restaurants he said proudly
“This is the
Champs-Élysées of Berlin”
“Oh
look” Dorcas said excitedly as they pulled up outside the beautiful blue church
“they have a Christmas market here too”
As
Ben handed the driver his money he said
“They
have Christmas markets everywhere”
“Oh
goody” she responded and he laughed
The
service was lovely and the new part of the Church with the blue glass was
spectacular with the winter sun shining through.
Afterwards
they ate lunch of Frickadellen with fries and mayo from a “Schnellie” at the
roadside.
Ben
and Dorcas went to Wannsee After lunch and walked around the lakes in the
sunshine enjoying the scenery until the evening fell and so did the
temperature.
From Monday onwards there was very little sun to
speak of and it was bitterly cold but they really didn’t mind as for the rest
of the week they got to spend lots of time hugging.
But it was an
action packed few days, they shopped at Potsdamer Platz, spent
hours at Museums Island, had lunch at the rotating restaurant
at the TV tower on Alexanderplatz, climbed the victory column
in the Tiergarten, visited the Berlin Zoo, went Christmas shopping at the big
department store, KaDeWe, and a attended a liberal sprinkling of Christmas
markets, in fact you name it and
they
did it.
It
was when they were at the Gendarmenmarkt Christmas Market that life got very interesting.
It
was an incredibly cold afternoon and they had both over indulged on Gluwein
when her phone rang.
Dorcas
looked at the phone and pulled a face, it was not the first call that week to
have caused that reaction.
“My
mum just doesn’t give up” she said and rejected the call.
“I suppose that’s the price we have to pay” Ben said “if we want to get
married and have the big wedding”
“But I don’t want to” she retorted
“You don’t want to get married?” he asked with alarm
“Of course I want to marry you hon” she said reassuringly
“But I don’t want a big wedding” Dorcas said
“I just want me and you” and then she kissed him
“Let’s do it then” he suggested “let’s do it today, right now”
“What about the family?” she mused “Oooh my Mum will be so mad”
“And mine” he said “But what are they going to do? Ground us?”
Dorcas looked thoughtful as she drank another Gluwein
“And we can have a blessing at St Lucy’s later for family and friends” he
added
“Ok let’s do it” Dorcas said and hugged him tightly
“Are you sure?” Ben asked
“Well I’m sure that I love you,” she said in reply “and I’m sure that you
love me, so yes I’m sure”
Having
made the decision to usurp their parents and have a quiet wedding of their own,
on their own terms, the first thing the next morning they went to the British embassy
to get the relevant forms required to marry in Germany, which was surprisingly
easy.
After
they left the embassy they went to a variety of bureaucratic offices and queued
up to sit in front of a variety of bureaucrats until in true German style every
forms had all the relative stamps and seals.
However
when they went to the registry office they came up against a brick wall.
“You
must wait for 6 weeks” the registrar said
“But
we’ll be back in England in six weeks” he retorted
“I’m
sorry” he said “but it’s the rule”
“but
we’ve spent most of the day queuing in dreary offices getting seemingly endless forms endorsed with
many and varied stamps and seals and none of the faceless bureaucrats once
mentioned a six week rule” Dorcas stated angrily
“I
really am sorry” he repeated “but I can’t help you”
Dorcas
was about to go again but Ben intervened
“Thank
you anyway” he said and guided an unhappy Dorcas towards the door
“However”
the registrar called “I know someone who could possible help”
“Oh?”
Dorcas exclaimed
“It
would be conditional” he continued
“On
what” Ben asked
“On
you being Christians” he replied
Claus,
the registrar, directed them to St Georges Anglican Episcopal Church in Westend
and they were soon in a cab driving along Bismarkstrasse through Charlottenburg
in the direction of Spandau.
It
was a very pretty little church, modern looking with a high sloping tiled roof,
but very pretty.
After
exiting the cab Ben and Dorcas looked at each other and both nodded their
approval simultaneously and walked up the path to the doors.
Claus,
had phoned ahead and made them an appointment with Pastor James Morgan, who
turned out to be a very jovial Welshman not at all dissimilar to the late great
Harry Seacombe.
“Welcome,
welcome” he said when they walked through the doors,
“You
must be Ben and Dorcas?”
If they
were impressed with the outside of the church then they were doubly so with the
interior.
It
was light and modern but in a traditional way and was as far removed from St Lucy’s
in Bushy Down as it was possible to get.
After
the introductions were made they sat in the pews and the Pastor said
“Well
I’m not sure I can be of any more help than Claus was, it’s just a bit short
notice”
Despite
Pastor Morgan informing them that he couldn’t help Ben and Dorcas went on to
explain why they had come to the decision that they had and the pressures of
the big family wedding that had built and built and finally led them to take
the course of action they were proposing.
“We
haven’t made our decision lightly”
Dorcas
said
“Oh
I’m not questioning your motives” he said “but it’s just not something we do, its
Thursday now and I understand you’re going home on Sunday, it’s just such
terribly short notice”
Dorcas
and Ben were both crestfallen.
“Come
on both of you let’s have a coffee” he said
They
were sitting in quietly in his office drinking a very decent coffee when he
asked
“Where
is home anyway?”
“We
live in Bushy Down, it’s a small…..” I began
“Oh
I know Bushy Down” the pastor said with delight “and St Lucy’s”
“Really?”
he said “I normally have to explain where it’s near”
“I’ve
been there many times, the Reverend Oliver was my Verger for five years before
she got St Lucy’s” he said “we remained friends until the end”
“She
was well loved” He said “and very much missed”
Katie
Oliver had passed away earlier that year after a short illness.
“So
sad” he said with melancholy
“She
was such a lovely person, I was in the Village for the funeral” He paused in
order to gather himself
“Listen
why don’t you both stay and have dinner with me and my wife Clair? She’s from Finchbottom
by the way” he said his joviality fully restored
“So
am I” Dorcas chipped in
“Excellent”
he said “you’ll have lots to talk about then, let’s go and surprise her”
They
had a marvelous evening with the Morgan’s, good company, excellent food and a
liberal amount of alcohol thrown in for good measure the pair of them were fair
steaming by the time they got in the taxi to go back to the hotel.
But
amidst the friendly banter, reminiscence and over indulgence Pastor Morgan
agreed to marry them on Saturday morning.
When
they woke up the next morning cuddled up cozily together the realization of
what they had done suddenly dawned on them as they lay comfortably beneath the
duvet.
“We’re
really doing it aren’t we?” Dorcas said as she hugged him
“Yes
I think we are” he replied
“Cool”
she said
After
a few minutes she suddenly went rigid.
“What
about witnesses?” she said with real alarm in her voice “or a bridesmaid?”
“Well…..”
Ben began but she was already making a call and heading for the bathroom.
“Helen!”
she said
After
half an hour sitting in the bathroom with the door shut talking to Helen,
Dorcas emerged and was much calmer.
“Helen
was a great help” she said “I feel much better now, but we need to go shopping”
So he
took her to the Europa Centre where he sat watching the Water Clock as he drank
a pint of Guinness outside the Irish Pub.
Ben
watched the glass bowls empty over and over again while she was buying a dress for
the wedding which he wasn’t allowed to see and then she chose a suit for him
which he wasn’t allowed an opinion on.
On
Saturday morning they were up early and got downstairs for breakfast as soon as
they started serving and all the time they were there breakfasting Dorcas kept
fidgeting and looking at her watch or fiddling with her phone and she hardly
ate a thing in fact Ben ate most of hers as well.
He
assumed that it was just pre wedding nerves so he didn’t say anything and just
enjoyed the extra helping.
They
had been in the breakfast room for about an hour and he had just poured himself
another coffee when all of a sudden Dorcas leapt up and said
“Come
along, things to do”
“What?”
Ben replied “I haven’t finished my coffee”
“No
time for that” she insisted “Let’s go”
Well,
a lesser man may have thought that if that was a sample of what was to come he might
have been making a mistake, but not him, he just attributed her demeanor and
tone to the same nerves that provided him with two breakfasts so he trotted out
after the beautiful and excitable little minx.
When
he caught up with her in the reception he was just about to make himself
comfortable on a luxurious sofa when his sister Helen and his best friend Gary
came bustling through the front doors.
Dorcas
squealed and ran to embrace Helen.
“Thank
you, thank you, thank you”
She
screamed as she kissed and hugged Ben’s sister
In
the meantime he went over to Gary and asked
“What
are you doing here? How did you….”
Then
it dawned on me, the previous day’s long conversation in the bathroom between
Dorcas and Helen when they had obviously hatched this plan.
“We
couldn’t miss it mate” Gary said accompanied by a man hug
“I
even suffered the budget air redeye just to be here”
And
much to his chagrin he would be returning that night by the same mode.
With
all the squealing and giggling from Dorcas and Helen the group had attracted
the attention of Christophe, the hotel manager, who they had come to know quite
well over the previous week.
Ben caught
his eye and he had that look on his face that all Hotel Managers wear when
something has occurred that they was not expecting.
So he
spent the next five minutes explaining the circumstances of how they came to be
in his reception and causing a commotion.
“You
are getting married today?” he asked and vigorously shook his hand and then
kissed Dorcas on both cheeks
“That
is wonderful news”
Then
he repeated the process with Helen and Gary, he couldn’t have been happier if they
had been his own kith and kin.
Ben
went on to explain that his sister and his best friend had only flown in that
morning and would be returning to England that evening.
“Ach
so” he exclaimed and raised a finger “Ein moment” and went over to the desk.
After
a few moments converse with the receptionist he returned to him brandishing a
key card.
“The
groom must not see the bride before the Church, I think” he stated “So the
gentlemen may use this room as a dressing room”
“Thank
you so much Christophe” Dorcas said and kissed his cheek like he was a kindly
uncle.
Gary
and Ben left the hotel at 11.30am in one of the two cabs Christophe had secured
on their behalf and made their way to St Georges Church in Westend.
When
they walked in to the Church it was as he expected, largely empty.
Pastor
Morgan and his wife Clair were standing by the altar, and there was an elderly
man, who he presumed was the organist as he was seated at the organ, other than
that there was only Gary and the groom.
Ben
stopped suddenly and said
“Rings?
I haven’t got any rings”
“Don’t
panic” Gary said “I’ve got them, Helen picked them up from your house last
night”
He
relaxed again and then they continued up to the altar where James and Clair welcomed
them and then a tall gangly young man then came to join them
“Ah
Sebastian” The pastor said “come and meet the groom and best man”
Then
he turned to Ben and said accompanied by an inclination of the head
“Sebastian
is going to video the service so you have something to show your parents”
By
the time the organ started playing the bridal march a small congregation had
assembled and he recognized a handful of familiar faces among them as being
from the Hotel, one of them was the Hotel manager Christophe, even the
registrar Claus was there.
But his
eyes were quickly drawn to his bride to be, Dorcas, and she looked absolutely
stunning.
The
ceremony itself seemed to pass by in an instant but at the moment they said I
do, they both felt complete.
After
the wedding breakfast in the Hotel restaurant Helen and Gary had to leave for
the airport which despite the fact they would be home the next day was a
tearful farewell.
The
newlyweds returned to the bar for another drink before they decided to retire
and when they reached the reception desk Christophe was there waiting for them
and said
“Mr.
and Mrs. Overton, please accept with our compliments an upgrade to one of our deluxe
suites for your wedding night, I have already taken the liberty of having your personal
belongings transferred from your old room” and handed him a key card
“Oh
wow” Dorcas said and planted another kiss on the cheek of the “kindly uncle” before
they went upstairs to consummate their union in a luxury suite.
He
awoke first in the pale winter light of dawn with Dorcas cuddled into him with
her head on his chest.
And
when she eventually stirred he said
“Good
morning Mrs. Overton”
“Oh
I like how that sounds” she said and kissed his chest
“It doesn’t sound as classy as Fox-Martin” he suggested
“No” she agreed “but I like it a lot”
“I love you Dorcas” he said
“I love you too” she replied and they made love in the half light.
Later they reluctantly had to leave their luxurious suite and the comfort
of their duvet and begin their journey home as Mr. and Mrs. Overton and break
the news to their respective parents that there will be other things for them to
talk about for the foreseeable future.
It was all going to make for a very interesting Christmas dinner at his mums but the two of them definitely thought it was worth it though.
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