tbeectedtionandmutuallysupporteachotheriosurviveandflourish.Inthesemoderntimeswhenreligionhadbeengraduallyslidingdownhillwitherodingchurchattendandmembership,Aisha’sbeliefandsupportwaslikeastrongdoseofstimutionandshewassideredohepilrsthatsupportedreligion.Itwasnowohattheoldpastorhadaexcellentimpressionofthisyoungaifulsanismandcordiallyinvitedherintohislivingroom.Aishawastedtotimearighttothepointofhervisitsayingfrankly,

    “ThereasonIamhereistoexpintoyouclearlywhysixteenyoungwomenwanttomarrythesameman.Thereseemstobesomemisuanding,soIhaveepersonallytoexpinitfullytoyou.Thereisagroupofus,allyoungwomenwhohavebeeverygoodfriends.Oneofus,Novel,haddecidedtomarryMr.O’Brianandcelebratetheirweddinginstyleatyourchurch.Thegroupofushadaandingfromtheverybeginningthatifanyoneofusgotmarried,itwasthesameasifallofusweregettingmarried,sotherestofus,sixteenyoungwomeninall,waorenewourvowsonthesamedaythatmarried.Allsixteenofuswillbewearingthesamestyleofbridalgowns,butonlyoneofus,inthiscaseme,willbestandingbeforethealtarastherepresentativeforallofusahevowswiththebridegroom.So,tobespecifilytwopeople,onemanandonewomanwillbestandingatthealtarbeforeyouandyouwouldbeofficiatingtheweddingforonlytwopersons…Somehowthingshavebeenmisuoodandhavebeeplicated,causingyoutorefusetoofficiate…”Aisha’swordswerereallyvagueandambiguousandfusedtheoldpastor.Whatdidshemeanby“ifanyoneofusgotmarried,itwasthesameasifallofusweregettingmarried?”andwhywasshetherepresentativeforall16oftheyoungwomen?ButoutofrespectforAishahewasnotwillingtodelvetoodeeplyintoit.Ratheritwasherpromiseof“onlyIwillbestandingbeforethealtar,speakingthevowswiththebridegroom”thatreallystruckhim.Acctothebible,Godmademantohisownimageandlikenessaookaribfromtheman’sbodyandmadewoman.Sotheoldpastorbelievedinamonogamousunion,thatmarriagewasoweenamanandawomanoqualmsaboutpresidihemarriagebetweenonemanandonewoman.Astotheotheryoungwomenwearingthesamebridalgownsasthebride,hesideredthattheirownpeculiarchoicewhichdidnothimasitdidnotgoagainsthisreligiousbelieforcivilmarriagews.

    “Oh,Isee…”saidtheoldpastor.“Isee…IfthatisthecaseIwillofficiateyourextraordinarywedding…”Aishagavealongsighofreliefthatshehadmaowalkcirclesarouortherebypersuadehimintoginghisminduntilhefinallydefinitelypromisedtopresideoverthewedding.ThenturningtoAisha,theoldpastorasked,

    “MayIknowthehebridegroom,m’am?”

    21

    “Thegroom…?”smiliantlyAishareplied.“I’mafraidhehashadaspedcheckeredlifesoIwillkeephisnamesecretforthetimebeing…Iwillletyouknowwheimees.ThereisareasonIamstraiodoso.Iamverysorryandhopeyouuand…”Thepastornoddedandsaidnomore.Themusicoftheweddingmarchpyedbytheanistreachedtheearsoftheoldpastoratthesametimeasasoftknohisdoorwasheard.Hisassistantaarycameintotheroomsaying,“It’stimeforthesedwedding,sir.Thepartieshavemostlyarrivedsoit’stimeforyoutogoandpresideoverthisinal,uniqueandromanticceremony.”Theoldpastordidnotnoticethedeeplypregnantsmileonthefaceofhisassistantatthesewords.Hestoodup,straightenedhisclothesandwalkedoutofthevestryintothefrontofthechurch

tbeectedtionandmutuallysupporteachotheriosurviveandflourish.Inthesemoderntimeswhenreligionhadbeengraduallyslidingdownhillwitherodingchurchattendandmembership,Aisha’sbeliefandsupportwaslikeastrongdoseofstimutionandshewassideredohepilrsthatsupportedreligion.Itwasnowohattheoldpastorhadaexcellentimpressionofthisyoungaifulsanismandcordiallyinvitedherintohislivingroom.Aishawastedtotimearighttothepointofhervisitsayingfrankly,

    “ThereasonIamhereistoexpintoyouclearlywhysixteenyoungwomenwanttomarrythesameman.Thereseemstobesomemisuanding,soIhaveepersonallytoexpinitfullytoyou.Thereisagroupofus,allyoungwomenwhohavebeeverygoodfriends.Oneofus,Novel,haddecidedtomarryMr.O’Brianandcelebratetheirweddinginstyleatyourchurch.Thegroupofushadaandingfromtheverybeginningthatifanyoneofusgotmarried,itwasthesameasifallofusweregettingmarried,sotherestofus,sixteenyoungwomeninall,waorenewourvowsonthesamedaythatmarried.Allsixteenofuswillbewearingthesamestyleofbridalgowns,butonlyoneofus,inthiscaseme,willbestandingbeforethealtarastherepresentativeforallofusahevowswiththebridegroom.So,tobespecifilytwopeople,onemanandonewomanwillbestandingatthealtarbeforeyouandyouwouldbeofficiatingtheweddingforonlytwopersons…Somehowthingshavebeenmisuoodandhavebeeplicated,causingyoutorefusetoofficiate…”Aisha’swordswerereallyvagueandambiguousandfusedtheoldpastor.Whatdidshemeanby“ifanyoneofusgotmarried,itwasthesameasifallofusweregettingmarried?”andwhywasshetherepresentativeforall16oftheyoungwomen?ButoutofrespectforAishahewasnotwillingtodelvetoodeeplyintoit.Ratheritwasherpromiseof“onlyIwillbestandingbeforethealtar,speakingthevowswiththebridegroom”thatreallystruckhim.Acctothebible,Godmademantohisownimageandlikenessaookaribfromtheman’sbodyandmadewoman.Sotheoldpastorbelievedinamonogamousunion,thatmarriagewasoweenamanandawomanoqualmsaboutpresidihemarriagebetweenonemanandonewoman.Astotheotheryoungwomenwearingthesamebridalgownsasthebride,hesideredthattheirownpeculiarchoicewhichdidnothimasitdidnotgoagainsthisreligiousbelieforcivilmarriagews.

    “Oh,Isee…”saidtheoldpastor.“Isee…IfthatisthecaseIwillofficiateyourextraordinarywedding…”Aishagavealongsighofreliefthatshehadmaowalkcirclesarouortherebypersuadehimintoginghisminduntilhefinallydefinitelypromisedtopresideoverthewedding.ThenturningtoAisha,theoldpastorasked,

    “MayIknowthehebridegroom,m’am?”

    21

    “Thegroom…?”smiliantlyAishareplied.“I’mafraidhehashadaspedcheckeredlifesoIwillkeephisnamesecretforthetimebeing…Iwillletyouknowwheimees.ThereisareasonIamstraiodoso.Iamverysorryandhopeyouuand…”Thepastornoddedandsaidnomore.Themusicoftheweddingmarchpyedbytheanistreachedtheearsoftheoldpastoratthesametimeasasoftknohisdoorwasheard.Hisassistantaarycameintotheroomsaying,“It’stimeforthesedwedding,sir.Thepartieshavemostlyarrivedsoit’stimeforyoutogoandpresideoverthisinal,uniqueandromanticceremony.”Theoldpastordidnotnoticethedeeplypregnantsmileonthefaceofhisassistantatthesewords.Hestoodup,straightenedhisclothesandwalkedoutofthevestryintothefrontofthechurch