Theoldpastorthoughtbacktothedaywhenhewasfinaliziailsoftheweddingceremonywiththeitteechairmanresponsiblefrandproject.Whehinghadbeeledtoboththeirsatisfaaracthadbeensighechairmaionedcasually,
“Bytheway,sir,afterthisgrandweddingisover,anothermuchsmallerscaleoneisscheduledtotakepcehereatthesamechurch.Sinceyouarealreadyhere,wouldyoupleaseofficiatethisooo?”
“Really?Asmallerscalewedding?”saidtheoldpastorwhosecuriosityhadbeenaroused.“Whatkindofceremonyisthat?Couldyoubemorespecific?”
“BysmallerscaleweddingImeanoherewon’tbeasmas.Ithinkonlyowowereihoughthescaleissmall,theweddingitselfisuniqueandreallyquiteoutoftheordinary.Ibetyouitisoneyouhaveneverbeforetakenpartinduringyourentirelife…”
“Really?ThemoreyousaythemorefusedIbee.Couldyoubemoreexplicitaboutit?”
“Well,thefactofthematteris,hebridewhosemarriageptalkedaboutandsighetractfor.Shehassomeintimategirlfriends,sixteenoftheminfact,whohasdecidedtoallmarrythesameman.Isn’tthatthemostbizarrethingyouhaveeverheardof?Ithinkitisaweddingyouhaveneverofficiatedinyourlifebefore…”Beforeheevenfinishedspeaking,theoldpastoradamantlyrefusedhisrequest,asitwenttotallyagainsthisbelief.Hisreligionbelievedinmonogamyandofficiatingataweddingofsixteenyoungwomenmarryingonemanwouldbedoningpolygamy!Alsopolygamywasagainstthewandbytakingpartintheceremonyhewouldbeeanaccessoryofthecrime.Itcertainlywasnotsomethiedanypartin.Theitteechairmanwasmuchaffrohissnubaabruptly.
Theoldpastorthoughtthatthiswastheendofthematterandhewouldnotbeapproachedaboutitagain.Butearlythem,abeautiful,elegantandcssylookingdycameknogathisdoor.Hedidn’thavethehearttorefuseherentry,soheledherintohissmalllivingroom.ThedygavehimhercallingcardaakenabacktoseethenameofAishaG.Jeffersononit.Itwasaveryfamousnameinacademiathathehadheardalotabout,especiallyectedtohumanism.Thoughnotfamiliarwithherfieldofexpertise,hekhatAishahadalwaysbeenveryvocalstressingpubliclytheyioninsocietyandhadoftenproposedmeasuresforitsrevitalization.Thereasonshedidsowassimple.ShehadoftenheardDimitrisaythat“onlythepowerioncouldsavethedegradationofhumanity,whichwasfastgoingdownthedrain.”SoAishapropouhebeliefthatthereasonhumancivilizationwasabletodevelopsoswiftlyiwasonlybecauseitwasrootedinreligion.Onieditssupport,itwasasifapnthadbeenuprootedanddehenutritioninthesoil,causingittowitheranddie.Humancivilizationmustbeectedtionandmutuallysupporteachotheriosurviveandflourish.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?”
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