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Marriage in the Big Easy Started by: Evza on Apr 04, '09 09:47
OOC: I almost want to apologize for how monstrously long this is going to be (came out to six and a half pages in Word), but I won't. I had so much fun writing it and editing Sal's parts that I am simply going to hope that it's interesting enough for you to read the whole way through. Enjoy!



Evza stared at the ashtray on her dresser, silently counting the cigarette butts--thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four...Good God, have I really gone through more than half a case just today? Flicking open her silver cigarette case, she looked into its velvet-lined emptiness, now remembering how she had dumped out an equally full ashtray just before bed. She sighed and glanced around at the fluttering and bickering women filling her bedroom--cousins pulling on bridesmaid gowns and throwing banter at one another, aunts whispering about Evza's highly unorthodox calf-length wedding dress (silver with navy embroidering, no less!), and even little Mary Ann practicing how to throw the flower petals. Ev mused on how much like a strange pendulum the girl seemed as she made motions in front of the tall oval mirror, her freckled arms methodically swinging out, the clenched fist relaxing to release a trickle of imaginary petals, then dipping back into the empty basket before repeating the motion.


"Now--" A block of deep blue slid in front of Evza's eyes, causing her to look up with a small start. There stood Mary Ann's older sister, Brigid, her hands tying the ribbon behind her back into a probably perfect bow as her bluish eyes flickered over Evza's appearance. "You've put the penny in your slipper, you've got blue all over the place, your Aunt Sarai has lent you her pearl earrings, your dress is new (in a number of ways)--" For a moment, Brigid looked uneasy, glancing at the door before continuing."--And your grandmother Zipporah is bringing the something old, right?"


"I hope so. I've got some vintage wine to swallow if she doesn't." Ev gave her cousin a quick grin before reaching into a drawer and pulling out a cigar. It would be great if dear old Grandmother came in now, she thought as she slid the cigar between her lips, lighting it deftly with a match and puffing on it. The cloud of tobacco smoke that had been veiling her face all morning now seemed to darken as the cigar's pungent fumes curled upward, intertwining with the toxic air around her. "Joseph, Mary, and Jesus!" Brigid coughed for a moment as she inhaled the smoke. She quickly moved away to help her fellow bridesmaid Hanna tie the ribbon on her dress.


Ah, yes. Dear old Grandmother, making faithful visits to her youngest daughter's little shotgun house in Bywater every Friday, carefully making sure to complain each time about how close to Sabbath her (newly Catholic) daughter kept her there. She ignored, of course, that her own snide comments made Kezia want to shove her out the door five minutes after her arrival. The frequency of the visits had waned, though, as the grandchildren grew older and moved out. After consumption had finally ravaged her daughter's body into a coffin, Grandmother occasionally dropped by to visit--but Evza hadn't seen the matriarch since she had taken over the dance hall below her apartment.


As she flicked some ashes into the overflowing ceramic dish, Evza slid into the only unoccupied chair in front of the dresser. She fixed up her reflection a bit: patting down the copper-colored ringlets on her head, brushing on a little more makeup, straightening the front of her dress. She stared at herself for a minute afterward--God, I look tired. I guess it's just been the wedding preparations. Her eyes glanced now and again at the peoples' reflections running to and fro in the mirror. The older women looked tired, too, after so many years of raising husbands and children. Her younger cousins still looked fresh--probably fresher than Ev had ever been. She took a deep drag on the cigar, watching them laugh and fix one anothers' hairpieces, chatting about their own wedding days with long, flowing gowns, pews filled to bursting with approving family--everybody celebrating a marriage to a respectable man who could "take care of her".


There was a low, steady rumble of mens' voices outside the door--a mixture of her father, uncles, and a few older male cousins, all enjoying Evza's hospitable brandy while discussing, from what she could tell, the worrying news of Germany's growing stock of arms. Suddenly, there was a hush among them, followed by a knocking on the door that transformed the female chatter into a flurry of shushing, followed by a silence. Brigid finally broke it by calling out "Who is it?"


A thin voice filled with dignity replied: "It's Evza's grandmother!" Half of the women immediately rushed toward the door, hands clamoring to be the first to open it. When the door was finally opened and cleared, it revealed an apparently ancient woman leaning on a cane and peering into the room with darting, intelligent brown eyes. Under her arm, resting against the stiff black fabric of her dress was a box covered in once-bright drawings of poesies and primroses. Her eyes soon found Evza's, prompting the young woman to rise to her feet with a taut smile. Zipporah returned the smile with her usual dissappointed grimace before shuffling forward. After the door closed, the various women and girls silently and unconsciously formed a loose circle around the bride and the widow.


"I'm glad you could make it, Grandmother." Ev took a last defiant drag on her cigar before resting it in the ashtray. Zipporah simply snorted and dropped the box unceremoniously onto the dresser.


"Here, Evza. It was your mother's. I found it in her room in my house--I bought it for her the day before she ran off with--" she paused to give a disgusted sniff "--your father, and she left it there." Evza glanced at the old woman coolly before carefully untying the brittle pink ribbon holding the box together. Zipporah gave a slight cough before continuing. "That was the best hat in the window, I'll have you know. She loved her hats, your mother." The lid bore hasty, swiping finger marks through the layer of two-decade-old dust. Evza's grandmother was now staring at the hatbox with a strange, sad frown. "I locked them all away in her room once she left, too. Haven't actually opened it again until this morning." As she pulled the lid off, Ev peered inside to see a luxurious silver hat with a brim much too wide to be in the latest fashion. Gently taking it out, she noticed a cluster of navy silk flowers tucked neatly above the brim. Her hand gently stroked the old velvet as she looked up to see her grandmother, who had already turned and was leaving. Just before the door shut behind her, Evza called out with a small smile.


"I'll see you at the wedding, Grandmother."


The old woman looked over her shoulder to see Evza placing the hat onto her head at an improper angle. She snorted and continued on her way.
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Sal straightened his tie in the mirror, apparently calm, cool and collected--even if he has not been able to button up his shirt up correctly for the first five attempts. Sal's brother, Wild, approached from behind, brushing a bit of lint off Sal's shoulder. He suddenly peered closer at his twin's shirt and burst out laughing.


"What? What is it?" Sal turned to look at his brother with a worried look on his face.


"Your--hee--your shirt...ha-ha! It's inside out!"


"Huh?" Sal looked down at his shirt, cursing as he verified that Wild was correct. The mixture of Italian and English swear words continued to pour from his mouth as he quickly fixed the shirt into its proper right-side-out status. He was just slipping his tie back on when their great grandmother, Victoria Demarco, walked in with a brief knock. Her quick black eyes took in the scene--Wild still stifling giggles and Sal's repeated attempts to get the knot of his tie perfectly centered with shaking hands. Sal having this kind of jitters was something she has not seen since he was a child in Sicily. Victoria made her way over to Sal and placed her soft, wrinkled hand on his face to calm him down. Sal felt a few of the knots in his stomach loosen immediately as he felt the cool skin against his face. The ancient woman began to speak soothingly in a heavy Sicilian accent.


"Salvatore Pirazzi! Why are you acting this way? You're a good man--you should be calmer. I see your great grandfather in both of you, you know." The woman nodded to his twin brother as she spoke. Wild gave a short chuckle, prompting Victoria to look at her great-grandson with the same glare she had ruled over her extensive family with since the birth of their grandfather. Her voice changed to something reminiscent of what a tiger would sound like if it could talk.


"Roberto Pirazzi! You mocking your nana?" Wild straightened immediately, the smirk wiped effectively from his face, answering nervously like a schoolboy in class.


"No, Nana."


After giving a satisfied "humph", Victoria turned her attention back towards Sal with a smile.


"You two are so close--good brothers, good boys--you take good care of your family back home. And Sal!" The old woman nodded, a smile stretching across her face, turning it into a mass of wrinkles. "That Evza--she reminds me of myself, you know. Resilient, resourceful, and cunning. To be honest, I like her more than I like your mother." Ignoring the flash of surprise on her great-grandson's face, Victoria continued. "Both you boys have so much of your grandfather in you. Terrible tempers. But you, Roberto--you like to shoot people too much. Too fast. That's what got my husband killed."


She stretched her hand out to Wild, and he immediately grabbed hold of it like as though they were still young boys growing up in the streets of Sicily.


"And you Salvatore. You try to be peace maker too much. That's what got your father killed. You both together are too dangerous for anyone to challenge, but you both must learn from each other. You must be as wise and cunning as a fox and you must be sharp and clear in your actions like a tiger." Victoria finally reached up and adjusted Sal's tie so that it rested properly in the center. "There. Now you remember your nana's words. You should be like your uncle Alphonse. That dear man--my sweet grandson." She gave the young man in front of her a quick inspection with her intelligent eyes. "Now, Salvatore, you may tuck you shirt in." Sal looked down to see that he had forgotten to do so.


As Victoria began to make her way to the door, she paused, looking at a photo on the wall of Sal and Evza smiling happily from a Cadillac in front of Quintessentially Quixotic. Evza was sitting in the drivers' seat, one arm draped over Sal's shoulders as the other rested confidently on the steering wheel. Sal 's arm was wrapped around Ev's waist as he toasted the camera with his cigar. "Sal--that woman will get you to the top." The old woman looked over her shoulder, her eyes meeting those of her great-grandson. "But you must listen to her counsel, bambino." She smiled once more, nodding. "Yes...Evza is exactly what you need."


She then turned her attention to Wild, who was now boredly fiddling with his cufflinks.


"Roberto--my dear Roberto. You like too many women. That is why you haven't settled down." Wild looked up at his grandmother with a sheepish grin. She simply smirked and nodded to him knowingly. "But one day you will meet an angel, and she will take your heart and you will know that she is the one!"


Victoria left them in the room to think about what she has said to them. Both boys knew that if she had been a man she would be a Godfather back in Sicily. After all, it had been her that kept the family alive through all the troubled times, and it was her that taught them what it was to be a Sicilian man of honor.


Wild chuckled after a moment, plopping into a chair and lounging back.


"Well, Sal, it's your day, do or die!" A wry smile crept across his face as he pulled out a cigar. "But if you back out now, I can only hide you from Nana for a few days." He paused for a moment, then laughed, pointing at Sal with the unlit Cuban. "Then again, Evza will probably find you first. Either way you're dead."

Wild laughed loudly and Sal chuckled.


"No way! I love Evza too much." He picked up his suit jacket from the back of a chair, examining the fine silver pinstripes in the navy cloth. "I just want to be married already, you know?" As he pulled on the jacket, Sal looked at the picture of the couple that had given his great-grandmother pause for thought. A wide smile broke out on his face. "Wild...when I'm holding her, kissing her--hell, just talking with her it makes me feel like I'm in heaven." He walked a few steps across the room, examining the photo with the same broad grin. "Evza is my piece of heaven on earth."




**********



"Are you sure everything's in order?"

"Mr. Pirazzi, no one is getting shot at this wedding. You can start making your way over."

"Okay. I'll see you soon, Rocco."

Sal, finally dressed and ready, dropped the phone down onto the receiver, taking a deep breath. He turned around to see Lucky, Wild and Alphonse, his best men, smiling anxiously at him. He glanced nervously at his watch—less than an hour until Evza would be his wife.

"Well, come on, guys! Take me to the church!" Sal gave a small chuckle as he made his way out the door. As he slipped into his car and took another calming breath, he found himself feeling better and stronger than he had in his entire life.


Sal looked out the window as Wild and their uncle Alphonse bantered back and forth with Lucky Luciano. As the car peeled down Chartres, Sal thought back to the first time he'd seen Evza. She was on the dance floor in some bar or another, merrily jitterbugging with a friend. His first impression was that she was gorgeous—curls shining like a reddish halo beneath the electric lights and a face stretched in laughter above a marvelously imperfect flapper's body. As her feet flew through the air and tapped across the floor, she seemed naturally unafraid--as though she knew exactly what she wanted and, moreover, just how she was going to get it.


Wild tugged on his brother's sleeve, drawing his attention momentarily back into the present. After chuckling at Alphonse's joke, his memories slipped back to Evza. How stunning she was on their first date, smiling at him in her chiffon dress as they entered an upscale restaurant. Her quiet, friendly pointers that taught him how to act in surroundings so luxurious. Her sudden burst of giggles when she dropped her fish fork onto the waiter's shoe.


And God, their first kiss, picturesquely under a streetlamp. Sal could swear that his heart had skipped a beat, and he knew that his lips still tingled off and on for a week afterward. Sal suddenly broke out into laughter, thinking of all the wonderful memories he'd had so far with his bride—and, of course, the memories they were going to share going forward, together!
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Ev slid into the passenger seat of her V-16, glancing behind her to see her bridesmaids squeezing into the backseat. She nodded to them cheerfully before looking over to see her father climbing into the driver's seat. He grinned over to her, his bloodshot eyes filled with pride. He may no longer have looked like the boy who had sung Gaelic songs outside her mother's window, but Evza still saw the same fiery spirit in him, even if it had been drowning the last few years in alcohol.


"You make a beautiful bride, Evvy."


"Thanks, Dad." She returned his grin before planting a quick kiss on his poorly-shaven cheek. He turned on the engine with a chuckle. They had soon turned the corner and were heading down St. Ann's Street. "Wait. Stop right here, real quick."


He pulled to the side of the road immediately despite the cacophony of honking that ensued. Brendan McGregor gave his daughter a strange look.


"What is it? Something wrong?" His eyes suddenly became wide with fear. "You aren't having second thoughts, are you?"


"No, Dad." Evza laughed. She opened the door and climbed out, clutching her hat to her head as she wobbled slightly in her heels. "Come on, I've gotta show you something. Hanna and Brigid can watch the car." She gave the two girls a look that threatened their lives if they let anything happen to the vehicle before leading her confused father along the lampposts. She examined each of the black-painted poles until coming upon one in front of a shuttered restaurant. "Ah-hah! Look!"


The aging man peered closely at the spot she was pointing. He broke into a wide smile. "Evvy! You found it!"


"Yup! And we added to it." Evza's finger slid over a bit, causing her father to chuckle.


"That's my girl!" He looked to his daughter with a prideful grin, hugging her around her shoulders. "Now, let's get you to the church!"


As she walked toward the car with her father, Evza glanced back to look at the two hearts etched into the metal of the lamppost. One, which looked like it had been painted over, read "Brendan + Kezia". The other letters scraped into the metal read "Sal + Evza". Ev smiled and hopped back into the car, excitement for the future welling in her chest.

*******

That's a lot of people. Evza clutched her bouquet, wishing she had bummed a cigarette off her father for a quick pre-wedding smoke. The pews of St. Louis Cathedral were surprisingly full of heads turned around eagerly to watch the bride walk up the aisle. Taking a deep breath, Evza stepped forward, her hands loosening slightly around the flower stems. Her father gave her arm a slight, encouraging squeeze. She flashed him a quick smile before looking up to see Sal, looking more handsome than ever in a navy suit. Ev fought the urge to simply run to him, instead just making her way up the aisle sedately and assuredly, flashing a broad smile to all the family, friends, and Mafiosi present.


Sal watched his bride walking toward him with a parched mouth. He hadn't thought it possible, but she somehow looked more beautiful than ever. Beneath the light shade of her hat, Evza's sea-colored eyes were scanning the crowd in a subtly calculating way—he suspected she was adding up just how much food the lot would be eating. Sal managed a warmly nervous smile as Evza gracefully mounted the red-carpeted steps, coming to a stop across from him, grinning happily. The thin, sickly-looking priest cleared his throat shortly before speaking in a surprisingly booming voice.


"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate this man, Salvatore Pirazzi, and this woman, Evza McGregor, pledging to live the rest of their lives together. Who gives this woman away?"


Her father's cracked voice replied: "I do." Ev gave him a final, tight hug and handed her bouquet to him before stepping forward, her eyes trained on Sal's with an excited gleam in them.


"The couple has written their own vows, which they shall now recite, beginning with Salvatore."


Sal turned from the priest and looked straight into Evza's beautiful sea-green eyes. An almost visible spark leapt between the two, as though, in that instant, they were touching each others' souls and reading one others' innermost thoughts. Ev's face flushed and her hands trembled involuntarily until she felt Sal's hand closing around hers, affection flowing through his gentle touch. Calming down, she gave her lover an encouraging grin, anticipating his voice. Her composure seemed to be infectious, since the words began to spill from his lips like rushing water.

"The traditional wedding vows would ask me: Do I take you, Evza, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to love, honor, and cherish—until death do us part. And for all of that, I say: yes, I do, with all the sincerity my heart can hold!

"Evza, there are no words that exist that can express my love for you—the word love itself is an understatement. Evza when I look into your eyes, I ascend to heaven. When I hear your name my heart races with the excitement and anticipation of holding you. When I hold you, my soul just screams to be released so it can intermingle with yours in a never-ending embrace.

Sal's mother and great grandmother exchanged looks of astonishment to hear such words. Sal had never expressed any emotion such as this—he'd always been too reserved and calculating with everything! As he continued, they looked back up to the altar.

"Evza, I promise to love you—with pure, unselfish love. I vow to always respect and adore you unconditionally. My love for you is boundless, and it will remain that way until the end of time. Whenever I look into your eyes, that love burns not only in my mind but also in my soul and heart; it has since I first saw you. It was then that I realized that I could not let this love slip away. Ev, I love everything about you. I love the way your hair smells—like fresh roses blooming in the morning, I love the way you touch me with your smile, every conversation, everything about you brings joy to me, my love."

Evza blushed, still grinning, as she listened to Sal's utterly sincere words. Although the sound of crying echoed in the background, she still remained focused on Sal's speech. Sal, feeling even bolder with the welling of emotion for his beloved, kept speaking.

"Evza, you have blessed me with each one of your warm embraces. But you have truly blessed me this day by becoming my wife. I will always be honored to call you my wife. I wish to honor you in more than just words or actions. I plan to honor you with my very being. Everything I do now from now on will be about us. Every thought. Every breath. You're my equal in everything—as a marriage should be. I vow to listen to you; I vow to treat you like you want to be treated. Everything that was once mine is now and forever more ours!

"I will always cherish you! Some men live their whole lives without finding what I found in you. Some men meet their soulmate and never know it! Evza, I've looked for you my whole life, I've been on that lonely road far too long searching for you. And now I've found my way; I've found you. Ev, your love has been like a lighthouse for me. Your love has shown me the way home, and that home is with you! We belong together. I love you—you're my angel, my friend, my gift from God, and I thank Him and will thank Him every day for you and for giving me the wisdom to know that this marriage is right. Evza, I know you're my soulmate—I knew it when you first said hello—and I cherish that fact. You bring out the good that's in me. You're my better half—a half I cannot live without. I have cherished every second we have spent together since the first day we talked. I cherish your pure heart, the things that you do and the way in which you do them. I will cherish every second we have going forward. I cherish the fact that today I can now call you my wife"

He turned and picked up a ring from the small pillow proffered by his younger brother, Vincent. Sliding it onto Evza's finger, he grins into her face with a mixture of joy and relief.

"With this ring, I thee wed."


Evza's eyes lingered on the gleaming gold band for a moment before she looked back at Sal, an emotional smile covering her face.


"Sal—well, first I want to express my deepest gratitude to you for your love—as well as for not only putting up with me so far, but for actually wanting to do so for the rest of your life. I know it was hard to break through my tough shell, but I'm honestly glad you did. I'm looking forward to all the years ahead—good as well as bad. And that's why I'm here today—to start off on the rest of my life with you.


And on this journey, I promise to never back out on you, no matter how dark it's looking. I promise to give you a kiss every morning, and to try not to stay mad at you for too long. I'm going to savor every bite of food you cook. I'll always be there to back you up with whatever support I can give. I promise to make sure that I'll always have some time for you, no matter how hectic my schedule may get."


Evza reached forward and gently took Sal's left hand, squeezing it happily.


"And most of all, I promise to love you every day of my life."


She picked up the ring from the small pillow and slipped it onto Sal's finger, grinning into his face.


"And with this ring, I thee wed!"


********


As the newly married couple exited the cathedral, they paused on the steps to exchange a brief kiss. Soon, however, their family had followed them outside, surrounding them with congratulations and shaking hands. As the other guests began surging out of the church, Evza called over the crowd, pointing them to Jackson Square.


"Reception's right across the street! We've got a buffet set up, so eat as much as you want! But Sal and I get the first dance!"


As the crowd began to move toward the Square, Ev gazed back up at her new husband, grinning widely.


"Shall we go?"


He nodded, linking arms with her before walking with her to the Square, stopping now and then to greet a guest or two.
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CONGRAT!!!
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Congratulations Sal & Evza you two look great together! I can't wait to drink up your bar at the reception and dont worry, I'm not a cheap skate to my friends Sal. I did bring a present on behalf of your marriage.
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May I just say congratulations to you two. I am extremely happy for you, and happy that New Orleans can boast such a great couple. And can I also just say, WHEW!

Wipes the sweat from his brow.


When I saw Wedding in the Big Easy I thought I'd gotten drunk and gotten married to one of those Munchkins in the Guild over there...again.
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Cries a little


I got a little something in my eyes okay!?
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I Also got both's you guys a present

Pulls out a pair of keys


Its a house in the hills ah dont thank me now just wait till i get married..

Looks into the crowd in search of his future wife
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Thanks guys

I hope you got your little black books I'm selling mines.

Wow off the market. Me off the market.
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Off to the market?


Pfft its time for the after party, and then your honeymoon!
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I got the honeymoon covered.

Sal looks around and smiles

You got a lot of women here better smart getting their names.

I'm going to get my drink!
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Lol, am I suppose to be a wedding crasher, and scope out women at wedding?


Pfft.

Starts scoping out
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Where we off to Sal?!
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Ev grins, taking the keys from Lucky with a laugh.

Well, thanks anyway, Lucky. You'll have to come visit us sometime!

Thanks for the well-wishings, guys!
She turns to Sal with a broad smile.

Sure you don't want to dance first, hon?
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Yeah, I believe theres a traditional dance of the newlyweds?
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Not to worry Z ill be there everyday

Flashes off his own set of keys to their villa
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Ember raises her glass from one of the tables and nods her head toward Evza and Sal


Congratulations to both of you.
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...Lucky, I said some time, not any time.
Ev chuckles and shakes her head.
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Sal takes Evza into his arms as they began to dance Ev smiles happily as he spins her then grabs her leader her into a deep dip and pulling her back up with ease. Ev shocked that Sal has moves she begans to smile again. Sal swings her to his left extending his arms as Ev spins and spins her to his right extending that arm both times pulling her out of her spin. They gaze into each others eyes and move as one. still dancing they are not aware that the music ended minutes ago
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Lucky hands Z the extra set of keys he had


Ha! i was only Joking you guy's deserve some "Alone time"
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