Getting Hitched Fiction - Recycled Love

By Natalie Hatch

"Sue, don’t you look snazzy this evening." Crystal was waving her towards a little out-of-the-way nook as partygoers celebrated.

"Well, the same could be said for you. Who are you wearing? Prada?" Sue asked, turning her around appraisingly.

"Don’t be silly, to a garden wedding?" Crystal scoffed. "Charlie Brown actually. Oh goodness gracious me, that’s a bit much don’t you think?" Crystal wrinkled her brow mockingly.

Turning to see what Crystal was speaking of, Sue couldn’t help but laugh at the rather rotund woman in the crowd who had tried to fit herself unsuccessfully into a tight pink skirt. It was causing no end of headaches to her as she attempted to climb the short set of stairs leading to the toilets.

"She obviously hasn’t ever heard of a stylist." Sue agreed, chuckling behind her hand.

"Well we are a couple of nit-pickers aren’t we?" Crystal threw back another glass of white wine. Her regard fell upon the happy couple posing for photos close by. "Seems like they’ve blown out the budget. Look at all this, hopefully the catering is good."

"Crystal Holland, you’re one to talk. What did yours cost you? Fifteen thousand? Just for the reception?" Despite herself, Sue was feeling in a good mood.

"Yes, but we weren’t dirt poor uni students. Besides John’s parents were helping us out a bit."

"More like a lot. Well, with what they’ve got they could afford to splurge on their only son." A note of jealousy had crept into Sue’s voice.

"Oh Sue, don’t be a jelly bean, of course you had almost as good a wedding as me. But look at this," she held a large paper crane with a small electric light set inside gently cupped in her hand. Diffuse light shone through its pretty paper body. "They’ve gone and thrown everything they have into this.  I’m sure their parents couldn’t afford it all."

The garden was lit up cosily by twinkling fairy lights and brightly coloured paper cranes strewn throughout. People were gaily moving towards the large marquees set up at the bottom of the little suburban rainforest.

A few young couples had slipped off into the side trails in the garden, perhaps to catch a kiss or two without parents noting the daughters’ absence.

"Hello you two, what are you gossiping about this time." A cheerful voice startled them.

"Oh Marnie, good to see you. We were just thinking how on earth your sister could afford to go to such an effort." Crystal tried to sound sincere.

"Yes, I mean look at all these lights and umbrellas and the flowers, how can a university student afford this?" Sue was pointing at the mass of colourful umbrellas hung upside down over the makeshift dance floor.

"Oh, so that’s what you’ve been chewing over," Marnie laughed.

"We weren’t chewing anything," Crystal’s righteous pride asserted itself.

Marnie leaned towards them, finger tapping the side of her nose. "They paid for it themselves you know."

This tidbit of information caused the appropriate gasps of horror from her two socialite friends, demanding to know how on earth they did it.

"Hold on, I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you, just keep your expensive knickers on." Marnie waved them back. "You are wearing expensive knickers aren’t you Crys? Most of this stuff comes from second-hand stores."

This brought on a near apoplexy as Crystal choked half heartedly on her third glass.

"You’re joking?" Sue quickly scanned the stunning garden setting. "What the umbrellas, lights and all? Surely not."

"Yep." Marnie said smugly. "All of this, ‘Recycled Love’ Jen calls it."

"Recycled love, my foot. Look at the amount of lights they’ve got hung up in these trees. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it does look quite nice, very fairy/woodsy type thing. But these cost hundreds of dollars." Crystal considered herself somewhat an expert on decorating, having spent thousands on her children’s parties.

"Nope, borrowed from friends and neighbours - no one uses their Christmas lights during April." Marnie took a small swig from her own glass and raised an eyebrow at Crystal’s reaction.

"But, what about the dance floor, look at all those umbrellas and lights. Oh, borrowed again are they?" Sue was catching on.

"Yep, everyone has one or maybe four umbrellas hanging useless around the house during this drought, so why not hang them up. Jen saw it in a bridal mag and thought she could do better."

Each umbrella was suspended above the dance floor from a net stretched across the ceiling of the marquee. Mixed with lights it created a kaleidoscope of colours fluttering around.

"The marquees were borrowed from the local Scouting hall - Uncle Reg is a troop master and did us a deal. All mum’s crème caramels he can eat for a year." Marnie was enjoying herself. "The boys even came along to help set them up for us, part of their badge system I think."

Crystal was searching for something else that could not possibly have been second hand. Her finger pointed wearily at the bridal flowers. "What about those then, get them at an op shop did she?"

"Actually Crys, she did. A bit of soaking in Napisan and voila.  There are some great bargains if you take time to get them. And yes she made the paper crane hangings herself, I actually helped a bit but there’s probably four hundred cranes or more, strung around the bushes. They do look pretty though, don’t they?"

"You know they really do," Sue agreed.

"Yes, well, this is all well and good, what about dresses, hair, makeup." She waved her hand expansively in the air. "I spent a fortune on that for my wedding." Crystal’s nose was getting more out of joint as they spoke.

Marnie was having fun teasing her friend, she was so easy to bait.

"The dress actually did cost a fair bit compared to everything else. Eighty dollars at a St Vinnies." This statement made Sue laugh delightedly.

"You’ve got to be kidding me?"

"No, Jen and mum and Auntie sat up making alterations, but the fabric was just too gorgeous to pass up."

"But, that’s the latest style, how could she? Oh, I’m starting to get the drift. I suppose her makeup was done by a friend, and the hair and so forth." Crystal snatched her fourth glass of white wine from a passing waiter.

"Yep, you’re catching on. The waiters are cousins who think that they’ll pick up the girls if they look good. The band is one of Daniel’s mates doing them a favour. Cute guitarist, perhaps I might flirt a bit with him later."

All three women turned an appraising eye towards the tall, dark haired man leaning over to plug his guitar into the amp on stage. His strong form hinted at untold pleasures.

"I like that a lot. But married, I’m married." Sue smiled as he stood up flinging soft brown curls off his face. He smiled back when he noticed the attention he was receiving.

"I’m not. Now, girls anything else you want to know?" Marnie asked.

"Catering. What about the catering and the wine." Crystal was not giving up her finicky stance.

Marnie spoke conspiratorially, "Two words ladies.  POT LUCK."

"No way. I had a look before, everything looked wonderful. No way is this Pot Luck." Sue was delighted.

"Yes way. And the wine is clean skin. Cheap but lovely, don’t you think?" She pointedly asked Crystal who was looking at her glass in distaste.

"But I don’t like clean skins. We never get them."

"Well that’s your fourth for tonight." Marnie brushed off a stray fern that had started caressing her skirt in the light breeze.

"I have to hand it to her; she’s done alright for herself hasn’t she?" Sue was pulling her friends towards the buffet style dining area to inspect the offerings.

"She sure has. Seventeen hundred dollars for the entire wedding. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go flirt a bit with our hunky guitar boy. Ladies enjoy yourself." Marnie chuckled as she walked away.

Crystal was peering into the assorted dishes like a crotchety old aunt at a family dinner. She wrinkled her nose at a couple of the large bubbling pots.

"Well, I’m sure it’s all well and good for poor people to eat."

"Crystal, get over it. Admit that Jennifer has done a spectacular job of this whole thing and let’s go enjoy the night. Our hubbies are over there having a whale of a time, why don’t we join them?" Sue suggested.

"Yes, but." Crystal started to explain.

"Now, now, Crystal, get over it. You’re just jealous you didn’t do this yourself." Sue handed her another wine, sipping her own. "Not bad for clean skin is it?"

"But."

"Look, Marnie’s winning on to that hunky man, hmmm; think Brad needs to get out his rock guitar outfit tonight when we get home." She grinned at the thought.

"Seventeen hundred. It shouldn’t be allowed." Crystal seemed to make up her mind. "Oh well, let’s see how she does with birthday parties once she has kids. That’ll stuff her."

"Untwist your knickers woman. Let’s go see if we can score tonight," Sue suggested.

"Yep, untwisting away. Although I must tell you that these are from Elle’s latest collection, very pricey but worth it." Crystal offered.

"You’ll never change will you?" Sue put her arm around Crystal's shoulder happily. The two women sauntered towards their slightly inebriated husbands.

***

© Natalie Hatch, 2008

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