A Wedding 

I had reserved a car for that Friday. Upon arriving at the Fort Myers, Florida airport, I sat down to make a decision. I travelled there to attend the church wedding of my first cousin’s daughter, Vangie. Family love and sense of duty propelled my decision to travel solo because I couldn’t find anyone to come with me. Not even my husband Steve.

I told Vangie. “Steve is not coming. He’s had his two plane trips for the year.” Steve and I traveled to San Antonio, Texas for our son Ryan’s graduation from Air Force Basic Military Training then to Biloxi, Mississippi where Ryan subsequently attended tech school. 

Weighing the pros and cons, I couldn’t decide. Should I get the rental or rely on Uber and Lyft? 

I was afraid of riding Uber or Lyft by myself.  Sure, I can share the driver information, license plate, and make of the car to my husband or my cousin. It would not take long for a crazy driver to kill me.

I worried about driving a rental car alone in an unfamiliar city. Denise, my trusted friend, encouraged me to drive. “Don’t forget all that you’ve accomplished in this life. There’s very little that you cannot do.”

But the traffic at the airport intimidated me, the lanes were full of cars, honking. When I saw the wall of people lined up at the Budget Rental Office, I decided to get Lyft.  Saul, the driver seemed nice. Leaving the airport, I noted that traffic was light, the lanes wide. In 24 minutes, I arrived at the hotel.

I wished I had a rental car when I couldn’t find the restaurant or the Publix Market---supposed to be walking distance from the hotel. The sun beat down my face. The pebbly sidewalk crunched under my new shoes. I called Vangie. She and John, the groom, were still at Pincher’s, decorating the party room. “I’ll send John to pick you up.”  

Vangie and I had not seen each other for 49 years!!  In 1980, I arrived in California. In 1997, Vangie married her first husband, a Floridian. In 2017, she found me on Facebook; we connected on Messenger. 

When we hugged, the bond between us—forged a long time ago, was still there. My heart was full.

For the wedding ceremony the next day, I took Lyft to the church in Cape Coral. The wedding party consisted of their children from a previous marriage. I met Vangie's kids and granddaughter.

I knew I was assigned the First Reading (Old Testament scripture). At the last minute, the deacon asked me to read the responsorial psalm (poems or songs of worship with a response from the congregation). And to my surprise. Vangie asked me to walk her down the aisle. I was honored to do this.

At the reception, I gave the speech that I had practiced the night before, with this opening:

“Today, I bring with me all the love and best wishes from Vangie’s father and the whole clan from the Philippines.” 

Vangie’s mother passed away in 2023. I mentioned that I had this idea of a loving marriage from watching Vangie’s parents being affectionate with each other. 

I was representing Vangie’s 83-year-old father who could no longer travel. As the elder relative from Vangie’s family, I relayed how much we love her and gave her and John our blessing. My heart was full.

On the Monday of my flight back to California, Vangie and John insisted on taking me to the airport. Riding Lyft would have been fine. But I appreciated their caring gesture. 

~ Nida Spalding