Two weeks ago, one of my favorite auction houses was selling some beautiful wedding dresses, shoes, veils and gloves. This week, it was selling a bride.
It wasn’t your typical bride: She was almost as pale as white-washed stone, hadn’t gotten her hair done or her nails painted, but still had a smile on her face. It was a perpetual smile, like she’d be happy forever. She lay stretched out on the auction table next to the man who would become the head of the household.
When I came upon her, I immediately stopped to gawk. Anyone can be a bride, I thought, just dress her up in a white gown and slide a ring on her finger. Her dress wasn’t as lovely as the ones I had seen at the auction before. Some of those were knockouts, hers was a cheap satin with skimpy lace. But she managed to wear it well, even though it seemed to hang from her bony frame. Maybe she had lost too much weight to fit into it.
She was surprisingly calm for her impending nuptials; unlike most brides, who are frantic as the big day approaches and bone-tired by the time it finally arrives. Not her, she was as cool as an ice sculpture. She looked so relaxed lying there that she reminded me of a corpse.
Makes you wonder about the person who dressed her up, and for what reason. What do you think of her?
