Marriages

Chapter One-2

Debra looked at me and shrugged her shoulders, as if to say, “I’m okay with this if you are?”

I thought, what the hell! Debra was a beautiful woman, and she might even be an asset to my career. In addition, I’ll finally get between her legs which I’ve been fantasizing about for the last two months. I would like to say here, however, there’s one thing about Italians, they don’t waste any time when it comes to marrying off their daughters.

***

Things happened fast. A June wedding was set. The details of the wedding were very ethnic. The ceremony was conducted in a Catholic Cathedral. After the wedding, we proceeded to an expensive hotel to have the reception. That party must have cost her father “Sacco di soldo.” It was like a scene out of the Godfather film. Everyone gave us envelopes filled with money. We collected several thousand dollars. Her father, however, demanded I give him the envelopes to offset the cost of the wedding. So much for the wedding presents. Then later that night, and after much fanfare, we drove to the Poconos for our honeymoon.

***

As everyone knows, it’s customary after every American wedding to carry the bride across the threshold. Of course, if you are recuperating from whiplash, it’s not a good idea, I might add.

When we arrived at the hotel, we were introduced to Douglas. Douglas was a bell boy at the hotel. We were escorted to our room by Douglas. I learned later; he had been employed there for five years. Douglas preceded us into the room carrying our bags. Debra was a very solid 125 pounds, and that was about 100 pounds more than I should have been carrying considering the condition of my back. I must have gotten about two steps into the room with Debra in my arms when a pain went up my back that could be equated to what a woman experiences in childbirth. I dropped Debra on the floor. I reached behind me to support my back. Simultaneously, I let out a scream one might hear if he was witnessing a lion finishing off its prey.

Douglas helped Debra from the floor. Then they both assisted me into the nearest chair. “I can’t believe this is happening,” I said with a certain amount of pain in my voice.

Here I am on my honeymoon and my first fear was, ‘I’m not going to be in any condition to consummate the marriage. Debra had decided early on that she wouldn’t rush into a s****l relationship. After we got engaged, and after a lot of discussion, Debra finally convinced me s*x was something that should come after we were married. At this point, our relationship was only eight months old.

“Douglas, would you mind getting me some ice for my back?” I asked.

Douglas proceeded to put the bags in the bedroom. Then he announced he would be right back.

Debra was completely enthralled with the suite. “Oh honey, this place is beautiful.”

It was one of those typical honeymoon suites in the Poconos with heart-shaped tubs and beds. It had a mirror on the ceiling over the bed. The rest of the suite was decorated in a bordello-like fashion.

“I’m going to powder my nose.” She picked up her purse and went into the bathroom.

At about the same time Douglas returned with the ice. “Douglas, do you think you can get the air conditioning working? It’s a little stuffy in here.” Douglas began to search the room for a thermostat.

After a few seconds, I said, “You know who I am, don’t you?”

“Sure, you’re Mr. Matthews. It says so on your reservation.”

“No, who I am,” I said. “What I do for a living?”

“I’m sorry sir, but I don’t have a clue.”

Putting on my radio voice, “I’m Matt Matthews from WHPA radio.”

Douglas was star-struck. He couldn’t believe the top DJ in Harrisburg; Pennsylvania was staying at his hotel. “Can I have your autograph? I can hardly wait to tell the rest of the staff.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Let’s just keep this between you and me.”

“Whatever you say, Mr. Matthews, it will be our little secret.”

At that moment, I didn’t realize how many encounters I would be having with Douglas in the coming years. I let Douglas go about his work getting the air-conditioning working. I picked up the phone and called the radio station. Tom Toledo was another DJ who worked with me. I considered Tom my best friend. He knew everything about me. I trusted him with my life. He had known me for over a year; I had been dating a sexy blond named Kathy. Tom answered the phone on the first ring.

“Hello, Tom. This is Matt. ... Yes, I’m on my honeymoon. We got here a few minutes ago. How’s everything back at the station? ... That’s great! Did I get any calls?” I looked back at the bedroom, and I spoke in a whisper. “You know, calls! ... All right, do you want me to say it?” I looked back toward the bedroom again. “Did Kathy call? ... Look, Tom, it’s the business we’re in. Just because I’m married, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t communicate with other women. They’re my fans. I must talk to them. ... And see them. Yes, I must see them too! So, what are you trying to say? Now that I’m married, I should become incommunicado. Look, Tom, if she calls, tell her I’ll be back two weeks from Monday. ... I’m not asking you to get involved in anything. I’m just asking you to pass along a message, that’s all. ... I know you don’t want to see me do anything; I’ll be sorry later. Don’t worry; I can take care of myself.”

While I was talking to Tom on the phone, Douglas traced the air-conditioning line and it led into the bathroom. When he opened the door, Debra let out a scream like someone being murdered.

“Tom, I have to go. I’ll call you later.” As I hung up the phone, Douglas began to apologize.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Matthews. I didn’t know you were in there.”

Debra was in one of her nasty moods. That’s the thing I’ve noticed about all beautiful women. They all have a dark side. Anyway, I finally got Debra calmed down. Douglas got the air-conditioning working, and he left us alone.

After a few moments, neither of us said anything.

Debra broke the silence. “I didn’t know your back was still bothering you. If it was still hurting you, why did you carry me across the threshold?”

In an attempt to make some points, “I don’t get married every day. I love you, and I wanted to do all the right things.” She smiled and gave me one of her passionate kisses on the lips. I knew I had accomplished my task. “I should go into the bedroom and change into something more comfortable,” I said. Breaking from her embrace, I left to go into the bedroom to change.

After I had closed the bedroom door, Debra immediately phoned her mother. Now, Debra’s mother was very influential in her life. In other words, she was one of those mothers who wanted to relive her life through Debra. In addition, she didn’t think I was a good match for Debra. She didn’t like the fact that I was a radio announcer. Furthermore, she believed the radio business was transient. She wanted Debra to stay in Harrisburg, have a family (grandchildren), and live happily ever after.

“Hello Ma, this is Debra. We got here a little while ago, and everything is simply fine. ... Matt is in the bedroom getting changed. ... Mama, please don’t start that again. Matt is a wonderful person. We’re married now, and everything is going to be perfect. ... I know he doesn’t talk to you very much. He doesn’t think you like him. ... You think, he’s very perceptive. ... No, we haven’t talked about a family yet. We’ve only been married a few hours, give us a chance. ... Mama, look, I just called to tell you we got here okay. I didn’t call to argue with you. ... No, I haven’t talked to him about that yet either, so I don’t know how he feels about giving up his radio career and coming into Daddy’s janitorial business. ... I know it’s the sensible thing to do, and I will talk to him about it. ... I will, Mama, I will! Now, I think I had better hang up. This call must be costing a fortune. ... I’ll call you tomorrow. ... I don’t know what time. ... All right, I’ll call you at seven o’clock tomorrow evening. ... You won’t be home at seven? Then suppose you give me a time. ... I’ll talk to you then. Okay. Goodbye.”

As I was coming out of the bedroom, she was just hanging up. I was wearing pajamas that were a wedding present from the staff at the radio station. The pajamas were white with big black music notes all over them. I thought they were unique. Debra thought they were stupid. I don’t know, maybe she was right on that one. It was at that point, that she laid one on me.

She began to tell me the crux of the conversation she had with her mother. It had to do with my radio career. Her mother suggested I abandon my job in radio and come into her father’s janitorial business. I was in shock. They wanted me to clean office buildings.

She went on to say, “You won’t be doing the actual cleaning. You’ll be a supervisor.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was under the impression my career was one of the things that attracted her to me. Now she wanted me to become a cleaning man.

“You don’t have to make a decision right away. But I think you should give it some serious thought. After all, you’re married now, and you will have responsibilities.” Her main argument was, “You won’t be a cleaning man per se. You’ll be a businessman, a man with roots. A man who is going to live in one place for more than a couple of years, and a man who will have a job tomorrow.”

Pausing for a moment, “I can’t argue with anything you just said, but broadcasting is what I do for a living, that’s what I am. You knew that when you decided to marry me.” I took a slight pause. “Why didn’t you say something about this before we were married?”

“I didn’t want to upset you.” After a moment, “If you love me, you should at least consider my father’s offer.”

My head was spinning. I was beginning to wonder what I had gotten myself into. This lady, and her mother, wanted me to change my life. In an attempt to change the subject, “Would you like something to eat?”

“Damn you!” she exclaimed.

“We’re on our honeymoon! This is neither the time nor the place to discuss something as important as my changing my career,” I forcibly reminded her.

She finally agreed.

I picked up the phone and called room service. Douglas answered the phone. “Douglas, what kind of sandwiches do you have on the menu?”

“Ham and roast beef,” was the reply.

I informed Debra of the selections. She replied, “Roast beef.”