The lace trim on Janet’s dress, which I had taken off the first curtains we purchased for our first apartment, was being shown to our girls. Sue smiled.
At that moment, my cousin Linda’s voice could be heard.A toast! “A toast to Janet!” she cried. “For having the courage to wear something her husband crocheted. That’s not flattering at all, therefore it must be true love!”Maybe I’m ahead of the times.”
Laughter erupted around the room.
Janet looked at me. She simply gave me a squeeze on the arm and grinned.
My brother-in-law Ron spoke out from the other side of the table. “Tom, did you run out of money to buy a proper dress? Would Bloomingdale’s refuse to make you a deal?
A few people let forth howls. I caught it in my throat as I attempted to chuckle along.
It dawned on me then that those weren’t harmless jokes. They were folks we had known for decades, who had stolen my equipment and consumed our meals, and now they were all together to laugh at the most important thing.Did you run out of money for a genuine dress, Tom?
Something inside of me began to fall apart as I listened to the music playing overhead.
For years, I would ignore situations like that. I was always the quiet man who helped others and fixed the damaged fence without drawing attention to myself.
With white knuckles, I clenched my hands beneath the table. Janet leaned over and grasped my hand, hard. “”Hey,” she said in a hushed voice that only I could hear. “Avoid taking any action. I am in this exact location.Really, dude?” Ron went on. “You couldn’t give my sister her dream dress?”I forced a smile and stated to the table, “At least I didn’t try baking the cake.”Could you not provide my sister the dress of her dreams?
Ron smiled broadly and leaned back. “You’d have set the kitchen on fire, Tom. However, this dress? You’re a legend for wearing it, Janet.
A table distant, Linda spoke up. “Seriously, Jan, how much did he bribe you for that?”
Everyone started laughing. My face started to blush.
Marianne glanced at Linda. “You know Mom chose to wear that dress, right?”Marianne, calm down; it’s all in good fun.”
Janet’s grin dimmed. I saw her push her chair back after straightening her shoulders.How much did he bribe you for that, Jan, really?
Slowly and deliberately, she got up and looked around the room. The chuckles faltered. However, my wife did nothing but stand there and smooth her clothing with one hand.
She looked at our family, our friends, and then directly at me. It’s simpler to laugh at a clothing than to confront its true meaning. While I was ill, Tom made this. I knew, even though he didn’t. There was hope in every row.
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