Having all the people you love in one room sometimes feels overwhelming.
There aren’t many circumstances which allow it to happen and it never occurs naturally. One of the occasions will be without you and that is the most natural of all but for this, probably the second most natural occurrence I had everybody under one roof.
I was stood next to the DJ in the social room of the football club I played for as a teenager. All those eyes fixed on me and I felt the love, the love of the room.
The expectation of the announcement was weighing on people and I think most of them guessed it was a wedding announcement. Elly wasn’t showing yet and had been so busy that no one had been able to pin her down and buy her a drink.
Actually no one knew that she drunk beer except me.
It felt great though. Looking out to my audience. It felt better than the ecstasy highs of university. It was another powerful drug that had me dancing that day.
Love was pumping through my veins, taking me higher than I ever thought I could float.
“As most of you guessed.” I paused and winked at Elly. “Or were informed, much like myself,” A few polite chuckles. “Me and Elly are getting married.”
This was greeted with applause and whooping. I had never been whooped in my life and it felt good. I held out my hand and Elly joined me, we kissed and there was another round of thunderous applause.
“Wait.” I said holding up my hands. “We will be welcoming two new members into the Williamson Clan.”
It took a moment to sink in and then people began to realise. My Mum produced the scan of Andrew looking like a spaceman and girls began to cry.
I have never been so happy to see my Nan crying but am not sure I had ever done anything that made her so proud and happy before.
Then the party got started, appropriately the DJ chose the Black Eyed Peas, and I went to collect my free beers, hugs and handshakes.
Luke and David sandwiched me between them and bear hugged me.
“That isn’t the one we met before is it?” David asked.
“Nah.” I replied.
“So what, you ordered her off a bride website?” Luke joked.
How close was that to the truth?
What did it matter if we were in love?
“It’s a weird story. I’ll tell you later.” I said plonking myself on the bar.
“You’re full of weird stories.” David said and got the drinks in.
Elly made her way through the throng smiling and then when she got to me finally let go of her smile, she looked like she had bitten into a toffee and tasted lemon. I hoped it wasn’t too much for her. I had a big family and they weren’t quite.
“JD is a pervert.”
I laughed.
“Yes he is but he is also one of the smartest and coolest guys I know.” I replied.
“He doesn’t look cool.” She said sullenly.
“He might not look it but he is reliable, if I needed help I know I could rely on him.” My words seemed to bring her round.
“What kind of fuck-in name is JD?” I loved how she swore.
“It’s James Dean.” She didn’t recognize the name and continued to look at me blankly. “Like the movie star.”
“I don’t like movie.”
We got back to the guests, the rest of whom she seemed to like as much as they adored her. I introduced her to David and Luke, my best friends from school, Pedro who was trying to be a rock star and doing a reasonable job of it. She said his name was Polish when we told her that his real name was Hugh-Bert, hyphenated like a trailer park beauty queen. He said his mother was from Poland but when Elly spat a few words out in her native tongue Pedro looked as confused as anyone.
We made our way over to my Nan who was still puffy eyed and her second husband sat at her side. I’d never called him Granddad out of respect for my Mother’s father but he was the only Granddad figure I’d ever had. He had been a good influence and had earned my affection through the way he supported my Nan.
Next to them were my aunt and uncle whose motorbikes I used to pose on with my brothers when we were kids. They didn’t look like Hell’s Angels back then and now they had their own teenage hell raiser. I felt instantly older, looking back on all the life that I had led up to that point and then thinking about the future with Elly and Andrew. It made my head spin more than the shots I was doing.
Two of my cousins pulled me aside.
“Fucking ROCK star.” They said in unison.
“Thanks.” I said shaking their hands.
I remembered babysitting them.
“How did you pull a porn star?” The youngest one asked and his older brother elbowed him in the ribs.
“Magic and charm, you should practice your magic and charm.” I said smugly, not knowing what I was babbling on about.
Elly came and cuddled my side. “Who are these handsome guys?” She said playfully.
I think they filled their pants and we moved over to my Dad’s side of the family.
There were a lot of grandkids already because I had three female cousins who between them had eight kids. One who was the same age as me had already popped out four. Her and her husband looked shattered. Her mum and dad, the grandparents, by contrast had never looked better. They were joking around and so full of life I guessed then that the fun of kids is that they’ll grow up, stop being your responsibility and produce another little thing that is fun for you.
I had a long time to wait and too many dirty nappies to think about so I downed another shot and moved on to the next round of hugs and congratulations.
I finally wound down and relaxed at the table of my high school friends. A kid whose step dad coached the team had come along and brought several of the old crew. My Dad had helped out as well and in truth that was probably how I was part of such a successful team. These guys were the stars and I was the weak link included because of who his father was.
Elly looked at Stanley’s girlfriend.
“She’s pretty.” She said.
“I think she is called Louise. I have only met her a few times but she seems sweet.”
I introduced them and then left her and Elly complementing each other’s dress’s, jewellery, hair and shoes. I sat down and remembered the glory days with the guys. Most of them that Stanley invited didn’t even know I had been to Poland. We weren’t close but in truth I hadn’t made an effort to stay in touch with them either.
There was a small circle of people I really kept in touch with, Luke, David, Pedro, JD and Stanley. I knew some people who were in their circles and I didn’t mind them but as I said early I am the most anti-social person I know. I like the quite. That is one of the things that made mine and David’s relationship so strong, we were both quite. We could sit together and watch a game peacefully without feeling obliged to fill in the empty air with nonsense small talk.
Royce and Ranieer made a late appearance and I was surprised at how warmly Elly embraced them. They were the only familiar faces I guess.
“Could you have found a more inconvenient location?” Royce asked.
“Google maps, fucker.” I smiled back at him.
Ranieer was scanning the room so I helped him out.
“Toilets are at the back on the right, there is only one bar and it’s there, the food is right at the back opposite the toilets and if you fuck anyone you meet here tonight there is going to be trouble.”
Ranieer smiled.
“I mean it.” I said sternly.
I wagged my finger at them for effect but they were already heading to the bar.
Just as they arrived, people started to leave. Me and Elly stood graciously at the door and watched the smokers outside. There were a group of Luke’s friends and by friends I mean people who stayed at his house played video games and got high. It was the kind of 24 hour party mansion that Reader’s Wives would have and Luke was their Hef.
There was a young couple from my younger brother’s year at school and he was reminiscing and smoking with them when I signalled to him that our Nan was leaving. He quickly passed it off and wafted away the smoke.
“Oh, it was good to see you love. When is the wedding going to be?” She said hugging me harder than a women of her stature might suggest.
“I don’t know.” I answered honestly.
“Is it going to be over there or over here?” She asked expectantly.
“I think we are going to do one in each country.” I lied.
I had no idea and I hadn’t thought about logistics. I had just been swept up in it all if I was honest with myself.
I walked them to their car and waved them off. I swung by the smokers and grabbed our kid in a headlock for a laugh. I stood there and talked to the young couple, Sandra and Sam. How American, finding a mate whose name started with the same letter as yours. I bet there was a specialist dating website for that shit.
They were nice though, a cute couple and seemed to have their shit together.
They had a house and everything. I needed to think about getting my family a house.
Where would we live?
Would it be England or Poland?
There were more questions than answers and when I got back the room was still sparsely scattered with people. Elly sniffed me and pulled a face. My Dad’s friends must have thought I smelt. I did, just of smoke not sweat. I made my way over to them and asked about their son who was the same age as me and their daughter who was roughly the same age as my younger brother.
I sat down and for the first time in the evening I wasn’t enjoying myself. I was worrying about the millions of new questions swimming about in my head.