6.
‘Hello, Mommy. How are you and Dad?’
‘Hello love. What’s the matter? Why are you calling so late?’
‘Sorry, I forgot it’s so late, is Dad still awake?’
‘Skye, what is it? Yes, he is.’
‘Nothing is wrong. Well, the holiday has taken a bit of a different direction…’ I paused to add my personal bit of drama.
‘You getting married?’ Mother blurted out so loudly Callum heard her through the receiver, causing him to giggle.
‘How did you guess? And here I was worried you would not approve.’
‘Oh my darling, the two of you are perfect for each other. So tell me, when, where? Come now, I want all the details.’
I relayed the event as it had happened and my mother listened with delight, squealing now and then with elation.
‘Let me speak to Callum,’ she interrupted, and I handed the phone to him watching the colour drain from his face as I did.
He inhaled deeply before placing the receiver to his ear, ‘Hello Mrs Porter, how are you?’
‘Callum darling, I am so happy, but first you will have to ask Joel for permission, hold on.’
Before Callum had a chance to get a word in edgeways she gave the phone to my father.
Callum went transparent he was so pale, his hands began to shake, and he rubbed his forehead nervously.
‘Good evening Callum,’ my father’s gruff voice echoed through the phone.
Callum looked at me for help, but all he got in return were five pairs of eyes teasingly laughing back at him.
‘Good evening sir, hope you are well.’
‘Yes, very good, thank you. So son, what is this you need to ask me?’
Callum took the phone away from his ear and held it to his chest as he took a deep, deep breath, wiped his forehead once more, exhaled and then replaced the phone to his ear. He turned his back on all of us clearly realising he was not going to get any support from us.
‘Sir, I asked Skye to marry me, and she said yes but I would very much like to have your blessing. Sir, I know this should not be over the phone, but Skye did not want to wait until we got home to tell you. Uhm, please sir. Please?’
A round of giggles erupted from behind him, and Callum waved his free hand at us, pleading for us to stop agitating him.
‘Well Callum, if she has already agreed to marry you there is not much else I can do about it. But yes, you do have my blessing, I am very pleased she has agreed my boy. May I speak with her, please?’
Callum passed the phone back to me on his way outside to the pool area without saying a word.
‘Hello Daddy,’ I said a little on the weary side as I watched Callum bend over with his hands on his knees.
I wondered if my father had decided to be difficult.
‘So what do you think?’ I asked.
‘Skye my dear, I would not wish a better man for you, I am very happy for you my darling.’
He went on about a few things, but I did not pay much attention, my eyes only focused on Callum. As soon as I put the receiver down I rushed outside to Callum, still bent over.
‘Hey, what’s wrong?’ I asked, tenderly placing my arm on his back as I spoke.
He stood up and faced me and then I realised what a big step it had been for him. His face smeared with tears.
‘I love you; I am so happy.’
He grabbed me and hugged me for the longest time. I was in awe that someone actually loved me so much.
‘I love you. Did my father give you a hard time?’
‘No, I think the moment just got the better of me and all the long nights wondering if you would say yes, the relief was probably a little overwhelming.’
‘All the long nights? How long have you been preparing for this?’ I teased watching the creases disappear from his face.
‘Since the day, I found you at your audition.’
What was I to say in response to that? I kissed him instead, and the passion of his kiss in return made my toes curl.
‘I love you,’ I said again, just in time before we were interrupted by everyone else waiting to celebrate.
On our arrival back at my parents’ house a few days later we walked into a celebratory party.
‘Congratulations!’ everyone shouted as we walked into the house.
Callum jumped from fright, and I squealed.
‘Mom, what have you done?’
‘I invited your cousins and a few family friends over to celebrate your engagement.’
She didn’t wait for me to respond, instead threw her arms around Callum and then finding the ring on my finger proceeded to parade me, my hand and my ring around the room.
‘Sorry son but it’s going to be a tough affair reigning Faye in with the wedding plans, if she’s like this now already.’
Callum shook my father’s hand.
‘Thank you, sir, sorry I had to ask you over the phone.’
‘None of this “sir” business, please call me Joel.’
‘We want a small, simple wedding and would rather have a really good honeymoon.’
‘Have fun telling Faye that,’ my father laughed, and Callum chuckled along with him as the two of them watched me getting dragged alongside my mother like a ragdoll.
It was only two days later that we finally had the chance to sit down alone with my parents to discuss what we wanted for the wedding.
‘A small affair will not do,’ my mother exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, ‘I only have one child which means this will be my only wedding! It has to be a grand occasion, not a small affair.’
‘Mom, it is what we want it to be, we would rather use the money to go on a great honeymoon than spend it on other people’s stomachs.’
Mother gasped, mortified, ‘Rubbish; it’s tradition and besides what will the family say?’
‘What will they say, Mom? Half of them are not going to get invited.’
‘Oh no, no, you have to invite them all!’
And so the argument went on and on between my mother and me until finally my father put his foot down.
‘Faye, it is their wedding, not yours. I am sure you will be the most glamorous mother of the bride that has ever existed, but if it’s a small affair that they want then that is what they will get.’
He turned to us, ‘Skye, Callum, plan what you want but Skye, please appease your mother with an elaborate wedding dress. Callum come with me son.’
Callum obeyed and left the room as fast as lightning to escape the evil glares of my mother.
During filming, getting into the character of a woman with a disability was very difficult – even if she was so vibrant and we were filming the scenes when she was at the lowest point in her life – when I was so happy.
Filming was to be completed in about six months but rather to be safe than sorry we set the wedding date for July. Callum was able to get a week’s leave for our honeymoon.