The Day Erin Carson Got Married
A Story by Michael Livoti
It had been just a little over a year since she said yes. He asked her on the beach of all places. She knew it was coming that day, although she had suspected it for months.
His mother called that morning checking to see if he popped the question yet. The ringing woke her up, unbeknownst to him. The call of him telling his mother that Tuesday would be the day. He thought she was sleeping, and would have realized the truth had she walked that extra step closer to his line of sight in the kitchen.
Fortunately for him, he remained blissfully unaware of her presence, and she was left with two things to lie about that day.
She had no problem fooling him into thinking she didn’t hear the phone call and continuing to be “aloof” throughout their trip to the beach, but being able to pretend surprise? That would be challenging, and Erin Carson wasn’t sure if she could pull that off.
But seeing Tommy get down on one knee, reach into his back pocket, and show off that magnificent $5000 round diamond symbol of their love, the excitement, followed by the tears and realization that this moment she had dreamed about since she was a little girl was happening, erased any memory of that morning phone call from her mind like an Etch-A-Sketch.
The only thing now that stood in her way from being Ms. Erin Carson to Mrs. Thomas Holloway, was that one magic word, which she shouted louder than the waves crashing down on the sand nearby.
“Yes!”
It had been two years, and three months to be exact, since Tommy popped the big question. Only four more days, until they set sail for Rome, and three days until they engaged in wedded bliss. That Wednesday was Erin’s last day of work before the festivities filled her life.
She was a Physical Therapist at Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens.
It wasn’t the best day for a new client, but this was the job. So Erin did what she always did best and gave her usual bright smile like the pro that she was.
“His name is Rick Douglas,” Jess said before giving Erin the clipboard. “He’s 74. Seems like a nice man, but I heard he’s pretty quiet. Be a little patient with this one.”
According to his chart, his MS had caused a fall down the stairs that broke his left leg in three places. This had not been the first time he had to visit the hospital with a similar injury, and gone through rehab.
He was sitting in a wheelchair by the TV playing an old episode of The King of Queens. His attention was somewhere else, that sort of look one has when they have nothing left to lose. Just patiently waiting for the timer to run out, and the pain to stop. Pain that’s draped over his body like a blanket for far too many years. He was tired of it all and just wanted it over.
“Hello, Rick?” Erin said, pulling up a chair next to him. “My name is Erin. It’s very nice to meet you.”
Rick took his gaze out of the invincible fog of loneliness and finally gave her the stare. “Millu.” Rick mumbled.
While Erin couldn’t entirely make out what he said, her best guess was ‘Hello’, but she decided it wasn’t worth investigating much further.
His leg was on a splint, with pins keeping its mangled existence in place. His foot was purple and swollen, but the tips of his toes were somehow a perfect pale white that matched the rest of his skin.
“How are you today?” She asked.
He shrugged, the sort of ‘what can I say, it is what it is’ shrug.
“Do you go by Rick or Richard?”
“My name isn’t actually Rick.” He said, finally clear enough for her to understand. “It’s actually Buster. Rick is just a nickname because everyone always said I looked like the actor Alan Rickman.”
“Snape from the Harry Potter movies?” Erin asked with a chuckle.
Buster nodded. “He was also in Die Hard and Galaxy Quest.”
“I love those movies,” Erin said smiling. “I used to say I was gonna marry Bruce Willis one day.”
“I never saw it. But I heard it was good.”
“Well, I’ll call you Buster from now on. But there are certainly worse people to be nicknamed after.”
Buster nodded and gave her a half-smirk that was only visible on the right side of his face.
“So, would you like to talk about what it is we’re gonna do with you here?” Erin said, in her usual optimistic inflection.
“Will I have you the whole time?” He asked.
“I’m sorry?” Erin asked confused.
“Well I know you’re getting married on Saturday, then you’re off to Rome, so I don’t think you’d have much time for me.”
“How did you know about that?” Erin asked, confused, with a curious smile.
“I overheard, some of the other PTs talking about it. I’m sorry I was eavesdropping. It gets a little boring just sitting here with nothing else to do.”
“Oh, it’s ok. Well, yes but only for a week. As soon as I come back you’ll have me again.”
“How long have you two been together?”
Erin was taken aback by the question. She didn’t want to be rude, but having this conversation with a stranger, especially a patient at work, didn’t seem like the right time or place. “Well, if you don’t mind…”
Buster put up his ‘stop right there, I get it' hand.
“I’m sorry that wasn’t appropriate,” Buster said nervously chuckling. “I guess I’m just uncomfortable, I’ve never enjoyed doing this. I’ve been here a lot, and with all due respect, this was always my least favorite part. The snake oil pitch.”
“Which part?”
“You people tell me about all these things you’re gonna do to help me with whatever part of my body is screwed up that day, and I’m supposed to feel confident in the work.
‘Next thing I know, I’m exhausted, and in more pain than before. You get richer, and I’m back here in another three months.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way. You’re right, I can’t work miracles. I wish I could, it would certainly make my job a lot easier. All I can do is my best to try and help you feel better, even if for a little while.”
“You’re nicer than most of the doctors I’ve had,” Buster said with a smile on his face. “Most of them couldn’t care less. But I can tell you’re a good person. I’m sorry for being cold.”
She waved her ‘don’t worry about it, already forgotten’ hand. “I understand. This is never easy for anyone. But I promise I’m gonna make this process as easy as I can.”
“That’s something else I hear a lot.” Buster continued. “I guess I asked about your fiancé because most of the people I work with are usually so emotionless. You seemed nice. I get lonely sometimes, and I guess I didn’t want you to just see me as some patient. I wanted to talk a little bit. But you’re right, it’s none of my business. Please, go on.”
“So, what we’re gonna do is…” Erin wanted to get back to work. She knew this wasn’t the time or place for this conversation, yet she couldn’t help but feel sorry for this old, fragile, sad man. She couldn’t explain why, but she felt like she had to tell him more.
“Almost four years.” She said.
“I’m sorry?”
“We’ve been together almost four years.” She said, begrudgingly. “Just over three and a half actually.”
“Well, that’s not very long at all.”
Erin nervously chuckled.
“How’d you meet?” Buster asked excitedly.
“At a party.”
“Work party?”
“No, Super Bowl party.”
“Yours?”
“No my brother’s.”
“What does he do?”
Erin was getting increasingly more uncomfortable with the conversation.
“Buster, maybe we should get back to you?”
“I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that one. Just one last question, and then I’ll stop.”
Erin took a deep, bordering on impatient, breath.
“Shoot.” She said.
“Where are you getting married?”
Erin took another deep breath. She didn’t want to answer, but that feeling was still there. It was like she was in a trance.
“Garden Manor.” Erin lied. She couldn’t explain (or maybe control) why she was having the conversation with this man. But, she could most certainly control what was true or not.
“The catering hall in North Massapequa?” He asked, almost surprised. “I thought they had closed that place after that last guy left.”
“They did, but it was reopened.”
“Well, that’s convenient.”
“Anyway, we should get back to you.”
“Do you love him?”
“Excuse me?”
“Your fiancé, do you love him? I don’t mean engaged love. You love your in-laws when you’re engaged. I’m talking about money problems, kids are driving you crazy, too much time at the office sort of love?”
Any feelings of sympathy from Erin had gone away and were now replaced with annoyance.
“I’m sorry Buster,” Erin defensively said. “But I really don’t feel comfortable talking about this anymore.”
“Tommy is a very nice guy, but is he the right one?” Buster asked confidently.
Erin couldn’t believe what she had heard.
“How did you know his name was Tommy?”
Buster sighed and licked his lips trying to find the next words to say.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” Buster said, before adjusting himself in his wheelchair, as best he could. “But like I said, you seem like a nice person, and you deserve to know.”
“Buster, please stop. You’re scaring me, I don’t wanna talk about…”
“You can’t go through with your wedding.” He interrupted.
“What did you say?”
“Erin I need you to listen to me now.”
“No, I need you to tell me what you just said!” Erin demanded angrily.
“I know who you are,” Buster said, more firm than anything before this. “I know more about you than you think. I know more about you than you do.”
“Ok, we’re done here.”
Erin began to stand up, before he grabbed her arm, freezing her in place.
“Erin, please. I know this is hard for you to hear, and I’m sure a little scary. I was afraid of it at first too. But now I see it for what it is. It’s a gift. A gift I’m giving to you.”
“What gift?”
“Please sit down.” Buster pleaded. “If you sit back down, and listen, I’ll explain everything. If after that you still don’t believe me, you can transfer me.”
Once again, out of some strange control she couldn’t understand, she sat back down as Buster loosened his grip on her arm eventually freeing it.
“I lied to you,” Buster said. “I didn’t hear anyone talking about your wedding. I knew you were getting married before you sat down to introduce yourself. I knew how long you and Tommy have been together. I know you lied about getting married at Garden Manor, probably because you didn’t trust me, which I get. I know you’re getting married at the Marsh Inn, out east.
‘But most importantly, I know you’re gonna suffer a great tragedy in your life if you marry Tommy. Which is why you can’t go through with it.”
“What tragedy?”
“I don’t know. I can’t see that far.”
“You can’t see?” Erin shouted.
This caused the rest of the room to turn all attention towards Erin and Buster.
She composed herself slightly, looked around the room, and leaned in with a more whispered though still intense tone to her voice. “What does that mean?”
“I can see things before they happen. Sometimes they’re clear, and I can make them out as if they were happening right in front of me. Other times, I can’t. They just don’t come out as clearly.
‘I can’t tell you what, or when this will happen to you. But I can tell you something terrible will happen. Something that you can avoid, but only if you don’t go through with the wedding.
‘It could happen during the honeymoon. When you choose to have children, or if you have children. It could happen at your grandchild’s high school graduation. It will be terrible, and it will ruin your life.”
Erin had never felt such a rush of disgust, disturbance, and curiosity in her whole life. She didn’t like this feeling, but she also couldn’t escape it. She got on the ride, now she just had to wait for it to end.
“Why are you doing this to me?”
“Because you’re not like the other ones. You’re nice, and I believe you can help me, so I wanna help you.”
Erin stood up and walked away without saying a word.
“Erin please, don’t do this!” Buster begged one final time.
She went into the bathroom to compose herself. When she walked out, she transferred him, making up some story about him refusing to work with a woman, and never saw him again.
The day of the wedding came, and despite the air of wedded bliss, Erin couldn’t stop thinking about what Buster had said to her.
He couldn’t have been psychic. Perhaps he just heard it from the people at work? Maybe he was just angry at the world, and was screwing with another PT before he died? He did mention how much he hated physical therapists.
Are you gonna ruin your life over this? Turning away from the best thing that has ever happened to you because of some old angry patient bitter at the rest of the world? Or are you gonna spend the rest of your life in fear waiting and worrying about this tragedy that could never happen?
She walked up the aisle with everyone staring at her either crying, taking photos, or muttering to themselves about how beautiful she looked.
She saw Tommy, looking so handsome, with his best man Jake Brice, his best friend since elementary school, at his side.
With each step she got closer, thinking more and more about what to do. As her father passed her off, the reverend spoke his words.
“Do you Tommy, take Erin to be your wife?” The reverend said. “Do you promise to love her, take care of her, and stand by her in sickness and in health?”
“I do,” Tommy said.
The reverend looked toward Erin to ask those same important questions.
This was it. This was the moment she had to decide the rest of her life. Those few seconds felt like hours. Her heart was pounding, her palms were sweating, and her gums were numb.
She made her decision. This was one she had to live with for the rest of her life.
Was he lying? Or was her dark future staring her right in the face right now? This was the only way now.
She opened her eyes, looked Tommy in his, and clenched his hands in hers. Took a deep breath, and said it.
“I do.”