7. Marriage Under The Sun

JANIE COBWEB AGAIN Part 7

Peter was dumbfounded.

He hardly knew this exciting, adventurous woman in terms of the short time he’d apparently spent with her, but in a strange almost hypnotic way he felt he might have always known her.

He looked at her as the sun shone brilliantly onto her beautiful face, and for a moment he ignored the royal couple half looking their way.

But he had no time to think about her suggestion of actual marriage to him when there was an almost inaudible wooshing sound that lasted mere seconds, and that royal couple were no longer anywhere near and he was standing in the living room at home talking to his mother when the front door bell was rung.

“Now who can that be? On your birthday, too. I’ll bet it’s for you!” she said, smiling, and went to open the door.

Moments later she was back in the room, Peter was still feeling more confused than he’d ever felt in a life that seemed to have consisted of odd moments, and she returned.

“Well look who’s come on your birthday, son,” she said with the broadest of smiles, “who would have thought it, and you told me not moments ago that you hardly know her!”

“I thought I’d best come and give you an answer, Peter,” said Janie Cobweb, looking and sounding mischievous.

“An answer?” he spluttered, wondering what she might be on about.

“Of course! Darling don’t you remember? You asked me to marry you!”

Peter knew he’d never done any such thing though he was equally well aware that this eccentric and strangely familiar woman had actually suggested it herself. Did she want to marry him? Did she want to spend the rest of her apparently exciting life living the life of boring him?

Did she know anything about him?

Or was she simply wanting to ruin his birthday more than his having to go to work in less than half an hour would?

Er…” he said, aware that there was sudden silence in the room while two sets of female eyes were concentrating on his face.

“So I’ve come to give you my answer,” grinned Janie, and from the twinkle in her eyes he knew that she was doing more than merely teasing him. “What do you say to women officiating at secular weddings?” she asked.

“S-s-secular weddings?” he stammered.

“Poor boy, you’re shocked,” put in his mother.

Janie giggled. “You know, no silly church nonsense, no vicar or priest trying to make out they know all about you and the things you dream of. Just a straight forward wedding officiated by a lady. The female of the species is best, I think, more understanding. Like your mum, for instance.”

But mum isn’t a Registrar!

“I’d happily perform the ceremony if I was qualified,” said his mother, “and it’s a crying shame that I can’t! Don’t you think the whole world would be a better place if we mothers, who know our sons better than anyone else, could say the words and join their lads with a beautiful young woman like Janie here?”

No it wouldn’t!

“You know,” said Janie Cobweb, “I once read a book about Egypt and the queens of Egypt. Have you ever heard of Queen Nefertiti? She was the wife of one of the most famous Pharaohs in Egyptian history and she lived, what, more than three thousand years ago…”

You know that I have!

“Er, maybe,” he muttered, floundering. “Probably,” he added, more confidently.

“She was out one day with Akhenaten, her husband and the ruler of all Egypt, when the two of them thought they saw something really strange, like two shadowy figures walking and talking, and behind them was the rising sun, bright, glorious, masterful. And that Pharaoh actually believed from that moment that it was the sun talking to him, and so did the beautiful Nefertiti. And she was beautiful, Peter, but then she would be, wouldn’t she?”

If it wasn’t for that daft hat she wore!

“Er, maybe…”

“You must know, lover-boy! Because it was at that point everything in his world changed. Up to then the Egyptians had a whole load of different gods to worship, gods in charge of this and gods in charge of that, and in that moment when Akhenaten and Nefertiti saw us… I mean, saw the figures misty through the sun, he saw that there could only be one god. It was what we call the sun, but what he called the Aten. He even changed his name from Amenhotep! And he ordered that all other gods be forgotten and everyone should worship the Aten!”

What is Janie waffling on about now? thought Peter

“That’s most interesting,” said his mother, “I never knew that!”

“And the idea caught on,” smiled Janie, “and other religions copied the idea. But back then most religions had their birth in the middle East. You only have to cross the Suez Canal from Egypt going East and you’re just about in what’s been called the Holy Land where some religions were born, like Christianity. And they have but the one god. It was probably Akhenaten and Nefertiti seeing two misty shadows in the sun that gave them all the idea.”

I don’t believe she just said that!

“Er, no,” he said, “it could be because that one god is what is.”

Janie grinned broadly. “So my answer is yes! I will marry you, Peter, I will join you in that blissful state of two people being equal in every sense, including the loving one. You do love me, don’t you?”

Do I love her? What a question, and mum’s standing there, listening and smiling!

“Janie,” he said when he felt silence from him had gone on for quite long enough, “I’ve loved you for ever, and you know that. I even loved you when you were called Jane and we ran together in the school playground and I ignored all the boys because I had you as my very best friend!”

“So you remember that?” grinned Janie.

“Of course I do. But then, you went abroad and we lost contact.”

“That was necessary, Peter, because I needed to know that you wouldn’t forget me. And when you were in your teens I came back and when I saw you it was as if I’d never been away. Excuse me, Peter’s mum, but I really, really want to kiss your son!”

And at that she draped herself on Peter, her body seeming almost to absorb him, and her mouth searched for his, and found it. The kiss might have lasted for moments or for hours, time had lost all meaning, and Peter found no trouble in returning it with the same passion that she was showing him.

Then they parted.

“Goodness me! I’d better put the kettle on!” said Peter’s mum, grinning and hoping he wouldn’t see how happy she was for him.

“I’ll be late for work,” gabbled Peter.

“I called in and told them you weren’t working today,” grinned Janie, “I said you were not quite yourself today, and they believe dme. They had to!” and she giggled.

I hope that’s true...

“And we’d better set a date,” smiled Janie Cobweb, “the sooner the better because there are all sorts of paths we might walk down in the years ahead, and I want us to go together, every step of the way!”

THE END

© Peter Rogerson 12.05.22