Asthelimoturnedrightontothecobblestonestreetindowntown,NewBedfordapeculiarsilencecame

overeveryone.Icouldfeelthewarmteardroptrickledownmycheek.Myheartbegantobeatfasterand
faster,thesoundechoedtomyearssoundinglikearacetrack.AsthelimopulledupinfrontofthechurchI
tookadeepbreath.IcouldnotrememberifIhadbeenbreathingthewholetimeornot.Itwassuchawarm
dayinlateJune,mydresswasveryfullandheavy,Ihadtoremindmyselftokeepbreathingtokeepfrom
passingout.Thedoortothelimobegantoopen.Mybridesmaidsgaspedandbegantocryout"Herewego;
thisisit,Mrs.Peixoto".Mrs.Peixoto?Iwasn'tmarriedyet.Inervouslychuckledbackatthem.Theyexited
thelimo,whileIsatanxious,nervouslycontemplatingmydecisionwhichhadcomesosuddenly.Time
seemedtohavejumpedforward.

"IneedtogotoBrasil."Hestatedonlyfourmonthsearlier.

Iwasdevastated.Insuchashortperiodoftimeofdatinghehadhelpedmechangesomanyaspectsof
myselfIlovedhimsomuchandIknewhefeltthesameforme.Herehewastellingmehecouldnolonger
stayintheUnitedStatesbecausehewasonlyonatouristvisa.

"WhatifImakeyoustayandwegetmarried"Isaidonlyhalfjoking.Wehadonlybeendatingforabout
twoandahalfmonths.Iwaswaitingforthe"Noway,yourcrazy"or"wearetooyoung",butthosewords
nevercame.Insteadwegazedintoeachotherseyesandhesaid"Euteamo!"Thatnightwepickedoutour
weddingdateusingadeckofcards.

Exitingthelimoinmybeautifulofftheshoulderweddinggownwithfullskirt,scallopedlacetrim,hand
sewnbeads,andaSpanishmantillaveil,IlookedupattheSeaman'sBethel.Iwasonlynineteen.HereI
wasmarryingamanwhoIlovedmorethananypersoncouldloveanother.Iknewatthatmomentmylife
wouldchangeforever.Ourcourtshipwasnottypical.Wedidn'tcommunicateinthesamelanguage
andwewereculturallydifferent.Mayofourfriendsandfamilyquestionedthemotivesofourmarriage,
butourlovewasourown.

Ienteredthetheoldhistoricalchurchandbegantoascendthestairsontheright.Thefloorsweremadeof
solidwoodandeverystepcouldbeheard.Therewerenamesofdeceasedfishermenliningthewallsofthe
churchinmemoriam,andpaintingsofpriestsofthepast.Youcouldheartheorganistplayingmanyhymns,
like"TheLordIsMyShepard",entertainingtheguestswhohavebeguntoarrive.WhenIreachedthe
landingIwasdesperatelyattemptingtomakeeyecontactwiththemanIwastomarry.Iwantedhis
reassurancethateverythingwasasitwassupposedtobe.Theflowergirlbegantobecomeimpatientand
playfuljumpingupanddownandsinging"RingaroundtheRosie".Thepriestgavethesignaltoenterinto
formation.Ilookedupforaninstantandnoticedayoungmanstandinginfrontofthereplicabowofaship,
smilingnervouslywithhishandsfoldedinfrontwaiting.Hewaswaitingforme.Handsome,familiarand
reassuring.

IrememberedthefirsttimeIhadeverseenhimashewasfillingoutanapplicationforworkatthelocal
pizzeria.HewasthemosthandsomemanIhadeverseen.Hehaddarkthickhair,suductivebrowneyes,
andaBrazilianskintone,buthecouldnotspeakEnglish.IwantedtoknowabouthimthatfirstdaybutI
couldbarelyspeak.Hewassointriguing.Ifeltasifhewaspullingmein.Itwasn'tlongafterourfirst
meetingthatwebeganourattemptsatcommunicating.Thereweremanysmilesandhandgestures,even
bodylanguagethathelpedourlackofcommunication.Ilookedforwardtobeingbyhissideatwork.

Theorganistbegantoplay"AveMaria"andthebridesmaidsbegantowalkonebyonedowntheaisle.I
enteredpasttheorganistandIcouldseemymotherandstepfatherstandinginfrontofmyfuturehusband.I
smiledcontentlyknowingmylifewasmovingon.MyyoungerbrotherRyanwasgivingmeaway.Hewas
onlyfourteenatthetime,andlookedlikesuchayoungman.Ineverknewmybiologicalfatherandthe
onlymanIknewmywholelifeasdadhadrecentlybetrayedme.Iwasn'tlikeeverygirlwhose"daddy"
gaveheraway,thatdreamwastakenfromme,butIhadmybrother.Itwasmywayofmakingastatement
tomyfamily.Astatementscreamingoutthatifyouhurtmewhenyouweresupposedtobeprotectingme;,
too,canmakeyoufeelpain.Mybrothersobbeduncontrollably.Webothknewthatthingswouldbevery
differentfromthisdayforward.Iwasnolongercominghome.Ihadmyownlifenow.Mybrotherwas
nowhelpingmeintoanewlifewhilehewasstuckinmyold.Ittookmanyyearslaterbeforewecouldheal
andunderstandthedamagethatwasbetweenus.Mybrothergivingmyhanduntomyhusbandsisa
momentIwillcherishfortherestofmylife.

Thepriestbegan"WearegatheredheretodaytocelebratetheloveofErinandViniciusinHoly
Matrimony".Icouldnotstoplookingintomyhusband'seyes.Hewassuchanamazingman.Henevertook
advantageofmenordisrespectedme.HetrulycaredandlovedmeforwhoIwas.Earlyinourdatinghe
hadgivenmeanultimatum.Itwaseithergoingtobehimormydrugaddictedpast.Hesawsomething
insidemethatatthattimeIcouldnothaveseen.Hhelpedmetobegintocareaboutmyselfagain,tosee
thattherewassomuchmoretolifethanwhatIhadbeengiven.Mylifewouldbeok,butihadtotakethe
stepstogetthere.

Ibegantothinkaboutthevowswewerereciting.ThepriestaskedViniciustorepeatafterhim"IVinicius
takeyouErin".

Mymindbegantorememberanincidentwhereourlimitedabilitytocommunicatemadeforquiteascene
atourlocalFriendly'srestaurant.MydearsoontobehusbandcouldnotreadthemenuandIhadahard
timespeakingPortuguese.

HeaskedmeinhisbrokenEnglishaccent,"Youeatwhat?"

"TurkeyClubSupermelt"Ireplied.

"Whatisturkey?"heresponded.

Iwasspeechless.Ididnotknowhowtoexplain,soIwentwiththemoreobvious"It'slikeachicken,buta
turkey."

Helookedmoreconfused.Ithoughtademonstrationwouldsurelygethimtorecognizethevisibletraitsof
aturkey,soIbentonearmuplikeawing,putmywigglyfingersundermychin,andsaid"GOBBLE,
GOBBLE."Thewaitress,nowveryentertainedbeganlaughinguncontrollably,andmypoorsoontobe
husbandstilllookeduneasyandstillveryconfused.

Cautiouslyheasked"Peru?"

ImmediatelyIrecognizedthewordfromhighschoolSpanish,yelled"YES!",andbegantolaugh.

Hebecameveryserioussuddenlyandasked,"WhatisGobbleGobble?"

Ishruggedmyshouldersandsaid"Turkeytalk".

Hestartedtolaughhystericallyandsay,"TurkeynoGOBBLEGOBBLE,Turkeysays"GLUGLUGLU".
Webothwelaughingsohardwewerecrying.Evenourturkeyswouldhaveahardtimecommunicating
duetoalanguagebarrier.

Asmyhusbandfinished"tilldeathdouspart",everyoneclapped,congratulatinghimonhislanguageskills
aftersuchashortperiod.Heamazedme.Heneverfaltered,andpushedthroughevenwhenitwashardfor
him.Hedidthisallforme,andIwastheluckiestgirlintheworld.Thepriestwasconcludingtheservices
withatraditionorsymbolthatknowsnolanguage,culture,orethnicity."Youmaynowkissthebride"is
theendoftheceremonybutonlythebeginningofalifetimetogether.WewerenowMr.andMrs.Peixoto
anditwasoverjustasfastasitbegan.

Loveisauniversallanguage.Justbecauseyoudonotspeak,thesamelanguagedoesnotmeantheyarenot
yoursoulmate.Ifitismeanttobe,itwillbe.TherearemanyculturaldifferencesmyhusbandandIhadto
overcome,lookpast,andadaptbutwedidittogether.Wehavehadtohaveopenminds,openheartsand
love.Donotletnaysayerssayitwillnotlast,becausesometimesallittakesisachance.Sevenyearshave
passedandIstillgetthesamefeelingsforhimIdidthefirsttimeIsawhim.Heisnowthefatherofmy
children,myhusband,myprotector,myencourager,andmybestfriend.