The Young Seamstress

by Jane Manning

Len sat in his comfy old armchair, his newspaper crumpled in his lap. He could hear Mavis clattering around in the kitchen obviously in a real old paddy.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she breaks one of her precious cups," he muttered to himself. Sure enough, he heard the sound of breaking china and a loud "Hell and damnation".

Len knew why she was so cross. She had kept on about having a big party for their 50th wedding anniversary and he had said that he was far too old for partying and he had much better things to do with his money than waste it feeding hordes of greedy relatives.

"Lets go out and have a quiet meal together just you and me and maybe a drink or two afterwards" he had suggested but a row had followed. "You only want to have a posh party to copy Mrs. Travers" Len said crossly which had been a fatal mistake.

Mrs Travers was big at the W.I.; well actually she was big all over like a big billowing cloud in fact- still that was another story. Anyway Mrs Travers had just had a huge do to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary, all gold decorations and three-tier cake and a guest list that read like who's who.

Len was surprised that Mr. Travers who was a weedy little bloke, had stayed with the stuck up old snob all these years. Everyone knew that the poor bloke had to spend his evenings in the Legion just to get a bit of peace and quiet and he certainly wouldn't be celebrating 50 years with that old trout. Still, Len didn't want his Mavis unhappy.

They had got married not long after the end of World War Two when he came out of the army.
They had no money then so no white wedding just a quick registry office do. He wore his demob suit and she wore a cream suit cleverly made out of curtains. They had no honeymoon, or even a reception but they had been so very happy all these years. Together they had faced serious problems, like when Len had been made redundant just when they were expecting their first child. Mavis bless her heart had taken in sewing again to help keep them and things had been very tight for a long time.

Len went into the kitchen and put his arms around his wife. "Come on love, don't lets quarrel about something so silly".

"It's not silly" she sniffed " Still if you don't want a party then I suppose I will have to agree - it really wouldn't be much fun having a party on my own".

Len smiled to himself. Actually he had big plans of his own for this special anniversary but there was no way he was telling her. She had looked after him and the two kids all these years through thick and thin and it had mostly been thin. Mavis had been a good mother and homemaker and a brilliant, loving companion.

Even after 50 years, his heart still did a double somersault whenever she gave him one of those special looks that she reserved just for him. It was now time for him to do something extra special for her to show her how much he cared. He could cope if she decided to go off into one of her sulks over this party after all hadn't he coped with all her different moods for 50 years?

The day of their Golden Wedding Anniversary arrived. It was a glorious day, bright sunshine and blue skies, perfect. Len went slowly and carefully upstairs carrying a special breakfast. On the tray was a bottle of champagne, orange juice, a red rose and a little black box. "Happy anniversary my love" Len laughed at her surprised face. He poured them each a glass of Buck's Fizz and then got back into bed.

"Oh Len this is lovely and such a surprise" Mavis smiled her special smile at him.

Len took her hand. "You are the lovely one my love". Clinking glasses, he smiled fondly at her. "Open your box pet"

She squealed with delight when she saw the diamond solitaire nestling in the black velvet of the box.
"Len thank you, I really didn't expect anything like this."

."Well I was never able to afford an engagement ring for you when we got wed and I always promised myself that I would get you one someday".

Mavis looked at him with starry eyes "This is the most wonderful day"

Len grinned." This is nothing yet. We have an appointment with the vicar at 12pm but only if you agree to marry me all over again but this time in church and in the sight of God. Mavis smiled through her tears. "I can think of nothing I would rather do than marry you again and especially today"

She gasped, "I've got nothing to wear"

Len smiled, he really had thought of everything today. "Look in the wardrobe my pet, I think you will find something very suitable". Mavis almost ran to look.

The most beautiful white lace dress was hanging inside, complete with matching shoes, gloves and a coronet of white freesias. Mavis was almost struck dumb, probably for the first time in her life. Such a wave of emotion poured over her. She and Len had been together all these years and she truly thought she knew him inside and out and yet he had somehow managed to do all these wonderful things for her completely without her knowledge.

"Oh Len, you great soft lump, I really love you, I didn't care about diamond rings and fancy parties when we got wed, all I cared about was you and I still do care about you more than anything else".

Later when they went through the church doors and she saw rows of friends and relations all waiting to see Len and her coming down the aisle, the lump in her throat that had been threatening all day, spilled over into a sudden rush of tears of happiness.

When they reached the altar, with Len's hand holding hers firmly, just as he always had down through the years, she saw to her amazement, both their kids sitting in the front pews plus her grandson John from Australia with his two little ones and Margaret from Glasgow with the new baby that she hadn't yet seen.

"Oh Len this is so wonderful how have you managed to afford all this?"

Len smiled lovingly down at his wife who looked like a young bride in her white lace. " Don't you worry about the money, today is your day and it is worth every penny to see you happy". . "Any way you ain't seen nothing yet. After this we are having a wedding breakfast at the Victoria hotel and then we leave for a cruise to the Canary Islands for the honeymoon we never had, so just relax and enjoy your day". Len squeezed Mavis's hand tightly and whispered in her ear, "We may have waited 50 years for a proper wedding but I think I have the most beautiful bride in the whole world".

Mavis looked up at her Len with eyes full of happy tears and remembered back down the years.
The years which had been filled with a mix of joy and sorrow, the birth of the children and the grandchildren, the hard years, the poor years, but always happy years. The day Len had come into the little back street shop, where had she worked long hours as a seamstress, to have his baggy demob suit altered, had to be the luckiest day of her life.