The Naked World Is Not Ruined

Events have conspired against us. Note the passive voice. I would like to believe that we have not contributed to our own misery. We thought that the visa process would be quick and painless. It has proved (proven?) to be neither. In-depth searches on the internet - all you can do when stranded stateside - have revealed the fickle, impenetrable and sinister workings of the British Consulate. But who knew? It has caused us much pain to be apart, having to revert to skype chats and to have our relationship resume the abstract quality that we thought was firmly a part of history.

At least, we thought, we would have a temporary respite from this slow drip of loneliness, as James and Sarah were due at Logan Airport on Sunday, Dec. 26. (We would be reunited for our impending wedding on New Year's Eve.) On Sunday, Sarah and James were scheduled to leave Heathrow at 11:00 a.m. (GMT) but strangely their departure entered a series of delays. Oh no! Will they make it? Hours of texting and refreshing the British Airways website. And then yes, a reprieve! They caught the last flight out of Heathrow and made it across the Atlantic. Yippee! The British Airways site said the flight was due in a little after 6:00 p.m. A drive to the airport through slippery, snowy streets and a slushy turnpike. I entered terminal E at Logan to see a couple was hugging upon their reunion. I looked up at the arrivals board.  "Flight 213 - Diverted/See Agent." The delay forced them into the teeth of, what will be known as, the Blizzard of 2010. The plane has been detoured to Toronto.

Now don't get me wrong. I like winter storms and find comfort in the warmth and shelter of home. But when it separates from your loved ones, you see the harsh side of nature. After a full day of anticipation, the slow drip continued.

Or has the dam of devastation broken? Our wedding ceremony may be in jeopardy. I'll see today. In Massachusetts, you apply for a marriage certificate and have to wait three days to return to pick up the license. Our timing was precise but left no margin for...well, I can't call it error...acts of nature. I will find out today if we can proceed with the help of a hopefully, flexible bureaucracy. Will someone come in to the Northampton city clerks office on Friday - when they are closed - to issue us a marriage license? (Can you hear the timpani?)

Am I making this sound melodramatic? Do we sound like passive victims of events? I can't help it. I'm willing to entertain a little self-pity. I have missed the past two months of Sarah's pregnancy. She has been distraught at times and then, as is her nature, regains her composure, and resets her expectations. I have missed valuable time with James, that was to be spent enjoying each other and strengthening our bond. I wanted and want him to be secure in our relationship before the baby is born.

But, the naked world is not ruined. This phrase came to me at three in the morning. Strip away the immediate travails and look at the essentials. Whatever happens in the next week - in terms of the wedding - and in the next months - in terms of my visa, we still have our love for each other.  Eventually we will return to our life together. I try to embrace this thought.

But these may be the last ramblings of a man before he enters and institution. And I don't mean marriage.