Tina and Chul stood at attention like wedding cake ornaments opposite the minister’s podium. The Reverend Lim was twenty minutes into his homily, and he had another fifteen minutes to go.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” The minister quoted the verse in a thunderous voice, ill matched for his slight figure. The Reverend Lim couldn’t have been more than five feet tall—his body lost in his black acetate robe. His mop of black hair was greased into place, yet it shook as he pointed his childlike index finger at the bride and groom. His diction was very good, but his accent was difficult to understand.
Nevertheless, three hundred guests paid close attention to him. It was hard not to. He pounded on the podium often to emphasize his points and was easily moved to tears.
Unu knocked on Casey’s knee with his. He whispered, “I kind of like him. He’s got—”
“He’s crazy,” she answered in a soft voice.
“No.” Unu shook his head in disagreement. “He’s passionate. He believes his message.”
Casey was a bit taken aback by this. She’d been embarrassed by the minister’s dramatic physical display and bad accent and thought Unu would be, too. She turned around slightly—the guests were listening to him raptly.
Suddenly the minister lowered his voice. “What is the pearl of great price?”
The guests lifted their heads, their necks straightening.
Casey was getting annoyed. Jesus? she thought. In Sunday school, that was usually the safe bet for everything.
The minister turned in her direction suddenly. Looking straight at her, he said, “You are the pearl of great price.” Casey froze.
He continued, “I am the pearl of great price.” Then he pointed to the middle of the pews. “He is the pearl of great price.” The minister lowered his head solemnly. “And God, dear God Himself, sold everything He had to buy you. He sacrificed His only son—selling everything, absolutely everything, because you are His beloved, and you are the pearl of great price. Do you see that, my dear brothers and sisters? Do you feel how much He loves you?” Lim raised both hands in the air—his billowing sleeves falling to his suit sleeve elbows. Then he clapped loudly, punctuating his statement. His eyes filled with tears. “God loves you now. You are His priceless treasure.” With hurried steps, the Reverend Lim approached Tina and Chul.
“Now, children, you must love each other deeply, seeing the treasure that you are to each other. As God sees the treasure in you. And each of you must help the other grow closer to God, for that is the true purpose of marriage. Whenever you feel apart from your beloved, see if you are helping your mate grow closer to God—the One who truly, truly sees your value. You are rich. Wealthy beyond measure in talents and love. You are a divine creation. And your mate is the half of another divine creation.” The Reverend Lim placed Chul’s hand over Tina’s.
“Your value will never rise or fall with your beauty, work, or money. Your worth is priceless. You must remember that.” The minister wept openly, and Casey turned away, feeling both irritated and embarrassed. She glanced at Tina and realized that Tina wasn’t holding her bouquet. She whispered to Unu, “Her flowers.”
“Hmm?” he replied, not understanding her.
“Tina forgot her flowers in the basement.”
“Does it matter?” he asked.
Casey turned to her mother. “Tina’s flowers.”
“Mahp soh sah,” Leah uttered in surprise. “Can you get them? They must be—” She grew distressed. “She needs them for the photographs. When she walks down the aisle,” she said. “Casey, can you get the flowers?”
As quietly as she could, Casey got up and left the sanctuary. She walked out of the service just as the minister was preparing to ask the bride and groom to take their vows.
When Casey reached the choir room where Tina had gotten dressed only an hour before, she found Ted with his back turned to her. His right hand was on the handle of the stroller, and with his left, he was holding a mobile phone. His voice was tender, and initially Casey thought he was talking to his daughter, but she saw that Irene was asleep.
“I’ll be there, baby. Around eleven. I can get there then, okay?. . . Okay?” His voice was full of love.
Casey leaned against the door frame of the choir room, its doors swung wide open. What was he thinking? The caterers were making noise as they set up for the reception in the church kitchen, but otherwise the halls were empty of guests.