Yaakov brought his leg down heavily. STOMP! CRUNCH!
"Youch!"
The loud calls of Mazel Tov and the band's lively music
drowned out Leah's yelp of pain. One of the razor sharp
pieces of glass from the glass had shot its way into her
ankle. Their relatives were wiping away happy tears and their
friends were surging forward under the chupa to hug
the chosson and kalla exuberantly, but all Leah
could think of was, "My ankle HURTS!"
The photographer wondered why the kalla was suddenly
so pale and why she wasn't smiling...
Yaakov's father scowled. Why had no one mentioned that the
kalla limped?
Leah's sister couldn't figure out why the kalla's face
was beaded with sweat. The dancing hadn't started yet and the
chuppa had been held outside where it was cool and
pleasant. Perhaps she was having second thoughts about being
married?
As soon as they reached the yichud room, Leah twisted
to look down -- and wished she hadn't. The bottom edge of her
gorgeous, lacy, elegant, dream-of-a- wedding-dress had
streaks and spatters of bright red blood on it. What kind of
an omen was this for their future life together?
"Leah, what's the matter?" Yaakov asked with the faintest
trace of impatience in his voice. Who ever heard of a five-
minutes married kalla ignoring her new husband?
Leah awkwardly pivoted towards him and hitched up the skirt
of her dress an inch or two. Yaakov's gaze dropped -- then
his jaw dropped as he saw a rapidly spreading puddle of blood
on the polished wooden floor.
"It's from my ankle," Leah whispered. "I think a piece of
glass is stuck in it."
"Oh, oh, oh!" Yakov was horrified. "Hmmm. Let me, uh, go get
a doctor." He strode to the door, then turned back and
brought Leah a chair to sit on. "Be right back."
Less than two minutes passed and a crowd of worried people
burst into the yichud room.
"What did he DO to our daughter?" Leah heard her mother hiss
to her father. Leah's new mother-in-law also heard it and
muttered to Yaakov's father, "Can't believe how fragile they
make them nowadays."
The doctor, an invited friend of the family, examined Leah's
ankle, his face serious. "This needs a few stitches. A small
artery is severed. She's still losing blood and I'd like to
avoid a transfusion if possible. Tell you what: I've got
privileges at a hospital 20 minutes from here. I can put on a
pressure bandage till we get there, then I'll sew her up."
The caterer was wringing his hands. "It's all my fault. I
usually wrap the glass in a cloth napkin, but with two
weddings in one day, I just didn't get to it. Here, I'll
drive you all to the hospital in my van and take care of any
expenses."
"Good idea," said Yaakov's mother decisively. "Leah's parents
will take her to the hospital and the rest of us will stay
here and entertain the guests."
"I'll take Leah to the hospital," Yaakov said. "After
all, she's my wife. Leah, I'm really sorry I hurt you."
Yaakov looked absolutely miserable.
Leah smiled up at Yaakov. She was grateful to see that he was
being a true mensch. "Don't worry, Yaakov. I'm sure we'll
look back on this and laugh."
"That reminds me of something funny that happened here last
week," the caterer babbled as they walked a hobbling Leah out
to his van. "A chosson kept stamping on the glass but
it wouldn't break. Finally, I shouted Mazel Tov, and everyone
danced him away. After they left, I checked the napkin and
saw the chosson's friends had switched the glass for a
golf ball..."
"Can't wait to see the faces of the emergency room staff when
we walk in."
"The photographer didn't come with us? What a pity!'
"Yeah, they'd sure be one-of-a-kind wedding pictures."
They didn't even have to wait to look back and laugh. They
were already laughing. Now THAT, thought Leah, was a perfect
omen for their future life together...
