Eye of the Beholder (34 page)

A
t 4:50 on Saturday afternoon, the sky over Seaport was polished blue marble, its generous swirls of white promising a gorgeous sunset yet to come.

Gordy Jameson stood on the grassy hill that had seemed like a mountain when he was a kid. He inhaled deeply and savored the invigorating smell of salt air. With the red-and-gray lighthouse at his back, he looked out over miles and miles of blue-gray ripples, a balmy October breeze tussling with his shirt. If there was a more perfect spot to avow his commitment to Pam, he didn’t know where it was. He closed his eyes and let the sanctity of the moment speak to his heart.

“You about ready, Gordy?” Will Seevers said.

“In a minute. You got the ring?”

Will patted his pocket. “All set.”

Gordy spotted a fishing boat in the distance, and behind it a flock of gulls hovering and plunge-diving into the water. He thought of his parents and Jenny and the fun outings the four of them had enjoyed over the years on the old Boston Whaler. His only regret on this glorious day was that they would never know Pamela Jameson.

“It’s 4:58, bud. We need to be on other side of the lighthouse.”

Gordy breathed in slowly and let it out, then turned and patted Will on the shoulder. “I’m ready.”

Ellen Jones stood in the shadow of the lighthouse, her arm linked with Guy’s, a gentle sea breeze tickling her hair, and listened to a guitarist sing Paul Stookey’s “Wedding Song,” surprised that after all these years she still remembered every word.

When the song was over, the bride and groom stood facing each other—Gordy dressed in white trousers and a red-and-white Hawaiian shirt that was not tucked in but didn’t quite hide his generous middle, and Pam in a flowing white tea-length dress that set off the radiant glow on her face.

Ellen listened as the minister led Gordy and Pam through their vows and silently renewed her own.

Guy put his lips to her ear. “Leave it to Gordy to do something
different
.”

“I think it’s sweet.”

Ellen smiled when Guy put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer as if to say he agreed.

She thought about love and how it evolves with time and experience. There was something special about two people who had weathered five decades of living with all its joys and sorrows, including the loss of a spouse, entering into the oneness of marriage already knowing so many of its secrets.

A great egret flew overhead, glowing white in the afternoon sun, its graceful wings spread as if it were somehow symbolizing the Creator’s blessing on this union.

“You may kiss your bride.”

Gordy cupped Pam’s face in his hands and tenderly pressed his lips to hers, then broke into a wide grin, a runaway tear dripping down his cheek.

The minister stretched out his arms. “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Jameson.”

By six o’clock the beach was swarming with well-wishers, and Pam and Gordy stood behind a draped table under a huge white canopy, cutting the wedding cake.

Guy Jones put his lips to Ellen’s ear. “What kind of cake is that?”

“I think it’s supposed to be a crab. Looks like chocolate.” The corners of her mouth twitched. “Rather creative, I’d say.”

Guy glanced at his watch. “How long do you want to stay?”

“We just got here. I’m sure they’re going to have a reception line, and we have to sample the buffet.” She looked at him knowingly. “Just hold your head high, Counselor. Most of these people don’t know who you are. Oh, look, there’s Julie and Ross.” Ellen went over and put her arms around them.

Guy stood with hands in his pockets and tried not to make eye contact with any one. He felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

“Hel-lo, Guy.” Billy Lewis stood with his wife clutching his arm. He wondered if she grinned even when she slept. “Did you like Mr. G’s wed-ding?”

“Yeah, it was very nice.”

Billy smiled, his crooked teeth dominating his face. “We are hav-ing hush-pup-pies.”

“That’s nice.” Guy inched away from Billy and Lisa and closer to Ellen. “There must be five hundred people here.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it. Gordy and Pam have a lot of friends.”

Guy saw Will Seevers and his wife mingling with some people he didn’t know. He wondered how much the chief knew about his situation.

He let his eyes wander over the crowd. He recognized the mayor. The manager of the Jiffy Lube. His dentist. The church secretary. The lady from the art gallery. Ali and Mina Tehrani. The DA. Weezie from the crab shack. One of the tellers at the bank.
His barber. His eyes stopped on a stocky man in a yarmulke. He studied the man’s face and turned to Ellen.

“Honey, isn’t that David Kohler, the doctor whose son was killed?”

“I think so. I recognize him from the newspaper.”

“I can’t believe he’s here after what’s he’s just been through.”

Guy noticed Ali Tehrani staring at him and turned away. He heard someone whistle and realized it was Gordy.

The newlyweds stepped away from the cake table and stood with Will and Margaret Seevers. A line was starting to form.

“Oh, good,” Ellen said. “I can hardly wait to hug their necks.”

Guy dutifully followed Ellen and stood in line, surprised at the diversity of people that Gordy and Pam had chosen to invite. He wondered how many of these guests they actually cared about and how many were just customers they invited because it was good for business.

The aroma of something delicious had made its way to Guy’s senses, and he realized he was hungry. Across the way, he spotted another huge white canopy where a buffet table had been set up and dozens of plastic tables and chairs.

He let his eyes flit across a sea of faces and tried to look pleasant as the line inched forward. Every few seconds, he could hear Gordy’s voice above the drone, laughing and talking. He leaned closer to Ellen. “Is there anybody Gordy
doesn’t
know?”

She chuckled. “I doubt it. What impresses me is how he remembers their names and treats them all as if they were family.”

Guy noticed Dr. Kohler standing off to the side and Ali Tehrani walk over and say something to him, surprised when the two men embraced.

“I wonder how calculated that was?” he said to Ellen.

“What?”

He nodded toward the two doctors and noticed he wasn’t the only one watching them.

An hour later, Guy had eaten all he could hold and had given up on getting Ellen out of there any time soon. He walked about fifty yards down the beach, the sound of music and laughter at his back, and looked up at the orangey pink sky. The evening breeze was considerably cooler. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone ambling toward him and realized it was Ali Tehrani.

“I see you lost your wife, too,” Ali said.

Guy nodded. “Last time I saw her, she was with yours.”

“What can I say?” Ali threw up his hands. “Women never seem to run out of things to say.”

“Yes, it’s definitely a curious gender distinction.”

“So how do you know Gordy and Pam?” Ali said.

“From the crab shack. Ellen got to know Gordy after the near fiasco with the Hamilton girl’s kidnapping. How about you?”

“I was his first wife’s oncologist. Gordy and Jenny stole my heart, and I developed a special bond with him that has lasted all this time. I’m so happy he has found love again.”

“I didn’t know Jenny, but he sure seems crazy about Pam.”

Guy listened to the hissing of the surf as it washed up on the sand and wished Ali would move on.

“I am very sorry about your secretary,” Ali finally said.

“Thanks.”

“Ellen told us the media is trying to turn this into something it isn’t. I understand what that feels like.”

Guy decided he wasn’t about to touch that one.

“If you ever feel a need to talk about it with someone who understands your frustration, I would be glad to listen.”

Guy focused on a hermit crab scurrying across the sand. “How have
you
dealt with it?”

“Poorly, I’m afraid. My refusal to answer their questions has only raised more. Why the media persists in portraying all Muslims as violent and dangerous is beyond me.”

Guy bit his lip.
Ask me. I could give you a few hundred reasons
.

“It was not my wish to offend you,” Ali said.

“I know.”

The silence that followed was more obnoxious than the reception noise Guy had just walked away from.

“Please,” Ali said, “I would prefer you say what’s on your mind.”

Guy pushed his hands deeper into his pockets. “All right. What offends me is that while Muslims around the world call for jihad against the United States, Muslim Americans refuse to denounce those threats or the terrorist attacks. Your saying nothing comes across as approval.”

Ali nodded. “I have come to realize that and have determined it must change. Muslims are afraid they will be seen as disloyal if they speak out against a brother.”

“But you’re antagonizing everyone else.”

“Guy, much confusion and disagreement exists even among Muslims over the meaning of jihad. Most American Muslims are exposed to a broader scope of world news and generally have a different perception. I agree we must find the courage to denounce the violence and call our brothers to peace.”

“When? People are getting increasingly fed up with Muslim communities turning a deaf ear. Just look what’s happened here.”

Ali’s eyebrows gathered. “Daryoush Fassih’s murder was a painful wake-up call for me—but Isaac Kohler’s even more so. We cannot continue to bequeath hate to our children and think they will have a better life. This is not my way. My daughter Sanaz has been taught to respect
every
person. But my nephew Bobak … he has had no such training.”

“Ellen said the FBI cleared him.”

“He was not involved in terrorism, but he speaks hate. I told him he was not welcome in my home. He has gone back to Iran.”

Too bad you didn’t all go with him!

“On behalf of Muslims in this community, I ask your forgiveness
for giving you the impression that we are somehow less patriotic than other Americans. We came here with the same hope as any other immigrant—wanting freedom and opportunity and a better life for our children. We are as horrified as you are about the terrorist activity … and embarrassed that Muslim radicals have given all of Islam a bad name. They simply do not represent our values.”

Guy caught Ali’s gaze. “Then who does?”

The sound of Ellen’s laughter distracted him, and he looked up and saw her and Mina walking toward them.

“
There
you are.” Approval emanated from Ellen’s smile.

“You ready to go?” Guy said, hoping his eyes communicated his desperation.

“Gordy and Pam are getting ready to leave. Why don’t we go see them off first?”

Ali turned to Guy and extended his hand. “Perhaps sometime we could continue our conversation over lunch?”

Guy shook his hand and mumbled something noncommittal, thinking that, with his reputation on the line, all he needed was to be seen breaking bread with Ali Tehrani.

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