The Brandywine Prophet

7.5 Marionette Strings

If the past and future relationship of Sarah Huggins and William Carmel was distilled to three defining days, it would be the weekend of April 18, 1987. 

On Saturday, Sarah wore a dark-blue bustle-back dress with elbow-length sleeves and a bow in back. Her shoes were simple--nude, closed-toe heels--and she borrowed a pearl necklace from her sister. William wore jeans and a tan blazer over a blue v-neck.

That afternoon, the couple was married at the Grand Rapids courthouse with Allison Huggins as their only witness.

The next day was Easter Sunday. William was dunked three times into Lake Michigan by Pastor VanDuyn, then emerged shivering and smiling, a wingless phoenix with a forgiven past. He hugged Sarah on the beach with lumbering, wet arms. A handful of friends skipped their traditional Easter dinners to be present at the baptism; mostly young Brandywine couples who became acquainted with the Carmels through The Church of the Dunes. When Sarah invited the gathering to their home for finger-food and fellowship, she didn’t expect anyone to accept. But they did--every one of them--and those with children brought them. With the impromptu potluck at the base of the hill, the Carmel family accidentally began a new tradition.

On Monday, Sarah Carmel arrived home with a five-week-old black and brown puppy with the face of a Labrador and the coat of a German Shepherd. She wrapped the dog in a picnic blanket from the trunk of her car, then knocked on the screen-door and beckoned her new husband to the porch. “Did you smoke pot today?” she asked.

“Quite a greeting,” he said and pecked her cheek. “How was your improv class, beautiful?”

“Did you smoke pot today?” she asked again.

“Why would you ask me--”

“Did you smoke--”

“No!”

“Did you drink today?”

“No.”

“Did you do any other illegal substances today?”

“No, Sarah!”

She tilted her head and grinned. “Do you remember what today is?” The bulge squirmed in her arms.

“April twenty is a counterculture holiday... but I promise I didn’t--”

“Do you know what else today is?”

The corners of his eyes drooped.

“Think hard, Bill Hikock,” she said and winked.

He finally got the hint. He tried to stay cool, but the effort only forced more blood to his cheeks. “I don’t know how you do this to me,” he said. “I’m a thirty years old man, hard as a rock, and you come along and make me blush.”

“It’s because I’m your wife,” she said. The blanket moved again.

“Whatcha got there?” he asked and peered over her arms.

“It’s a present to celebrate a year of staying clean.” The feisty gift pushed its face against the blanket. Sarah readjusted her hold while trying to keep a straight face. “You changed your whole life to be with me that day... and I wanted to get you something special to show how much I appreciate you.” She couldn’t contain the animal anymore. It yipped, wiggled its tiny nose through the blanket, and cocked its head at William.

He plucked the puppy from under it’s shoulders and held it over his head. The dog--glad to be free of the blanket--scrambled its legs against Will’s chest and licked his face up and down.

“She’s gorgeous,” he said.

“She’s blind in her left eye. They had two male pups without any problems, but they weren’t as cute and not as special.”