The Language of Love.

Marita sneaks into the kitchen and places her arms lovingly around the waist of her husband. David is stretching the dough for the home baked bread they will serve to their family later that evening, they can hardly believe that today is their fortieth wedding anniversary, it seems to them like just yesterday they became man and wife.1

"Ti Amo" whispered Marita slotting her head into the Marita sized space on David's left shoulder.2

David turns slightly and gazing deeply into his wife's eyes replies "Ich leiber dich"3

Just as they have done for the last forty years they then announce together "je taime" 4

They laugh with one another, it always seems so strange to outsiders that this ritual started on the day they became engaged has endured for so long.5

"David, let me do the bread darling, you are looking a little peaky" Marita's brow creased into a frown as she looked deeply at her love.6

David snorted " peaky? Marita darling, I am just so excited, tonight I have something wonderful to share with my family and friends, my total and utter faith in love, I just so wish Jonathon was settled like Francesca is. How can our son grow up surrounded in the love we exude and still remain alone at 32 years of age?"7

Marita tightened her arm around her husbands waist and laughingly replied "Oh David you know very well that the reason Jonathon is not settled is because he will settle for nothing less than we have. It's precisely because of the way he has been raised that he is alone, how could he settle for mere infatuation with someone when he has been secluded in 32 years of all encompassing love?" 8

" I know you are right darling, I just worry that he will always be alone. I want him to mary and have children, be enveloped in the love of a good woman, just like his father" David grinned as the words hit home and his wife flushed as he knew she would.9

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Fairy lights twinkled amongst the trees, lightly scented candles in hurricane vases provided a fragrance of Rose and Jasmine, every portable chair had been moved into the garden and placed around the vast solid oak table. The scratched surface of the table could barely be seen cluttered as it was with the home made bread, the roasted meats, large bowls of salad, and fruit. Amongst all of the food, stood a three tiered anniversary cake, covered in white icing with ruby red decoration and the porcelain couple from the top of their original wedding cake. The couple stood and evaluated the placement of the food, and made a few small adjustments. When they were both satisfied, they drew a white cotton cloth over the top to protect the food, and slipped indoors to change.11

The shrill sound of the telephone broke the delicious kiss they were sharing, and David whispered to his wife "Ignore it, we will be inundated with our friends and family soon, let us have these moments"12

Marita nodded her assent, and kissed her husband once more. 13

Jonathons voice strong and with a baritone timbre echoed through the answering machine "Hey Ma, Pop, I'm running a little late, and just wanted to let you know. I hope you don't mind, but I am bringing a friend I'd like you to meet, I have my mobile, so give me a call back if it will upset your seating arrangements, see you both soon, Ti Amo, Ich leiberdich, Je taime"14

Marita's eyes glistened with tears of love, enchanted to hear her son using their special phrase, she turned to her husband, "David darling, we have no more chairs, however I think we should let Jon bring his friend, it is so rare that he brings someone home, do you think you could manage with me on your knee?"15

" I would refuse to allow you to sit anywhere else my princess" was the quick response.16

Marita went to make some minor repairs to her make up, and David returned his sons phone call. " Jonathon, do not worry about running late love, we will wait, and please do bring your friend, we'd love to meet him"17

Jonathon laughed, a pleasant sound that warmed others to him immediately, "Pop, my friend is a she, and we will be there in about 15 minutes"18

They talked a moment longer, and ended the conversation. David was just about to tell his wife that their son was bringing a women, when the doorbell chimed. The next 20 minutes flew by as friends and family arrived laden with gifts and cards. Eventually everyone was seated around the table, their daughter Francesca and her husband Michael sat wrapped around each other, the small pregnancy bump just starting to show, Marita surveyed her loved ones, and said "we'lleat in a moment, we just wait for Jonathon and his friend"19

David pulled his wife down onto his knee, "stop fussing dear, he will be here in a moment" in an undertone he uttered "his friend is a woman! maybe he has finally met his soulmate"20

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Jonathon strolled into the garden, clasping the hand of a beautiful asian woman, they radiated love from every pore, and everyone gathered lit up to see Jonathon so captivated. Introductions were made, and then they began eating.22

When everyone had eaten their fill. David nudged his wife, and she stood holding out her hand to pull him up beside her. "Ti Amo, Ich leiber dich, Je taime" they called together, and the assembled group raised their glasses and replied in kind.23

"love" David almost shouted, "love has been a constant in my life since I met Marita, I knew nothing of love until the day she slid into my life" everyone chuckled, they knew that story. " I have been so blessed, i have known love like no other, from my wife, from my family,from my friends, and last but by no means least from my dear children. I have faced my trials as you all know, I have had my times of worry, my heart attack last year scred me as I thought I was destined to be torn away from my family, leaving my dear children before seeing my first grandchild, and before Jonathon met his love. But most distressingly leavin my Marita bereft. God in his mercy has allowed me to live, and I have given myself wholeheartedly to each new day, and thanked Him for the opportunity. Love has so many facets, and sometimes those facets change, and the emotion behind them morphs into another emotion, I love my children for instance, but at times i have hated things they have done. LOove is for me the strongest bond a family can have, and there has never been a shortage of it in our home. My darling wife has ensured that I have shared my love with everyone around me, and not just her. I thank you Marita for our 42 years together, for the patience, kindness, warmth and wit. For the food always on the table, for the clothes always clean, for the home always neat, and most of all for the eacon of love that you enveloped around us. Ti amo, Ich leiberdich, Je taime, you must all be wondering where that came from, well I will tell you now. When Marita and I met, she was living in a slum in Italy, there was no clean water, there was hardly any light, no toilet facilities, but what there was in abundance, was Love, Marita was living there by choice, she was stying with a family who had nothing, looking fter the woman and her six children who all had scarlet fever, whilst the father was working at any job he could to try and bring enough money home for food and other essentials. That slum however shone with love, the love of the parents to one another and their children, the love of the couple to Marita, and the love of Marita to stay in a potentially life threatening situation, unpaid and often unfed. I decided right then and there that 'love'was not enmough of a word to say to her, and so I would say I love you in French, German and Italian. I still believe that this does not do my wife enough justice, howeveer we have shared forty years of marriage, and I have endeavoured to show her every day how much she means to me. I ask you all to join me in a final toast to Marita, please say I love you in as many languages as you know"24

The garden filled with the language of love, to compliment the love that shone from every face. Marita and David kissed, and went to meet their son's new love and welcome her into the family.25