SO FAR: Divorcee Merrick Jamieson (35) visiting New York comes into contact with the moll of the mysterious Spiro. The spirited Kirsty Fallon (25) finds she has become attracted and follows the photo-journalist to his homeland and begins working with him. Merrick foils a retriever sent to return Kirsty to New York and then travels to Manhattan and wins her freedom from Spiro. The couple are now in Los Angeles for their wedding where Merrick is incapacitated, suffering two knife wounds when defending his ex brother-in-law's wife Margaret. Marg's suppressed sexual interest in Merrick re-emerges.
*
Saturday provided a typical Californian sunny afternoon for the wedding. The gallery in the events centre was over-decorated, American style, which produced an uncomplimentary response from the recuperating bridegroom as Brian wheeled Merrick in.
The men waited in the small alcove for late-arriving people to settle.
The marriage celebrant entered the alcove and greeted them again; they had met the previous morning for introductions and a briefing. The celebrant went out and stood before the 192 guests plus Kirsty's parents and Merrick's mother.
The burble died as the celebrant turned towards the alcove. Taking that cue, Brian pushed Merrick out in his wheelchair. A wave of 'ooohs" and sympathetic clicking from tongues were clearly audible as Merrick came into view, dressed in a white tuxedo, lace-fronted shirt, multi-color bow-tie and black trousers and shoes. This was how Kirsty had insisted he dress.
Another of Kirsty's decision's was it was not necessary to go through the ritual of her father 'giving her away'. "He gave up on me years ago," she had quipped, and her parents agreed with her desire.
There was a pause, almost long enough to make the gathering restless. That was Kirsty's instructions again. Then the organ began playing 'Here Comes the Bride' and in she walked daintily, those fabulous legs well exposed. She wore a short white and very lacy dress, white lace topped shoes and a white veil almost to her shoulders. Spiro's diamonds flashed at her throat and ear lobes. Behind her in hot pink were paired Meg and Marg who looked lovely, in their prime.
Being a non-church wedding, the congregation decided to clap in the bride and her attendants to which the organist responded by changing tune to give them a perfect beat.
Kirsty had allowed her hair to grow longer for the wedding and her blond mane was clearly visible under the thin veil. Head down as she walked, she looked the epitome of the virginal bride which was what she'd intended to convey. That image would be long remembered by her adoring new friend Bella, almost swooning in excitement.
The two big-bosom attendants in their noticeable short pink dresses with plunging necklines looked anything but virginal, as both were heavily made up and walked with pouting lips.
Only Kirsty carried a bouquet.
When the time came for the couple to take their vows, Brian and Marg helped Merrick to his feet. That went smoothly as they had been practicing and for the past two days Brian had allowed Merrick to walk a few steps every two hours.
So, with a heavily strapped thigh and bandaged forearm, Merrick took his place beside Kirsty amid sounds of sights and sniffling from some of the congregation.
During the short ceremony a photographer with two cameras flitted around while another woman recorded the event on video. Later the photographer secured her best shot of the day (according to Merrick) -- Kirsty immediately at the end of the ceremony leaning forward to say something to Brian, with her two attendants behind her facing each other talking, with Merrick in the foreground leaning back in his wheel chair with a smug smile on his face.
It was, of course, simply one of those shots captured by a photographer being in the right place at the right time. The wedding party was captured looking so happy, so relaxed; it would be agreed afterwards when viewing the result it was a very natural shot.
Marg and Brian wondered what Kirsty had just said to Merrick that brought joy to his face so enquired. "I've just told Merrick that I'm confirmed pregnant."
* * *
Watching this event in suppressed emotion, apart from a few dabs to his eyes with a silk handkerchief, was the seemingly split personality and crime boss Spiro who was know by his victims, business associates, mistresses and others including Merrick by no other name. But he was named conventionally.
Benji Alonis Spiro was born on the outskirts of Milan. So, he's Italian one would assume. Yes, by birth.
His late father was an Albanian immigrant -- a stone mason. Stone masons were much in demand in Italy in the post-war revival from the early 1950s. Ebonique, his part-Egyptian, part Iranian mother was born in Rome and in her late teens went north looking for the opportunity to be trained as a seamstress. She found success in Milan.
In Milan Ebonique also found Kostandin Spiro and they had three children -- one a boy. Ebonique chose the name Benji while his father chose Alonis. As a defiant young teenager Benji decided he liked neither name so adopted Spiro as his only name, though neither parent concurred: his mother continued to call him Benji and Kostandin called him Alonis.
Shortly after turning sixteen Benji/Alonis/Spiro became involved with a street gang and narrowly escaped being brought before court to join older members of the gang who murdered the leader of a rival gang.
"Alonis -- you are going to America to live with my half-brother," his father decided.
"My Benji -- he cannot go, I need him here."
"Why?" demanded his father.
His mother could offer no substantial answer so Benji/Alonis/Spiro was sent to America. As soon as the ship left Genoa, Benji/Alonis/Spiro declared: "From this day I am to be called Spiro and only Spiro."
One day during the voyage Spiro was talking to a priest also immigrating to America. The priest had prodded for another name but Spiro said Spiro he was, nothing more. Intrigued the priest told Spiro that authorities in America would call him by his proper name, unless he changed it legally, but it was doubtful that a 16-year-old would get his name change application granted.
The priest and Spiro continued this debate the following day, and finally Spiro knew what he had to do. Within a week of his arrival he had won Uncle Alexis' support and a legal name change resulted. Benji Alonis Spiro was now Spiro Spiro. This was the preferred outcome; had it not been accepted Spiro had an alternative at the ready, suggested by the priest -- Shapiro Spiro. The learned priest had informed the teenager and Spiro is actually a shortened form of Shapiro.
Uncle Alexis was a stone mason with his own small business. He put Spiro to work, and taught him a great deal while paying him a pittance. After three years, with her daughters becoming teenagers, his Aunt decided Spiro should sleep elsewhere.
"I'll put a shed in the yard -- he can leave here after his evening meal and sleep down there. With the rats!"
Spiro did not think this was a good idea. It was absurd to think that he would molest the daughters -- they were ugly!
Spiro put down his knife and fork.
"Thank you for all you have taught me, Uncle Alexis, and taking me into your home. It is time I must leave this town."
Alexis opened his mouth to protest but opened it further when receiving a painful kick in the shin from his wife.
"All right, my son," Alexis said glaring at Yolanda. "You sleep here in your bed as usual tonight. Tomorrow I will go to the bank and get you money. I will give you an address of an old friend and ask him to give you a job."
For four years Spiro worked for that Italian-born contractor in Boston where he continued to specialize in stone columns and arches. In time Spiro became an irascible, time-waster who disrupted other workers so after their twentieth dispute over Spiro's behavior and slothful habits, the contractor finally fired his best craftsman.
Spiro by then had grown into a big man, a very strong man. He also liked to exhibit his toughness. So his response at being fired was to knock his boss to the ground and urinate over him in front of the man's cowering wife and his foreman.
