Author Joanne Rawson: Snippet of Zoe North

Monday, September 8, 2014

Snippet of Zoe North - Joanne Rawson

Zoe North - Release date 18^th September Note: Release dates are subject to change.

The church organist hit the first chord to the bridle march, whereupon the congregation instantly reared from their pews and turned around trying to catch their first glimpse of the leading person for todays’ show. That would be me by the way, Zoe North, and giving the finest performance of my life.

Walking down the aisle, aware that all eyes were on me, I knew I should be savouring this moment; the smiling faces of approval of my couture gown; tears of joy from my mother, who thought that this day would never arrive; laughing at my friends, acting like teenagers as they pulled silly faces and gave me the thumbs up sign, as if it were my first date. Yet all I could focus on was the man at the altar the man that, in a few minutes from now, would be promising to spend the rest of his life with me.

I turned to pass my bouquet to my matron of honour. Is this really happening? Am I really getting married today, or is it all just a dream? God knows I have dreamt of this moment for what seems like a zillion years.

The vicar smiled at me and then addressed the congregation. “God is love, and those who live in love live in God.”

This is it; this is usually the moment I wake up. Feeling a hand clasp mine, I turned just to be sure, he was real. Sure enough, standing next to me, smiling nervously was the man who had asked me to marry him.

Oblivious to the organist striking up the hymn, Love divine, all I could think about was how it all started two years ago.

* * * *

Typical of me, I was running late, again! I seem to have spent my whole life rushing to get somewhere. Rushing to school, rushing to work, rushing to get home to get ready for a date I was already late for. My mum always says, “That girl will meet herself coming back one day.”

Laughing to myself that this could never happen, I would probably be too late to meet myself. I bolted out of the front door of my flat like a tornado, and suddenly found myself falling head first onto the corridor floor. My reflexes were too slow to stop myself from falling and hitting my temple on something sharp. Naturally, my body seemed to follow a few minutes later, only to wince in pain as something jabbed under my ribs, knocking the air from my lungs. I lay dazed for a moment and my heart pounded like a big brass drum in my ears, from my soaring blood pressure. Breathless, I managed to utter to myself, “What on earth just happened?”

“I was just about to ask you the same question,” came a male voice. It was deep and masculine yet held a distinct tone of anger.

With my backside stuck up in the air, and my head resting on the cold tiled floor, I figured this was not a flattering position for anyone to find me. However, I was very grateful that at least someone had seen my predicament, and was offering some assistance, as I managed to mumble a feeble, “Thanks, I’m fine ... I think.”

“Do you intend to keep lying on my state of the art music system, or do I physically have to remove you myself? You clumsy, great lump.”

If I had been vertical, and brave enough, I would have loved to introduce his cheek to the palm of my hand. Clumsy, I can deal with, it is yet another of my flaws. If there is something to trip over, fall over or slip down then you can be sure I will be the one to do it. However, great lump! I am the correct height for my weight, what was it with men, obsessed with wanting all women skinny?