The Other Wedding Perspective

I had been up extra early that morning.

Yes, I know we have to get up before anyone else – it’s our job – it's my job.

But on that morning I resented it more – after all most of the people who came to the wedding were no better than me; builders, farmers, shop keepers, fisherman, you name it, they were there and oh yes, a carpenter.

A servant’s job is never done and if that’s my job, my station in life, that’s fine. I’ll serve my master and do what he bids, sometimes I grumble more than other times but overall its OK, I have a roof over my head and I don’t pay taxes!

But that day I was up a couple of hours earlier than usual to prepare for the wedding and also by the time the guests began to arrive I was felling pretty knackered, knowing there was still hours and maybe days to go before all the celebrations finished.

But you know what it’s like at weddings, people take advantage of you and even the small kids try and trip you up as you pass by balancing trays of food and drinks. You no sooner finish one job and you get told to do something else.

And what’s more: first thing that morning I’d been told to move all the water jars out of the way. That’s no easy job you know, they are all really big ones and an odd shape – not for the largest water jars as you know but they need those big three legged metal stands – neither the jars nor the stands are that easy to move, specially when its only muggins here having to do it all. Then, just as things seemed to be quietening down for a while and I thought I might be able to slip out to the barn for a quick nap, the Head Steward grabs me and tells me to get them all out again.

Go get them all I was told, “what all 12” I said. “Yes all 12” he said “and remember who you are talking to” he said.

It seems that the carpenter chappy wanted to do something. Well I thought, what would a carpenter, of all people, want with clay jars. Maybe he was going to do some party tricks – maybe it was some sort of entertainment.

It was his mum though who seemed to be in charge.

I was puzzled, the Head Steward was puzzled, the Master was puzzled and even the carpenter seemed a little puzzled – at least from where I was standing. He seemed, well, a bit reluctant.

I was looking from one to another, not quite knowing who was in charge, waiting for someone to say something.

Then he caught my eye, the carpenter that is, and suggested I went with some of the lads and filled the jars with water from the well.

As I turned to go I’m sure I saw him wink at me…………..