CARLOS & KATRINA

A Novel by Charles Adrian Trevino
Copyright 2006, 2021
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Chapter 48

The small church stood out distinctly on the wide tree-lined avenue, surrounded by smaller, less intricate buildings; various little shops, markets, and a library surrounded by a tiny park. The church itself was of a more elaborate architecture, but still fairly simple; it was situated in a typically modest, inner city Mayinkan neighborhood setting. Not really the type of neighborhood, one might think, where a rich and famous young actress would want to have her wedding.

Katrina had insisted on it, however, after crossing off the more elegant Westview churches. With Carlos' recent adventure having been highlighted in the news media for days now, she desperately wanted to have a small, private ceremony, with just a few friends and family; then they could all proceed to the small but very popular Mayinkan restaurant at the opposite end of the street for lunch. Katrina had hoped for a private little affair, attended by only a few family members and good friends; this was why she had chosen this little church. But now the setting was starting to change.

As the mid-morning sun began to climb higher into the sky, David Slasher stepped outside of the building for a minute, putting on his sunglasses to ward off the bright rays streaming gloriously down from the heavens. Ostensibly he had simply wanted to get some fresh air; at least that's what he'd told the others. But his real intent was to check up on the situation unfolding on the street outside... the gradually increasing din was starting to bring back bad memories of the nightmare that had occurred just a few nights earlier.

Looking around, Slasher could see that his fears were to be confirmed; there were already a good twenty to twenty-five uninvited guests lingering outside on the sidewalks, with some even coming onto the church's small but well-groomed courtyard grounds. They appeared to David to be friendly, loyal fans, judging by their reactions upon seeing the lead singer of The Cool Banditos suddenly materialize, resplendent in his white-suited Sunday best. Positive, encouraging expressions and smiles were appearing on faces all around, as they turned to look at him. "Ok... so far, so good," Slasher thought to himself.

Nonetheless, he was still half-expecting some kind of trouble to rear its ugly head on this joyous occasion; the happy couple getting married had become public enemies number one and two, in the eyes of the sordidly-monied conspirators that controlled entire populations of countries. And that was not a safe designation to bear, in these deteriorating times. Smiling warmly at the waving fans, Slasher raised his left hand to wave back; his right hand had unconsciously gone to check on the pistol that was holstered on the back of his belt. Yes... it was still there.

Turning his back on the doting fans, he turned and stepped back into the building, feeling his mood brightening up once again. The interior was full of joyful, animated people all laughing and chatting away, as if they hadn't a care in the world. It would be a little while before the actual ceremony took place, and everyone was buzzing with excitement. This was to be a very special wedding, between two fine people who loved each other dearly, and every person in attendance recognized the significance of the symbolic event.

Katrina was breathtakingly beautiful, dressed in her formal wedding attire, and her face was reflecting the joy she was experiencing on this radiant occasion. As her eyes drifted happily across the room, they suddenly fixed on David, who was smiling affectionately as he gazed at her. She smiled back at him, with much warmth in her expression. David had become something very special to her now; she knew fully well that if he had not been so obsessively protective of Carlos, this wedding would not be taking place today. She would be eternally in his debt for his fierce diligence, and also very grateful that he would be continuing to watch over Carlos... whenever he was with him.

But David wouldn't always be with him, Katrina had realized; for this reason she had considered buying a gun for Carlos, so that he could fend for himself when David wasn't there. However, after considering the prospect for a short while, she had come to the conclusion that Carlos should not be weighed down with the problem of his own personal protection; he was a sensitive, artistic soul, and the thought of him having to tote around a gun with him at all times just didn't seem... appropriate. So Katrina had hurriedly purchased a very deadly-looking handgun for herself, and had learned how to shoot it -- rather well, in fact. Her instructor had been flabbergasted at her eye-to-hand coordination... what a good shot she was! He had started to laugh uproariously after she'd hit her fifth bulls-eye in a row. Carlos would be well-protected now; if David wasn't there for him, she would be. And Katrina would willingly kill and die for Carlos, knowing that he would do the same for her; of this she was absolutely sure. Theirs was a higher devotion, time-tested, as pure and immaculate as the wind-driven snow; deep and true love, at its strongest and finest.

Katrina's eyes scanned the room for Carlos, her lover and best friend, who was about to become her husband; she spotted him in a corner, surrounded by a small group of men that were his most loyal friends. Troy Winters stood tall and handsome, uncharacteristically decked out in a lustrous pale gray suit and tie; Liko Boy Lahainia, the famous Kanala surfer and now a close friend of Carlos', had been flown in with his wife Annette as special guests of honor. Liko was absolutely beaming with happiness for Carlos and Katrina; he had also used the opportunity to go surfing at his favorite UFS beaches, taking advantage of his all-expenses paid vacation. Two other blonde-haired surfer-types were also gathered around; Katrina had never met them before, but she would make it a point to do so -- now she wanted to know exactly who Carlos' real friends were. Katrina had always felt very protective of Carlos, but never as much as she had over the past few days.

Surrounded by good friends, Carlos appeared to be preoccupied, talking and joking jovially with his surfer buddies; but as Katrina watched, he slapped one of his friends lightly on the shoulder, then politely disengaged himself from the small group. Turning and walking towards the entrance, he disappeared out the front door; a few seconds later Katrina saw David hurriedly tailing him out into the front yard. Good; David was on top of things. But what were they up to?

Katrina quickly followed in their tracks, catching up to them at the church's entrance. Carlos, registering on the increasing din outside, had merely wanted to check up on the growing crowd. As the trio stood in the wide doorway looking out, they saw a group of at least 50 uninvited people watching the church. After the intruders had recognized Carlos and David, they began to cheer enthusiastically, as if they were at a rock concert. At least they were friendly; the warm display of support helped to alleviate Katrina's disappointment. But she had really been desiring privacy; Katrina, who had become a hugely popular public figure, was actually a very private person who only liked having close, trusted friends around her.

The three fancily-attired comrades smiled and waved back at the appreciative fans. But as they turned to go back into the church, loud, raucous cat-calls erupted from the rear-most part of the crowd. It had arrived -- that ubiquitous, eternally-intruding despoiler... the monied Usher. And as always, it meant to make its presence known, that others might take heart-warming pleasure in its noble company. After all, if one couldn't get rid of it, one might as well just try to get used to the whole noxious, seemingly unstoppable thing.

Or should one not try? Was there really any hope left, at all? Katrina took a deep breath, holding it in for ten seconds as she walked back towards the reception area. She was not going to let her disgust and disappointment show, and spoil the festive event. Forcing herself to smile warmly again, she entered the reception room, where the invitees were still gabbing and socializing away in anticipation of the main event.

Katrina and Carlos had agreed to allow Nat Patrick, the journalist from The New Herald, to cover the wedding for the paper. Nat was almost family now, having been invaluable in getting the truth about the attack on Carlos' life out to the public, and was having a good time interviewing all of their friends. But nobody had wanted for Nat to be writing that the wedding had been ruined, by a typically Usher-financed rabble... and that rabble would probably be growing in size, Katrina thought, as the day progressed. Nevertheless... the show must go on.

And it did; a half-hour later, the ceremony had commenced. Surrounded by family and close friends, Carlos and Katrina walked down the aisle together, clasping each other's hands tightly; they were both feeling highly charged-up and anxious, and neither of them knew just why. Neither of them were religious anymore; Katrina had completely repudiated Usherism, to start a fresh, invigorating new life -- one far removed from the strange, confused tangle of her previous incarnation. As for Carlos, his belief in a Divine Creator was steel-clad, but he wasn't one to go to a church to hear a sermon, and perhaps get into a mild-mannered debate over some religious issue or political pitfall. His faith was simple and pure, and didn't require contact with other people, or adherence to religious customs to strengthen it -- although he did like the idea of people getting together, and being nice to each other for a little while. That part had always appealed to his lonely, inner-child -- but now that lonely child was about to grow up, and get married. Ironically, the person that would be performing the rites wasn't even an ordained priest; he was a young part-time worker-priest, who spent most of his weekdays laboring in a secular job.

Surprisingly, as Carlos listened to the priest going through the rites, he began to feel as if he was experiencing some sort of emotional catharsis; perhaps even a religious revelation. His heart was beating faster, and he was feeling insecure for some unknown reason; he was beginning to sweat a little bit, even though it wasn't hot in the room at all. Glancing discreetly over at Katrina, Carlos was surprised and a bit dismayed to see that she also seemed to be undergoing the same kind of godspell; she was staring straight ahead, and didn't even notice him looking at her. Her face was also flushed like Carlos', as if it were hot inside the church; but while Carlos was feeling uncomfortably sweaty, Katrina was positively glistening -- a thing of eternal beauty.

"...to have and to hold, until death do you part..."

Carlos heard the words come filtering through his erratically spinning thoughts; something was bothering him and wouldn't go away, and it was something he could just not put his finger on. Then he suddenly realized what it was: fear. Fear of an unknown future that seemed to be fraught with danger. The enemies that his pride and dignity had forced him to engage with would always be out there, hitting him below the belt, as per their usual style; they were right outside the wedding church at this very moment! And now he had dragged his beloved Katrina into the nightmare; was he doing something wrong? Would he be her destroyer? Would he have to answer to God, and his own conscience, for all the happiness he had been experiencing after he and Katrina had reunited?

Carlos took a deep breath... then let it out again, slowly and silently. "I do."

The priest broke out into a smile. He knew all about Carlos and Katrina; the gossip had penetrated even into his somewhat detached world, and he could appreciate the anxiety that Carlos must surely be going through at the moment. But Carlos had been bold; bold as love. And it was a beautiful thing to have witnessed.

"And do you, Katrina, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband..."

Katrina suddenly found herself trembling... and like Carlos, she had also suddenly realized why. The reality of what she was getting into was hitting her now, with full force. Just outside this very church was a gathering of people, most of whom were for her and Carlos... but there was also a large, probably well-paid squad of enemies who were most definitely against them. She had been forcing herself to put them out of her mind for so long, she had begun to think she was immune to the fear; and Carlos himself had assured her that he would no longer take up arms against them. But Katrina was smart enough to know that his enemies would never lay down their arms; just as the world would always have the poor, so too would Carlos and Katrina always have the insane, self-loathingly confused Ushers to contend with. And she knew the Ushers very well by now, from her own personal experiences at their cruel hands. Carlos and Katrina's future together seemed very uncertain, to say the least.

Katrina swallowed, as if absorbing her own fear. Then, holding her head up high, she spoke the solemn words loud and clearly: "I do."

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride, Carlos!"

Carlos and Katrina turned to one another, and suddenly realized what they were both feeling; fear and uncertainty. They could see it in each other's eyes. And they certainly had good reason for concern, especially given the terrifying events of the last few days. They were about to walk out of the building and into a large crowd, some of whom were obviously hostile, with no protection for Carlos other than David Slasher... Katrina had left her gun in her purse, which was sitting in her car a good half-block away. Now she felt herself wishing that she had brought it along with her.

Katrina suddenly pictured herself all dressed up in her splendid marital finery, brandishing a gun to keep the pressing crowd at bay... and couldn't help but break out into a smile. Upon seeing the change in her demeanor, Carlos' own face lit up joyfully, as well. They hesitated another second, just standing there smiling; then, practically lunging at each other, the couple locked into a crushing embrace, holding one another for a long time as their delighted guests broke out into wildly enthusiastic applause.

Finishing up their long hug, they pulled slightly apart and looked into each other's eyes for a second; then Carlos gently kissed his bride Katrina on the lips, three times. They were now man and wife, till death did them apart. Carlos had done it.

Suddenly the loud clapping grew into a tumultuous roar, as the entire assemblage rose in a standing ovation that could be heard by the people outside, who had boldly advanced to the closed front doors of the church; the fans were anxiously awaiting the appearance of the now happily married couple. As the invitees crowded around the newlyweds, Carlos and Katrina proceeded back down the aisle towards the front entrance, their bodies pressed together. Close behind them stepped David Slasher, smiling brightly... but also watching everything, intently. The world had changed incredibly since David had been born; it had gradually descended to an unbelievable level of lunacy, right before his young, perceptive eyes. Anything might happen today, and it would no longer catch Slasher by surprise.

The front doors swung wide open and the newlywed couple stepped out into the sunlight, to another bombardment of cheers from the uninvited, well-wishing fans. Unfortunately, the paid hit-squad of noisy troublemakers had made headway also, and were harrassing the people on the outer fringes of the crowd. And now there was an unmarked police car double-parked a few dozen feet down the street, closely observing the proceedings. As Carlos watched, a black and white police car passed slowly by.

From out of the packed crowd of bodies, a joker carrying a microphone suddenly appeared. Running up to Carlos, he thrust the mic into his face, his intent being to try to elicit a hostile, hateful response that he could put into print.

"Carlos, Carlos! You were almost shot to death onstage, last week in Philadelphia! Are you fearing for your life today? Are you afraid of someone hurting your new bride?" quipped the green-haired hyena. "How does it feel to have to worry about someone else besides yourself, Carlos? Do you still think you're going to be..."

Slasher stepped up quickly, smiling pleasantly as he spun the clown around and began to push/walk him away from the newlyweds, talking to him in a mock-friendly manner. He had only moved the man a few yards when a burly young fan stepped up and took over, in a less congenial manner. As the green-hair's microphone clattered to the ground, the helpful young fan gave it a hard kick, sending it flying. Slasher laughed loudly as the clown/reporter began protesting loudly, his voice quickly disappearing in the noisy mix of cheers and congratulations; he turned and walked back to his friends.

David looked at Carlos, a wide grin brightening his features. "From The City, Carlos... remember? Rock City?"

Carlos returned the jest, giving Slasher an even more wry grin. "How could I forget The City, Dave?" he retorted.

A frown was starting to mar Katrina's previously happy features; she was beginning to get annoyed. No sooner had they gotten married, than some crazy Usher-paid asshole had begun trying to heckle and demoralize them; they hadn't even left the church yet. And there was more to come; the crowd was now as thick as fleas, with a smattering of mean booers and hissers attempting to make themselves heard above the friendly fans. Katrina began to worry about their even making it out of the church's front yard in one piece.

She needn't have worried; upon seeing Slasher and his young assistant dealing firmly with the unwashed-Usher element in their midst, the friendly portion of the crowd decided to follow suit. Absurd joker-type people, some completely covered in sick-looking tatoos and sporting multi-colored hairdos, began getting forcefully ejected from the grounds by the zealous admirers of The Cool Banditos band. As Carlos and David exploded into fits of laughter, Katrina looked to her left, noticing another police car rolling slowly down the street; the officers inside were grinning merrily as they watched the scene unfold. Glancing to her right, she could see that the men in the unmarked police car were also wearing jovial smiles as they observed the violent proceedings.

"Men," Katrina pouted to herself, in disdain. "They'll never change." Then she saw something that gave her a start -- Jacob Rosenberg's friend Bill Bronsky was sitting on the ledge of a store window across the street from the church's yard, leaning forward and looking down at the ground, his hands clasped together in front of him as if he were lost in deep thought. Katrina drew in her breath sharply; what was he doing here? Did he mean to cause more trouble for Carlos? Then she suddenly remembered that Bronsky had been the one that had turned on Jacob and gotten him arrested, to her immense gratitude; she exhaled in relief. Things were changing; things were getting better now, it seemed. Still, Bronsky's inexplicable presence was somehow unnerving...

As Katrina continued to scrutinize him, Bronsky's head suddenly snapped up to his right. Following his eyes, she saw a pink and green-haired rage rocker picking up a glass bottle lying in the street; the pathetic punker drew the bottle back, and was about to hurl it in their direction when he suddenly looked over to his left. Dropping the bottle, the ridiculous heckler turned and bolted away down the street, a furious Bill Bronsky in hot pursuit... as they disappeared around the corner, it looked as if the athletic, fleet-footed Bronsky was gaining on the mean joker.

Now Katrina found herself helplessly bursting into rambunctious laughter, just as Carlos and David had done. It looked as if God Himself had just personally reassured her that everything was going to come out alright in the end, for her and Carlos; their future together was going to be hopeful and bright, not hopelessly dim. The hilarious occurrence did indeed seem to be some sort of wedding gift from heaven, timely presented to two brave young lovers taking their first tentative steps forward in life, as man and wife. Katrina knew she would forever remember this moment, and regard it as an unmistakably apt sign from above.

Looking delightfully around at all the faces surrounding her, Katrina was still giggling as the small procession began to move forward out of the church and into the beautiful midday sunlight. As the crowd parted to clear the walkway that led to the sidewalk, she was feeling extremely optimistic; they might still be able to have lunch at the famous little Mayinkan restaurant down the street. Life wasn't that bad, thought Katrina, if you looked at it the right way...

She was thinking like Carlos now.

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finis coronat opus magnum

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