My Cousin's Wedding
(Posted on Thursday, December 13, 2001)
This story was submitted anonymously by Tock.

My cousin was getting married in Clemson, SC and I showed up a day before the wedding to meet and greet, with both sides of the family. I got into town and went straight to the church because it was time for the rehearsal to start and I know that's where everyone I wanted to see would be.

After saying, "Hello" to what seemed like hundreds of people, it was time for the rehearsal, I wasn't in the wedding party, so I just planned to sit and watch everything go on. I always liked visiting churches and examining each of their unique structures and features. I hadn't been in this one yet.

While the rehearsal was getting started, I got up from my seat and headed to the back of the church to look around. I also like to go upstairs and check out the view from the balcony level.

As I was walking around the upper level, my cousin Dave (the groom-to-be) saw me up top and yelled, "Hey...... Don 't Jump. I'm the one getting married!!" That had the whole wedding party in stitches. It was time for them to get serious and down to business with their rehearsing.

There were no lights up where I was. I came to sit in the second pew. As I sat, I heard something move and almost jumped out of my skin. That's when I saw a brunette laying down on her side.

"I'm sorry," she said with a giggle. "I didn't mean to scare you. I have a headache, so I came up here where the lights aren't so bright and there isn't as much noise. I didn't think anyone else would be coming up here. But, that's okay. Now that you're here, you can tell me what's going on downstairs. I won't have to sit up. If I stay flat, my headache may go completely away. I'm already feeling better than I did when I first got here."

I said I would he glad to sit with her and give her the play-by-play. She was in her late 30's or early 40s, had straight shoulder length hair and was wearing a matching navy blue jacket and skirt with a cream colored blouse. She was rather dressed up. I felt like a bum, sitting next to her, with my Tennessee Titans sweatshirt and blue jeans.

She told me her name was Louise and she was a neighbor of the bride. She was a fifth grade teacher and came over to the church, once school was over for the day. I could tell that after a full day's work, she was really tired.

She was on her left side. So, when I sat by her, I was next to her stocking feet. She had nice black high heels that she had kicked off and placed on the floor. The table was all set for me.

"Well, if it is okay with you," I said, "I will sit here and take hold of your tired feet and try to make you feel better as this rehearsal goes on."

I placed her feat in my lap and began thoroughly massaging them. She automatically began to smile and I could tell she really needed this.
 

"Oh, that feels so good," she said. "After being on those shoes, in front of those kids all day, this is so wonderful. I'm gonna feel a lot better."

After two or three minutes, she said she thought she might fall asleep. This created the opportunity I was hoping for.

"Well, I can't let you dole off," I replied. "You might miss the festivities. I have to be sure you stay awake."

That's when the fun really picked up. I held her ankles together with my left hand and began to slowly slide my index finger on my right hand, up and down her instep area.

"Oh, you wouldn't tickle my feet while I can't get up," she said. "I'm so comfortable. Now you're going to make me move around. No, please don't tickle my feet. I'm gonna start laughing and everyone will hear us up here."

I went from stroking her insteps to fiddling around with each of her toes. That got her giggling again and wiggling her toes. I told her that she had very lovely feet and asked if she had a teacher's pet at school, who she allowed to play with her feet. She really got a laugh out of that and said she wouldn't let any of those little monsters near her feet.

I continued describing the course of the rehearsal, as I went back to massaging her, with an occasionally brief tickle. After we had been together for about a half hour, I decided to cross her ankles, slowly bend forward and lightly kiss her on each instep. She quickly looked up at me.

"Are you kissing me," she whispered. "Oh, I never knew that could tickle so much. No one's ever kissed my feet before. I hope they don't smell."

"They smell fine," I replied. "If I had a pretty teacher like you when I was in fifth grade, I would have found a way to crawl under your desk and play with your feet like this sometime during the school year."

She got a laugh out of that, too, as I went back to gently tickling all points of her soles. She continued to giggle, shiffle her feet around and wiggle those toes. Shortly after, I could see that the rehearsal was winding down and it was time to head back downstairs.

I gave each of her feet one last kiss before placing her shoes back on. I helped her up and thanked her for being so nice about having somebody just walk up to her and go at her feet this way.

She thanked me for helping her headache disappear. We headed downstairs together and started on our way to the rehearsal supper. I couldn't imagine having that much fun in church. I felt blessed.