The Sanctity Of Marriage - Sadly, This Actually Happened

It's the age old question isn't it? Will you marry me? A whole day of dresses and flowers, aisles and fathers, brides and grooms is centered around this question. But what is so special about marriage?

My grandmother, she's a funny old thing. Whenever my great Aunt Margaret comes to visit, they always go together to see a fortune teller. Each time they come back with another "future" for one member of the family. This time, it was my turn. I guess i should have been worried when Auntie Margaret and Grandma Daisy came back from this psychic session with huge grins on their faces, and arms full of wedding magazines. I just figured they were planning something for my cousin Abby, she is 30 now. The day carried on as normal. I made dinner, singing to myself the whole time. I didn't even notice when Margaret came and stood behind me. I sang my heart out, it was my favourite song, "The prayer", Margaret listened for a while.

When i turned around to get the pepper, she was sat staring at me with a huge grin on her face.
"Margaret!" I jumped, "What are you doing?" Her smile got even wider.
"What was that song? It's perfect!" She asked me excitedly.
"Uh. Its "The Prayer". Why? What is it perfect for?"
"Oh. Never mind that." She dismissed before walking out of the room. I shook my head and returned to the cooking.

Later that evening, i finally found out what was happening. Daisy and Margaret sat me down.
"Livvy. I want to tell you about your future. Just so you're prepared. You can be on the look out." I simply stared. Oh god, what weird disease was i supposedly going to catch?
"Ok. Hit me with it. How long do i have left?" I replied, smiling at their silliness.
"Oh no. You're not going to die. You're going to get married!" I laughed loudly. Their expression was so funny. The genuine belief in their face growing with each word.
"Well. I suppose i will one day. That's very good fortune telling you know." I replied starkly, perhaps they had actually gone mad.
"No! Sooner that you think. You're going to get married soon!" I think the expression on my face said it all at this point.
"What?! Oh for god's sake! I'm sixteen! I don't think it's doing either of you any good going to this "psychic". She's filling your head with utter rubbish." I retaliated, annoyed slightly by their stupidity. I started to get up and return to the kitchen to furiously wash the dishes when my grandma grabbed my arm and sat me back down.

"Picture the scene..." She said, motioning a banner in the sky. I settled into the sofa, ready to hear a horrific tale of my early, and potentially disastrous marriage. "You will meet a man, his name wasn't clear. At this point you will be living out of England, in France or Spain. Possibly Italy. You will meet your husband to be there. He will be foreign." She stopped to take a breath.
"Oh Grandma! I told you before that i wanted to move to Spain or Italy, and that my ideal man was from one of those countries. You're just summarising my thoughts.
"Wait Livvy. Let me finish before you dismiss the subject entirely. So you'll meet this man. He will be older than you. At least six years-"
"SIX years?! Are you kidding?"
"Livvy! Just listen. This is your future you know. You make the decisions."
"The future is subjective. It can always change." I retaliated. This whole conversation was just making me angry. How could my family be so ridiculous?
"So you will meet this man, who is about eight years older than you-"
"Eight? He gets older every time!" My grandma didn't say anything in return to thins. She just glared at me with a meaningful, "Shut up" kind of look.

"Who is eight years older than you," she finished. "Or possibly more. Maybe nine. So you will fall madly in love with this man and you'll move in together. Everything going to plan. But, of course, you worry about what your family will say. He will want to meet your family, but you deny. And deny, and deny. I don't know why Livvy. I mean i'm not going to judge you." She looked at me meaningfully. I started to complain but she cut me off again. "Anyway. You'll fight badly, and you'll leave. You go back to England. And stay with your sister Chloe. You'll cry a lot, as usual."
"Tactful, thanks Grandma." I cut in.
"And you'll wonder if you made the right decision. This goes on for about a month. You talk on the phone but it's not the same. Then, out of the blue, you get a knock on your door, you open it, and there he is, in all his Latino glory. You gasp and throw your arms around him, not wanting to let go. You suddenly realise that you want everyone to know that you are together. You bring him inside to meet your sister and her boyfriend. Although shocked at first, and even a little angry, they both fall in love with him within a few hours just as you did." Grandma stops here and Margaret continues,

" Over the next few days, he gets to meet your whole family who each in turn, he wins over. He even goes to the gym with your Dad. While there, he asks your Father for his permission to marry you. Your Dad hesitates and finally complies. Your man then comes home and surprises you with a proposal. You accept of course. You and him move back to the home you share together to plan the wedding. You meet with his parents who just love you." Margaret stops. Daisy continues.
"And we are left to plan the wedding. So that is what we are doing." I looked at the two aged women in front of me in disbelief.
"Ok. So exactly how old am i when this wonderful marriage takes place?" I ask sarcastically.
"About twenty-one, you'll have just left university." I nod along to her answer before standing up.
"Well. I guess you both have a lot of... planning to do eh? I'll leave you to it. Look, if this comes true, i'll believe this psychic of yours. But for now, i think your nuts. OK?" My family just sat there and smiled.
"Very well. I guess we'll see in a few years won't we?"

Unfortunately, this little tale is in fact true. This conversation actually happened. So i am going to have to wait and see. Personally, i think its rubbish. But you never know. I guess things happen for a reason. We'll see what happens.