桑迪·威廉斯·德裏弗/Sandy Williams Driver
I got an engagement ring for Christmas.My boyfriend and I had been dating for almost a year and both felt the time was right to join our lives together in holy matrimony.
The month of January was spent planning our perfect Alabama June wedding.My mother,two sisters and I went to Huntsville,the closest town with a selection of bridal shops,to buy the gown that would play the leading role on my special occasion.
We had a wonderful time just being together and sharing silly jokes,but the day soon turned serious by afternoon:still no sign of the dress of my dreams.Both sisters were ready to give up and try another day in another town,but I coerced them into one more boutique.
I had a good feeling as we entered the quaint little shop filled with the scent of fresh flowers.The elderly clerk showed us several beautiful gowns in my size and price range,but none were right.As I opened the door to leave,the desperate shop owner announced she had one more dress in the back that was expensive and not even my size,but perhaps I might want to look at it anyway.When she brought it out,I squealed in delight.
This was it!
I rushed to the dressing room and slipped it on.Even though it was at least two sizes larger and more costly than I had anticipated,I talked Mom into buying it.The shop was so small it didnt offer alterations,but my excitement assured me I would be able to get it resized in my hometown.
Excitement wasnt enough.On Monday morning,my world crumbled-when the local sewing shop informed me the dress simply could not be altered because of numerous hand-sewn pearls and sequins on the bodice.I called the boutique for suggestions but only got their answering machine.
A friend gave me the number of a lady across town who worked at home doing alterations.I was desperate and willing to try anything,so I decided to give her a call.
When I arrived at her modest white house on the outskirts of town,she carefully inspected my dress and asked me to try it on.She put a handful of pins into the shoulders and sides of my gown and told me to pick it up in two days.She was the answer to my prayers.
When the time came to pick it up,however,I grew skeptical.How could I have been so foolish as to just leave a$1200 wedding dress in the hands of someone I barely knew?What if she made a mess out of it?I had no idea if she could even sew on a button.
Thank goodness my fears were all for naught.The dress still looked exactly the same,but it now fit as if it had been made especially for me.I thanked the cheerful lady and paid her modest fee.
One small problem solved just in time for a bigger one to emerge.On Valentines Day,my fiance called.
“Sandy,I’ve come to the decision that I’m not ready to get married,”he announced,none too gently,“I want to travel and experience life for a few years before settling down.”
He apologized for the inconvenience of leaving all the wedding cancellations to me and then quickly left town.My world turned upside down.I was angry and heartbroken and had no idea how to recover.But days flew into weeks and weeks blended into months.I survived.
One day in the fall of the same year,while standing in line at the supermarket,I heard someone calling my name.I turned around to see the alterations lady.She politely inquired about my wedding,and was shocked to discover it had been called off,but agreed it was probably for the best.
I thanked her again for adjusting my wedding gown,and assured her it was safely bagged and awaiting the day I would wear it down the aisle on the arm of my real“Mister Right”.With a sparkle in her eye,she began telling me about her single son,Tim.Even though I wasnt interested in dating again,I let her talk me into meeting him.
I did have my summer wedding after all,only a year later.And I did get to wear the dress of my dreams-standing beside Tim,the man I have shared the last eighteen years of my life with,whom I would never have met without that special wedding gown.
我在聖誕節得到了一枚訂婚戒指。我和男友相戀快一年了，我們都感覺，到了該用聖潔的結婚儀式把我們融入對方生活的時候了。
整個1月份，我們都為6月份將在阿拉巴馬舉行的那場完美的婚禮而忙碌。我和媽媽、兩個姐妹都去亨茨維爾鎮，挑選在我一生中最特殊的時刻裏扮演主角的婚紗。這個小鎮離家最近，而且有許多婚禮用品店。
我們說笑著共度了上午的美好時光。但到了下午，情況開始變得不妙了：我們仍沒買到滿意的婚紗。姐妹們都準備放棄了，打算第二天去別的鎮上看看，但我還是強拽著她們去了另一家精品店。
步入這個花香彌漫的精致小店，我感覺很愜意。一個中年店員給我看了許多適合我的身材並且價位適中的漂亮婚紗，但沒有一件我中意。當我打開門準備離開時，絕望的店主告訴我們，裏麵還有一件價格不菲的婚紗，雖然不是我要的型號，但是我也許可以看一看。當她把婚紗拿出來時，我驚喜地叫起來。
就要這件！
我衝進試衣間，很快穿上它。雖然它比我的尺碼至少大兩碼，並且比我預想的要貴很多，但我還是說服媽媽買下了它。這家店很小，不提供改衣服務，但是，內心的興奮讓我覺得能在我家的小鎮把它改小。
僅有激動是不行的。星期一早晨，裁縫店告訴我，婚紗不能改，因為上麵有很多手工縫上去的珠子和小亮片。當時，我都要崩潰了。我打電話給那個小商店征求建議，可是電話那頭卻傳來錄音機的聲音。
朋友給了我一位女士的電話，她是在家做改衣活兒的，就住在鎮郊。絕望中的我什麽都想嚐試一下，所以我決定打電話給她。
我在鎮郊一座簡樸的白房子找到她，她認真地打量了一下婚紗，叫我穿上。然後把別針別在婚紗的肩部和兩側，讓我兩天後來取。這正是我希望聽到的答案。
到了該取婚紗的時候，我卻疑慮重重。我怎麽會這麽蠢，把價值1200美元的婚紗放在一個我幾乎不認識的人手裏？如果她把婚紗改得一塌糊塗該怎麽辦？我甚至不知道她會不會縫扣子呢！
謝天謝地，我的擔心隻是杞人憂天。婚紗看起來幾乎和原先一樣，隻是現在很合身了，就像為我量身訂做的一樣。這位女士也很高興，我謝過她，給了她適當的小費。
一波才平，一波又起。情人節那天，我的未婚夫給我打來電話。
“桑迪，我暫時不打算結婚了，”他生硬地說，“在安定下來之前，我想去旅行幾年，體驗一下生活。”
他為取消了所有的結婚計劃而向我道歉，然後就很快離開了。我的世界頓時天翻地覆，我很憤怒，也很傷心，不知道怎麽走出這些陰影。但隨著時間的沉澱，日複一日，月複一月，我終於挺過來了。
就是那年秋季的一天，當我在超市裏排隊時，聽到有人叫我的名字。我轉過身，看到了那位給我改過婚紗的女士。她很有禮貌地問起我的婚禮，得知婚禮取消時，她很震驚，而後她說，或許這樣是好事。
我再次謝謝她把我的婚紗改得那麽合身，然後對她說，我已經把它收起來了，等有朝一日能穿上，和真正的白馬王子攜手步進教堂。她眼睛開始發光，向我說起她的單身兒子蒂姆。盡管我對約會一點興趣都沒有，還是被她說動，去見了蒂姆。
我終於在夏天舉行了婚禮——就在一年後的夏天。我確實穿上了夢想中的婚紗——站在蒂姆旁邊，跟他度過了18年的生活。多虧了那件神奇的婚紗，讓我們相遇。
心靈小語
愛有時也會在不經意間得到升華的。
詞匯筆記
engagement[inɡeid?m?nt]n.訂婚；婚約；訂婚期間
John has broken off his engagement to Mary.
約翰已和瑪麗解除了婚約。
quaint[kweint]adj.少見的；古怪的
They still keep some quaint old customs.
他們仍然保留著一些稀奇古怪的舊風俗。
alteration[,?:lt?re???n]n.改動；改變
Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.
基因突變是指DNA 密碼的改變。
boutique[bu:ti:k]n.時裝用品小商店；流行女裝商店；精品店
The boutique has a poor choice of dresses.
那家時裝用品小商店沒有多少貨可供選擇。
小試身手
一波未平，一波又起。
隨著時間的沉澱，日複一日，月複一月，我終於挺過來了。
短語家族
Both sisters were ready to give up and try another day in another town,but I coerced them into one more boutique.
Give up：放棄；投降；認輸；猜不出
Even though I wasnt interested in dating again,I let her talk me into meeting him.
Talk into：說服（某人）做（某事）