Originally written on August 30, 2005

HE SAYS: Dominic's Version

My marriage to my wife shocked a lot of people because it was so abrupt. But then it was what my wife was saying to them. But the truth is, I have known her for some months and have been keeping an eye on her. The problem is, my wife, Sharon was oblivious to everything most of the time, especially to men. By the way, my name is Dominic Carlo Sandini and this is the story of how I met my wifeShe came greatly recommended by my mother.

Mama Sandini was not content until all her children were happily married and have produced a dozen or so grandchildren for her. One day, she came home, flushed and beaming and eagerly told me she had a surprise for me. Since she had a lot of packages that day, I eagerly sorted out the bags and looked for a present, which I thought she bought for me. But, she gave me a piece of paper with an address on it instead and gallingly informed me that she found me a wife. Hah! I could only think, for I could never interrupt Mama in her ramblings. And she went on and on about how she met his sweet and helpful and lovely lady. And in that instance, she concluded that the lady would suit me as a wife.

They met when she was trying to refund her plane ticket and no one was minding her. But this lady noticed her and helped her get her money back.“I am very sure she is the one who could change you, my dear boy!” Imagine my mother telling me that. I felt as if I was the most notorious person in the world. Ok, ok, I admit I had been to prison for stealing automobiles and I’d been arrested sixteen times before I turned twenty eight. So you could lower your eyebrows now. Besides, I have suffered and paid for it, thanks a lot to my Uncle Enrico. Now, I am trying hard to be good. Besides, my good friend Zack Benedict has given me a legal business this time – a used-car sales lot. Don’t want to disappoint him and he made me promise I’d change. And I did.

So anyway, my Mama nagged me everyday to go see the lady whom she approved as a wife for me. She told me that this woman is a true lady, helpful to others especially the elders, so polite, soft-spoken, smart, funny and lovely. Now, now, my Mama was describing a saint there. Nobody as in no one in this world could have that much positive side. So I decided to take a peek at this epitome of goodness my mother was crazy about. For two reasons: one, to stop my mother from nagging me everyday and two, she indeed perked my interest. It is hard to please my Mama and a lot of my ex-girlfriends used to cry a lot because my Mama could be so blunt and honest, her words could cut like dull blade to the skin.

And so, one fine day, I found myself with nothing to do, so I decided to drop by the address Mama gave me.Thump, thump, thump. Bog, bog, bog. I swear I heard my heart the first time I laid my eyes on her. It was a Saturday morning, I remember, so I parked my car opposite from her house and was watching for signs of life. Suddenly, a loud argument turned into a full-blown shouting match emanated from her left-door neighbors. Less than thirty minutes later, her front door opened and there emerged a sight not sore to the eyes. In fact, it was cool to the eyes. She stands about 5’2”, tan-skinned, long wavy black hair and passably pretty. I couldn’t ask for more. I was grinning like a fool then and there because I know I already want her. If Mama was beside me, I would have hugged her and kissed her.She got on her vehicle and I discreetly followed her, a car or two behind.

She stopped at the supermarket and so I also followed her to it. I saw her reaching inside her purse, looking for something. After a few minutes she gave up what she was searching for and then grabbed a cart and proceeded towards the first lane. “Looks like now’s the time to approach her.” I said to myself and nonchalantly walked up to the opposite end of the lane so that we would me at the end.I was right on time. I turned the corner just as she was turning too and she bumped her cart into me accidentally. It was as if the hands of fate was helping me and so I pasted on a charming smile and said “Oopps, sorry about that Miss. Good morning to you.”
However, two seconds later, my smile turned into a frown, because she just looked at me as though I am no there and went towards the next lane – without even saying a word.I thought Mama said she was sweet.You fool, you haven’t introduced yourself to her yet. Naturally, she might think you’re stalking her.Oh, right, I need to think of a suave way to approach her again.I silently argued with my self. And so, I followed her slowly, as she went from lane to lane, while I was trying to come up with a smooth way to introduce myself to her.An opportunity came when we came to the sweets section.

There was only the two of us in that lane. I saw her take out a pack of Galaxy Minstrels chocolates, a Toblerone bar, and an Alpine White Chocolate bar. Then after a second, she returned them back. She put them in her cart again. She was undecided, I knew. I was tempted to laugh and tell her they wont hurt her but I wisely held my tongue and so casually I went to her and asked, “Uhmm, Miss, do you know where the meat section is?”As an answer, she looked pointedly at the apron-clad assistant who came around the corner in the middle of my question, and with glaring eyes, tartly replied, “Do I look like I work here?”So much for being suave, Sandini, I thought to myself and restrain the urge to scratch my head in despair. I watched her approach the check out counter and looked at her as she smiled at the old lady ahead of her.

Dejectedly, I sauntered towards my car, hoping that inspiration would strike. I saw her emerge from the supermarket and loaded the shopping bags to her car. I never offered to help for she will just glower at me for sure. I watched her car as it disappeared around the bend.Inspiration did strike. After a few minutes of thinking about what to do, I started my car and decided to take a look if she arrived safely.

I just traveled for only a mile when I saw her – in the middle of the street at high noon, taking a look at her car’s machine with the hood up.Oh how I could shout with glee for the golden opportunity. I came up to her and greeted her good morning. At first, I saw fear on that pretty face but after a while, I saw recognition dawn on her face as the guy in the supermarket earlier. I still felt her apprehension and so I told her that I am the son of Maria Sandini.

“You are Dominic?” she asked me, surprised.
“Yeah, I am. You know me?” I replied.She nodded her head and said that Mama has told her about me.
“What did she say about me?” I asked.
“Well, er, she told me you’re her youngest son and that you er, ehm, just came out from, ah, some place where, you….you have to learn some lessons.”

I stifled my laugh, knowing that my blunt Mama would never try to cover my past with those “kind” words. “That’s good. At least now you know I am not some criminal?” I asked, which I think was wrong of me because she looked at her car and me doubtfully, thinking for sure about the reason why I was arrested.However, I told her that she can put a gun to my head as I look at it and she can shoot me if I will attempt to run away with it. And that seemed to relieve her because I swear I saw her relax her stance. Her car just stopped working and she doesn’t know why. Therefore she doesn’t know how to fix it. I looked at her car, found the problem immediately and fixed it.

Then she thanked me profusely and invited me to her house which I accepted wholeheartedly.We entered her small but neat house, and she told me she is preparing lunch – spaghetti. With a flourish, I volunteered to cook it and she looked at me doubtfully but turn over the ingredients to me. She then told me that she adore Italian food – all kinds of pasta and pizza and she could live on them every day. Well, I gladly told him I am an Italian (as if she didn’t know from my looks) and told her that I cook the best spaghetti. Boy, how impressed was she.

She exclaimed over and over how delicious my spaghetti was and told me again and again that Spaghetti was her favorite food. And since then she cannot refuse to see me, it’s what I use to bribe her just to go out with me or let me come to her house.

One time, when I came to her house, she was not there for there was no visible light. So I decided to surprise her and hid in her dark kitchen, with a box of pizza. I was an expert in those things, you know. It’s a good thing my reflexes are fast. I was able to duck in the last second, narrowly missing the wood that should have hit my head. It seems that she was asleep upstairs on her bedroom when I arrived and heard me rattling her backdoor. She tiptoed silently towards the kitchen with the intention of beating the intruder away. I managed to elude her blows until I put on the light and only then she’d stopped.

When she recognized me at last, she stopped and apologized to me, and then I felt like the rug was pulled out under me. She kissed me then and there. And who am I to balk away from that! Man, I am not a saint, I am only human. And so with so much gusto, I kissed her back until we both come up for air, and she looked at me sheepishly. To make her forget her embarrassment, I opened the pizza and told her we’ll eat. We managed to turn the pizza dinner into one of the happiest nights of my life. We just talked and life, she laughed at my jokes and she made me laugh with her words. Boy, I never met anyone who has made me laugh that much in a few hours.Three weeks after, she asked me to marry her because she doesn’t think she could live without my pizza and pasta. And who am I to refuse. Of course I accepted her proposal much to Mama’s delight.

And one month after, we were married in a simple ceremony.Next thing I knew, we were congratulated by her friends, and all were exclaiming about our sudden and surprise wedding. It was because she has never told anyone that we were seeing each other

Labels: dominic sandini, fan fiction, judith mcnaught, perfect