Best Man on the Job
Fri., June 8—New York—I intended to spend the day gazing around but I ended up all morning on the telephone. A hot, muggy day–sunny and steamy–but very nice. I picked up J. at 3:10 pm and we drove in heavy slow traffic up 3rd Avenue, across 118th Street to First and out over the Willis Ave. Bridge and on to Greenwich. I was told that a toast was in order for tonight and nearly collapsed but that turned out not to be true. We went to the rehearsal and things went smoothly. The rehearsal dinner was very nice and the toasts were very touching. T. and I eventually G. went to Tumbledown Dicks and stayed until 2. Mr. P. growled at us from the landing when we came in. Top bunk J’s room.
Sat., Jun 9–Greenwich, CT—The wedding. Got up early enough and went out for a walk with T. and C. I sat down in every available corner to work on my toast and try to come up with a whooping last line. I sat out by the swimming pool in the steaming heat and, this time, finally boiling sun. We suited up and got to the church in plenty of time. There was a “hard feelings” other wedding in progress. After it was over, the bride’s mother came charging up the aisle demanding to know where their flowers had gone. We said , “The ushers took them,” and she said, “Whose ushers?” in a screech.
The ceremony began with only a slight delay at 2:05 and proceeded beautifully. C. burst into tears at the end of her short walk up the aisle and things got underway. The ceremony was short and sweet.
I drove with J. and C. R. to the reception. I was getting very nervous by this time but enjoyed myself nonetheless. My toast, followed by a reading of a couple of telegrams and a short decent description of J. and of our life and times and the jumping on me story about Leslie. My finale was: May you always awake at the top of the morning, live in the best of days and sleep wherever the hell you like.
After J. and L. left, J, P. and I drove back to the P.’s house. We took a swim, then went out to the Jardines and then I drove C. R. home to Khakum Wood and headed to NYC with a big cigar.