Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride by Chantal Bellehumeur While Samantha's boyfriend Jerome was away on a weekend camping trip in the wilderness with four of his best buddies, Sam was looking for something fun to do. None of her girlfriends were free to get together for a meal or drinks that weekend, so she considered going to a museum by herself. She had not visited one since being in high-school, and was now in her early thirties. After doing a search online of all the museums in the city of Montreal, Samantha decided to go to the History Museum located downtown. The temporary exhibit on wedding dresses interested her. She loved fashion as well as learning different customs of the past, so this was right up her alley. Samantha knew Jerome would not have wanted to come with her. It's not that he would not have gone with her if she asked for his company, but it would not exactly have been his first choice for an outing together. This was the perfect time for Sam to go. Samantha took note of the museum's exact location as well as the directions on a piece of white paper she ripped off a square pad and put it in her big black Mary Poppins purse, as Jerome called it. She then got dressed in a pair of tight designer jeans as well as a nice light blue t-shirt that matched her eyes and checked herself out in the bathroom mirror really quickly to make sure she looked okay to be out in public. She was really checking on her long brown hair, which often had a mind of its own. Sometimes, it frizzed so much that Samantha thought she looked like a poodle. Today her hair wasn't so bad, but Sam decided to tie it up in a ponytail with an elastic that had a light blue flower attached to it. It made her look younger.
Satisfied with the way she looked, Samantha headed for the front door. She put on her cute, blue, high heel sandals, said bye to her lazy black cat named Jack who was just starring at her with his yellow eyes, and left her apartment. On the way to the bus stop, Sam heard honking numerous times and realized that there was a procession of cars nearby because a couple had just gotten married. She turned her head left as she was crossing the street and saw a decorated black stretch limo as well as other cars go by making a lot of celebratory noises. At the bus stop, a young happy looking couple was cuddling on a bench despite the fact that it was really hot out. Samantha was already sweating from the heat even though she had only been outside for two minutes. There were no clouds in the blue sky to hide the rays of the bright sun, nor any wind. The air felt really humid. Sam wondered how Jerome and his friends were doing out in the woods; if the shade from the trees did not keep them cool, they could always jump in the cold lake, she thought. Thinking of water made her realize she was really thirsty. Having forgotten her water bottle, Samantha was happy to see the bus coming so she could - 14 -
