[美]S.L.基舍/S.L.kishor
我在圣诞节得到了一枚订婚戒指。我和男友相恋快一年了，我们都感觉，到了该用圣洁的结婚仪式把我们融入对方生活的时候了。整个1月份，我们都为6月份将在阿拉巴马举行的那场完美的婚礼而忙碌。我和妈妈、两个姐妹都去亨茨维尔镇，挑选在我一生中最特殊的时刻里扮演主角的婚纱。这个小镇离家最近，而且有许多婚礼用品店。我们说笑着共度了上午的美好时光。但到了下午，情况开始变得不妙了：我们仍没买到满意的婚纱。姐妹们都准备放弃了，打算第二天去别的镇上看看，但我还是强拽着她们去了另一家精品店。步入这个花香弥漫的精致小店，我感觉很惬意。一个中年店员给我看了许多适合我的身材并且价位适中的漂亮婚纱，但没有一件我中意。当我打开门准备离开时，绝望的店主告诉我们，里面还有一件价格不菲的婚纱，虽然不是我要的型号，但是我也许可以看一看。当她把婚纱拿出来时，我惊喜地叫起来。就要这件！我冲进试衣间，很快穿上它。虽然它比我的尺码至少大两码，并且比我预想的要贵很多，但我还是说服妈妈买下了它。这家店很小，不提供改衣服务，但是，内心的兴奋让我觉得能在我家的小镇把它改小。仅有激动是不行的。星期一早晨，裁缝店告诉我，婚纱不能改，因为上面有很多手工缝上去的珠子和小亮片。当时，我都要崩溃了。我打电话给那个小商店征求建议，可是电话那头却传来录音机的声音。朋友给了我一位女士的电话，她是在家做改衣活儿的，就住在镇郊。绝望中的我什么都想尝试一下，所以我决定打电话给她。我在镇郊一座简朴的白房子找到她，她认真地打量了一下婚纱，叫我穿上。然后把别针别在婚纱的肩部和两侧，让我两天后来取。这正是我希望听到的答案。
到了该取婚纱的时候，我却疑虑重重。我怎么会这么蠢，把价值1200美元的婚纱放在一个我几乎不认识的人手里？如果她把婚纱改得一塌糊涂该怎么办？我甚至不知道她会不会缝扣子呢！谢天谢地，我的担心只是杞人忧天。婚纱看起来几乎和原先一样，只是现在很合身了，就像为我量身定做的一样。这位女士也很高兴，我谢过她，给了她适当的小费。一波才平，一波又起。情人节那天，我的未婚夫给我打来电话。“桑迪，我暂时不打算结婚了，”他生硬地说，“在安定下来之前，我想去旅行几年，体验一下生活。”他为取消了所有的结婚计划而向我道歉，然后就很快离开了。我的世界顿时天翻地覆，我很愤怒，也很伤心，不知道怎么走出这些阴影。但随着时间的沉淀，日复一日，月复一月，我终于挺过来了。就是那年秋季的一天，当我在超市里排队时，听到有人叫我的名字。我转过身，看到了那位给我改过婚纱的女士。她很有礼貌地问起我的婚礼，得知婚礼取消时，她很震惊，而后她说，或许这样是好事。我再次谢谢她把我的婚纱改得那么合身，然后对她说，我已经把它收起来了，等有朝一日能穿上，和真正的白马王子携手步进教堂。她眼睛开始发光，向我说起她的单身儿子蒂姆。尽管我对约会一点兴趣都没有，还是被她说动，去见了蒂姆。我终于在夏天举行了婚礼——就在一年后的夏天。我确实穿上了梦想中的婚纱——站在蒂姆旁边，跟他度过了18年的生活。多亏了那件神奇的婚纱，让我们相遇。
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 didn’t offer alterations，but my excitement assured me I would be able to get it resized in my hometown.Excitement wasn’t 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 a1200 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 Valentine’s 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 wasn’t 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.