On My Wedding Day, They Made Me Bow to a Dog

4.

The window shattered.

Hands clamped down on my arm.

Pain shot through it.

Anita's carefully made-up face twisted out of shape.

"Felix James, get out here. You bow down and kowtow to my Roy today, or you're in for it."

I'm a grown man, and they were actually trying to haul me out through the window by force.

Paddy had a death grip on the small of my back.

Anita saw it and spat, "Paddy, are you shameless or what? This is between me and my husband. You just have to stick your nose in. You can't stand to see Felix happy, is that it?"

The words were barely out before her manicured fingers jabbed straight into Paddy's face.

Blood welled up in the scratches at once.

Paddy bit down on the pain and didn't let go.

"Felix, think of something. We are not taking this beating for nothing!"

Half my body was already dragged out the window.

The villagers around the car whooped it up, every last one of them.

"Now this is a fun wedding scuffle. They're playing tug-of-war now."

My body was stretched between the two forces, my gut jammed hard against the window frame, and it hurt so much I could have cried.

I gave Paddy a look with my eyes.

He let go, watching for his chance to climb toward the driver's seat.

Anita, though, thought I was about to give in.

"See, wasn't that easy? Saves you all that suffering."

Right then Paddy took his chance, climbed into the driver's seat, and started the car.

The car lurched forward the second it started, and the pull dragged Anita a few steps with it.

The color drained from her face in fright.

Paddy eased off the speed a little.

"Felix, what are you doing? Are you trying to kill me?"

Soon enough the gawkers crowded back in.

But in all the chaos my hand found the walkie-talkie.

Lucky she'd warned us ahead of time that her home was up in the hills with bad phone signal, so we'd brought walkie-talkies.

I pressed down on it.

"Dad, Mom, big brother, I'm calling off this wedding. Come save me, quick."

I steadied myself and made my voice louder.

"Anita's family is forcing me to kneel to a dog. No kneeling, no coming inside. I don't want this marriage."

Static crackled.

The walkie-talkie hissed, and then came the voice that settled me.

"What?! Little brother, don't be scared, we're coming in right now to get you!" It was my big brother, Elwin James.

"Elwin, don't come charging in alone. The people in this village are troublemakers."

"Got it," Elwin said.

Not long after.

A whole crowd from the construction site came out of nowhere.

They came pouring in this way with my brother at the front.

They were the crew the government had sent down to build roads out here.

A lot of them were doing the public-works stint to log some experience and pad their résumés, so every one of them was strong and fit.

The ones who'd been jeering that us city folk were soft turned timid, one after another.

My big brother walked up to the window, saw how pale I was, the blood streaked all over Paddy's face, the smashed-in window, and his face went dark as a storm.

He fixed his stare on Anita, hair a mess, face twisted.

Then he raised his hand and pointed at her.

Anita shrank back in fear, her lips trembling.

I opened the door and stepped out.

Just as my brother was about to swing, I spoke.

"Elwin, wait. Don't do it yet…"