After a three year engagement, my wedding day was finally upon us. It was time for the planning to begin and for my family and I to start pulling our hair out. Before booking the venue, picking out the photographer, all the fun little details for the big day, I bought my wedding dress over a full year in advance. After a day out with my mother and sister and trying on my very first gown for fun, I had to have it and bought it right then and there.
Once we got it home to my apartment, in which I still resided with my parents, we overlooked one minor detail…WHERE TO PUT IT! My mother and I were brainstorming for ideas because there was no way we can keep it hanging from the curtain rod in my parent’s room until November 2010. Eventually the light bulb went off. “Let’s bring it to Nana and Papa’s!”
My grandparents, who live down in South Jersey in a senior housing development had a spotless spare room I figured I could use. I called my grandmother to discuss this grand idea and they made this their ultimate mission. While on the phone, one thought came to my mind that I had to discuss with my grandma. My grandfather, a hyper and zealous Italian man cooked quite often using ingredients with potent aromas like garlic. Due to my fear of walking down the isle smelling like a meatball, I asked if they can keep the door closed more often than not. In a serious tone, my grandmother abruptly stated that I am not to worry because they had a plan.
My family and I took the ride down South to deliver the dress. My father bought a hook to put in the wall. I am not even allowed to chew gum in my grandfather’s car, so you could imagine my anxiety asking permission to drill holes in his ceiling. We walked into the house and went directly into the spare room. The air smelt so fresh and clean. When I walked into the room there were at least four open 5-pound bags of baking soda in every corner of the room. I guess it’s nice to have a neighbor whose son works at Arm & Hammer. I knew my dress would be completely fine with them because they made it their duty to protect the dress and keep that room off limits.
After months of my gown residing in Lakewood, New Jersey, my mother gets a call from my grandmother with an interesting story to tell. The night before at around two in the morning, while my grandparents were fast asleep, the fire alarms went off! My grandfather woke in a panic, grabbed a fire extinguisher and ran out of his bedroom, straight into the spare room to save the dress! He forgot one thing…my grandmother who happened to sleep through the entire thing! Fortunately, it was just a malfunction in the system, but god forbid it was something serious, my grandfather would have been outside with the dress while my grandmother was being rescued by firefighters.
Needless to say, my dress was unharmed by fires and I didn’t smell like a fresh sauce all thanks to my Nana and Papa. Bottom line, all the bags of baking soda and the thought of my grandfather with a fire extinguisher running around the house in the middle of the night is something I will never forget.
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