My Brother's Wedding

My brother Rio got married last Saturday. It was the biggest day in our family for years. Three hundred guests, a tent in the street, food for two days, and my mother crying from morning to night. Happy crying, she said, but she used a lot of tissues.

I was the best man, which in our family means doing everything nobody else wants to do. I carried chairs. I drove relatives from the station. I found the ring when Rio lost it — it was in his other pocket. I gave a speech that I'd practised for two weeks and forgot completely when I stood up.

At the end of the night, when the guests had gone, my brother and I sat on the empty stage and drank the last of the tea. He said, "Thank you for everything." I said, "You owe me." He laughed. Then he said, "I'm scared." I said, "Good. That means you're taking it seriously." I think that was the best thing I said all day.