TWENTYTHREE
Karen wanted to keep the wedding a very small private affair, and Bono was happy to respect
her wishes. So in all in attending the wedding was Bono's family and Katie, Larry Adam Edge and their immediate family Bridie
the housekeeper as well as Liv and Sean who were to be their witnesses at the small registrary office cermony
Karen wore a pale blue skirt suit and matching hat and carried a simple posy of wild flowers. Bono was dressed in a slick
designer suit and tie minus his shades.
After the cermony was over they all set of to an exclusive resturaunt across Dublin for the celebrations.
A few times during the past four month Karen had anxiety attacks wondering was she doing the right thing, and hoping Bono
wasnt marrying her because he felt he had to after compromising her job with him when he slept with her.. she didnt want to
feel she had cornered him into the situation.
But now the deed was done she was Mrs Paul Hewson, suddenly catapulted from being in the background working for him as
Nanny and a friend, to being the forefront as his wife. She just hoped she could make it through the transition , though she
found it made it that little bit easier for her was the fact the Bono's closest friends accepted her. what everyone else thought
after that she tried not to care.
But at the same time it was hard with him being famous and always in the limelight.. something she tended to shy away from.
When they were together at home, just her Bono and Katie, Karen was at her happiest.
One evening as both of them had come up to put Katie to bed, they stood watching her sleeping, Bono slipped his arm around
Karens waist.
"I was just thinking if Katie hadnt come into my life the way she did I might never have had the chance to have you in
my life either, she was no more than a little stranger who was forced on me unexpectently and back then I never realised the
impact she would have"
Karen smiled "There is always some good that comes out of a bad situation I believe" "Yes" Bono agreed "I know I have been
blessed much more than I deserved".. he give her a long lingering kiss, then pulled away from her a little "Mmmm, I think
its time we went to our own bed now" Karen only too readily agreed.
After the first three months of marriage Bono was on the road again with the band, they were just some special one-of Gigs
in the UK and Ireland this time he brought Karen and Katie with him. Karen could handle this easily enough from past experience
but it was another ordeal a few months after that when Bono insisted she accompany him to a special big music award cermony
because their last Album had been nominated for a few of the awards.
Karen was just glad that she had Liv to help her with her wardrobe and make up she had never had to attend such a glamourous
event before until now and she was nervous as hell.
That evening she sat in the car with Bono as they drew up to the venue where the cermoney was being held, Karen seen the
massive crowds the photographers with their flashing lights. and the tv cameras
"Can't I just go home now?" she asked squeezing Bonos arm anxiously as the car pulled to a halt for them to get out.
Bono grinned "No chance, I have got you this far.. no way am I letting you turn back, I want everyone to see my wonderful
wife" He squeezed her hand "You will be ok" he then reassured her
"just hang onto me tight and smile your lovely smile, we will be inside before you know it"
Karen realised she had no other choice but to go along with what he said, and as the car door opened she took a deep breath
and held onto Bono's hand in a grip that made him almost wince with pain.
She managed to fix a smile on her face and was almost blinded by the flashes of the camera as they walked towards the entrance
she could hear people shouting Bono;s name, he stopped smiled and waved for a bit before going into the building.
Karen only started to relax a little when they met up with Liv and Edge and Larry.. seeing their familar faces in the crowded
room filled with famous glamourous people she suddenly didn't feel quite so out of her depth, though she continued to hang
onto Bono's arm, like he was her lifeline.
She was so nervous in her surroundings plus hoping for the Band to win something, she had to make several trips to the
tiolet, one of these occasions there was a large queue, she was standing in line wishing it would move a little faster in
case she missed and the guys winning an award, then she heard his name getting mentioned by some girl who was four or five
people in front of her, Karen couldnt help listening in hearing her husband being talked about.
"Did you see him with his new wife.. she use to be his daughter's nanny y'know" the girl spoke to her friend both of them
totally unaware that Karen was not far behind her.
"Her friend laughed "Yeah, she made a good move their, her skills as a nanny were not all he wanted, she must have thought
she had hit the jackpot when she bedded him then got him to put a wedding ring on her finger"
Listening to this Karen went cold inside, she didnt really want to hear anymore, but she couldnt move either.
"I guess he got a good bargain though, marrying his nanny made sure she was guarenteed to look after his kid for the rest
of her life she must have been doing real good at her job" then they both started laughing.
Feeling a little sick Karen couldnt stick listening to them any longer and forgot about going to the tiolet and fled the
ladies room.
She was shaking from head to foot, filled with dismay, was that how people viewed her marriage to Bono, that she was some
schemeing money grabbing little bitch who had tricked him into marrying her, and all he that mattered to him was her looking
after his kid? Blindly she made her way back to her seat, she wasnt sure how she manage to smile for Bono as she sat next
to him, when all she wanted to do was cry at the unfairness of it all the night had been ruined for her.
When the band were announced for winning an award a little while later. Karen watched Bono and the others go up on stage
to collect it and give their thank you speech, but her mind was so filled with the conversation she had heard between those
two women she might as well not have been there to witness their triumph, she didnt feel very triumphant or happy. and when
she atomatically applauded as they came of the stage her eyes filled with tears, but not those of pride and happiness as they
should have been, but if a sudden feeling of miserableness and disappointment that people were viewing her marriage to Bono
as a farce.