Sthe, looked at everyone around us , “we’ll be leaving first enjoy the ceremony”.
He then pulled me away to what I have now marked as our special spot , the big Oak tree. We both sat down and he looked up at the sky as if reminiscing about something.
“Three years ago my grandmother died , she was ill for a very long time . No one in the village could find a cure for her illness, I loved my grandmother you know , she was the only one who understood me .
She often told me I grew up a little too soon for her liking but she was proud of me because I was just like my late grandfather. My grandmother was a seer , she could tell each and everyone of us our destiny.
What she saw was often not good, because of that our people branded her a whitch . My grandmother was not liked in the village, one morning just before she took her last breath she sent my father to go and call me .
Like the good grandson I’m I ran to my grandmother’s hut . She was pale and you could see she was just barely holding on to her life .
When I got into the hut she smiled , ‘Susu’ , that’s how she used to call me . “I have something to tell you” , I nodded sitting next to her bed holding her frail hand.
“You will not find your bride amongst our people”,my father gasped at her words . “Does that mean he will not marry mother?”, Father had asked , “oh no son , he will.
He has a chosen bride, in three years your bride will come son and he will be perfect for you” . “Pardon me mother but did you say he?”, “Yes dear , Susu, will marry a man our ancestors have chosen for him .
The man will be a good man though a bit timid just patient Susu” . I looked at her silently and nodded , “what about children?” My father asked, my grandmother just laughed and looked at me .
I saw the answer in her eyes and actually smiled . That is when she took her last breath .
Three years later you came ,from the first time I saw you laying on the ground after you were scared by the wild bore, I knew you were my bride and I fell for you at first sight” .
As he said the last part he looked at me and I looked down blushing all the way up to my ears .
His story touched me and I knew at that moment I was made to belong to Sthe , only one problem , I was straight all my life how was I going to love a man .
Actually loving him was not a problem ,the problem was being held by him intimately , the thought scared me a bit .
No one could blame me though I was after all a virgin , huh , us virgins have it bad with our inexperience you know.
Anyway me and Sthe, stayed silently under the oak tree and just basked in each other’s company.
My thoughts began to drift to my own family , I knew for a fact they were never going to accept Sthe . No offence to my parents but they were not exactly the best role models you could find out there .
They were , homophobic , racist and simply cruel to their own son . I could not believe such people were actually my parents , I was simply afraid of them and that says a lot coming from me .
“My parents will never accept our marriage”, I told Sthe, with a disappointed sigh .
“My mother does not accept our marriage yet I’m still going to marry you , what does that say about me?” I looked at him , “your strong?”, “No Dali, it means I care about You and I do not care what anyone else says about our marriage what matters is what we say about it” .
I nodded after a moment his words made sense. Just then a scream sounded around the village . I stood in a Sturt .
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