They had nothing to say to each other. All had been said for them behind walls, and curtains that veiled them from choice. Just as he now stands separated by a veil again, but one of a different origin this time. The veil that separates him from childhood to manhood as his bride walks down the aisle. He has never seen her face before and knows not what lies behind this barrier except for his future. He wrings his hands behind his back with fingers that shake and sweat. He is not ready. He wishes he could run or cry, do thing that a child would do. But he can’t as his future fast approaches down an aisle graced with flowers and the whispers of a family divided by a thin line. A line between exchange of goods and exchange of humans, they wonder if there is a difference.
The son knows the difference as dread fills his heart. How could he love a woman who is only a girl. How could he love at all because he is only a boy. The unfairness of it all drips down the back of his throat like poison that hardens his heart. This is no day of celebration, but a day in which a boy’s future dies. He turns his eyes away from this long walk so he doesn’t have to look at his wife.
She reaches his side and they both feel it. The palpable tension of futures stitched together like two cars crashing into each other. Neither looks at the other as the ceremony begins. He is numb as the venom spreads throughout his limbs. She is terrified as fear wracks her body, making her rigid and brittle.
This is the end as they turn to face each other. The veil between future and past is all that is left. With trembling fingers that are clumsy with anxiety, the boy lifts his hands and slowly pulls back the veil. Her eyes are squeezed shut as if to deny the reality of this moment as he looks down at her. She slowly opens her almond eyes and looks up at him with eyes dark and hazel and full of fear. She sees the fear within his own dark amber eyes and knows this is it.
This is the only future he could have ever wanted as a grin softens his face. She is as beautiful as he could have ever hoped. He is as kind as she could have ever dreamed. They just stand there and smile at each other as the veil falls to the ground. He found love in her eyes and she found love in his warm hands. They didn’t need years to get to know each other; all they needed was a moment to know this was right. So they turned together hand in hand to face the world, wanting no other future than the one they had.
Tags: arranged marriage, fear, future, love, veil