A/N:
Last chapter was a trip back in time. This time we'll skip to the more current events in the story.
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Mark's P.O.V.
Superstitious is our middlename. Well it actually isn't but might as well be. For the devotion and complete trust my family has for these divine traditions, rituals and readings is beyond what I feel is acceptable. And I'll bet my arm, it's even beyond that of the ordinary person. But then again, my family isn't ordinary.
Still I don't think we should be consulting the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains and the other planets to decide and arrange a marriage. Why bother them, right? What do they know? How about consulting the people involved for a change? You know, just to be different.
I mean don't get me wrong, I also have a superstitious streak in me. I firmly believe in the curse of the Friday the 13th but that's about it. And I have proof of it. My personal journal can attest to the fact that in recent years, multiple cases and series of unfortunate events has happened to me in that particular day. So my belief isn't completely groundless. My fear is based on facts. And real events. And actual misfortunes.
If only my family is willing to hear a more reasonable opinion on the matter. Unfortunately, they weren't. Some people are just so used to their old ways there's no use talking them out of it. Old habits die hard. And young people like myself will have to just always bow our heads down in submission and listen to our parents who only wanted the 'best' for us. Whatever their definition of what's best for us may be.
So as expected of me, I'm here sitting still and keeping quiet in some temple in the mountains together with my father, P'Irene and P'Jin and that of our business partner's family while we are all waiting for both of our families' fortunes to be read.
P'Merriam eloping is seen as a direct provocation to the heavens and our family is in dire need of another heavenly advice for continued clan prosperity and whatnot.
I'm really sleepy and want to go home ASAP but a joint reading of two families' fortunes were special cases and apparently take more time. Everyone's birth characters and birthdates had to be compared and analyzed and dissected and put under a microscope. But kidding aside, there's just a lot of things to consider so I kind of understand why it's taking a lot of time. To be honest, I hate group projects, it's more time-consuming. So unless I'm really clueless about the subject, I prefer to work alone. That's faster. Not that it relates to my current situation but I just felt like saying.
Trying not to doze off while waiting for the head monk to read out loud our fortunes, my eyes sweep the entire room looking for something interesting to distract my mind and hopefully forget even for a few minutes that I'm really sleepy. Good thing we're not sitting on some comfortable sofa but on some mats laid on the wooden floor of the temple or else I would have slept already.
Looking at members of the other family sitting from across us, my gaze settles on P'Nuea. The other family's second child. Their eldest, like my P'Irene is already married. Most probably arranged as well. But that's expected. I'd be more surprised if there's even a single person in the room who'll say that he/she married for love. It was out of the question. Children born to families such us ours have a lot of privileges but it does not include free will in choosing our life partners. I'll say it's really ironic if they ask me but then again they won't so I just keep it to myself.
Going back to P'Nuea, he was supposed to marry P'Merriam if she didn't elope but now that she did, the back up plan of both families is to have him marry me. He must be feeling really bad when silver (P'Merriam) became bronze (me) but if he's the least bit disappointed he didn't let on. I've never seen him frown or look menacingly at me. Instead he always has a smile whenever he looks my way and eventhough I don't see sparks fly between us I'm slightly reassured that if we do end up being paired in an arranged marriage, we can still probably be respectful and civil towards each other. Yeah, respectful and civil. It's a bit disappointing to describe a marital relation as just being respectful and civil towards each other but from what I've heard, there are far worst cases. So I won't complain anymore and just try to be content with what I'll be given.
After a few hours and so minutes, the monk finally read out loud our families' joint fortunes. A lot of thing has been said but I only really listened when the monk said something related to the 'failed' marriage.
A dilemma of the frightening kind.
The sharpness of metal will sever the lucky bond.
If the ox deity in anger is aroused,
A person of rat must his son espoused.
The readings were usually 'shrouded in mystery' that the monk after reading it will explain the fortune reading line by line.
I didn't quite understood everything but what I gathered was P'Merriam's wedding (which is now mine) scheduled on 2021 falls in the year of the metal ox. The metal is sharp and if the marriage won't push through, a problem (dilemma) will happen and it's sharpness (metal) will cut the prosperous thread of partnership (lucky bond) tying both families. And since P'Merriam's act of eloping had angered the heavens (ox deity). A person born in the year of the rat and a person born in the year of the ox (his son) must be married (espoused).
Now I'm not sure who is born in the year of the ox from the other family but if I initially thought there might be a 0.0000001% chance of me escaping the arranged marriage after our fortunes were read then it's now all gone. I'm born in the year of the rat (1997) and aside from me being the only member of the family who is still unmarried (not including P'Merriam), now even the 'prosperity' advice is telling me I have to get sacrificed. My fate is sealed no matter what. However that doesn't mean I'm not saddened or disappointed by it. I still am. But definitely, not as disappointed as a certain someone.
The one sitting beside P'Nuea who I think is their youngest stood up abruptly after the reading was explained and immediately bolted out the door.
Wait, does that mean . . . uh-oh, I have a premonition P'Nuea isn't the one I'll be marrying.
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A/N:
Sorry about the late update. Been busy. Hope you like the new chapter.^-^
