The Sphere

Chapter 41: The Choice was Mine

I had planned to go to Sarawak with Gina, but before that, I had the opportunity to attend Dilla's engagement ceremony in Johor. As soon as the event ended, we set off for Sarawak.

Out of the blue, Gina asked me, "Do you think Dilla's really going to marry her fiancé?" It was such a random and unexpected question.

"Why are you even asking me that?" I replied, puzzled.

"Honestly, I overheard Dilla's conversation with Tia this morning," Gina confessed.

"Overheard? How is that even possible, Gina?"

"I was under Tia's bed at that time,"

"That's freaky. Why were you under her bed?"

"Well, I was desperate to find my earring, but I couldn't find it anyway," Gina explained, rubbing one of her earlobes.

"But let me guess when I was under the bed searching, they both came in and started talking. Am I right?"

"You're a smarty-pants!"

"So, what did you hear?"

"Dilla entered the room first. I think she was taking a break because I could hear her taking deep breaths quite a few times. Then, Tia came in. She closed the door, and they started talking," Gina recounted carefully.

"What was it about?"

"Please be patient, Marina!"

"Your introduction is taking forever!"

"Okay, Tia asked Dila if she was truly serious about the engagement because it seemed like Dila wasn't fully on board with it."

"Oh... So, what did Dila say?"

"Dila told Tia that she was okay with it. She accepted it. She believed her parents' choice was the best for her."

"Hmm... How did Tia react upon hearing that?"

"She said nobody could push her around. If Dilla wasn't feeling good about the engagement, it would be best if she spoke up about it. Tia asked her to think it through and not rush into any decisions. She still had time on her hands."

To be honest, I wasn't really surprised by what Gina had told me. I knew Dilla was an obedient child. Whatever her parents asked or suggested, she followed without objection. It sometimes seemed like she never put herself first. Tia had mentioned this before too. She was worried that Dila relied too much on her parents.

But to me, there wasn't anything really wrong with that. Maybe Dila shared the same vision as her parents, having the same views and perspectives on life. That's why it seemed like she blindly followed everything they said. In my opinion, they actually had a lot in common. It made them look like a good team, and honestly, I had never seen Dilla being told to do anything bad by her parents. After all, every parent wants what's best for their kids, right?

Tia, on the other hand, had a completely different perspective. She believed that children should have the freedom to make their own choices and live their lives independently. I agreed with her wholeheartedly. Like many others in our generation, we were raised with the understanding that one day we would no longer rely on our parents. I used to be even more extreme in my views, but I never forced my beliefs on others. If Dila felt that this path wasn't for her, then she should absolutely continue doing what made her happy. It was none of my business, and it seemed like Dila saw her relationship with her parents as a partnership.

Regardless of her decision, it was ultimately up to her. Contrary to popular belief, arranged marriages aren't necessarily a bad thing. To me, this was simply a difference of opinion between the two sisters. I didn't think it was wrong for Dila to follow her parents' suggestion. Life is all about making choices, and sometimes we have to make decisions that aren't our first choice. It's normal. While I was thinking and talking about Dila for most of the journey, I couldn't help but think about my own situation and the decision I had to make for myself. And that was the very reason I had flown to Sarawak.