Dedicated to -white-rose- who chose the weirdest display picture ever.
RIDDLE OF THE CHAPTER: What is in the middle of nowhere?
"Umm," I say hesitantly, "Who are you?"
He jumps up as if surprised that there's another person in the room. He loses balance and falls to the floor. I shove my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing.
"Oh my gosh!" I say, when I've regained composure. "Are you OK?" I walk over to him and give him a hand up.
"Sorry," he says, his cheeks red with embarrassment, "you just startled me, are you looking for your room?"
"Umm, I say unsure, looking at my paper. "I think this is my room, Q243, right?"
"Oh," he says surprised. He takes the paper and analyses it so hard you'd think the numbers were going to change from the intimidation.
"I didn't think I'd be having a room mate, maybe there's been a mistake," I say to get him to stop scrutinizing the poor piece of paper.
"Darn it!" He says and whacks his forehead. "That's what I get for not reading the morning announcements."
"What?" I ask, confused.
"I got married this morning, I forgot, I fell asleep during this morning's assembly," he says, cursing himself.
"To whom?"
"To you," he says and gives me back the paper.
"What?!?!?" I ask, shocked. "Are you crazy? I'm not married to anyone, I literally only got here this morning."
"Doesn't matter," he says, "the system automatically pairs you up with a partner the minute you're discovered." I just look at him in surprise.
"Look," he says pointing to a wall computer next to the door, "the announcement should be on there."
I walk over to the computer, uncertainly, my mind a messed jumble-up of thoughts. I touch the screen and it whirrs to life. I see a couple of options on the screen and click the one that says: "the announcements you should have been listening to".
I scroll down and find the first announcement, "pair-ups".
"Today, the 16 of Tuvala, 4155, the resident male of Q243 was wed. The bride being the women who was found yesterday morning at Googlu We wish them well - the computer society"
"Urmm," I turn to look at my, now, husband. "Whose decision was this?"
"The computer's," he says, shaking his shoulders indifferently, like it's something that happens every other day.
"Why do you sound so unsurprised?" I ask, surprised.
"Everyone's gotta have a partner, society can't function without each man and woman doing their part. I was expecting you."
"You don't even know me," I say defiantly.
"Not yet, but the people who deal with the computer already did all the tests, they wouldn't have matched us up unless we hovlac."
"Hov, what?"
"Hovlac, you know, match, go together," he says as if it explains everything. "Medically at least."
"And you were perfectly fine with it? Just being married off without your consent?"
"I was a bit irritated at the whole system at first, but when you see how well everyone fits together, you want to be a part of it too."
I think back to Riaaz and Yasmin, and how sweet they were and how well they worked together.
"Don't worry," he says, "you'll learn to like me."
I'm still confused and a little angry at this whole situation, but I decide I might as well be cordial.
"What's your name?" I ask him. He smiles.
"Para baixa sombre um joelho", he says with a seductive Mexican voice.
I laugh, "that's not a name, that's just 'down on one knee' typed into google translate," I say raising an eyebrow.
"You got me," he says and laughs, "wait, how did you know that?"
"Expert google translator," I say taking off an imaginary hat. "At least I think so, I really don't know at this point, my head's so jumbled up".
"Is that a thing?" He asks, wiggling a eyebrow " Expert Google Translator?"
"We all have our skills," I say, with a smile, "one of yours appears to be changing the subject."
"Sorry, my name is 'the resident male of Q243'."
"You don't have a name?" I ask in surprise before remembering that, neither do I.
"Nope, do you?" He asks, almost embarrassed.
"No, not that I know of," I say biting my lip. "I'm sure I do, but I don't remember it."
"Well," he says, "we have to have a name, whether we remember it or not. We'll just have to make new names."
"I have a feeling I'm not that good at making my own decisions," I say, "I'm blank, maybe you should choose for me."
"Ok, only if you promise to do the same." He says.
"Deal," I say and we shake on it. I blush as our hands touch.
We spend the rest of the afternoon, laughing and trying to settle on names, we take a break in between to make namaaz(Muslim prayer), which 'to be named' reminds me still needs to be read no matter how weird things get. He also says that maybe all the weird stuff are happening because we don't pray enough. Hmmm, I think I unintentionally married a philosopher.
Eventually, we've decided on the perfect names.
"I know we just met and got married, but I'm an action kind of girl," I say. "I gotta see and experience things to believe them."
"What do you mean?" He asks.
"Live up to your original name," I say shyly. "Go down on one knee."
He smiles, (doesn't go down on one knee) takes my hands in his, looks me in the eye and says, "Tauheedah Q243, will you marry me?"
"Hanzala Q243, I already have." He smiles and touches his forehead to mine.
Standing here in this moment, looking at this man, who I just met, but feel like I've known for a lifetime, I realise that maybe this place, however weird it might be, isn't so bad after all and at least now I know I won't have to deal with it on my own.
ANSWER: H!
