Theresa's Choice

Part 9

"Welcome, everyone, to the Choosing Ceremony," said the announcer to the crowd. It was Friday morning, and the residents of St. John gathered out to the town square where a stage had been set up to accommodate the Ceremony. The day was bright and dry as the sun shined intensely. The deep red curtains were still drawn down; the Choosing Ceremony had not started yet.

The crowd was buzzing with talks of many different topics. The elderly all recounted their time at their own Choosing Ceremony, claiming that theirs was the most controversial and exciting. The parents, however, talked with one another, discussing whose child will go with whose. It soon became known to them that there were an odd number of participants this time. Someone was going to be left alone, and they talked about who they thought it would be. It could be the new kid, the said, or the nerd with the deformed teeth. No one knew for sure, who it would be.

"The Choosing Ceremony will now begin," said the announcer and the crowd immediately got hyped up. The announcer, a bright fellow in his thirties was the official spokesperson for the Council. He relayed to them their orders, and, in this case, facilitated official events.

The curtains rose, revealing the seventy-one seventeen year olds standing in neat rows. The crowd applauded them loudly, cheering out the name of their relative or close friend. The women and the men were separated; the latter were on the left side of the stage. In the middle was the sword of St. John, the relic of their community. The couples would mark their love in the centre of the stage in the presence of the sword.

"The rules are the same as ever; I'm sure you're all familiar with them," said the announcer. He walked over to the glass bowl in the middle which contained the names of all the participants. He was to pick up a piece of paper with a name one by one. If your name was called, one had to either choose someone or pass the opportunity and remain onstage to be chosen by someone else. He picked up a paper and read the name out loud, "Michael Flabert".

Michael Flabert, a short, bespectacled, dark haired man, stepped forward and said with conviction, "I entrust my heart and my life to Mary Gonzales."

Mary Gonzales seemed displeased with the outcome but stepped forward to say, "I entrust my heart and my life to Michael Flabert." The two took centre stage to share a kiss, and Mary's disgust was made clear to the audience. The crowd roared with laughter as Mary hastened the kiss, making it last for only about a second. The next name called was Kristin Peterson. She was the petite blonde in Tessa's Math class. As she stepped forward, Tessa hoped that she would pick Nicolas so that she wouldn't have to choose between him and James later.

"I entrust my heart and life to Leonardo Shelbert," said Kristin with a squeak. Leonardo Shelbert, one of the most handsome in the batch and a swimmer walked forward somewhat pleased and expecting that he would be picked first.

"I entrust my heart and life to Kristin Peterson," he said in a deep and manly voice. They went to the middle for their kiss. Kristin could not hide her giddiness and giggled the whole time. The crowd gave them their applause. This went on for another hour until only five people were left on stage, Tessa, Nicolas, James, a guy named Peter Guillermo, and a girl named Charlotte Brown.

The announcer picked up a piece of paper and read it, "Charlotte Brown". Charlotte skipped forward, her red locks bouncing as she did so and said, "I entrust my heart and life to Peter Guillermo." Peter stepped forward and said "I entrust my heart and life to Charlotte Brown." They had their kiss in the centre and the three were left, Nicolas and James on one side and Tessa on the other.

"Folks, this is turning into an interesting event," said the announcer, "there appears to be an odd number of participants this year. The last time this happened was five years ago, folks, and we all still remember what had happened."

The event was similar to the experience of Tessa's mother. A man was left alone onstage, and two of the police went up and escorted him to a place no one knows where. He was crying and sobbing intensely, screaming profanities at the Council and at the crowd.

"Will it happen again this year, folks?" said the announcer. Tessa could see her mother and father in the crowd anxiously waiting.

"The next name is, Theresa Johnson."

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson sighed in relief, knowing that their daughter would be safe. Tessa felt no relief whatsoever in her circumstance. She slowly walked forward and said, "I, uh, entrust my heart, uh, to-"

She stopped there. She did not say a name. The crowd gasped as she walked to the left side of the stage where Nicolas and James waited.

"James, I'm sorry," she said, "I love you with all my heart, know that, even after I have made my decision."

She hugged James tightly then turned to Nicolas.

"Nicolas, I love you too with all my heart and never doubt my feelings for you."

She hugged him also and went to the centre of the stage.

"My decision is an impossible one," she said to the crowd, "I have only grown to love both of these men only this week, and a week is insufficient time to make a decision. In this light, I make a motion to the council to allow the three of us to live together."

The crowd went crazy. The group of the elderly screamed their indignation that who was she to deserve special treatment. The other parents too, together with Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, told Tessa to choose one of the two.

"You don't understand," said Tessa who had tears falling down her face, "It is impossible-"

"Theresa May," said the announcer, "make a choice."

The roar of the crowd got louder and louder, forcing her to choose. Tessa closed her eyes and forced her mind to think.

"I have made my decision," she announced to the crowd. They immediately went silent and watched her intently.

"I choose to split my heart in two." The crowd did not understand what she meant.

"Adultery is punishable by death," reminded the announcer. The crowd started shouting once more, telling her that it's tradition, it's morality, and it's humanity that is at stake. She can only choose one; that was predetermined by the laws of the community, the law instated ever since this community was founded.

"Then death it shall be," she said. At once, she took the sword of St. John and impaled it into her heart, and with a cry of anguish she repeated her choice, "I choose to split my heart in two." Blood spurted from her chest, and she lay lifeless within minutes.

The crowd was silenced.