Hidden World

Zinnia- Benji

I sit down for dinner with the rest of my family- Dad, Ma, and Charles. Charles, despite being my younger brother, is already arranged to marry. That doesn't say much, though.

Dinner starts off like normal. "Dear, whatever you put in this stew is making me a little, ah, queasy." Dad says.

"Dear, I'm sorry, but we didn't have any other thickener," Ma says. Every night a new excuse to why Ma's perfectly good cooking doesn't make him happy. Every night, Ma makes a different excuse on what made him not feel perfectly perfect. Maybe I'm actually a little excited to leave.

"Z," Charles says, "I think that this stew is wonderful, don't you?" 

"Yes, I do." I say, fulfilling my part of the routine. 

"Tonight, for after dinner, we've invited Benji to come." Dad says.

I choke. Not part of the routine.

The rest of the family continues to ramble on about whatever new, exciting, things happened, I can only think of what torture is to come. 

It comes at seven o'clock preciously, saying "Bonjour," and kissing my mother on the cheek.

"Benji!" My mother exclaims, "you look great."

"Mm-hmm," he says, "just for Zinnie here."

Benjamin Rklou is my least favorite person ever. When we were kids, we never got along, to the extent in which we both bullied each other. And yet, when I was fourteen, the age a girl is supposed to be proposed to, our parents arranged that Benji and Zinnia were going to be bride and groom. I know that it wasn't Benji's choice, but he sure seems happy.

He comes up to me and kisses me on the mouth, hard. I feel like a dog is slobbering on my face. I do not kiss him back.

"Here, babe, I got you this as a farewell present." he hands me a small box. I open it to find a cheap plastic ring, with the price tag of "1 unatot" [Equivalent to half a penny {US currency}] still attached. I know for a fact that he could have spent four times that, but chose to spend it on tobacco instead. 

"Mmm, thank you" I say quietly, but he's rushed on to talking with my father about whatever they talk about.

I sit in my wooden chair and watch stare at my hands.

An hour later, Benji stops talking to Dad and comes over to me.

"Bye, Zinnia. As soon as I can, I'll get a job and come to pick you out of Their service!" he says, kissing me one more time and practically skipping out the door.

I hope to never see him again.