For Flowers Will Bloom

~The Providers and The Bearers~

Great. Just great. Am I really going to let this happen? I think not. Next week? That's hardly enough time to come up with a plan. Should I ask Jakim for help? Jakim is my best friend in the world. He is both smart and witty, may come across as aloof but he's quite friendly.

 There is no one I trust more than him, I've known him all my life and I honestly couldn't imagine a world without him. We simply found each other, he's been my shield for as long as I remember. I had three brothers (Jalil, Hardeep, Havi) but I never really spent time with them; they were either busy studying or working so Jakim was mostly all I had. 

In our village, all boys have to go to school and if they work hard enough they are selected for an elite program which guarantees them job opportunities. Girls on the other hand, don't work. Since fathers are providers, our society doesn't see the need to educate women. 'It's simply a waste' as they put it.

That's why I liked Jakim. He doesn't think that gender should determine roles in the society and he is probably the only boy who does. When he started school, he would sneak me in his classes and when it was impossible, he would teach me after school ended. We would do his homework together and when he had a test, we would revise together. I basically knew almost everything he did and sometimes I thought I was a bit smarter. My parents have no idea that this has been going on and I honestly don't know how they'd react. Girls aren't educated just because 'it's a waste', it's also because nobody wants a smart ass of a wife.

"I looked for you everywhere", I said out of breath.

"Is everything alright?", He said as worry washed over his face.

"Everything's not alright Jakim. My parents are determined this time, they already found me a suitor and even set the wedding date. Can you believe this? Just when I thought things were getting better", I burst out in frustration as I stared in Jakim's big brown eyes.

Come to think of it, I never really noticed his eyes before. They were gorgeous, he was actually very good looking. I wonder what It would be like to just marry Jakim, we would get along just fine right? I mean we are best friends after all but no, I couldn't imagine what our first night would look like. Eww eww, I'd rather not.

"Earth to Lianna", his sharp voice brought me to back to reality. "I was saying, do you have a plan then?"

"That's why I am here. Help me figure something out", I said desperately as I searched his eyes for hope but I could see that he was worried too, which is not a look that he wore often.