Ximena and her mother Samira were standing in the fields, picking crops for the upcoming festival. Every few years, their village has a coming-of-age festival in which leaders from the surrounding villages bring their children together to celebrate being together while the parents decide who to marry their children off to. They eat, dance, converse, and bond all while their parents decide their fate. This year, it was Ximena's turn to participate in the festival and she wasn't too thrilled about it.
Ximena didn't want to marry some random kid from another village, she wanted to fall in love and marry when she was ready. She's only eight! What would she do with a husband the same age as (if not a few years older than) her? She didn't understand the ceremony and her mother wouldn't properly explain it to her other than saying, "it's a very important part of our history. It's how I met your father and it's how all your elders before us met one another. For our tribe to continue, you must participate Ximena", and that honestly didn't make much sense to her either.
As they walked back to their home, Samira spoke to her child. "One day, Ximena, you are going to find someone you like very much and you will marry him. Then you will understand why we do this. It is our tradition. Do you understand, flower?" Ximena nodded, even though she didn't truly understand.
The next day, Ximena was helping her mother finish the decor for the festival while her brother, Jeremias, and father, Yadiel finished up the food. The rest of the village was setting up as well, everyone was very excited about the festival later today. As Ximena was hanging a handmade ribbon on a tree branch, a vehicle calmly rode through the main street of her village, straight towards her house. Samira noticed immediately and hurried her daughter into their home while she set the basket full of decorations she was holding down on the ground.
The vehicle stopped and people stepped out, they weren't dark like Ximena and the people in her village. They were pale and had yellow looking hair, Ximena had never seen people like them, they fascinated her. She watched them carefully and tried to listen to their conversation but she couldn't understand a word they were saying. Her mother, however, was able to communicate with them effortlessly. Ximena's thoughts came to a halt when her mother looked back at her with sadness in her eyes. Ximena's father suddenly looked sad as well but her brother was just as confused as she was.
Samira walked up to her precious daughter and held her hands. "My beautiful flower," she started, "these people are from a land far from here and they have come to take you to where they are from. They will take care of you and you will learn many new things from their people." Samira sheds a tear as her daughter shook her head in shock. "Why Mama? Why must they take me? Have I done something wrong?"
Samira shook her head and squeezed her daughter's hands, "they will take care of you, flower. This is a good thing, it will bring you much fortune and happiness." Ximena stood up from her chair and climbed out of the window to get closer to her mother, her father and brother joined her outside. "I don't want to go, Mama. I'll marry whoever you see fit, I'll work harder in the fields, I'll do whatever you want but please do not make me leave".
"Ximena, listen to me. This is a blessing, these people have come to give you a life we could never bring you. You are a beautiful, smart girl. You can have the life you have always wanted with them", Samira said, her voice shaking as tears fell from her eyes. A woman grabs Ximena by the hand and removes her from her mother's hold. Samira pleads for a few more moments with her but the people are persistent.
As the vehicle door closes and the engine starts, Samira comes up to the vehicle to see her beautiful daughter one more time. "I love you, flower. Please come back one day and see us, we'll be right here waiting for you, she says as she gently strokes her daughter's head. Ximena nods, tears pouring from her eyes. The vehicle begins to move and her mother steps back and waves, so does her father but brother continues to look on in disbelief and confusion as the distance between them grows.
Soon enough, Ximena can no longer see her family or her village anymore. By this time, her tears have well enough faded with nothing but sadness left behind. The woman holding her hand softly lets go and wraps her arm around the child in sympathy. Ximena sinks into her arms and falls asleep, exhausted from crying for so long.
