Intricacies of Love: Brahi and Amari's Journey

I had agreed to this marriage. It was my duty as a woman of the tribe, but I didn't understand why the elders thought so. He was the most boring man in the village. He rarely spoke and never smiled. He kept glancing sideways at me with his deep brown eyes, like he was trying to read something written on my skin.

He led me to his home, which was down by the river, and it smelled of musky sweat and spices that made my eyes water. He lit a small fire in the corner and sat on a stool without inviting me to sit down. I stood awkwardly by the door, shifting from foot to foot, wondering if I was supposed to say anything or not.

"So," he said eventually in a voice so quiet that I had to strain to hear it over the crackling of flames. "What do you want?"

I stared at him blankly for a moment and then realised that he must mean what did I want out of the marriage.

"Children." I said immediately, thinking back to my own mother cradling her newborn babies in her arms with such love and pride that it made my heart ache just to remember that feeling. "As many as possible."

He nodded slowly, looking into my eyes again with an intensity that caused me to look away and stare into the flames instead. My cheeks flushed as I remembered how we had been married yesterday in front of all the people of my tribe and his, who lived side by side but apart for hundreds of years, ever since our ancestors had left their homeland across the sea thousands of years ago.

"It's not working." He said flatly after another long silence.

I looked over at him, frowning slightly at his odd tone of voice. Did he think it wasn't working? Did he mean us? Or... An answering flush rose up my neck and face as I realised what he might be talking about. The elders hadn't explained much other than that we were married now, would have lots of children together, take care of each other until one died first and then join them in death when our time came next year at the same time as our forefathers joined theirs before us several generations ago when they had decided to settle here rather far away from their homeland where they had lived for centuries before leaving one day on a ship called The Starfish sailing away towards lands unknown for reasons unknown for a new beginning where perhaps there might be more room for young men and women who wanted more than what life gave them in their homeland where resources were scarce and food hard to find unless you were born into one of three families who ruled over everyone else like gods because they knew secrets known only by those three families who ruled over everyone else like gods because they knew secrets known only by...

I shook my head suddenly remembering that he'd asked me what I wanted out of this marriage and why did it have to be more than children? What did I want? To fall in love with someone strong and kind who would protect me always no matter what happened? To stand by him as he became stronger while helping me become stronger too? Would Brahi be like that? Or was he just going through the motions because it was his job now? If he had asked me yesterday why did I want him then would I have told him everything? Everything about myself including how things were back home before we left so many years ago and how things were here now where nothing changed ever even though everyone always pretended like they did even though we pretended like they didn't because there were still three families who ruled over everyone else like gods because they knew secrets known only...