BLAMELESS SORROWS

50. Society.

Axel's Point of View.

Tilbe: Marriage? Oh marraige!

Ahhh I guess they really are getting married huh?

Tilbe: The marraige I suggest I suppose right?

Hmm, this is getting interesting. I knew she will regret saying that at some level at some point.

Karina: Why do I feel that you are thinking that this is a bad idea?

Well the worry in her voice is much greater I suppose, compared to Tilbe's that is.

Tilbe: Well it's just that, a part of me want to quotient them from getting married just because I said so.

I think I know where she is going with this.

Karina: Well they are not getting married just because you said so, they are doing it cause thats preety much the only way they can survive.

She is not saying the whole truth, I wonder why?

But then again, the words she is saying is also the complete truth. They do need to get married to survive like Karina is saying and like how Tilbe said before.

Tilbe: Thats why I said a part of me does not want them to, the other part surely do.

I chuckle as she said that, Tilbe will always be Tilbe.

Karina: And I wonder what that part that don't want them to get married is feeling?

Probably about how they can seperate again and stuff of this sort.

Tilbe: I know that this may seems far fetch and also maybe Iam feeling this way cause I don't know them clearly.

There were silence after that with no answer. So I guess Tilbe take it as her cue cause she start to speak again.

Tilbe: Well in Iklu, marraige is a bit different from other part of the world. We treat marriage quite sacredly which it really is. One someone get married, it bind them together as a family and a family cannot ever be apart even if we cut ties or do anything to cut it. And that truly is.

Tilbe: Here in Iklu the marriage ceremony is ritual where we ask blessing from God, our parents and the people for their union. And we are given the blessing to be one and got the wishes to have a blessed year ahead. And this blessings and wishes can not be taken back or two people being one cannot be broken again.

I am right in what I thought she will say, cause Iklu is a place where marriage is really a serious thing which cannot done and then broken just cause of a change in heart or something if a sort. Here it's a bond, which cannot be broken once made.

Karina: So there is no possibility of divorce?

Well didn't she out it quite simple to the point that it somehow put a shame to Tilbe's little speech. But of course u know Tilbe's words are needed.

Tilbe: Well didn't you just summarise it perfectly.

We do think very alike.

Tilbe: But I would like to believe that, only that sentence cannot cover the needs. Don't think that Iklu is a place of perfection where couple don't fight at all, where there is no seperation or break up or anything of such. It is just that it is relatively lower here when compared to other place.

It's like she have explained everything to someone before and is doing it again ans again when this is the first time. It's really endearing and somewhat fun to listen to my little gift all grown up.

Karina: So how do they seperate if they don't divorce?

Tilbe: They just do. But people around will always take them as husband and wife and that will never change. No matter how long it has been since they don't live in the same house anymore and does not share the same table anymore, but they will always be husband and wife as they have vowed to be as they married .

Karina: So they can't remarry or have another relation again?

Well this is wrong too, now taht i think about it, Iklu really is strange with their marriage status.

Tilbe: Yes according to the wedding vows but no it do happen that someone have a second wife or they do fall for others again, but the people will treat that second wife as a mistress no matter how graceful and rightful kind if person she is. Cause no matter how rightful a person is, she or he is not holier than the wedding vows or the blessed ceremony they have stand at.

There were utter silence after she said so. No question ask by Karina this time.

Tilbe: I told you before we beleive a wedding brought two soul together as one, and it do. And that bond canot be broken again, like we have vowed.

Karina: Is it really such a great deal how people judge you outside when you can't be happy in your own home?

Tilbe chuckled as she said that.

Tilbe: And that must be why, people do have seperate and have gone thier own way. But remember Iklu is a place where all of us seems to be family, everyone know everyone. Everyone will lend a helping hand to anyone when needed help, everyone will celebrate together when something comes up, everyone interact with each other in everything we do. A neighbour greeting each other, people greeting each other wherever we go, dining at each other's place, drinking water at every doorstep is quite a common thing here unlike other place.

I guess this is true. Iklu really is a place where someone business is everyone's business.

Tilbe: And that triat of oneness, the feeling that whenever you need help in whichever part of Iklu you might be, you will have it and the fact that the feeling of loneliness is never felt even as you walk down the road alone is something Iam so proud of to be a characteristic of us, of our kingdom.

The proudness in her voice and the pride is her words really do have volume as it should be.

Karina: But all the people caring for someone's business is also not that great of a things. A suffering person might need to be alone as well, and someone might prefer to keep his or her problem to herself and not be gossip by everyone.

Tilbe: And that's the difference between your world and mine. Cause in mine, we will choose the nosiness anytime rather than not be lifted up even when someone fell right in the middle of the street in the name of privacy. We will rather be quenched then to be doubted again and again about why someone is offering just a cup of water or why someone is asking for one in the name of giving space. All of us will rather be nosy neighbours than stranger who is afraid to said a small hi and hello.

The weight her voice held and the volume of her voice dont seems to match. As she seems to be just breathing out the words, all calm and collected, and just as if explaining a point and nothing else.

But hearing no answer from Karina she continued.

Tilbe: But of course I admit there is an adverse affect to this as well. It's not about all rainbow and unicorn. People will gossip about your problem like you said, people will judge your actions openly and your privacy will really be questioned and many more.

Karina: But then again, those same thing also happen where the advantage of nosiness you talk about is not there in my world.

Tilbe: I know. And so once you lose that nosiness, once you lose that attachment then we will all lose the greatest beauty of Iklu.

I know right. The chirps of people greeting each other in the morning happily can make the beautiful singing if the bird as a background and nothing else.

The people coming together each festival with a bright smile on their face letting go of everything they have to do to be with others is a joy that can make you forget of every worries at least for that small amount of time, and that small amount of time is what I call magic.

Karina: I guess I know what you mean. The people of Iklu is what made Iklu and their behaviour good or bad is a pakage that we have to accept not to have it to go worse.

Tilbe: This is just me warning you against what you might suffer later. If you are not going to mind the culture we have and be all about the privacy you seems to want, then Iklu will also not welcome you like you don't welcome them.

When she said Iklu will not welcome them, she really is saying the truth. Their action will just make them an outcast and they really will feel as though they are living alone in this wide world with no one by their side.

Tilbe: So to be happy, make sure you know exactly upto where you are a part of the society and upto where you are an individual who have the right to your privacy of course.

Privacy is there in this kingdom in abundance actually. And only because of that, did people not know about my existence. All the people just don't come in to your house abruptly, they do knock and do know when they are declined and have the courage to understand why. It's just that people here are a bit friendlier with each other, thats all. But people outside Iklu might find it a bit baffling.

Tilbe: So when they marry just on a whim and the necessity of the time. I just don't want them to regret it with no one to warn them of what they might go through in the future. I just want them to know everything before they make a choice although they don't seem to have much choice to begin with.

Karina: Thank you. I know they don't have many choices, but even then; if they dont want to get married and is just doing this for survival, then I will make sure I find a way for them to live otherwise. There is always a way out, and it's juts a bit harder to find now but I will make sure to find it for our happiness.

She is speaking the truth this time. She seems so genuine and truthful as she speak of it.

Tilbe: Iam relief that you know that. Although I still do think the marriage is pretty much the only way I can think of right now. Cause you see, I have to kick you two sisters out if it does not happen. I can't just turn a blind eye. I told you before right, Iklu is nit a place of charity.

I sigh as she said that, how can she be the one who gave the advice as well as the one who tempt them to do otherwise, at the same damn time.

Karina: It really is not a place if charity but is a place full of kindness and a fruit basket who have many sweets fruits is her basket but it do have some sour thing there as well, but I guess it is a necessity to balance out the sweetness.

And I can proudly said thay, there is indeed no bitterness in her basket just some extreme sourness at times.