2: 2
Matthew's eyes went wide with shock, and he grabbed my wrist, panic all over his face. "Becca, what do you mean? We've already had the ceremony. The banquet's about to start, we're supposed to go toast the relatives."
"You just have to hold on a little longer. Once you step through the front door, the ritual's over. It'll be quick."
I looked straight at him. So he could get out a whole string of words when he wanted to. A minute ago all he'd asked was that I endure it.
And now, standing here, all he could still say was that I should hold on.
From where I stood to the courtyard gate was a hundred yards, with at least a dozen people lined up on both sides holding canes. I didn't want to imagine what shape I'd be in if I really endured it all the way to the gate. There probably wouldn't be a patch of skin left on me that wasn't bruised.
In his mouth it was nothing. Just a light little line. It'll be over soon.
Zara jabbed a finger at me, her eyes full of contempt.
"Look at you, thinking you can turn the whole world upside down. You can't get through even the first custom, and now you're throwing a fit, saying you won't marry. If we let this slide, how are we ever supposed to keep this daughter-in-law in line?"
The first custom? I turned to Matthew, studying his face. "Matthew, what does she mean, the first custom? Are there more of these ordeals coming after this?"
His eyes slid away, guilty, his whole body at a loss. His lips worked but nothing came out. "I..."
Zara cut him off at once. "What are you looking at my son like that for? This new bride really does think she can walk all over us. Let me tell you, we've got plenty of customs."
"Once you're inside the courtyard, you kneel on a dustpan for twelve full hours. No food, no water, no sleep."
"Then the next day you kneel to thank the whole village so they'll accept you as the new bride. And after that..."
Her mouth opened and shut, on and on, and none of it was anything Matthew had ever told me.
His eyes kept sinking with guilt.
"You understand now? Marrying into the Stephens town isn't easy. If you can't do it, we won't recognize you at all."
I looked around at this poor, backward little town. Matthew had told me before how run-down and behind the place was, how a lot of the older single men couldn't find anyone to marry.
And I hadn't held his poverty against him. I'd been willing to marry him anyway, so surely, he'd said, he would treat me well.
I hadn't thought much of it at the time. I'd just figured young people these days put too much weight on money. Looking at it now, it made perfect sense that no one would marry into a place like this.
I shoved Matthew's hand off my wrist and turned to Zara. "You're right, I can't do any of that. So there's really no need to go through with this wedding."
"Go find yourselves a girl who's willing to obey your customs."
With that I turned to leave, but the crowd blocked me again, hemming me in on every side. Zara pointed at me, seething with humiliation. "Does this woman have any upbringing at all? We ask you to honor our ancestors' customs and you throw a fit about not marrying?"
"Matthew, get your bride under control, or you'll never be able to hold your head up as long as you live."
The women packed around me joined in, egging him on. "That's right, Matthew, you can't let this stand. Show some backbone, act like the man of the house."
"When I came in, I went through every last custom. If you let her off today, then every new bride after her will follow her example. Who'd ever respect their husbands then? They'd all think they could get away with anything."
I looked at these women rotted through by the old feudal ways, and all I felt was how pitiful and absurd it was.
They'd been humiliated themselves, so they couldn't stand to see anyone else spared. They were women too, and yet they'd ground themselves willingly into the dirt just to please a man.
Seeing they had no intention of letting me go, I fired off a quick text to a number. "Come get me."
