Status: Completed
Hanging By a Moment
The Announcement
I was sipping my glass of water when my mother told me. “An arranged marriage?!” I asked, slamming my glass down on the round dining room table.
“Yes,” my mother said, eyeing the glass I was ready to break in my hands from shock.
“What about Derek?” I asked incredulously.
“Landon is a nice boy.”
“Landon? What kind of name is that?”
My mother rolled her eyes, not answering me.
My whole family came from a history of arranged marriages, so I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. But, I had a boyfriend. Sure, Derek wasn’t marriage material but he loved me—as much as he could of. Truth is, in the back of my mind I thought Derek loved himself more than he loved me. And we were just a summer romance, as far as I was concerned. Nothing serious.
“The date is already set. July Sixteenth.”
“In a month?” I asked, shaking my head.
“Yes.” My mother ate a piece of salmon off her plate and followed with drinking a little of her milk. “Your father and I got married two weeks after I was informed I was having an arranged marriage.”
My dad died the night I was born. My mom went into labor while my father was two hours away on a short business trip. She was taken to the St. Joseph’s hospital in an ambulance, frantically telling the nurses and doctors to call my dad. Once they did, my father announced he was on his way. He then took a fellow employee’s Harley motorcycle and rushed to the hospital. He died from an accident. And then, my mom decided to name me Harley, which I will never understand why she named me after the vehicle my father died on.
“What if I want to choose my own husband?” I asked, pushing my full plate of food away, suddenly feeling queasy. First of all, I was only eighteen. And second of all, what if I hated the boy I was being forced to marry?
“Sweetheart, I don’t have any money for you to go to college. Your grandparents are willing to pay for your college if you marry this young man, since his family is friends of your grandparents. He comes from a good and wealthy family.”
“What if I don’t like him?”
My mother laughed and shook her head, taking another bite of food. “He’s charming, funny, nice, and attractive. You will like him.”
“You’ve met him?” I asked dubiously.
“Yes. I think you two are a good match. I wouldn’t ever make you marry a disgrace.”
“Like Derek?” I questioned, giving her a look.
“Derek isn’t horrible,” she said not meeting my eyes. “He’s just… unfit for you.” My mother had always disliked Derek.
I scoffed. “Well, when am I meeting the famous Landon?”
“Tomorrow night his family is having a dinner party. You and I will go. Wear your black dress.”
“Will grandma and grandpa be there?”
”I believe so.”
This should be fun, I thought sarcastically.
“Yes,” my mother said, eyeing the glass I was ready to break in my hands from shock.
“What about Derek?” I asked incredulously.
“Landon is a nice boy.”
“Landon? What kind of name is that?”
My mother rolled her eyes, not answering me.
My whole family came from a history of arranged marriages, so I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. But, I had a boyfriend. Sure, Derek wasn’t marriage material but he loved me—as much as he could of. Truth is, in the back of my mind I thought Derek loved himself more than he loved me. And we were just a summer romance, as far as I was concerned. Nothing serious.
“The date is already set. July Sixteenth.”
“In a month?” I asked, shaking my head.
“Yes.” My mother ate a piece of salmon off her plate and followed with drinking a little of her milk. “Your father and I got married two weeks after I was informed I was having an arranged marriage.”
My dad died the night I was born. My mom went into labor while my father was two hours away on a short business trip. She was taken to the St. Joseph’s hospital in an ambulance, frantically telling the nurses and doctors to call my dad. Once they did, my father announced he was on his way. He then took a fellow employee’s Harley motorcycle and rushed to the hospital. He died from an accident. And then, my mom decided to name me Harley, which I will never understand why she named me after the vehicle my father died on.
“What if I want to choose my own husband?” I asked, pushing my full plate of food away, suddenly feeling queasy. First of all, I was only eighteen. And second of all, what if I hated the boy I was being forced to marry?
“Sweetheart, I don’t have any money for you to go to college. Your grandparents are willing to pay for your college if you marry this young man, since his family is friends of your grandparents. He comes from a good and wealthy family.”
“What if I don’t like him?”
My mother laughed and shook her head, taking another bite of food. “He’s charming, funny, nice, and attractive. You will like him.”
“You’ve met him?” I asked dubiously.
“Yes. I think you two are a good match. I wouldn’t ever make you marry a disgrace.”
“Like Derek?” I questioned, giving her a look.
“Derek isn’t horrible,” she said not meeting my eyes. “He’s just… unfit for you.” My mother had always disliked Derek.
I scoffed. “Well, when am I meeting the famous Landon?”
“Tomorrow night his family is having a dinner party. You and I will go. Wear your black dress.”
“Will grandma and grandpa be there?”
”I believe so.”
This should be fun, I thought sarcastically.