First Day at Work
“Come, quick,” Leah said. “I scheduled the skimmer already.”
The two kesh went out to the front lawn and a skimmer showed up a few seconds later. “Oh, I so hope you will like the job. I get a ref, you know.”
“A what?”
“I get a little kickback every day you work,” Leah said. “When the posting went out it had an addendum that any current employee would get a ref if they found someone to work. I only get it when you show up, though, so I’m hoping you will like it.”
“Oh.” Jellia had never heard of that but, it didn’t hurt her any.
The skimmer ride was only about fifteen minutes and it dropped them off outside of a little building in front of a huge fence. “In here, quick,” Leah said and they went through the far door and Leah pushed open a door that said ’No Admittance’ and Jellia followed her, feeling very grown up.
“Uniform is this skirt,” Leah said, holding up a skirt that had blues and greens swirling on it which she had taken off a shelf loaded with different skirts. “There are shirts over there if you want one. But bare feet. Part of the ambiance. They have hats we can wear if it gets too sunny.”
Jellia quickly changed, putting on one of the loose white shirts that were hanging next to the skirts. It only took her two tries to find her size. Leah waited impatiently. “Ok, now, lets get the contract out of the way.”
They pushed through a door into the next room, which had a ska at a desk.
“Yo, Chad,” Leah said to him, “this is the freshy. Go over contract with her quick, will you? I want to get out.”
“You go out, Kesh,” Chad said… and at his grin Jellia realized he had intentionally called Leah ‘kesh-ish’. “She’ll be at least a half an hour and not a second earlier, so you come back for her. Get your skirt out there and do some work.”
“As you will, mighty ska,” Leah said, coming over and kissing him… brother to sister… which Jellia took for some kind of informality as well.
“Now, Freshy and Exo, here is the contract. I will tell you that it is standard. I will tell you your ska-drek has read and approved. But that will not matter one whit to you, you will read every comma and make sure that there is nothing you do not understand.”
Jellia gulped and sat down, opening her wristcomp to ‘read’ mode, and found his snip. The pre-contract mentioned that she was exo, and new to the job, and that ska-drek had approved it. The company, in their pre-contract, made it clear that they were completely responsible if she suddenly quit even mid-shift because she hadn’t understood something and was upset.
But the contract itself was very simple. She wasn’t going to get paid, but was to recieve tips. Everyone’s wristcomp would tell them who had served them, and they could snip back a tip or put coin in her bucket at the front. It was strictly forbidden for them to hand anything to her.
And the various people working in the back and all would get fifty percent of her tips. Well, that sounded harsh but she supposed it was fair. No one would know who made the sandwich, after all, just that she had delivered it.
She read it all through twice and then, making sure almost a half an hour had passed, she signed it, and snipped it back to him.
“Very good,” he said, “Now get out there and find your keshmate and get to work.”
She grinned and left, almost running into a kesh about her age in shorts that were an exact match to her skirt. “Li-kesh Andrew Taylor,” he said, kissing her so quickly she didn’t catch the mode.
“En-kesh Jellia Kiladi,” she replied, kissing back sister to brother and he didn’t object, so whatever. “Have you seen Leah?”
“Oh, yes. She said for you to wait here. She just took a simply enormous order of Thomas Toast out to cool-pool, so she’ll be a minute or so, but she wants to tour you, so be a good kesh and wait for her.”
She grinned as he darted off, and she let her eyes roam around. This was a truly marvelous place… wandering rivers, pools, tables, umbrellas, trees. There were at least a hundred people here where she could see, most of them kesh-u… all of them running to and fro in that wild but not too loud manner the kids here had. Many of them were swimming.
It was easy to tell the workers, standing out in their skirts and shorts. Most of them were just wandering around, but several were carrying some kind of delivery boxes.
She turned around and saw another building with smoke coming out of it and, as she watched, a kesh… probably a en-kesh or maybe even ska… came out with one of the boxes and a kesh, not old at all but in his uniform shorts, darted in. And she thought she was young to be working!
“Jellia!” she heard, and turned back to the park to see Leah waving at her. She hustled off. “Come on,” Leah said. “I’ve got an order but I told them I’d be right back with my Freshy.”
Contract marriage is an adult dystopia examining the issues of marriage. Like 1984 and Brave New World, Contract Marriage treats the relations between the sexes as a fundamental aspect of how a society is formed and, thus, how a society can go wrong.
Unlike those dystopias, Contract Marriage isn’t all horrible all of the time. The characters for the most part have a good time and get along in their society. But the issues of sexuality, of marriage or not, monogamy or not, faithfulness or not, and gender roles… keep coming up and causing tension and conflict and joy and pain.
My desire is that my readers would be thinking along with my characters about these issues and perhaps even arrive at the same place (minus the flying cars).
Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!
Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.
If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!
If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.
Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von
Links
Introduction // Podcast Version
In which I lay out the themes that I intend to explore in this light Dystopia, and ask others to participate.
Trade Master: First Chapter // Podcast Version
In which Fenestra, our heroine’s mother, puts in her application for the job of 'Trade Master’ on the planet Libertas, and finds out that it isn’t that easy.
En-Drek Contract // Podcast Version
In which Fenestra finds out that, on Libertas, everyone must be in an ‘En-drek’ contract… a long-term, live-in, heavy date between a man and a woman for the purpose of producing one child after the other with one date after the other.
Disappointment and Meditation // Podcast Version
In which Jellia, the daughter and our heroine, finds out about her mother’s job opportunity, including its difficulties, and commits herself to meditating on the situation. (And internally commits herself to encouraging her mother to take the job.)
Decision Reached // Podcast Version
Jellia tells her mother that she thinks she should take the job, and so her mother puts in her application… and gets the job!
First School // Podcast Version
Jellia goes to school and gets to tell everyone about her new adventure.
First Work // Podcast Version
Fenestra goes to work, and tells her coworker about her new opportunity.
Writing Class: Podcast Version
Jellia writes a poem (a limerick) and tells her classmates more about her new adventure.
Trader Galloway: Podcast Version
In which a man comes over for a ‘date’ (Ie to sleep over with her mother) and to tell them all about his time as Trade Master for their company on Libertas. And as how he was almost executed for asking a woman out on a date.
Shopping: Podcast Version
In which Jellia and her mother go shopping for the last time, and we explore some of the nature of the planet she is leaving.
Language: Podcast Version
In which Jellia starts using some new words at school, and everyone gathers round to find out what they mean.
Kesh-i Cooking Class: Podcast Version
In which Jellia finds out that children (Kesh-i) on Libertas are expected to cook.
Trade Master Training: Podcast Version
In which Fenestra begins her training for her new role, with an old enemy.
Two Week Date: Podcast Version
In which Fenestra and Alex decide to date for the next two weeks.
The Facts of Life: Podcast Version
In which Fenestra brings Alex home, and Jellia isn’t impressed. Although she is interested in how dating works for boys.
Snips: Podcast Version
In which Jellia spends time snipping with a boy, and brings him home.
Kissing: Podcast Version
In which Jellia and her mother both have a sexual ‘last fling’ before they leave, and Jellia practices the new kisses she will need for her new planet.
Off Ephemera // Podcast Version
In which Jellia and her mother arrive at the shuttle port, go through some annoying formalities, and take off!
And Fly! // Podcast Version
In which Jellia and her mother board their spaceship, and Jellia starts doing her homework.
Abstinate // Podcast Version
In which Jellia gets bored, rejects an older gentleman, and rejects her mother’s idea of dating.
Older Kesh-u // Podcast Version
In which Jellia learns more about what Kesh-u (children) are allowed to do on Libertas.
Fertility // Podcast Version
In which Jellia and her mother are taken off birth control by an odd doctor.
New Girl // Podcast Version
-Added out of order- Jellia meets a new girl on the shuttle, from a strange culture!
Decon // Podcast Version
Jellia and her mother arrive on their new planet, go through an awful decontamination, get sent to a briefing, and receive their first kiss/greeting!
Briefing // Podcast Version
Jellia and her mother are warned that the laws on Libertas can be very serious.
En-drek File
Fenestra reads up on her new ‘en-drek’.
Justicia // Podcast Version
Jellia rejoices in the new planet!
The House // Podcast Version
Jellia explores her new house.
Shopping and Greeting // Podcast Version
Jellia uses her new ‘kesh liberty’ and runs off to do some shopping. And has to kiss everyone all the way home.
Ska Illoh Kiladi // Podcast Version
Jellia meets her new Ska, who has business with her mother.
Ooops // Podcast Version
Jellia makes a mistake, gets chastised, and hates it here!
Neighbours // Podcast Version
In which Jellia goes off the cry, and meets neighbours.
Breakfast // Podcast Version
Jellia wakes up, makes breakfast, and runs off for a new day!
Kesh Liberty // Podcast Version
Jellia takes off for town with two younger kesh in tow, and has a fun time shopping!
Dinner // Podcast Version
Jellia comes home from her day in town, raced to unpack her new noodle machine, and cooks dinner!
Testing // Podcast Version
Jellia shows up at her new school, has to check herself it, gets tested for math, art, engineering… and whether she’s mature enough for a live in date.
Great Room // Podcast Version
Fenestra was finally Trade Master, and finally by herself, and finally got to start her new work! Sitting in her new living room in her PJs!
Great Hopes // Podcast Version
Iloh Kiladi shows up at work and gets grilled on how his new relationship is going.
Physio // Podcast Version
Jellia has to do ‘Physio’ at school… which involves running and climbing and getting sweaty.
Engineering // Podcast Version
Jellia finds out that what her engineering teacher cares about is that she learn, not that she come to class.
Basic Bio // Podcast Version
Can there be anything more embarrassing than being at a new school and having all the other girls discuss where you are in puberty?
Pastels and Colic // Podcast Version
Jellia’s next was with pastels, and they had a nursing mother and her baby for a study! Until the baby started crying.
Physio // Podcast Version
PE by any other name would be as annoying.
Report // Podcast Version
School is done for the day, and Ska-drek picks her up… and quizzes her on how it went!
Second Day // Podcast Version
Jellia begins her second day in school all excited, and much less nervous.
I know I've said this before, but I wonder how this would work in the real world.
Which part?