Jellia came in the house. No work today. Gregory and Ben’nin would both be back later. She and Ska-drek-a could spend some time together.
She went to the kitchen, but Mother wasn’t there. Funny. She usually worked there or in the great room. She went upstairs. Mother’s door was open, altho just barely, and she had told Jellia (in secret) that when Ska-drek and Gregory weren’t there.. . When it was just the two of them in the house… that she had ‘permission’ to go in Mother’s room. Assuming the door was open.
So she pushed the door open and saw Ska-drek-a holding Bobbin and crying. “Mother, was is wrong?” she asked, rushing over and making her kisses. “Is Bobbin all right?”
“I shouldn’t have come,” Mother sobbed. “Oh, he’s fine. I shouldn’t have come. I shouldn’t have brought us here.”
“But, Mother, I thought your work was going well.”
“Work?” Mother shrieked, “Work is doing marvellously. Work couldn’t be doing better. But I’m pregnant! Again!! By the time I leave this cursed planet I will have eight children.”
Jellia did the math in her head. “Even if you keep having them quickly, Mother, I don’t think that you will have eight kesh-u before your ten years…”
“Oh, don’t do me math!” Mother said. “What am I going to do? Can you imagine me going back to Ephemera with eight children… or four or however many your math tells you it would be?”
“I think six is closer,” Jellia said. “Well, unless you have twins or triplets which…”
“Jellia!”
“I’m sorry, Mother. But I don’t know why you are worried about it. Pretty much everyone here has that many children. Why, Leah is the youngest of twelve, and no one bats an eye.”
“But I’m not going to stay here!”
“Why not? You said your work was going well… it isn’t like you want to be some big multi-planet supervisor, do you? I thought you really enjoyed what you are doing.”
“I do, I love it. That’s what makes the whole thing impossible!
Contract Marriage
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.
Von also writes as ‘Arthur Yeomans’. Under that name he writes children’s, YA, and adult fiction from a Christian perspective. His books are published by Wise Path Books and include the children’s/YA books:
The Bobtails meet the Preacher’s Kid: A Christian historical fiction chapter book about four orphans who go to live with their aunt on a dairy farm.
The Bobtails and the Cousins: The sequel to Preacher’s Kid. The aunt has married, and the cousins come to visit. Meaning town kids dealing with chores and manure and…
The Bobtails go to France: The sequel toVcousins. The Bobtails, and Preacher’s Kid, get to take a trip to New York, London, Paris, and a small town in France. To get some cheese.
and
No Ordinary School: A brilliant but socially clueless boy gets recruited for a special school. Where he makes a lot of money, gets a girl, and solves a mystery.
As well as GK Chesterton’s wonderful book, “What’s Wrong with the World”, for which ‘Arthur’ wrote most of the annotations.
Arthur also has a substack, and a website. On the substack you can listen to some of his published books. Free.
Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von
Other Stories
Island People’s is not my only story on Substack. I have two light dystopias, or cultural sci-fi, or one of them is military sci-fi with aliens… Science Fiction can be difficult to categorise :)
Article 17: Intro
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8 JANUARY 2024
She was pretty, popular, snobby, and a planetary governor’s daughter. He was the son of shopkeepers, a social misfit, and a decorated hero. She thought she was there to dance. He had other ideas.
And a fantasy-esque series of morality tales:
The Oracle at Toko-Ri
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1 MAY 2023
Next Post →
Prologue IP0
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11 AUGUST 2023
Island People is a young adult fantasy book centring on a young prince. The book starts with his kidnapping and follows his adventures as he not only escapes from his kidnapper but gains critical allies and friends.
Without a Word
Without a Word is a historical fiction story set in 1808 and follows the struggles of a young woman, betrothed against her will to an older man. A Christian woman, and a man of very questionable morals.
Without a Word attempts to contrast Biblical advice against the advice of this age, even the advice of the church. It concerns a young, immature woman growing in her own Godliness through her obedience to an ungodly man. And who knows, perhaps she shall even win her husband.
