Kesh Liberty
She had hardly taken three steps before a kesh, holding his sister’s hand, came up. “I’m Kesh Charles Destin,” he said, and she managed ‘neighbor to neighbor’ without any hesitation. “Dendi Destin,” he said, holding up the toddler, and Jellia soon had her kissed.
“Off to town?” Charles said, walking alongside her.
“Oh, yes, I have never been!”
“I like going to town,” he said. “Should we go to town?” he asked his sister, who nodded cheerfully.
Jellia gulped. This kesh was pretty young, and the sister was even younger. Could they just… would people get mad at her for leading them on?
But her mind went back to the concept of kesh liberty and… and… and it certainly wasn’t her job to stop them!
“What you shopping for?” Charles asked, a block later.
“Well, I need to get a whole bunch of the clothes they wear here. I mean you wear here. Well, not you, but the daughters.”
He chuckled. “You talk funny.”
Stars and comets, she should have said Kesh-i-u. “Gonna eat, too?”
“Umm, yes, I’m not supposed to come back till tonight.”
He nodded. “Us neither.”
Was he going to hang around with her the whole day?
They turned a corner and she stopped caring. A shop! And she wasn’t with Mother and she could just go in…!
She started toward the front of the store and was startled to feel Charles take her hand. But he didn’t say anything, just held her hand with one hand, and his sister’s with the other. So she ended up going in the front door like this.
Oh, joy! This was a cooking store. Not food but pots and machines and stuff. Oh, joy!
And she even had two accounts to spend with! Ska-drek had explained at dinner that while it was Ska-drek-a who was in charge of the household accounts, any of them could spend the money for a ‘worthwhile expense’ which, apparently, didn’t even mean getting permission first! Just a bit of an argument and maybe getting cut off if one was wasteful.
She wandered from shelf to shelf, row after row, her eyes gleaming. After a few minutes a young kesh came up. “Can I help you?”
She was a bit surprised until she saw, on his shirt, an embroidery with the name of the store! “Ummm, do you have a pasta noodle machine?”
“Kesh Randine Martin,” he said, kissing (actually kissing!) what she had looked up and was ‘merchant to customer’, which turned out to be what the man at the store had kissed her with yesterday.
“Kesh Jellia Kiladi,” she replied, and kissed back ‘customer to merchant’; as did Charles and his sister. That last being much helped.
“We certainly do,” he said. “We have several models. How many are there in your household?”
“Umm, just the three of us,” she said, surprised at the question.
“Ah, well, then speed won’t be a factor. We have a very functional basic model. A bit slow, but hardly ever breaks down and easy to use.”
“Umm, that’s good.”
“Right here,” he said, and she looked at the machine. “Wave your wrist,” he said, and she was soon busy looking at the brochure and user manual.
“It’s only half a hex,” he said.
“I would love it,” she said. “But it looks a bit heavy…”
“Oh, we deliver free anywhere in the neighborhood. What’s your address.”
She opened her mouth to say that she didn’t actually know, when Charles piped up, “She lives at 323 Seacrest.”
“Well, nice neighborhood. Shall I have it sent? One deca free trial.”
“Oh! Oh, that makes it perfect. That way if Ska-drek or Mother object I can just send it back.”
He gave her a very funny look and then wiped his face clean and quickly snipped her the purchase. She hurried out.
Oh, how embarrassing. No Kesh-u here would worry about whether their ska-drek or ska-drek-a ‘objected’. It was the kesh’s job to cook, and no doubt to make the purchases for cooking. What a littlie she had made herself look!
Two hours later the three of them were sitting at some tables overlooking a fountain eating. Jellia and Charles had gotten these sausages that you dipped in some sauce, a rather spicy sauce. He had gotten Dendi some flat bread with a protein and fruit sauce spread on it. Dozens of children were playing in the fountain, and only a half dozen or so ska-drek-u, and one ska-drek, were watching them. Dozens of other people, Kesh-u and Ska-u, sat at the tables eating.
“Well, I need to get my skirts and shirts now,” she said.
“I know a good place,” she heard, and turned to see a kesh-u just older than Charlie standing behind them. She was alone, unless some of the kesh-u in the fountain were with her. “I can take you. One bit?”
“Umm, Ok,” Jellia said, and snipped the kesh a bit.
“This way!” the kesh said, and started off at a fast pace.
Dendi was having a hard time keeping up so, after a few paces, Jellia swallowed her nervousness and picked her up. She was so not used to this!
The store was three buildings away and the kesh ran ahead and held the door for Jellia (carrying Dendi) and Charles, then followed them in. “What kind of skirts?” she asked.
“Umm, school skirts first, I suppose. And matching shirts.”
The kesh nodded and marched off, the others following. “Here you go,” she said, pointing to a sign which said ‘School Skirts’. “What colours are your school?”
“Ummm, I think purple and gold… let me look it up… yes, purple and gold.”
The kesh looked around and took her to a section which had a banner in purple and gold over it. ”They organise them by colour,” she said. “And then by length and size.”
“Umm, what length do they wear to school?”
“Oh, any length. Total liberty. Double with buttons if you want, especially if you get it short. Longer made of wool for winter; otherwise gets cold. Under trousers if it’s cold, too, or if you are doing athletics and don’t like double with buttons. Look around; I’m not in a hurry.”
Jellia hadn’t expected the kesh to stick around at all, but whatever. She quickly picked out a half-a-dozen skirts to try and then looked around. “This way!” the kesh said and took her off to a door into a corner room, which was, indeed, a changing room. With mirrors all over but, unfortunately, only benches, no little rooms. Her back to the kesh (and the door), Jellia took off her skirt and tried on one of the skirts. Then she turned to the mirror and saw, “Charles?!”
“Looks nice,” Charles said, and Jellia realised that this changing room was not ‘daughters only’ as it would be on Ephemera. Whatever. She would just have to pretend she was on the beach.
She figured out her size here and tried on a dozen or so skirts, decided which ones she liked, and her brain kept trying to tell her she had to ask Mother. But she was NOT going to snip Mother and ask her especially not in front of Charlie and the kesh. And Ska-drek at home!
“Shirts now?” she asked the kesh but the kesh looked down at her wrist.
“Oh, stars and comets, I have to go. Nice ta,” she said and ran off.
“She didn’t ever kiss!” Charlie said.
“And I never even learned her name,” Jellia said. “Except it will be on my money snip. Now let’s find some shirts and underwear and socks and a couple of pairs of boots and then I’m going to buy you all an ice!”
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
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).
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
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
Jellia meets her new Ska, who has business with her mother