“What do you think of a li-ska this time for me, Mother?”
The two of them were sharing a quiet Mother Daughter evening, the en-drek-u having taken the kesh-u to a new kesh park on the far side of town. They had promised to bring them back fully exhausted in a few hours. Jellia had no doubt that HeVey would be exhausted as well… he was older, after all. He took naps!
“Merely as a change, or do you have some other motive?”
“Well… ErThom has been wonderful. The children all love him and while his instructions have been hard, indeed annoying at times, he never lets up and I think they have really grown under him.”
“But I think I would like to relax a bit for the next couple of years. Get someone a bit more eager and a bit less intense, if that makes sense.”
“Perhaps get you with child a bit quicker?”
“Well… I don’t know. I wouldn’t want things to go by too quickly. I still hate this continual change. Why, Carl was miserable for a deca. He loved his new ska-drek, but never understood where the other one went. He was freaked out at Progenitor’s day when he came by.”
“Yes, it is much better when children don’t get attached to their progenitor. Do you remember how awkward you were when yours would come by?”
“Well, he was an awkward type… and I had never really gottten to know him. I still love my times with Ska-drek Illoh.”
“Yes, the longer we live her the more I appreciate him. I did not like him at the time. Well, perhaps I should say I did not appreciate him at the time. But I do see him in Bobbin.”
“Oh, yes! Anyway, what do you think?”
“Of what. Oh, li-ska? Yes, definietly. That or lo-kesh.”
“Oh, I don’t think I’m ready for that, yet. I hear that is a lot of work.”
“Perhaps. But just think… you could do whatever you wanted. He would never dare to correct you.”
“Not this time, I think, Mother.”
“Very well. Let us discuss this li-ska of yours. When are you weaning?”
“Oh, any day now. I can make the announcement now if we find a good one.”
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!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.
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Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von