The House
“Mother?” Jellia breathed, as the skimmer stopped. “This is our house?”
“The company is paying for it,” Mother said. “But I admit it is very nice.”
“Backs up on a mountain park,” the woman said. “You will enjoy that… as will your contracts. You will be popular en-drek-a, I’m sure.”
Jellia reddened. The idea of her and some kesh wandering through a park was not yet something she was willing to think about.
They walked up the front lawn. It was so big! And so green! Indeed the grass here was a greenier green than she was used to. She thought it was because it has some undertones of blue.
And then the woman opened the door and she ran into the house. She wouldn’t have done that at home but she had read, repeatedly, the kesh-u on Libertas were expected to put forward a much greater freedom of activity. Running up and down the stairs was almost required for kesh-u. She could, if she wished, and as long as she wasn’t too noisy, run out of the house and down the street, calling at every house to see who was there, and the neighbors would get mad at Mother, not her, if Mother tried to stop her or discipline her. Libertas indeed. Code and custom. Freedom, she called it!
The door opened into a fantastic great room, almost as big as their entire house at home, well, except for the stairs, and past that was a kitchen that looked fully equipped. She so had to up her cooking game. She didn’t want to look like a twad to the other kesh in her class. And she remembered that they had passed a little market-store just a mile or so back. And she was on Libertas so she would be not only allowed but expected to walk down there herself, buy whatever she wanted, and bring it back to the house and cook it in this kitchen!
She ran through the great room to the kitchen, which was totally wonderful, and then back to the great room and into the hobby room. Which was nice, but kind of boring with its small windows and lots of tables for, like, drawing and everything.
She raced back into the great room, past the adults, and ran upstairs. She saw Mother open her mouth and then snap it closed again. Oh, she was so going to enjoy this!
She got to the top of the stairs and raced into the door to the left. Oh, this must be Mother’s room, it was so big! It had a big bed, two big chairs, a table… and three doors.
And the windows! Or, window. A floor to ceiling window stretching the entire length of the wall. And no curtains, so it must have auto-silver controls… yes, she had seen that the upstairs windows were all silvered when she had driven up.
She raced to the window and stared out. Oh, this was wonderful. A view of the street, which was all filled with very nice houses with huge yards and, past that, the top of what must be the town and, past that, the ocean. And above the ocean Justicia shown. Oh, stars and comets, this was wonderful.
She turned to the three doors in the right hand wall. The first door, the one on the inside, turned out to be a big combination fresher/toilet/closet room, with lots and lots of room. How odd to put a toilet in the fresher room! But the toilet and fresher were both up near the window, so they had a marvelous view as well. From the fresher Mother would be able to see the hills and woods. And, apparently, the neighbor kesh-u, who seemed to have built some fort hight in one of the large corkscrew trees and were busy playing in it,
The second door turned out to lead a small bedroom, with no outside door, just another of the huge windows! How odd.
The third door was the exact same as the second except this bedroom had two outside walls so two huge windows. A nice view from here, of the street and the hills and the neighbors house. And the fort.
(All images courtesy of Playground, and are NOT accurate :) )
She raced out and raced into what must be her room across the way… and stopped dead. The woman and Mother were there and the woman gave her a serious look. “This is your ska-drek-a’s room, kesh, and Libertas custom is strong that you must never enter a ska room without permission.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, backing out. “I thought this was my room.”
“No. Your room is that one you went in first. Now, ask your ska-drek-a for permission.”
“May I come in, Mother?” Jellia asked.
“Certainly, Dear. And then we will tour your room.”
Mother’s room was like Jellias only more so. Her enormous window looked out at the hills. Oh, what a view! There was even a little creek that you could see. And it had an even bigger combination room and three, not two, attatched rooms.
Then they toured Jellia’s room, went downstairs, brought in the little luggage they had brought, and watched the woman drive away. “I’m going to run to the store, Mother!” she shouted, and raced off. She had read these code and custom! Mother had not assigned her any duty… nor had the new ska-drek, so she was free to kesh-liberty. She could walk miles and miles if she wanted, and no one would say her nay. Only getting in trouble if she had missed out on responsibilities or if she behaved in a way that damaged others.
She thought she heard a small squeak from Mother but she didn’t even dream of looking back.
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!
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Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von
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
Jellia writes a poem (a limerick) and tells her classmates more about her new adventure.
Trader Galloway
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
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
In which Jellia starts using some new words at school, and everyone gathers round to find out what they mean.
Kesh-i Cooking Class
In which Jellia finds out that children (Kesh-i) on Libertas are expected to cook.
Trade Master Training
In which Fenestra begins her training for her new role, with an old enemy.
Two Week Date
In which Fenestra and Alex decide to date for the next two weeks.
The Facts of Life
In which Fenestra brings Alex home, and Jellia isn’t impressed. Although she is interested in how dating works for boys.
Snips
In which Jellia spends time snipping with a boy, and brings him home.
Kissing
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
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
-Added out of order- Jellia meets a new girl on the shuttle, from a strange culture!
Decon
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
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’.
Article 17
Intro // Podcast Version
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.
A Dance // Podcast Version
As a governor’s daughter, Illoia usually avoided such events, but when the captain made the announcement that there was to be an Article 17 dance, she, too, was forced to attend. If only the scum hadn’t been there too.
The Unbridgeable Chasm // Podcast Version
Eukles and Meriones, brave military leaders, quail at cross the gulf between themselves and asking a lass to dance.
There He Is // Podcast Version
The young hero comes in, and Aleshia and Illoyia gossip about him.
Look at the Young Hero // Podcast Version
The young hero comes in, and greets Eukles and Meriones… and announces his intentions.
Target // Podcast Version
Tom, Leader Cladin Tomirosh, sets his sights on the governors daughter. She isn’t impressed.
Fuming // Podcast Version
Tom and Illoia dance, while she desperately tries to get him to go away!
Now’s Our Chance!
Eukles and Meriones use Tom and Illoia as a distraction and stalk their own girls.