Chapter 2: Umbrella

I rubbed my eyes to see if it was really her. Her hair is a lighter shade of brown. Her face and jaw is smaller. It was very odd but it suited her. She wore no make-up but everything that's in her face was very proportionate. She was very slim. I never imagined she would look so good—so perfect in my eyes.

I looked at her. She was shocked herself.

"Cerra?" Is it really you?

"Aldred? I thought I'll never..."

"Silence! Given names are not to be spoken during this ceremony." The presiding officer, whom I know by name, commanded. She was one of the women who worked before in the City Hall.

Vicerra nodded at her. She looked at me with eyes that longed for help—like a dog in chains.

"You will be given ten minutes to evaluate your partner as you wish to decide whether you will stick to the partner given to you."

A minute? I want to get over this.

Not wasting any time I swore, "I'm okay with her." I told the presiding officer. She was shocked to see that I agreed immediately. She turned around to face Vicerra.

"How about the female?" She asked her.

"I'm just going to talk to him for some minutes."

She looked at me. "I can't believe it. How in the world I got paired with you?" She pointed a finger at me. She seems kind of rude again.

"I don't know either. Look at your code. It's 136 right?" I pointed at her too. I was getting impatient because of her sassiness.

"Yes. Yours are 135." She looked at me intently as of she was searching for answer to an answer.

"I think it's about…" I was about to say intelligence when the presider cut me off.

"IQ." The presiding officer told us, "Although intelligence is not passed down by the father, it's a great factor for a child to be raised by an intelligent father."

Wow, I never got the chance to know that.

"Female?"

"I'll use the remaining minutes."

"Ms. Presider, how did I get matched up with a person with L instead of Q?" I asked her being curious and all.

"Regionalism is not what we're here after. After the ceremony, we will assign you your temporary home and in that place, you will consummate your marriage."

"Consummate?" Vicerra was at the edge of her seat with her hands pressed against her knees. I grabbed her hand and told her, "Do you not know anything?" I winked at Vicerra.

I looked at the presider, "Yes, ma'am. That's my decision. I have decided to accept what my country blessed me with." I held her tight. I cam feel the sweat of palms being absorbed by her sleeves. I was really afraid of detesting the country's policies. It will get me, my friends amd family into trouble.

"Female?"

"Yes ma'am. I have decided to accept what my country has blessed me with." Her voice resonated in the room as of she was demanding justice in a courtroom. My breath loosened up and took my gip off her. I was relieved for her decision. I don't want to see friends getting killed because of the refusal to sign up for pairing.

"It's decided. Who will be the head of the family? Who would take the surname of the other?"

I exclaimed because I don't want to waste much time inside this room, "I will accept her surname. She will be the head of the family." My hand travelled to her shoulders.

"May I know the cause?" She was demanding a cause? What for?

I gulped, "Simply because her code is higher than mine and we live in a new world now. There is no use to cling on to useless traditions."

Vicerra was speechless by the turn of events.

The officer smiled at the two of us and began typing something in her laptop. She looked at me as if I was a criminal.

"You may converse." She let off her gaze from us.

"I can't believe you got paired with me."

"Me either."

"At least, it will be easier for the two of us?" I winked at her. Though I know it would be difficult to adjust since we knew some things about ourselves.

"What? Oh yeah. Yes. It will be easier to work things out with you. I'm truly blessed by this state."

"Good thing that you get along. Your genes are compatible too. Your genetic tree intercepted twice and it's good. Your lines are families of geniuses. Okay but before we assign you anything…" She spoke devoid of emotions and gave us a form each and directed with her finger the things we need to accomplish.

"Male please sign in here and leave a thumb mark."

"Female sign in here and leave a thumb mark."

I signed mine with ease. I noticed that Vicerra's stroke of her signature is not correct. I told the woman, "The stroke of her signature is not right."

"It's okay but be sure to write the characters right next time okay?"

"Yes ma'am." She passed the document.

"It's decided. Female grab his left hand with your left hand and each of you must place your right hand on the part of your chest where your heart is located and say these words, I take in Male Code as a member of my lineage, my family, my home, and a part of my life. Give him his new name, a name that you may only call him because he is part of your life now."

She grabed my left hand. She gripped my hand tight. She placed her hand to where she would feel her heartbeat. She began speaking, "I take in 4aL:M135-0003 as a member of my lineage, my family, my home, and a part of my life…"

What would be my name? Please let it be bearable. "Arodelf."

"Settled. Male please give the female a name that you can only call her because she is part of your life now."

What name would suit her. Vicerra. I'll turn the letter V to M and letter L to R. "Micella." I looked at her intensely. I want to kiss you here and now Micella.

The presiding officer sighed, "I will not ask you to kiss since that act is very traditional but if you want to you may."

It was automatic when I spoke out, "It's fine for us." I winked at her as if a man from a movie would, "Is it?"

She nodded. I closed the space between us with a kiss I had never gave a woman for three years. It was just slightly touching her lips but I can feel the electricity rushing through me.

"Very well." The officer typed in some details in her laptop and after a minute the officer presented us three cards.

"Use these cards. Hand me your citizen cards that you have acquired three years ago and I shall destroy them. Use the codes presented to you and these cards will be a proof of your identity, citizenship, marriage and etc. You can use your new names but sparringly."

We handed our old cards and she put them in a card equivalent of a paper shredder. The sound was making us cringe. The scent of shreded plastic filled up the room in an instant. The smell of the room is still apparent. I could smell something I couldn't just pinpoint it.

"Please proceed to Desk 26 of the Participant Hall to give you the necessary cards and accounts you need. An important reminder, consummate your marriage immediately. The health services will come to your house for a month to see signs of the female's pregnancy. Is it clear?"

"Yes ma'am." We chorused.

"4aQ:F136-0001 and 4aL:M135-0003 are citizens in this country and therefore must abide with the laws and consider this ceremony obligatory and as your lifetime responsibility. Consider the consequences of not abiding with the state. You can no longer request for a reshuffle. Consider this person beside you as your half for all of your life. Bear in mind that we seek compatibility whether it be for your intelligence quotient, emotional quotient, heredity, and fertility. We know the struggles you may face. We apologize in advance. You may go now."

We both stood up. "Yes ma'am."

I just couldn't let go of her hand. We were directed to a door at the back of the presider's desk and gestured for the two of us to go ahead. I heard the rings of the cloth slide against the curtain rod. The woman arranged the cloth once again. I heard that she sprayed something in a room. It's not air freshener nor perfume. It was liquid pheromone.

That's why I've been acting impatient.

I must get into character. I hugged Micella, "Good thing I'm not with a stranger."

"Should I say that?" She was pretty sceptical.

"It's a little awkward but at least we've got someone to lean on."

"Okay... " I can feel her breath against her chest. It turns me on.

"Don't be silly."

"I'm afraid of what's going to happen next." I took a deep breath.

"Don't be." I hugged her really tight.

"Don't be afraid, Arodelf. I know you are." She hugged back.

We did not realize that two guards were looking at us.

"We're sorry about that," I exclaimed and dragged her away.

We laughed our hearts out, giggling and racing through the dull hallway until we see the door through the Participant Hall. We walked happily until we see Desk 26.

The woman on Desk 26 gave us the pamphlet we need to go around town to get what we need.

The woman's eyes were on my clothes stained with Micella's lipstick.

I saw Micella that she was looking at the woman that was looking at my ruined shirt.

"Oh. This one. We just couldn't get enough of each other. I hug her all the time." I teased Micella.

"You have options." The woman said. "Do not worry. You can get your supplies and things or you can also visit your house first for a while."

Oh. First things first in our list should be 'consummate'.

I laughed while I was getting the pamphlets and additional documents.

"The lady is getting the wrong idea." She told me. She's so cute I couldn't get enough of her.

"No, she doesn't." I leaned closer to her neck and breathed. I looked at the maps and directions that Micella was looking at.

After putting my thumbmarks in the papers, "Thank you very much, 4aQ:F136-0001. You may go outside or return to the center's front desk to ask some questions," we were allowed to go.

We were already outside the Participant Hall when Micella realized that she left her umbrella in the front hall. This is what I was avoiding in the first place!

"Oh come on!" I was dismayed, "Stay here, I'll get it for you."

"No. I'll come with you."

I quickly stopped and held her hand. I gripped her hand tight to my only lifeline.

We were walking in a rapid pace. Hands tightly gripped by the other, we were like in cloud nine, not a care in the world…that is when Micella stopped.