1 Rival

I am inside my room when I heard shouts from downstairs, opening my room's door I went out and creep my way towards the stairs.

As I go nearer the more I hear the shouts and sobbing of someone and when she talks I recognized that it's from my sister's.

When I reached the stairs, I looked down and immediately saw our living room. And it shocked me to see my sister, Ashya on her knees crying so hard while my father is sitting on the sofa looking deadly as always. And what shocked me most was...

My mother, standing beside my father staring at my sister doing nothing. And it hurts so much to see my mom like that. She loves us and will do anything to protect us but when it comes to my father, she always obey and let my father do whatever he wants. Never did she go against his wishes.

So instead of going down the stairs like I had planned, I immediately hide behind the wall and listened to their comversation.

"You cant do this to me dad.... please dont... I love him and I can't afford to lose him..." -Ashya

"You have always known Ashya that his family and ours are rivals. And besides there will be no way we are going to make peace with them. They killed most of our relatives! Do you think I will swallow my pride and our family's after what they did? No!!! Not in a million years!" --dad

"But dad... I am begging you! love him so much and you cant do this to me! I am your daughter!"

"Yes you are but our family's pride will always comes first."

"But dad!"

"Enough! My decision is final! You are going to marry my compadre's son! So stand up and be gracious like a woman should be!" After that my father stormed off to his office near the living room.

"Mom?" My sister called and it all took her that one word for my mom to immediately get back to her senses and kneel beside my sister and hugged her tight.

"I am so sorry dear for your dad."

"You love me mom right? So can you please talk to dad?"

"I do. I do love you dear and I am so sorry, forgive me but your father's wishes must be obeyed... So go to your room and rest." she tighten her hug and kissed her forehead then went after my father.

My sister told me one night about this certain man that she loved so much, they have been in a relationship since 1st year college and it's been 4 years already. She told me that he proposed to her before their graduation but then I guess their marriage wont be happening soon.

After mom went to dad's office, my sister stood up and then went upstairs to go to her room, she was too caught up to her own world that's why she didnt saw me behind the wall, staring at her. She then went to her room at the end of the hall.

Somehow I have always known that this will happen since our tribe is the most complicated one.

In our tribe, men are free to do whatever they want. They can marry more than one girl from different tribes as long as they follow the rules but men nowadays are marrying for fun and for pleasure.

In contrast with girls, we are forbidden to have a relationship since we are expected to be gracious and pure as a girl should be and also to marry someone from any other tribe is not accepted. Even if the world will gonna end it will never happen like what the elders say "girls in our tribe is only for boys in our tribe". And I dont exactly understand why.

But the most forbidden for men and women to do is to have a relationship with someone from your tribe's rival.

Pride and bond are the most important things in our tribe and to strengthen our bond as a tribe, an arrange marriage must happen.

The reason why girls shouldn't be in a relationship is because their marriage has been planned since the day they are born so young marriage is not impossible to happen and you are lucky enough if your parents aren't fond of following your tribe's practices.

And since I am from this tribe, it's very hard for me to ignore my little crush on him especially when we attend the same university.

Our worlds are like asymptote that will never gonna meet. And it hurts to accept it.