The Rule
No marriage will take place without the permission of the Elders.
WE COULDN’T PROPERLY be happy about our betrothals until the Elders said they approved. Rachel worried more than I did. I tried to comfort her, and didn’t tell her I thought it was better not to be too attached to a possible partner until everything was settled.
Once again, we didn’t get a chance to swap news with the other girls till after the next Circle of Fellowship meeting.
‘Laban has visited Father,’ Tirzah said, her voice carefully expressionless.
‘He’s a good man,’ Rachel said after a moment. ‘He keeps the Rule. He will protect you and care for you.’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Father is pleased. He smiles at me more often.’
‘It’s an honour for your family that he’s chosen you,’ Abigail said. ‘I reckon he would’ve talked to Elder Stephen before he went to see your father. He’d have his blessing already.’
Tirzah gave her head a shake. ‘Abigail? Rebecca? Rachel? Tell us your news!’
Rachel went pink. ‘Father hasn’t told us anything. But we think Saul will ask him for me, and Malachi for Rebecca.’
Abigail tugged at the grass, then let blades of it trickle through her fingers. ‘I haven’t heard a thing. I managed to talk to Talitha, though, and she hasn’t heard either.’
‘They should tell us,’ I said. ‘These are our lives. It’s not fair to keep everything secret.’
It was our custom and could not be changed.
On Sunday, when we were busy in the kitchen at the temple meeting, Abigail whispered, ‘Barnabas.’
Drusilla whispered, ‘David.’
They were happy.
Tirzah was quiet and sombre. Talitha smiled as she worked.
THREE MORE WEEKS PASSED. All five of us girls had trouble keeping our minds on our lessons at school. Sister Jerushah was kind to us. Whenever our pens stopped moving, or we stared off into nothing, she would ask us to go and help with the younger children.
‘I think she pities us,’ I said to Rachel as we walked home from the bus stop one day. ‘Why does she pity us?’
‘Duh!’ Rachel dug her elbow into my side. ‘She’s got a good memory, that’s why. She remembers what this waiting around is like.’
I shook my head. ‘It’s more than that. She looks sad.’
ON A SATURDAY EVENING at the end of prayers, Father said, ‘Rebecca, Rachel, come to my study when you have finished your chores.’
When he’d left the room, Abraham said, ‘Have you been bad?’
Magdalene sidled close so she could clutch hold of our hands. Luke’s eyes grew large and worried. Zillah echoed, ‘Bad!’
Mother said, ‘Of course they have not broken the Rule. Your sisters are good girls. They are near betrothal age. Your father wants to speak to them about that.’
‘Are you going to get married?’ Luke asked. ‘Will you have to live somewhere else?’
‘Please do not get married,’ Magdalene whispered, choking back tears.
Mother tut-tutted. ‘Goodness! What a fuss! They will not be old enough to marry for two years yet — two years and a few months. Magdalene, stop sniffling. You can help put Zillah to bed.’
‘No bed,’ said Zillah.
I picked her up and tipped her upside down. How wonderful to be young enough to be able to say exactly what was in your mind.
By the time we’d finished our chores, our nerves were hammering at our stomachs. Mother twitched our aprons straight and patted our cheeks. ‘Stop worrying! You each have a good man. Off you go.’
But she would describe Laban as a good man. He was truly good, not like Ira who’d only pretended to be godly. But we wanted husbands who could smile as well as uphold the Rule.
‘What if he won’t let us marry Saul and Malachi?’ Rachel said.
I didn’t answer her. There was only one way to find out — I knocked on the study door.
Father looked up from his work when we entered. ‘Sit down, daughters.’
This was unusual. We’d never been asked to sit in this room before.
‘Rebecca, Brother Malachi has chosen you for his wife. Are you willing to accept him for your husband?’
‘Yes, Father. He is a good man. Praise the Lord.’
‘Rachel, Brother Saul asks for you. Are you willing to accept him for your husband?’
‘Yes, Father. He is a good man. Praise the Lord.’
Father moved slightly in his chair but stayed silent for several moments. Surely he would give his blessing, surely he would say yes to Saul and Malachi.
Our nerves were about to kill us when he said, ‘Very well. I will speak to the Elders. If they believe these marriages will benefit the community, they will approve the betrothals.’
‘Thank you, Father.’
‘You are good girls.’ We waited for him to say we could go, but he seemed lost in his thoughts. Just as I was wondering whether to cough to bring his attention back, he said, ‘I bow to the will of the Lord. Kneel down, my daughters. We will pray.’
He prayed for us to be good, obedient wives who upheld the Rule. He didn’t know we were thanking the Lord for guiding Saul and Malachi to choose us.
That night, after Magdalene and Zillah were asleep, Rachel whispered, ‘He wanted Laban to marry one of us. I’m sure of it.’
I shivered. ‘I think so too. It would’ve been an honour for our family. I reckon Elder Stephen wants Laban to be leader after him.’
Rachel giggled. ‘Elder Stephen’s pretty ancient — he might die tomorrow. The community wouldn’t want an eighteen-year-old.’
I wouldn’t want it either. ‘Elder Stephen must be about seventy. He could last for another twenty years.’
We buried our laughter in the bedclothes. It was so disrespectful to speak of our leader in such a way. I hoped it was the stress we’d been under that made us do so.