I do not own Fiddler on the Roof

(Perchik has just told Hodel her must leave for Siberia)

"Please don't be upset, Hodel!"

"Why should I be upset? If you must leave, you must."

"They expect me in Kiev, tomorrow morning."

"So you told me. Well goodbye, Perchik."

"Wait, before I go there a certain question I wish to ask you."

Hodel suddenly seems interested. She turns around to face Perchik. "Yes?"

Perchik gulps put gains the courage to ask his question.

"A political question. The question of…marriage."

Hodel's eyes widen with shock. She was not expecting such a question from him.

"This is a political question?"

"Yes, and personally I am in favor of it."

"Are you asking me to marry you?" She said in a worried tone.

"In a theoretical sense…yes I am"

Hodel had no idea what to do, what to say. A man asking a woman to marry him? Had he even asker papa? He had to be joking! He was going to leave Anatevka. How could she marry him?

"You didn't even ask my papa! You have some crazy ideas Perchik!" She turned around and stomped down the pathway towards home.

"Hodel wait, I thought…I thought you loved me…" He looked so worried. He was certain she would agree to his request.

Love. That caught Hodel dead in her tracks. She barely knew him. Tzeitel and Motel loved each other but they had known one another their entire life.

"Perchik. We have not known each other all that long. And to think, a man asking a girl to marry him? No Perchik. I can't do this to my Papa. I can't leave him. I can't leave my family. I can't throw away the traditions that have been placed in front of me my entire life. Goodbye, Perchik."

His eyes became the scariest thing Hodel had ever seen. She was truly frightened to be near him at that moment.

"Fine." He spat at her in an angry tone. "If you refuse to come, I will just have to make you come." And with that he leapt forward towards the frightened girl and knocked her to the ground. She screamed, but there was nobody around for miles. She hit and bit him, while he reached into his coat pocket. Out he pulled a soaking white cloth that smelled quite funny. Perchik shoved it into Hodel's face. She slowly stopped refusing, and her head came to the ground. Her eyelids dropped down, and she was unconscious.

-About two hours later at the home of Hodel and her family-

Golde is frantically cleaning and preparing dinner for her and seven other people. Just the usual routine. Bielke and Shprintze were last seen in the barn with the animals. Chava enters through the front door, with a laundry basket.

"Chava, have you seen Hodel? I have not seen her since this morning."

Chava froze in her tracks. She knew where Hodel had gone. She went to be with Perchik, But Chava was curious because Hodel was expected to be home hours ago. Perhaps she had lost track of time? Should Chava tell her mother Hodel is alone with a man? She made her decision.

"She went into town to visit Tzeitel."

"Well you would think she would be back by now, wouldn't you? Please, have your father go get her, and see how Motel and Tzeitel are. Tell him to give them this." Golde handed Chava a small bundle of what seemed to be eggs.

"Yes mama," was Chava's nervous reply. She put down the laundry and went outside in order to find her papa, Tevye.