"You did what??" Rachel, the beautiful doe-eyed youngest daughter of Laban, was not angry. She was royally pissed off. You would be too if you'd been engaged to the love of your life for seven years and your father then decided to send your older sister to your supposed-to-be husband on the wedding night.
"You know Leah hasn't been married yet. As you know girls always get married in the order they were born. I had hoped Leah would be married while you and Jacob were engaged, but that didn't happen." Laban tried to explain to his angry daughter why he had done why he did; personally he found his actions quite logical. Unfortunately Rachel did not share his outlook on events.
"I know that! But you didn't have to go and marry her off to my man."
"But, sweetheart, I had to play a trick to get Leah married. You know all men kept waiting for Leah to get married so they could propose to you."
But Rachel wasn't listening. In fact she wasn't even there; she had stormed away to the well where she and Jacob had first met seven years earlier. All the time during there engagement she and Jacob would go to the well and talk about how they met. Now Rachel's world had shattered; everything she had dreamt about for seven years lost, like the seeds of the thistle becomes lost to the wind when you blows it. She hated her father for his trick, and she hated Leah for not protesting. She could not believe it; why would her father play such a mean trick on both her and Jacob for the notion of a silly old tradition of always marrying the oldest daughter first? Who could it hurt if she had gotten married before Leah?
"Rachel?"
Looking up Rachel saw Leah coming towards her; even though she knew her sister had only been a game piece in their father's meddling Rachel felt the rage rise up in her blood.
"Go away." She spat, turning away from her sister. Why was this happening? They had always been close; Leah and she, now it seemed their father's trick would tear the bond between them asunder forever.
"I am so sorry little sister. I tried to talk him from it, but you know our father; he hates anything which might make him lose face."
Slowly Rachel turned back towards Leah, she looked really sorry, a small red mark shone on her cheek. Had Jacob? A part of Rachel was angry at Jacob for hitting Leah; even though she was angry with her she was still her sister, on the other hand; it must had been an awful shock for Jacob to wake up with the wrong bride.
"Where's Jacob?" Rachel didn't know why, she just needed to see Jacob; convince him she still loved her and hadn't played any part in the trick. She couldn't bear the thought of Jacob thinking she might have regretted and wanted to bail out of the marriage.
"Talking to our father. Don't worry; I'm sure Jacob will be able to find a solution to all this. He is clever your Jacob."
A small smile edged on Rachel's lips, then she once again turned away from her sister and walked towards the field where their father's livestock was, a couple of her brothers were looking after the animals. Had they known about their father's plan? She didn't know and, honestly, she didn't care either. Instead she decided to wait until Jacob arrived so she could assure him she still loved him.
She didn't know for how long she had been waiting when she suddenly saw Leah coming racing towards her, gasping for air as if she had been running all the way from the house.
"Rachel. Come quick. Father wants to see you."
What now? Rachel thought angrily, she was sure it was a trick from her father, and probably Leah as well, to make Jacob believe she, Rachel, did not love him anymore. She was halfway resolving to ignore her sister and just stay right where she was when Leah reached her and, without hesitating, seized her arm to pull her to her feet, resulting in Rachel getting half to her feet before getting entangled in her dress and falling down flat to the ground.
"There isn't much doe about you right know."
At first Rachel thought Leah was taunting her for her clumsiness but then she realized Leah had used the exact words she would always use when they were children and Rachel fell over, it happened more often that you would think; even though Rachel by far was the prettiest sister Leah without doubt was the most graceful of the pair. Grudgingly Rachel got up and followed her sister back towards the house.
When they arrived Rachel was surprised to see all the servants busy with decorating the house, or rather; fixing up the decorations from the wedding the previous night, in the middle of everything stood Jacob and her father. When Jacob saw her he ran over and embraced her; lifting her from the ground and swirling around with her before he laughing sat her down.
"What's going on?" Rachel asked bemused.
"We're getting married." Jacob answered happily. I convinced your father to let us marry immediately if I stayed for seven more years and worked for him.
"Yes." Leah said "and now you need to let Rachel go so she can be dressed properly. We can't have a bride looking like that."
Smiling Rachel allowed Leah to drag her away from Jacob, a few moments after they thought they heard Jacob saying something about two wives being the dead of him. Giggling the two girls continued to Rachel's room, maybe, Rachel thought, their father hadn't severed the bond between them anyway. In fact, if she had to share her husband with someone else, she would much rather it was Leah than anyone else.