A Small Wedding
I paced back and forth as I waited for Father to finish my garland. In a few hours I was going to marry Ila. I was seventeen and Ila was fifteen. Father had told me that it was traditional for the groom to wear a garland on his head.
"Are you nervous?" Ham asked me.
"A bit." I replied. "Can you tell?"
"A bit." He said cheekily.
We joked around until Father came back. Once I was dressed and ready with the garland on top of my head, we headed out of my tent and out to the forest. Mother and Japheth had set up some decorations and wrapped some ribbons around a few trees. When we got there I waited with Ham and Japheth while Father went to get Mother and Ila.
"Will things change?" Japheth asked me.
I looked down to see my eight year old brother looking up at me. He was a timid boy who was not apt to change. He had only known Ila to be his sister and at first did not understand why we were to be married.
"I do not think so." I replied.
"Are you ready Shem?" Father asked me when he came back a few minutes later.
I nodded my head and took a few deep breaths.