Evi and Elijah?
I wished more than anything I could un-see what I just saw. I had heard sounds coming from Elijah's room, so curious, I walked in. There, I saw Evi and Elijah on his bedroll, kissing. I darted out of the room before they could see me and ran outside to get some air. Shem and I were worried about what to do with them, since Evi was eighteen and Elijah was fifteen, but I guess now we know. I looked around the meadow until I found Shem working on one of the houses. He was so busy that he almost did not notice me.
"Is everything alright Ila?" He asked me.
"No I am not, you will not believe what I just saw." I told him.
"What was it?" He asked me, concerned.
"I see Evi and Elijah together." I said.
"They like to spend time together." He replied. "You know that."
"No Shem you do not understand I saw them together, kissing." I told him.
He dropped the tools he was holding and passed out. I ran to his side, screaming for help. Elijah ran out of the house and helped me carry Shem inside.
"Mother what happened?" Elijah asked me.
I ignored him and cooled Shem's forehead as I elevated it. Elijah kept pestering me about what happened but I just kept ignoring him. I was incredibly angry with him; I was angry with Evi as well but she was not annoying me. It took only ten minutes for him to come to. As soon as he saw Elijah, he tried to jump at him.
"Calm down Shem!" I spat at him.
"What is wrong with both of you?" Elijah yelled.
"How long have you been sneaking around with your sister?" Shem asked.
Elijah's face became red. Evi had come out at the sound of her father yelling was just as equally red.
"We were going to tell you…but then Adah had Abigail and you and Mama had Tobias and things got really hectic." Evi stammered.
I saw the embarrassment and shame on my children's faces and felt my heart melt. I could tell that they meant no harm. I pulled Shem aside and tried to calm him down.
"Shem look at them, they look terrified of you." I told him. "That is the same look we once gave Father, don't you remember?"
"They lied to us Ila." He replied.
"When did they lie to us?" I asked him angrily. "Sure they did not tell us about their courtship but that is not lying."
"It is withholding the truth." He pointed out.
I threw my hands up in exasperation and walked back into the hearth to comfort my children. I was still mad I did not know, but I was still happy that they discovered their relationship. It was better than having to force them into one.