Chapter 1: The anticipation of Alison

It was nearly spring, and I was rapidly approaching my 16th birthday. I was growing more and more anxious as the day approached. Not only would it be my sweet 16, but I would have finally come of age and be eligible for marriage... almost. Only one thing stood in the way, my Rite of passage.

The Rite was a law and a religious decree, "No girl may be considered eligible to marry unless she has undergone the Rite of passage and been sanctified into womanhood within the first fortnight of her sixteenth year". The nature of the Rite however is a closely guarded secret; girls who have gone through it are given explicit instructions to discuss it with NO ONE who has not already undergone it. The penalties for breaking this silence, I am told, are quite severe. My best friend Laura went through her rite about six months before. When I asked her for details, all she would say was, "It hurt! That's all I can tell you, and I probably shouldn't have even told you that, so you never heard that, ok?!" Disappointed and nervous, I dropped the subject.

A year ago, my mother dropped the bombshell on me that she had arranged for me to marry my grade-school sweetheart Micah. I had known that this was coming (It is custom after all) but I was still furious about not having a choice in the matter. Eventually I realized that she made the choice that I myself would have made. Micah; I had always been enamored with Micah. Mom couldn't have chosen better so I quickly got over being mad.

Micah and I used to spend all our time together before we hit 7th grade. After that he was transferred to the boys schools, while I and all the other girls were sent to the girls schools. Since then we hadn't seen each other as much as I would have liked.

Once we found out we were betrothed, we officially began our courtship, and renewed our love for each other. All our dates however, were VERY closely chaperoned by my parents, or his, or both.

Though I loved Micah dearly, the thought of spending the rest of my life with him was terrifying. I'd heard about the things that husbands and wives did together and I just didn't think that I could bring myself to DO those sorts of things; not even with Micah.

Mom had harped on me for years about protecting my innocence. When I was nine she presented me with a "virginity ring" and told me that I had best never have reason to take it off until I was a woman.

In the weeks before my birthday mom was a flurry of activity. Since it was her responsibility to arrange the marriage, it was also her responsibility to make most of the arrangements for the Rite. She had me memorize my part in a couple of ceremonies, and was making a special dress for me. She set the date for the event to be on my birthday; the wedding was set for two weeks after. One afternoon, about a week and a half before my birthday, mom came into my room and sat down on the bed.

"It's time to pick your aunts." She said.

O.K., I was confused. "Aunts?" I asked.

"Aunts." She replied. "The aunts are wives who participate in the ceremony with you since it would be inappropriate for me to do so. They are called aunts because in ancient times your mothers sister, or sisters, would have taken you through it. The participation of relatives fell out of use thousands of years ago, and the position and title were passed to non related wives who were friends of both mother and daughter. The Rite calls for seven of them and they have three main responsibilities."

"One; they select the one who will perform the Rite. Two; they are your guides through this event. If you do precisely as they tell you to, you will greatly enjoy this experience. If you don't, you won't. Three: they are your witnesses to the world that the Rite has been completed.

As I said, the Rite calls for seven aunts, you may choose three of them. A few simple rules first though. One, the ladies you choose must not be related to you nor may any of them be related to each other. Two, they must have already gone through the rite themselves. Three, they must be married or be within a month of getting married; married is preferable. Four, they may not be someone who is in a position of direct authority over you, which means you can't ask any of the school staff, nor your boss or supervisors at work. Five, the aunts you choose must be someone that I know. As your mother I have final say as to the fitness of your choices.

Think on it a little and let me know by this evening so that I can contact them."

I thought for a moment and realized that I already knew. "Laura." I said. "I want Laura there; Bethany and Tammy as well."

"Very good." Mom said. "Good choices. I'll let them know."

"Mom; what exactly happens during the Rite?" I asked as she got up to go. Mom paused for a moment with a thoughtful expression on her face. "All things in their proper time and place my dear. Some things in life should not be known until their proper time. Your aunts will explain what will happen when it is appropriate for them to do so. You are about to experience the wonder and mystery of becoming a woman; enjoy the moment." She touched my face, smiled and said, "I'm sorry, I know that doesn't quite satisfy your curiosity, but your question will be answered soon enough. I'm afraid that's all I can tell for now."

"Umm, mom." I said. "I have a few more questions, things that have been bugging me."

Mom looked back at me with an almost irritated look in her eyes, "I told you dear, I just can't tell you any more about it!"

"No." I said. "Not about the Rite; about Micah and I."

"Oh, forgive me dear, go ahead." She replied, lightening up considerably.

I gave her my best worried look and said, "The wedding's less than four weeks away and Micah and I haven't even discussed where we are going to live, how we'll support ourselves; How will, or for that matter 'will', we be able to finish school?"

Moms jaw hit the floor and she gave me an utterly horrified look. "Holy Mother!" She said. "Your Father and I have been so busy getting everything arranged that We've neglected to sit you down and talk about your future. In the name of the Mother and the Father, I am So Sorry dear." She sat back. "Let's see, where to begin?

After your honeymoon, you each will return to your respective homes. You will be husband and wife in name and deed, but not in practice. Not yet. The two of you will spend the remainder of this school term going to your current school. You two will spend your weekends alternating between here and his parents house. At the beginning of the next grade cycle, the two of you will be moving into the couples dorms at Simone Perry High School over by your uncle Joseph's house or at Gildamar High across town. There you will spend the next two years finishing high school and learning to create a working relationship. You will be taking nearly all your classes together, and most of them will focus on actual life skills, not just academics. Consider it kind of like a marriage internship program."

We talked for maybe another hour about what the next couple of years were going to be like. It sounded exciting, though the concept of only being able to play married on weekends was rather disgruntling. Finally she got up and left to go about her business, and I turned my attention back to the math homework I had been working on (Ick!).

The next day at school I was ambushed at my locker by Laura, Bethany and Tammy who were all nearly hysterical.

"Holycrapwegettobeyouraunts!" Tammy blurted; "Thisisgonnabesocool!"

Laura rubbed her hands together doing her best witches cackle. "You're in our evil clutches now little girl." She crooned. "What shall we do with her now ladies, hmm; now that her fate is in our hands?"

"Calm down." I laughed. "My mom just told me about the whole 'Aunts' thing last night. I picked you three because you're my closest friends and you fit the requirements. I still have no idea what the heck is supposed to happen, so lets go down to the coffee shop at lunch and you can tell me all about it."

"Not even." Said Tammy. "You'll find out when the time is right and not before. Besides, I am SO not getting into that kind of trouble. Sorry girl, not happening. No, no, no."

"Ok. you two." Bethany piped in. "Remember, we are supposed to be the adults in this conversation, helping to guide our young friend through her Rite of Passage... Remember!? Actually Allison, you'll be talking about your future even before lunch. Mrs. Kaila's been looking for you. I ran into her about ten minutes ago down in the lunch wing."

"Oh no, what does she want?" I groaned. Mrs. Kaila was my guidance councilor and the last person I wanted to have to deal with at the moment. She was sweet but could become a real pest at the drop of a hat... any hat.

"Oh, I don't know," Laura said. "Probably something to do with the fact that you're about to get married and how that will affect you academically. Trust me; we all had the same conversation with her just before our weddings. It's nothing to worry about, but it will however give you something to think about. Things are going to change for all of us next year."

"And how!" I replied. "Well, one nice thing about changing schools next year is no more damned perky Mrs... Kaila; Hi, how are you!" I'd turned and closed my locker door as I was speaking to find her standing right behind it. She didn't look amused.

"Miss Murrow," She said with a slight glare in her eyes; "Please come to my office. There are some things we need to talk about. I have already sent a slip to your teacher stating you will be absent this period."

"Yes ma'am." I said, and followed her to her office. Laura, Bethany and Tammy tried not to giggle too loud behind me. I heard one of them whisper 'Busted!'

Mrs. Kaila's office was small and cramped. Virtually every vertical space was taken up by smiley faces or plaques with "motivational" or "inspirational" quotes on them. Virtually every horizontal space was covered in stacks of books, papers and files. The Gods Themselves could not have found a given item in this office if they were given a year to do it. Mrs. Kaila on the other hand could walk into that same office right after they left and find that same item in under a second. The only window was in the door and it only looked out into the main school office. Mrs. Kaila sat at her desk and I picked my way to the only other chair in the room. I had to move a stack of books off it in order to sit down.

"So," she began; "Looks like you've got a couple of big days ahead of you in the coming month. Your Rite, your wedding. Are you excited yet?"

I smiled, nodded and said; "Excited and a bit scared."

"Good, good." She said.

"Good?"

"Yes, good." She replied. "Fear means that you're actually thinking about the future, and you are concerned. You're not just some doe eyed fawn who can't think beyond her wardrobe and her next social. It means that you may actually be ready to grow up and step into the role of an adult. If you weren't at all scared, I would be worried; especially with two events that momentous in a young ladies life happening that close together. Personally, I think I'd be terrified."