/ Myrtle's Point of View /
"Could you stop being such a brat?!" I yelled at Sean while he was driving our way to the province. He was teasing me while I was literally overthinking about my family.
"What are you so scared about? It's not like you're too young to get married. I am twenty, and you are nineteen. After all, this marriage is just a deal, right?"
"I know, but I couldn't help but think of my family's reaction. They will definitely get mad at me," I spoke like a literal child.
"I'm here with you, Myrtle. Don't worry about it," Sean assured me. I don't know, but I feel comforted every time he tells me not to worry about anything. His words are like coffee that soothes my soul.
"The weather is good today," I spoke to change the topic. I don't want Sean to also be bothered about me.
"Yeah, I think so too."
Neither of us spoke after that. I just looked outside the window as the air hits my skin.
"Tell me about your family," Sean broke the awkward silence.
I smiled when he asked me that. I can't believe he got interested all of a sudden.
"My family is full of very nice and hardworking people. Although I have three siblings, we are all happy," I replied in nostalgia. I miss them so much.
"Wow, three siblings, huh?"
"Yeah. I am the firstborn, so I feel like I am somehow responsible for helping my parents earn."
"You're a nice daughter, Myrtle. I'm sure your parents are so proud of you if they found out all the things you endured."
I sighed. I wonder if they will still accept me, knowing that I will be married to a man I barely even know.
I didn't need to tell Sean the way to our place because he said that during the times he came to secretly visit me, he had already memorized the road.
"Sean," I spoke out of the blue.
"Hmm?"
"Didn't you have any other girlfriends before me? Even if you said I was your first love, why don't you ask other girls to marry?" I asked.
"I told you, I was planning on making you my last. And about my exes, we shouldn't be talking about them anymore."
Eh? So he really has past relationships? How many?
"How many girlfriends did you have before?"
"Hmm, why are you asking about that all of a sudden?"
"Just answer me!"
"Well, I had just two," he replied confidently.
Hah, just two? I don't believe him! I firmly believe that he had more than that.
"Really? Why did you break up?"
"The first girlfriend I had was back at middle school. It was not a serious relationship, so she decided to break up with me for no reason. My second girlfriend is Krizza. She is my secretary, and we broke up five months ago because I caught her cheating on me," Sean explained while driving.
Seriously? I couldn't believe a girl would still have the guts to cheat on this guy.
"So, what about you, Myrtle? If you didn't have a boyfriend, what about a crush? Didn't you have one too?"
"Honestly, I have a crush on our neighbor at home," I replied and chuckled. As I looked at Sean, he was clenching his jaw.
"Hey, he was just a crush, okay? Don't you even try to get jealous again," I told him?
"I am not jealous. It's just that I want to make sure I look better than your crush," he replied.
This man really has a competitive ass.
"So, your ex-girlfriend, Krizza, are you still working together until now?" I asked.
He nodded his head. "Not until we get married, you're going to be my secretary," he replied.
Geez, I couldn't imagine myself working in an office with him.
Could I do it?
"Don't worry, I won't let you do the hard work."
I wonder if his family will accept me once we get married. I never thought of that.
And now, that scares me even more.
"Sean, can you also tell me about your family? I mean, I don't want to feel revulsion towards me if they find out I am from a family of farmers," I spoke hesitantly.
His face turned dull for a second, then he said, "My family isn't as perfect as yours, Myrtle. My mom and dad are divorced. They wouldn't care whether I marry someone poor or not because they barely even care about their own child."
I felt the sadness and rage in his voice. I can't believe he grew up in a family like that. I used to think that the family of rich people were perfect, but I was wrong.
Wealth is not always equal to happiness. That's why I am happy that I grew up in a complete family, even if we're not that rich.
It's just a struggle when someone gets sick or enters college.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you experienced that," I replied.
"It's fine."
I just nodded at him and looked outside the window again.
"I also have a younger sibling. She's from my father's side."
Oh, he has a step-sister.
"How old is she?" I asked.
"She's ten."
She's still a child. I thought she would also be at my age or something.
We talked a lot more about my family and his family. I didn't want to dig much more about his family, so I told him stories about my siblings and me, like how we snuggle together in one bed, how we dance in the rain, how we play with the mud.
It's just pure happiness.
After a few more hours, the sun already has set, and we arrived at my family's field.
"Here we are," Sean spoke and looked at me.
As I looked outside and glanced at the field, tears started to flow from my eyes.
I'm home. I'm back!
I ran through the fields and called my siblings' names.
"Henry! Jessa! Rita!" I screamed as I ran towards our tiny house.
And there, I saw the three of them standing at the doorway. They were looking at me like I was a long-lost dog.
My tears continued flowing while my heart burst with joy and nostalgia.
I hugged them immediately, and they started crying too. We hugged and kissed each other for like ten minutes.
"Oh my goodness! Is that you, Myrtle?" I heard my papa's voice from behind. I turned around and saw my father.
"Papa!" I hugged him, and he hugged me back. All of us hugged each other.
As soon as we calmed our emotions down, my sibling, Rita, asked, "What about mama?"
I knelt in front of her and smiled. "Mom is still sick, Rita. But, don't worry. Your big sister is working so hard to pay for mom's hospital bills," I comforted her.
Rita is our youngest sibling. Henry and Jessa are twins.
"By the way, Myrtle, what brought you here? Is something the matter?" papa asked.
All of us went inside our house and sat on the wooden bench. I looked outside the window to find Sean, but he was nowhere to be seen. I wonder where did he go.
"Why are you here, Myrtle? Did something happen to mama?" Henry asked.
I looked at them and swallowed a big invisible lump in my throat.
"I'm getting married," I said.
They all gasped in shock and stared at me with their eyes wide open.
Oh, heavens, please save me from the upcoming catastrophe.
"Really, Myrtle? I am so proud of you!" Papa suddenly hugged me and kissed my forehead.
Eh? What's happening? He isn't mad?
"You're not mad, papa?" I asked.
"Absolutely not. I know you are a responsible child, Myrtle. Just promise me that you will still be a doctor," he said in joy.
I smiled. "Yes, papa."
After that, we heard a loud scream from the outside.
"What is that?" Rita asked.
I looked at the field and saw Sean being chased by a goat. He was running for his life while screaming.
"Who's that?" they all asked.
"Well, um. That's my -"
What am I going to say? He's not my boyfriend.
"Is he the man you're going to marry, Myrtle?" Jessa asked while staring at Sean being chased by the goat.
I couldn't help but laugh awkwardly. "Apparently, yes," I said.
"Hey, uncle!" Henry screamed at Sean and waved his hand. Sean immediately looked at us, and I sensed that he felt ashamed.
He abruptly ran towards us and formally greeted everyone like nothing had happened.
"Hi, sir. Hello, Myrtle's siblings. I am Sean Kalix Ackerman. Nice to meet you all," he formally said and smiled at us.
"Hi! Are you rich?" Jessa asked.
Sean chuckled and leaned lower to Jessa. "Your family is richer than I am," he replied to Jessa.
"Hello, Mr. Ackerman. Are you my daughter's boyfriend? Fiance, I should say," papa muttered.
Sean was startled. Maybe he didn't know that I had already told them I was getting married.
"Oh, yes, sir. Myrtle and I will get married," Sean replied.
"When?"
That's when Sean and I exchanged glances. I don't know when we are going to get married.
"Three days from now, sir. I'll marry your daughter three days from now."
...
"What? So you were visiting Myrtle since she was a child?"
My siblings and Sean were having an excellent talk with each other. While papa and I were fixing the dishes in the kitchen.
"Myrtle, do you love him?" papa asked.
I sighed because I didn't know the answer, but I didn't want to disappoint papa.
"Yes, papa. I love him."
"Hmm, are you sure you will marry him? I know the both of you just met and scarcely know each other," papa added.
"It doesn't matter, papa. I love him, and there's much more time for me to get to know him even more," I lied. I can't tell papa that our marriage is just fake because, based on his reaction earlier, he was so happy I was going to get married.
Goodness, why did it end up like this?
"Alright, Myrtle. Just make sure that the marriage will really make you happy, then there's nothing I can do. Just remember that your siblings and I will always be here for you."