Arousing Love, a teen novel (17 page)

“Yes, I am.”

“Nothing’s decided yet, but we’ll discuss it
and pray about it.”

“If we do it, when will we be betrothed?”

“When you move to Colorado.”

“Okay.”

We fell silent again as I thought it all
through. It felt like we’d just had a huge conversation of
momentous importance, and somehow I felt closer to Joanna’s father
now.
He actually wants us to be married.
The thought of
being married to Joanna still seemed totally unreal.
I still
feel like a kid pretending to be an adult. Just think how Joanna
will feel. Maybe her
f
ather is bluffing to scare us into
realizing how young and unready we are for marriage. It’s a good
tactic if he is, it’s kind of working. Marriage is such a scary
thing. It’s huge.

“Sorry you didn’t get to go out on your date
tonight, Zach.” Joanna’s dad interrupted my thoughts.

“That’s okay, I got to take you out instead.”
We both laughed. “I think this conversation was more important for
our future than a date would have been anyway.”

“Yes, it’s been a good talk.”

This seemed to signal the serious discussion
had concluded, so I turned the car around and headed for home.

“Will I get to have some more time with
Joanna before she goes home?”

“You can come to the campsite and see her
there.”

“I know, but will we get any time to be
alone?”

“No, Zach.” He shook his head. “There are
consequences for what you’ve done. This will probably be a very
testing time for both of you anyway, a looming separation can bring
out some powerful emotions. We’ll let you have enough privacy at
the campsite to talk by yourselves.”

“Okay.” My voice betrayed my
disappointment.

“You know, Zach, before you’re married the
importance of sex is so overblown. When you get married, sex
becomes a normal part of your life. An enjoyable part of life, but
not something you obsess over. It’s important that you be clear
headed in making these decisions that’ll affect the whole of your
life. It’s not just about sex, you need to think about the life
you’ll be spending together.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“You need to pray about it and know for sure
if you’re meant to marry Joanna, or if you’re meant to come to
Colorado at all.”

“Yeah, I will.”

When I turned onto our road, Joanna’s father
told me to let him off at the gate and he’d walk back. I pulled
into the campground driveway, and he got out of the car. He looked
back at me through the open door.

“Thank you, Zach.”

I leaned over and extended my hand. He smiled
and we shook hands. It seemed like the right thing to do after our
frank discussion.

I took my mom’s car back home and parked it
in the garage. I wondered if I should go spend some more time with
Joanna tonight while I still had the chance. It might be a little
awkward with her mom still, but Joanna was leaving soon and I
didn’t wanna waste any of the time we had left.

Eight

After making myself a quick snack, I went
back to their campsite. They were sitting around the fire, and they
welcomed me into their circle. Joanna’s mother seemed reserved but
not displeased to see me. Joanna seemed quieter than usual too.

“You’d probably like some privacy to talk.”
Joanna’s father smiled at me. “You can go over there where we can
still see you.” He pointed back behind the tents.

Joanna and I took our camp chairs with us and
sat behind her parent’s tent so we’d have as much privacy as
possible, though they could still partly see us from where they
were sitting.

Joanna glanced back at her parents. “They’re
probably talking about us. I wonder what they’re saying.”

“You can still hear them, listen.”

We both strained to hear what they were
saying.

“Don’t look, or they’ll know we’re
listening.”

“Let’s move closer.” She nodded her head
towards the other side of the tent.

“They said to stay in view
. . .
”

But Joanna was already moving. We stealthily
crept around the other side of the tent, then crouched and
listened.

We heard her father saying something about
betrothal and a bride price, then her mother’s voice clearly— “How
can you still trust them after this? We should just let them part
ways and hope they forget about each other
. . .
”

Joanna wrinkled her nose. I wondered if we
should be listening to this conversation, we might not like what we
hear. But on the other hand, this conversation might determine our
whole future.

Her father was speaking again. “I think you
underestimate
. . .
feelings for
each other. I’m pretty sure Zach is not going to
. . . .
They really do seem
. . .
love
. . . .
”

“. . .
if he
moves to Colorado then.”

“I like Zach
. . .
decent young man. I’d rather Joanna
. . .
him than some
. . .
At least we can see Zach is
. . .
”

“Honorable?” Her mother raised her voice
again. “That’s not the word I’d use after he
. . .
who knows what behind our
backs
. . .
 .After
. . .
came home from their
date
. . .
thought that was their
first kiss. I was actually thinking how romantic
. . .
”

“. . .
how
many young men do you know
. . .
beautiful girl like Joanna
. . .
the fact he didn’t
. . .
with her
shows he must
. . .
care for
her.”

“I don’t see how you can believe
. . .
not
. . .
do anything sexual
. . . .
”

“. . .
it’s
an incentive. They’re given something concrete to wait for.”

“Zach,” Joanna whispered, “Let’s move
closer.” I shook my head, but she was already edging forward. This
was so dangerous. We were too close now, not even properly hidden,
only a slight angle of the tent between us and them. I hated the
thought of being caught eavesdropping on them after everything else
that had happened today.

“. . .
I
discussed with Zach
. . .
married
when Joanna turns seventeen. That way they’d only have to wait a
year, which will make it easier for them—”

I watched Joanna’s reaction as she heard what
her father was saying. She looked a mixture of shock and
delight.

“There’s no way she can get married at
seventeen. She isn’t ready for that. She’s just a child! How could
you even think
. . . .
”

“Well, if they’re going to get married at
eighteen
. . .
only a difference
of one year. I think if they can survive a whole year together, and
they’re still ready to make that kind of commitment, they’ll have
proven their love
. . . .
”

“She hasn’t experienced anything of life yet.
She only knows school. She hasn’t been out in the real world. She
has no idea what it’s like to have to take care of herself.”

“Well, what’s the alternative? We let them
date and hope they don’t do anything? We have to be realistic
here.”

“. . .
not
letting them see each other at all until she turns eighteen. That
would be a good alternative. The longer they have to wait, the
longer their relationship is tested and the older and more mature
they’ll be. It’s only one year, but it makes a huge
difference.”

“We don’t want
. . .
secretly behind our backs. And do you
think they’re going to wait that long? They’ll be
. . .
before she turns seventeen if
we
. . . .
At least this way
we give them a reason to wait. I think one year is a good enough
test. How many couples their age can last a year
. . . .
If they’re still as much in love
after a year, that’s a good sign
. . . .
This is a big commitment for
them to make. They’ll have to be sure of themselves and each other.
A lot can happen in a year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they
decide they’re not ready for marriage yet, and we’ll have prevented
them from making a big mistake in the meantime. That’s what we’re
trying to do
. . .
delay them so
. . .
have a chance to get to
know each other
. . .
to know if
they
. . .
want
. . .
rest of their lives. They haven’t known
each other long
. . .
but
. . .
already fooling around. I
don’t want to break them up. I like Zach
. . .
I think
. . .
good for her, and their love is
genuine.

“She’s too young to be in love.”

“You’re forgetting what it’s like
. . . .
We met when you were
seventeen.”

“. . .
didn’t get married until I was twenty
one.”

“Yeah, and we could hardly wait either.”

“We managed to keep ourselves
distracted.”

“. . .
not
so easily distracted these days.”

“Waiting is good for them, it teaches them
patience
. . .
learn to control
their desires.”

“I know.”

“Zach is a nice boy, I like him too. I just
wish they’d met when she was older. ”

“I wish that too. This isn’t exactly what I
wanted either.”

“She’s only fifteen. We’re not supposed to
have to worry
. . .
this kind of
thing for
. . .
years
. 
”

“. . .
growing up so fast.”

“And you
. . .
giving her away a year earlier than
. . .
before she’s
ready
. . .
before I’m
ready
. . .
”

“I didn’t want
. . .
either. I just think this is a good
solution.”

“Zach is hardly ready for marriage either. He
won’t be able to support her.”

“We can’t make them wait until he finishes
college.”

“Why not? We can make them wait until he has
a job and can support her.”

“. . .
be
lucky if they wait one year, let alone four.”

“. . .
a lot
more ready for marriage in four years. Eighteen is too young, let
alone seventeen.”

“. . .
wishful thinking. Not that long ago
seventeen was the common age for girls to marry, and
. . .
even younger
. . .
they didn’t have divorce back then.
There wasn’t this fear of failure that makes us wait to make
sure
. . . .
The maturity that
really counts is the maturity you gain
. . .
being married
. . .
You learn as you go. Everyone is
immature when they first
. . .
married. No-one has any idea what marriage is going to be like, or
what you’re supposed to
. . .
You
have to learn it through experience. It’s the same with children,
who’s really ready for that? The thing we’re scared of
. . .
she makes a mistake
. . .
who she marries. I don’t think Zach is
a bad choice for her
. . . .

“. . .
testing their relationship by waiting a few years
. . .
if they’re right for each other. It
helps when you’re more mature. You can handle the pressure better
and the little arguments don’t seem so huge. You have more
perspective. Letting them marry at seventeen might doom a good
marriage
. . .
lasted a lifetime
if they’d only waited a few years.”

“You might be right.”

“Let’s just hope he doesn’t come up to
Colorado, and all of this
. . .
.
We’ll see what happens, if he comes to Colorado we can figure it
out then.”

“. . .
pray
and ask God to show us if Zach and Joanna are right for
. . .
We can ask God to keep him from coming
to Colorado if he’s not.”

“Where are they, can you see them?”

“They’ve gone behind the tent. Joanna, stay
where we can see you!”

We scurried back to our seats, hoping they
hadn’t realized we’d been eavesdropping. We’d heard enough of their
conversation anyway.

“You think they’ll let us get married when I
turn seventeen?”

“I don’t know, would you want to?”

“Yes!” She smiled. “Would you?”

“Yeah, if you’re ready for it. Your dad
wanted it to be eighteen, but I suggested seventeen so we didn’t
have to wait so long.”

“You suggested seventeen?” Joanna eyes
widened.

“I know, I couldn’t believe how bold I
was.”

“What did he say? Was he shocked?”

“He didn’t like it, but he could see how it
would make it easier for us to wait.”

“Yeah.”

“Your dad is amazing. I think he really
understands what we’re going through. He said God had shown him
that I was important to your life.”

“Really?”

“I think he actually likes the idea of us
getting married.”

“He really likes you.”

“That was so embarrassing when your mom asked
us how far we’d gone.”

“I know! It was so bad, but at least good
things have come from it. I wish we could have some more time alone
though. Tomorrow’s our last night, and we can’t even kiss or
anything.” She pouted.

“We could hold hands?”

She smiled and offered me her hand. It felt
good to touch her again. She had a pretty hand. I wanted to kiss
it.

“Do you still love me?”

“Of course.” I grinned. “I could never stop
loving you. You’re too adorable.”