There were two windows covered by curtains made out of harsh cloth. Grass bushels were tied to the ceiling with woven twine. I sat on the floor beside the empty fireplace. It must have been summer because the air was humid and sweat dripped from my face. My body was flushed and wet and I was slightly lightheaded from sitting in the sweltering room. I was wearing a simple brown dress and it was sticky and glued against my body. My hair was long and thick; it flowed from my head and reached all the way down to my knees.
There were other people in the room with me. Several men appeared to be arguing over something. They spoke with a language I didn’t recognize yet at the same time I knew what they were saying. They were discussing what to do with me. I managed to figure out the extent of their conversation as they continued their discussion. There was to be a marriage and apparently I wasn’t allowed an opinion. They talked over me, ignoring me as if I was nothing but a pretty flower discarded on the floor.
