The interaction between Kal and Lois in this chapter was adorable, particularly when they exchanged smiles. (And of course, when they acknowledged to each other that they wanted to do what they had seen in that diagram with each other.) I really liked this:
He had wanted it so much, he had wondered how he could survive if Lois wouldn't marry him.
But he hadn't even understood the fullness of what he'd been asking.
But now … he did.
And his mind was blown to tiny, little pieces.
*Now* he was wondering how he was going to survive waiting.
Well, wow. Kal hasn't tasted the apple yet, but he can already imagine the heavenly-earthy flavor of it.
Personally however, I'm still a bit troubled about the bigamy thing. What I really fret about is whether Kal understands what his marriage to Za means to Lois. I get the impression that Kal doesn't realize that Lois rejected his proposal seven times solely because of his marriage to Za. I think Kal believes that she rejected him because of
him, because she found him inadequate in some way. But now that she has accepted his proposal she has learnt to love him the way he is, and then there is no problem any more. He thinks.
But there is. Kal's marriage to Za won't go away.
I'm reminded of the biblical story of Jacob and his two wives, Leah and Rachel. Leah is to Jacob what Za is to Kal, the woman he married not by choice, but because someone else had decided that this marriage had to be. Jacob doesn't love Leah and Kal doesn't love Za. Also, Leah is Jacob's first wife, just like Za is Kal's first wife.
Jacob loves Rachel, and Kal loves Lois. After he had married Leah Jacob was allowed to marry Rachel, and after he had married Za Kal will probably be able to marry Lois.
Leah must have been unhappy with her marriage to Jacob, and she must have had a constant ache in her heart because her husband didn't love her. What does Za feel about her marriage to Kal?
Leah bore Jacob six sons. After she had given birth to the sixth one, she thought to herself: "Now my husband must love me, because I have born him six sons."
Rachel remained infertile for a long time, and that caused her a lot of sadness. Presumably it made her feel jealous of Leah, too. After some years, however, she gave birth to Joseph, and then some years later to her youngest, Benjamin. But like so many other women during the annals of time, Rachel died in childbirth as she gave birth to Benjamin.
I think the story of Leah and Rachel is a tragedy. I hope that Lois will fare better than Leah and Rachel did.
Ann
