Dear Diary,
You will not believe what I am doing tonight...I am finally going out! I'm going to my first party WITHOUT my parents. For once, I will have one night out of this house, out of this place that I have been in for as long as I can remember. It isn't a terrible place, I've grown up here, I love my family. It's just that I will finally be able to be like all of the other girls my age. I don't have to wait up all night, wondering what each of my friends are up to. Are they sleeping too? Are they going out? And most importantly, are they with men? Oh how I wished that I could always be one of them, and tonight I FINALLY will be!
When my friends first suggested me coming out with them, I was hesitant. I knew that my father wouldn't allow it. I've been strung up in this house as long as I can remember, never being able to leave unless accompanied by either father or mother. I figured there was no point in asking. My friends pushed me more and more into asking him, and just to get them to stop talking about it, I went up to him and asked if I could go with them. He was silent. As he stood there and thought about what I had even dared to question, I could see all of the doubts in his eyes. All of the things that could possibly go wrong. He thought of anything bad that could happen to me. But maybe, just maybe, he saw something in my eyes too. Maybe he saw how I had longed to be like my friends, able to go out just for a night. Maybe he saw that I could protect myself. He looked at me with his deep blue eyes that I had always respected and he said yes, so long as I were to be careful, safe, and of course be home by midnight.
You see, my parents didn't keep me sheltered because they didn't trust me or anything. It's just that I'm the only girl in the family and they want to make sure that nothing bad happens to me. They even have this stupid mathematical equation that a man must solve when it's time for me to wed. Yes, the boys carry on the family name, however everyone knows that it is the daughters that are the most precious.
Well Diary, I must go get ready for my first night out! I can't wait to tell you all about it!
With Love,
Sarah
13th June 1914
Dear Diary,
I don't even know what to say. Last night was the best night of my life! It was perfect. If I could just relive last night for the rest of my life, I would. I had a great time with my closest friends...we ate, we talked, we danced. I talked with boys! How could anything top last night?
But, there is one MAJOR thing that happened.
I met the most beautiful man I've ever laid eyes on. I didn't think anything could ever be so beautiful, but he proved me wrong. It was only a glance...at first. A little later in the evening, I saw him again, only this time, he saw me too. More time passed and then, we ran into each other. And by ran into each other, I mean it. Right as I was turning, he was there. Our heads banged up against one another and I'm not going to lie, it hurt quite badly, however I obviously couldn't let him notice. He was so kind, making sure I was okay. Then, we just started talking. We talked about all sorts of things and I was so enthralled with him and the conversation that I ended up spending the rest of my time at the party with him and only him. And you will never guess what he said to me as we were saying our goodbyes. He said that he wanted to see me again! I'm seeing him again tonight! He has to meet the parents tonight.
I know it sounds crazy, especially after only one night together, but I think he's the one, I really do. I could just feel it in my stomach, you know? I think my family will really like him. Oh God, I hope he is smart and can solve that stupid equation!
With Love,
Sarah
P.S. His name is Ryan
Author's Note
For this retelling, I decided to rewrite the story in The Ramayana when Sita and Rama first see each other. It was at this moment that the two of them fell in love. Sita's father has a bow that a man must string in order to win Sita's hand in marriage, which Rama was able to do, leading Sita and Rama to wed. I chose to tell the story in Sarah's (Sita's) point of view about falling for Ryan (Rama. The mathematical equation that a man must solve in order to win Sarah's hand in marriage is the bow in The Ramayana.
Bibliography
Narayan's Ramayana, Link to Reading A and B
Image Information
Photo of George Cathcart Woolley's diary, Web Source
This really made me chuckle. The diary format really brings Sita into the 21st-Century... I know quite a few people that speak with almost that exact vernacular. I also liked that you changed the bow to an equation; brawn might be important, but at the end of the day, knowledge is what moves society to discover new things and better itself.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jake the whole story really made me chuckle because you did a great job bringing the story of Sita and Rama into the 21st century. I also liked how you wrote about that her parents were not trying to shelter her but are just over protective because she is the only girl. I think most girls who are the only one in the family can relate to this.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you specified where Sarah was going to be going with her friends if it would have changed her father's decision at all? Then I thought what if he did say no and she ended up going against her fathers will and snuck out.
Maybe even add some dialogue of her friends and what they thought about the guy she met at the party! Girl friends are always ready to give their opinion about a guy and lend their two cents about the situation of her Sarah's strict parents.
I really enjoyed your version of the story overall!