A short story about a young boy and a girl in the village:

 Part one: A short story about a young boy and a girl in the village: In Rek land, a young boy by name Alir was born into a destitute & a generous parent. One midday, Alir went out to engage with his friends in a nearby river not far away from home. On his way, he linked up with a young girl his age-group and situated next door carrying a water pot. Both of them felted cheered up as they trekked to the riverbank. She was going to fetch some water on the same river, she greeted him politely and Alir retorted with a smile face. This was the first time they had an approachable conversation and they both smiled freely and continuously. She asked why he never come to their home one day? He said, my parent didn’t give me a consent to go to your house without a genuine reason. Alir added, it'll be exasperating and discourteous to turn up in your family home and ask to see you at this young age, I will be castigated for that. She replied, I will apprise my parents that Alir is coming to play with me. He said, I liked this conversation, but I won't enjoy the endings. Arrived on the river bank, many boys were playing there and Alir wanted to join them. Nyalir told him; you better help your parents at home then joining these indolent boys. He stopped and stared at the girl repeatedly without saying a word. He returned home immediately and didn't tell his parents the story. Part two: The boy had nothing in his mind about what this girl was planning, but he wasn't the dumbest boy in the village. Sadly, the word lazy left the boy unhappy and dismayed toward Nyalir. He left with a grumpy face and total disillusionment, but a part of him thought that his friend is on to something unseen. As the rainy months begin in April and May each year, cultivation start this time annually. When these young people conversated, it was a close to the end of a dry winter in Rek-land. During that part of the year, a father of the boy cleared his farm ready for cultivation and all the Jieng populations would do the same twelve-monthly. As Alir returned home and didn't had a chance to meet his crowded and lazy boys as Nyalir said, he felt dismayed. He was extremely sad that his pastime didn't occurred normally as he used to be in the past. Although the young boy came from a poor and a kind-hearted parent, they were the happiest family in the entire village. Understandably, Nyalir advised him to do something beneficial or contributing to his poor family, she said it with a pure heart. The first rain dropped & the entire Rek and Jieng nation started cultivation early, the boy helped his parents each day. His parents were excited to see their only older son stepped in and took responsibility, they were enchanted and elated. In time of cultivation, the young boy worked harder in the farm every day without a break. His relatives were truly concerned why a fifteen-year-old refused to have a rest from 6:00 AM in the morning to 12:00 PM midday. As the author is a Rek son, there was no plough cultivation when this history happened, field work was Manually done by hand. His father realized that Alir had grown-up in mind and wanted to stand his own ground as strong young man. As the first son born into this poor and generous parent, he wanted something best for his family. In Rek land where the author hailed from, everyone is a farmer, because we don't rely on any outside food imported overseas. When a climate is fairer, Jieng people will have high hope to produce grain to feed their families. Sometimes swarms of locusts will destroy the grain and starvation or famine would hit the Jieng nation hard. During that year, Alir had foreseeable future as his dreams and hopes were promising a healthy lifestyle. His parents bought a number of cows during that year and their son went to the cattle camp the following year. Neighbours were totally shocked how they got cows within a short period of time, but through hard work. A Jieng person wanted to own many cows, goats, sheep and cultivate a big farm to withstand toughest famine if it occurs. A Jieng person won’t think of buying a bicycle or any other thing that would help make the work easier, they prefer walking a long distance. Nyalir on her track, she turned up at the home of her friend and a neighbourhood, she came for a home inspection. She was told that Alir went to the cattle camp in Toch Jok Tong/ Toch Apuk and Lou Ariik Mawien areas where he spent his dry season. When Nyalir heard this, she went home confused and grumbled to her father why she wasn’t allowed such an opportunity to spend her time away from home. Her father told her that she’ll be allowed next time as the dry season was coming to an end, she didn’t believe her father. Alir Mother was preparing a normal Jieng food inside her home kitchen and Alir was working in the farm with his father. She entered and greeted Alir’s mother in a polite manner, she told her, I came to help you cook something for the family. Alir’s mother couldn’t have a word, but to let her do the work and stayed there to watch. This was the first time she helped her in the house although she carried a firewood before to Alir’s home. She hurriedly cooked the food until it was ready and left immediately before Alir and his father were out of the farm, but refused to eat which is comprehensible in Jieng habit. Furthermore, both Alir and Nyalir got married after what they started as a sociable conversation while on their way to a riverbank shaped a productive relationship. Nyalir declined two guys when they had approached her and this reached her family, but nothing happened. Her parents desired Nyalir to have a comfortable life, but not to imposing her to a family she didn’t met before just for the reason that they’ll pay hundred cows which doesn’t make sense. In Rek or Jieng culture, a daughter doesn’t have freedom a boy has within the family, they’re controlled within the village, but it’s changing in the Western countries. In our rich Jieng villages, arrange marriages are common and a relationship between the two is mostly considered. It’s tremendously vital in Jieng tradition for your son or a daughter to rise their own family to outspread the family circle structure. It’s a bond within two different clans to amicably negotiate a marriage among themselves which give young people freedom to have a family of their own. Girls in South Sudan should be given respect they deserve to choose who they loved, not who their parents recommended, their happiness come first. Currently, love and marriages conducted by Jieng people differ from the past, girls are not allowed to live by themselves. Culturally, unmarried girl has no permission to leave her parents’ home, she’s allowed to go to her husband home after the conclusion of marriage. To conclude, we stored up the knowledge and the past we know about Jieng or any culture we represented across South Sudan and the world, there’s no bad culture. Jieng populations living outside the country find it hard to adopt different way of living or jointly to opposing our culture. Child marriage is not healthy, it come with threat, abuses, put young girls at risk and the relationship won’t last longer. I will be delighted to see girls in Jieng-land or across South Sudan to choose who they want to marry, not forced without their consent. By Deng Madut Akech Akoon.