Guarding Love

CHAPTER 64 - Special Arlen (Meeting Ben)

The group that was from the market had come home because it was late afternoon, they planned to have dinner and discuss where the good restaurants were around here.

"Arlen where are you?" Ask Kirei who didn't find Arlen anywhere. Soon their neighbors come and tell their father's message that Arlen and Bintang are heading to the jermal to meet Ben. Shortly afterwards Jim came to the house with a confused face to see the crowd there.

"Kirei.. Why are there so many people? Who're they?" Jim asked as Kirei was at the door.

"They're Arlen Om Jim's family. But why is he here?  Arlen is going to Jermal now with Bintang delivered by Mr. Mamat half an hour ago." Said Kirei and Jim patting his forehead.

"Oh yeah. om forgot, uh but we should go together." Then Jim goes in for a bit to put in the fish and squid Ben gave him.

"Lohs.. Ben!" Jim screeched as he saw Arden standing next to the window of the house staring at him.

"Ben?" Arden repeated Jim's words.

"You who? why look like Ben?" Jim and Kirei asked immediately.

"Dad, I also think who looks like brother Arden. Just remembered it turned out to be Uncle Ben." Kirei also confirmed. Arden is confused.

"Maybe you're wrong." Said Arden and then Cecil approached because he heard there was someone else who had just come and wanted to know who it was.

"No way, I remember 10 years ago Ben's face like this." Jim said reassuringly. Arden and Cecil who heard it were also astonished.

"Ten years ago, what did that mean?" Ask Arden again to make sure.

"Yes, this is Ben's face 10 years ago. Just sec..." Jim opened his phone and searched for something on it.

"Uncle Ben is indeed full of beards and sideburns on his face but if you look at a glance it looks like brother Arden, let alone the eyes are also the same, green." Obviously Kirei and now Cecil are starting to panic.

"Green eyes?" Strangled Cecil and then Jim shouted again.

"Here we go! Here's a picture of Ben a few years ago and here's a picture of him last month when he was still bustling." Jim gives his cell phone containing a photo of Ben and Cecil shaking to see it.

"Blake!" Cecil then looked at Jim.

"Where is he? Where's Blake?" Ask Cecil has started crying and hysterical, certainly makes Jim surprised.

"Blake's? He's Ben. Not Blake."

"He's Blake, he's my husband Blake, I wouldn't mistake my husband!" Cecil cried and had limp almost fell because his legs seemed boneless, Arden immediately hugged Cecil so as not to fall.

"Om where is Ben now?" Now Arden asked firmly.

"He's on my jermal."

"Take me there right now." Arden insisted again and Cecil had thrashed to meet Blake. Jim who saw that could only nod.

"Mother come.. Arden." Pinta Cecil but Arden did not allow.

"Can't be mother, 2 hours on the boat and it's almost night, the sea air is very cold." Reject Arden but Cecil still forced.

"If you don't come, you will go alone, you will jump into the sea and swim there." Threatening Cecil, Arden repeatedly persuaded him but Cecil did not care. They finally decided to go together.

"Hanny, honey, we go first." Hanny wears a jacket to Arden and also to Cecil.

"Vino take care of my family, Jupi's coming with us." Order Arden.

"Good boss." Vino and Jupi replied following them. Aileen who heard everything could only remain silent, Hanny hugged him and strengthened him.

"I'm also with you..!" Shouted Kirei who was already with his jacket and ended up coming with them.

Traveling 2 hours in the cold night sea air, Kirei continued to hug Cecil who had not stopped crying and was also cold. While Jim is still not able to digest well the incident he just experienced. While piloting the ship he occasionally looked towards Arden for sure, that face reminded him of Ben whom he had saved 10 years ago, very similar.

"Is Ben really that much like me?" Arden asked, breaking the sound of the ship's engine clashing against the waves.

"Yes, very much like when I found him 10 years ago, he almost died and got stuck in our fishnet that time." Answer Jim. Then he tells his meeting with Ben, all the stories heard by Arden, Jupi and cecil make Cecil cry even more.

"Blake must be very lonely. He's alone at sea.." Cecil's sobs sounded again and Kirei just kept hugging him and was already crying, he knew what loneliness was like uncle Ben.

Dijermal, Arlen and Bintang have arrived, Bintang has gone up first and is looking for Jim but said Jim's men who were there Jim was on land.

"Maybe he'll be back in a few hours." Said one of the workers there who was about to go to sea.

"if uncle Ben?" Ask the stars again.

"Don't look for Ben, he won't come out, just wait for Jim to call Ben out later." The worker immediately passed away with his ship.

"Hows it? we wait?" Ask the Star to Arlen who has gone up to the jermal floorboard.

"We'll just wait, for love." Replied Arlen and the Star laughed teasingly at him.

Arlen saw and noticed the state of the jermal which turned out to be very wide, but as long as the eyes looked only dark, there was nothing but the lights of the ship from a distance and the stars in the sky. He broke down and looked at the star above him, thinking about how someone could live there for so many years, he who was only 15 minutes was bored. Before long the Star also spilled its body to see itself above.

"you've been looking at me. I've been so moved." The stars and Arlen were confused.

"I'm looking at the binta..." Arlen stopped his words.

"Suck!" Arlen kicked the leg of the Star who was already giggling amusedly.

"You are disgusting Bin. Hiii~" tickled Arlen again but still saw a star above him.

"The sky here is so beautiful but how can anyone stand to live here alone." Arlen was still thinking the same thing. After a few minutes they finally fell asleep.

Ben actually heard their talk, he was laying himself in his homemade hammock while chewing dried cuttlefish that had been sun dried and burned. "They seem like good young men." Said Ben slowly and then enjoyed his tea without wanting to know more about anything else.

After 1 hour Jim's ship arrived, "Jupi, find Bintang and Arlen first." Arden and Jupi's orders immediately went up and called out to the Star.

"Bin, Star, Arlen.." Call Jupi who has seen them fall asleep. And the Awakened Star finally wailed, "Yes what's up?"

"Have you met Ben?" Ask Jupi and they are confused.

"Why are you here?" Arlen asks who saw Jim's ship there, Arden is helping Cecil and Kirei to board and followed by Jim.

"Mother? Kirei?" Arlen was very confused. Jim immediately shouted to Ben.

"Ben!" jim shouted towards the jermal room and Ben as usual remained relaxed and indifferent if anyone came.

"Ben, out.. " Jim's inside and turned on the lights.

"Ck. You're just interrupting." Angry Ben saw Jim had disrupted his leisure time.

"Blakes... Blake's.." Call Cecil. Ben who heard the voice immediately fell silent. That name, which he had forgotten for 10 years and that voice that he had long missed.

"Have you heard anyone calling?" Ask Jim.

"You heard that too? Isn't that my hallucination?" Ben asked and then Cecil had already run in and was in front of Ben.

"Blakes.." Cecil is just 2 metres from Ben.

"People... Cecilia..." Said Ben who still does not believe, Cecil is very real, has even turned older than his imagination.

"Blake..." Cecil ran and hugged Ben tightly, Ben just pecked, he was confused.

"Is this really Cecil? You're real?" Cecil cried and tightened his embrace. A warm hug was felt by Ben.

"You're real? My cecilia?" Ben asked again and Cecil loosened his arms and looked into Ben's eyes, Cecil stroked Ben's face which was no longer smooth because of his beard. Ben felt the elusan and closed his eyes.

"You're still alive Cecil.." He turned and started crying.

"Yes Blake I'm alive, I'm here." Cecil hugged her again, and this time Ben returned his embrace. He was already convinced that this was real Cecil, his girlfriend.

"Dad.." Arden just came in after explaining to Arlen everything outside, they went inside. "Dad.." Call Arlen.

Ben took off his embrace from Cecil to look at the direction of the voice, "Arden? Arlen?" Call Ben in disbelief. His children are in front of him too.

"You're all alive and well, oh my God.." Ben again did not know how many times he said his gratitude while looking at his family who had returned.

"Arden, you've grown up, son, you look a lot like me when I was young." Ben pressed his hands together on Arden's face and placed his forehead on Arden's forehead. Arden nodded as he cried and missed his father terribly.

"Arlen..my favorite son, you're so handsome son. I love you." Ben does the same thing to Arlen who has been crying since, his father who he loves the most is still alive and he is sad to remember how his father is alone here and lonely.

Kirei and Jupi who saw that also cried, finally the separated family was reunited.

"Let's sit down first." Jim had already shifted the chair and the long table towards the middle for everyone to be able to sit down.

All were sitting neatly lined up on that long table, Cecil was sitting on Ben's lap, tightening his arms around Ben's waist and his head leaned against Ben's chest, unwilling to be removed.

"We're back in the morning, it's raining outside and it's dangerous to be back now." Jim said after seeing the situation outside and had told Mr. Mamat to tell the radio to land that they were fine and would return tomorrow.

"So can you explain, what is this? I'm still confused." Jim's question still circulated his gaze to them one by one. Arden who explains the point in an outline so as not to be too long. Jim sighed, he still couldn't believe it.

"When I asked your name why did you say Ben?" Jim asked remembering the first time they met after Ben came to his senses.

"I said Blake and you said Ben, yeah I just decided Ben." Ben answered, which upset Jim.

"Then why don't you realize when you see him who looks like Ben?" Jim asked looking towards Kirei and pointing towards Arden.

"I feel like Arden looks like someone but doesn't remember Uncle Ben. I've only met once and it was my uncle wearing glasses and a pretty big beard. So I was unconscious." Kirei explained.

"right, Kirei told me several times that Arden looked like someone and he didn't remember who." Arlen Tymphal.

"Ah. This is still confusing." Grumpy Jim

"Why did you tell me that the young boss Kirei came in was named Star and Alan?" Ben asked back.

"I've said his name is Star and 1 more I forgot because his name is hard to remember." Answer Jim.

"If you said Arlen I would remember my son's name." Annoyed Ben.

"Then why did you two come here by yourself?" Jim asked again pointing to Arlen and the Stars.

"Oh yes, I forgot." Arlen was clucking and confused as to how to explain it.

"Kirei will definitely be your wife." Arden answered.

"Huh? meaning?" Jim again with a look of wonder.

"So I proposed to Kirei but the condition of him is that I have to ask Gunawan's father and Uncle Ben's permission, I have already approved so I came to see Uncle Ben for his blessing too." Arlen explained then he smiled as he realized something.

"You must be my wife." Arlen made sure of his words again and looked at his father.

"why?" Ask plain Kirei.

"Of course because Uncle is my father and I am his favorite son, I would have to approve if I were to marry you. Isn't it dad?" Clearly Arlen and asked Ben who was sitting in front of him.

"hehehehe..." Ben chuckles, he's funny considering everything that's happened.

"Oh my goodness Ben, it turns out you've been looking after your own future son-in-law. It's amazing." Jim understood and raised his thumb.

"Yes, yes, too..." Said Kirei who had also just regained consciousness, and Ben laughed happily looking at her.

"Of course son, you and Kirei are a compatible couple." Ben smiled.

"What about you, baby?" Ben asked Cecil who was still clinging to him.

"Yes, I agree too." He looked at Kirei and smiled.

"Arlen's face is similar to yours but it's similar to mine so he can fall in love with Kirei, Kirei is similar to you. Plain, kind and a little stubborn, if you know it will be spoiled. Don't you?" Ben looked at Arlen again looking for the truth. Indeed he only met Kirei once, but from a long time he had seen Kirei and Sinta on the dock and from Gunawan's story to him.

"Yes!" Strictly Arlen made the others just laugh at hearing him.

"At the same time I really want to have a daughter, so seeing Kirei reminds me of you, if you had a daughter she would look like Kirei." Obviously Ben again.

"Dad has a daughter." Arden and Arlen both said.

"Huh?" Ben looked at his two sons in turn and then saw Cecil, he said, "Yes we have a daughter." Cecil.

"Can't you?" Ask Ben astonished.

"Dad not remember? That day my father came home and spent the night, had spread the seeds and disappeared." replied Arden, in fact he also did not remember the incident but it was certain that it was true Aileen his sister.

"Yes, it could be." Ben says.

"The name is Aileen." added Arlen.

"Aileen, do you remember that name, baby?" Ben and Cecil asked. Ben hugged her again and thanked her for giving him a daughter.

"When did you get married? I want a grandson." Ben asked again looking at Arlen and Kirei.

"Father soon, but if your grandson has it." Answer Arlen.

"Yes, I have 4 grandchildren." Added Arden.

"Huh? 4 grandchildren?" Ben can't believe, his children are only 24 years old road 25 if not wrong, why can 4 grandchildren.

"Arden was married and had twins whose first twin boys Ansel and Anson had been 2 years 3 years, then born again twin boys and girls Arion and Arianna, Arianna, she's 4 months old." This time cecil answered.

"Gee... Jim did you hear that? I've got 4 grandchildren Jim, FOUR!" Ben showed the number 4 in his hand which made Jim upset because his grandson was only 1 who was born a few months ago.

"Well you can be arrogant Ben, you can boast about your wife who turns out to be very beautiful. It's a good idea you're not interested in that plump Rose." Jim is upset again because Ben starts bragging about his grandson.

"Who's Rose?" Tanya Cecil did not like to hear the names of other women.

"Hem. don't know, don't know." Answer Ben.

"Kc.. Rose owns a bar there that's crazy about you." Pointing Jim deliberately provoked the anger of Cecil who he was a little jealous of.

"I only met him once because I was looking for you." Obviously Ben so that Cecil is not consumed by the words of Jim who provoked him. They finally fell silent, the day was getting late and the rain had stopped.

"Is anyone hungry?" Jim asked to break the silence.

"I'm hungry." Answer almost everyone there.

"Yes we haven't had dinner yet and it's 11 in the evening." Said Jupi who had been silent since.

"Oh.. I forgot!!" Pekik Bintang who immediately ran forward took a fruit basket and a box containing a roasted chicken.

"It's fruit and roasted chicken for Uncle Ben." He said and Arlen laughed. "You're this.."

"I'm sorry, I forgot about watching the family drama." The stars chuckled.

"We'll just move ahead, I'll get the fish and squid." Ben moved Cecil to the bench to be able to move.

"Beauty soon, baby, I'll cook you dinner." Ben peeped at Cecil's forehead and moved out, but Cecil followed him, unwilling to take his eyes off Ben. Everyone else followed Cecil.

"Blake!" Strangled Cecil because Ben had plunged into the night sea with just a flashlight.

"Don't worry, he's used to doing that." Jim calmed down the anxious looking Cecil.

Arden and Arlen also seemed worried waiting for their father to rise to the surface just carrying a flashlight into the water. Suddenly a fish size quite large was thrown from the water, then soon another one, finally a total of 5 fish were thrown out. Ben climbed up occasionally to take a breath, then went in again a little while later he came out with a net bag filled with squid. Cecil smiled happily to see Ben out of the water.

"It's okay, baby, I've lived 10 years like this. You want to eat whatever's at sea tomorrow I'll get." Ben stroked Cecil's cheek with his wet, cold hand. Ben went back inside and changed his clothes and went out again to cook rice the old way because there was only a generator for the lights.

Kirei helps clean the fish, Cecil cleans the squid and the others make a fire to burn the fish. Arden peels some fruit and feeds Ben and Cecil so they don't catch a cold. At least some food went into their stomachs.

TBC ~