My Mr's. Virgin

Chapter XCVII

Mariana stared at the dish on the table which was only a few types. Every now and then she glanced at her husband and father-in-law who were engrossed in adding side dishes. That night they ate together at Esi's Grandma's house. Mariana brought the food given by Tanta last May. A box of boiled chicken eggs in red, a box of bakpao shaped like a peach that contains chicken meat, and a box of fried meat noodles (the Chinese call it by the name of longevity noodles). He and Tanta Vero cook additional side dishes in the form of spinach, shrimp chili, steamed grouper, and chicken soup.

Before eating, he was confused to see the pensive father-in-law staring at the dish. He finally made a sound telling dad to eat. However, the father-in-law also asked where he got red eggs, bakpao, and long life noodles.

Mariana told me that her shifunya gave all that. He did not know what the dish meant. The father-in-law explained that the dish was actually to celebrate someone's birthday. It is a Chinese tradition.

Mariana finally understood, maybe the dish was for the child Tanta Mei who was also yesterday's birthday. However, since the child and husband did not live with Tanta Mei, perhaps that is why the dish was given to him.

"Eat!" Andreas' voice shocked Mariana, breaking the girl's daydream.

Andreas put the contents of the grouper fish into Mariana's plate.

"Thank you" said Mariana.

"Feel my son-in-law all the better, e?" Om Alo voiced, praising the shrimp sambal Mariana cuisine.

"This one is also Ana who cooks." Tanta Vero points at the chicken sub.

Mariana smiled. "That's because Ana can be the right shifu, who is good at teaching her how to cook," she said with a chuckle.

"Dad be curious about your shifu.

"Dad if you have time, stop by the booth near the Serba Aneka store."

"There's a time, Dad stopped by." Mariana just nodded.

"Feel what Brother-in-law brings just like mother's cooking," Mikel said suddenly. All eyes were on him.

Andreas put back the spoon to be fed to the mouth. He stands. "I'm full" he said, then passed from there.

Mariana sat staring at her husband's back. He wanted to call Andreas back and rebuke the man, but was held back by Tanta Vero who was sitting next to him.

Mikel lowered his head, feeling guilty for what he said earlier. "Sorry," he said.

Grandma Esi patted Mikel's arm slowly. "Not to worry!"

"You remember Mery's cooking?" ask Tanta Vero.

Mikel. "No. Just seeing this red egg, I thought of mom."

"Yes. Mery does love to cook red eggs if there is a birthday," said Grandma Esi, "eat!" Esi's grandmother patted Mikel's back.

"The others also continue to eat!"

'In front of me he always talks about manners, but, now where is his manners?' Mariana lips. Growled.

***

"Let's! Grandma call to the room." Tanta Vero approaches Mariana who is watching television with Om Dorus and his father-in-law.

"Seek it sorted."

"Oo, okay." Mariana stood up, then said goodbye to her father-in-law and Om Dorus, then passed to the room of Grandma Esi located next to the dining room.

"Grandma!" call him. Without knocking on the door, Mariana's head looked over from behind the wide-open door leaf.

It was seen that Esi's grandmother was sitting reading the Bible in bed.

Mariana stepped closer to Grandma Esi's bed, then anchored her body at the end of the bed while waiting for Grandma Esi to finish her reading.

Shortly thereafter, Andrew's grandmother handed him the Bible. "Keep it on the table!"

Esi's grandmother corrected her sitting position. Sticking her legs out, sitting her back to Mariana.

After putting the Bible back on the table, he took out a rubbing balm of Lang's stamp that was placed inside the desk drawer. Without telling Mariana to start rubbing Grandma Esi's right arm using the rubbing balm. This wasn't the first time Esi's grandmother had asked her to massage, so she already knew what she wanted from her husband.

"Dad!" Esi's grandmother made a noise breaking the silence between them.

"Hm!"

"Always call home, no?" ask Grandma Esi. Try chit-chattering.

"always. It was a phone call this afternoon" replied Mariana.

Grandma Esi didn't ask anymore. He was silent, thinking of the appropriate sentence to ask.

"Dad!"

"Hm!" This time Mariana began to massage the nape and back.

"Where do you know shifu? How long has it been?"

"Since Ana got married" replied Mariana.

"How's the guy?"

"Very good. Soft, beautiful again even though the same age as the mother at home." His mind wandered far away. The middle-aged woman's face reminded him of someone.

Grandma Esi was silent again. He told Mariana to massage his left arm.

"Grandmother remembered her mother Ande," said Granny Esi, "because of a misunderstanding, she sulked, carrying herself without knowing the real thing."

Mariana kept quiet, trying to digest the strands of Grandma Esi's story. His heart wondered what caused his mother-in-law to disappear. However, his intention was about to ask.

"Grandma hope you stay by Ande's side. The departure of her mother and boyfriend made her lose faith in women" said Esi's grandmother.

Mariana stopped massaging. He sat down next to Grandma Esi, then held the hands of women his grandmother's age in the village.

"Grandmother, the one Ana wants, is Grandma's trust. Keep believing in Ana no matter what happens." His gaze was hopeful.

The request of Tanta Vero and Ben before he married Andreas is back playing in the mind. Now he has the confidence and reason to defend Andreas even though the man still wants his lover first.

Grandma Esi smiled. While patting the back of Mariana's hand, she nodded her head.

"One more thing Grandma asked for, take Grandma to meet your shifu. Grandma wants to see him." Mariana nodded.

"You must understand what Grandma meant." Mariana smiled. He nodded again.

"She also came to church at the wedding. But she never told me, so Ana never asked."

The eyes of Grandma Esi were round upon hearing the confession of her daughter-in-law's granddaughter. "Hopefully we are not wrong people" he said.