The Journey of Jinan

Chapters. 38

Kink ... Kink ...

The sound of knocking on the door of a minimalist house not far from the city center makes the occupants of the house stop their activities that are playing with a baby girl in the room.

"I'm the one who opens, Brother" Ria told Jinan. Yes, the house is a rental house owned by Jinan and Ria.

Kink ... Kink ...

"Wait a minute" Ria shouted from inside the house as the door was knocked back.

When the door opens, Ria is shocked by the presence of Marco, Ira, Elena, and Rico at her doorstep.

"Uncle, Auntie," he exclaimed.

Ria kissed the backs of the old man's hands, and then he invited the three of them in.

"Jinan is there, Ri?" ask Ira.

"Em, ada, Bi. Jinan's in the same room baby Ayla, Bi."

"Can you get Jinan, Ri? Aunt wants to talk to him."

"Aah?" Ria looked at Ira and Maro alternately, then her eyes now looked at Rico who was staring at the living room table. He was quite compassionate when he saw the face of his cousin who had bruises and wounds. Looks like Elena really complained about all Rico's behavior to her papa. And Ria was convinced that the bruises and wounds were also Marco's, because when Ardo beat Rico this morning, the cuts and bruises on Rico's face were not that much.

"Ria?" Ira exclaimed as her nephew just kept quiet while staring at Rico.

"Ah? Yes, Bi?"

"Auntie wants to talk to Jinan. Can you get Jinan here?" Ira repeated her request.

"Em, okay."

Ria walked towards the room to call Jinan and followed Elena from behind. It's better to play with baby Ayla than to have to see the drama out there, he thought.

Soon Ria returns with Jinan behind her. Jinan greets Ira, then she smiles thinly at Marco, then she sits her body on the double sofa with Ria without greeting Rico who is sitting on the single sofa beside Marco.

"Jinan," Ira cried.

Jinan just kept quiet while waiting for what Ira would tell him.

"Jinan. Em, Mama wants to ask you, son."

"What do you want to ask, Ma?"

"Eem, look, honey. Mama wants to ask, is it true that Rico would harass you, son?" Ira clasped her husband's hand tightly, fearing that Jinan would justify her speech.

Jinan was speechless with eyes staring down at his feet. He was confused as to what to say. If Elena had told her parents, then why would Ira ask her again? Does Ira need an affirmation from him, Jinan thought.

"Tell me, Jinan. Whatever the answer is, Papa won't be angry. Besides, Papa believes what Elena said this morning to us."

Ira nudged Marco's arm, coding for her husband was silent.

"Tell me, Jinan," Ira said.

"Em, Mama can ask Rico directly, Ma," said Jinan by throwing Ira's question to Rico. He was really confused as to what to say. According to him, what Rico did to him this morning was an act of abuse. But for those living in a free country like this, could it be said to be harassment?

"Jinan. At home, Rico told us everything. Rico said that he only held your hand, son. But Elena said that Rico wanted to harass you. You want to know the truth, son. Please tell us what's really going on, son."

"Jinan doesn't know what Rico told you exactly. But as you know from Rico, Rico only holds Jinan's hand, Ma." Jinan paused his sentence for a moment. He had to compose each of his words as best he could so that what came out of his mouth would not cause any new problems, either for himself or for Rico. A few seconds later Jinan sighed before continuing his words.

"Rico hasn't done anything to Jinan other than just holding Jinan's hand. But if Ardo wasn't around then, Jinan didn't know what would happen by then." Jinan lowered her head. He did not know if his words were right or even wrong. But the fact is that it happened, he was not good at stringing words.

Jinan and Ria looked at Marco with shocked faces. Why did Marco ask that? Ria and Jinan looked at each other for a moment. Like having telepathy, they just fell silent and looked at each other with all the prejudices in mind. It seems like they're starting to suspect that Marco knows about it from Elena.

"Rico said it all to us, son."

Ria and Jinan were shocked back. Rico's? How could?

"Jinan" cried Marco and made Jinan look at Marco.

"Is that right, son?" Now Jinan's gaze turned to Ira who asked him.

"That's right, Auntie, Uncle."

It was not Jinan who answered, it was Ria. If Rico had told his parents, it meant that there was nothing else to cover up, Ria thought.

Ria tells what she knows about the terror incident and the shooting Octav committed on Jinan to both Rico's parents. There is nothing Ria exaggerates or less subtracts from the story. What Ria is saying right now is exactly what Rico told Ira and Marco this morning. And that made Ira cry in her husband's arms. Ira had no idea that what Rico told her this morning was true. While Marco himself looks furious when he learns that his colleagues are the mastermind of all the events that happened to Jinan.

"I'm sorry for your son's behavior, son. Forgive Papa and Mama for not being able to take good care of Rico. Forgive us, son."

Jinan was about to reply to Marco, but before he spoke, he was surprised by Ira sitting in front of him.

"Astaghfirullah's. Mama why sit here, let's stand."

Not only was Jinang shocked, everyone there was shocked by what Ira was doing.

Jinan was about to help Ira stand up, but the woman shook her head while holding Jinan's right hand.

"I'm sorry Rico, Jinan. He doesn't know about your restaurant. Rico said that Octav's cast did threaten him to hurt his brother. Rico thinks it's Elena. But after a few weeks Elena didn't get into any trouble, Rico thought that Mr. Octav wasn't serious about what he said, Son. Rico also didn't expect that Mr. Octav would do it all the same to you, Jinan. Mama please forgive Rico, son."

"By standing up, Jinan has forgiven Rico, Ma."

"You're serious, son?" Ira asked with her face up.

Jinan just nodded her head without smiling. He had tried to forgive Rico, because he did not want to hold a grudge against anyone. Moreover, he will leave here, let all this be a bad experience for him during his stay in this country. But to get back close to Rico, it looks like Jinan will not be able to.

She was traumatized enough to be close to a man who was close to harassing her. Although what Rico did at that time was just holding his hand, but for Jinan such a thing was already very scary. And he was also afraid that there would still be people who were kind of Octav masters in the future who would bother him and baby Ayla. According to him, life cannot be joked.

Ira was absent from her seat, she sat beside Jinan, while Ria shifted to a single sofa beside Jinan. Ira hugged Jinan's body long enough in silence.

"I'm sorry Mama, son," cried Ira slowly who was still in Jinan's arms.

"Mama is not wrong, there is no need to apologize" Jinan said.

"Rico, apologize to Jinan, son. Admit all your faults" Ira told his son.

Rico looked at Jinan with an indecipherable look. But unfortunately, the woman did not return her gaze. Jinan simply lowered her head or stared in another direction other than towards her.

Yes, from the beginning of the arrival of Rico family here to the present, Jinan did not ever glance at Rico at all. Let alone to glance, knowing that the man visited him, the heart of Jinan had been made dag dig dug.

"Ji, I'm sorry. I. .. I really don't know what Mr. Octav has done to you. I could swear–"

"I've forgiven you" Jinan cut off without looking at Rico in the least.

"I'm also sorry for what happened this morning, Ji. I was in a drunken state at the time. I'm not aware of what I did to you, Ji. And ... And for my feelings that I said this morning, I'm serious, Ji. I'm not messing around with kutank–"

"Co," Jinan exclaimed with an annoyed look on the man's face. Clearly, the gaze indicated that he did not like the words Rico had spoken to him about his feelings. Because it reminded him of a bad thing this morning.

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Tengkyu has read JINAN'S LIFE JOURNEY to this chapter😘