Trapped by Pandora
Chapter 6: Awkward
Alin accompanied by Ragnala, his best friend, Sister Penny and Sister Debby stood silently watching the thirty lunch boxes that landed on the front desk of the clinic. There is no sender name listed on the delivery note, only the name Alin as the recipient. Alin was still guessing who had sent that much lunch package.
“Happy day!” a voice broke their silence.
“Kak Aliiiinnn,” there is another voice that is mutually unpretentious calling Alin.
“Mrs Aretha,” Alin looked surprised because as she remembered today there was no scheduled examination of the children of the Monza family. Wait, Monza? Alin remembered the greeting card in the bouquet of roses he had read.
“Mistress? Why do you still call the madam? Soon you will marry my son, so just call Mama Alin,” the smile of Lady Aretha they are happy, in the end the only son is willing to marry even though not with Zora.
“What? Married?” shouted Ragnala, Sister Penny and Sister Debby together. Because they did not hear at all the news of Alin's wedding plans. They all know that Alin decided to get married if his father was married first with a woman of choice. This is certainly very surprising to them.
“Doctor Nala, Sister Penny, Sister Debby don't know yet? Brother Alin is getting married to my Daddy,” said Mallory happily.
Ragnala gasped, what Mallory said made him even more convinced that the sender of the bouquet of roses was Beryliano Monza. He glared at Alin and elbowed him a sign asking for an explanation. Unfortunately, Alin shook his head.
“Oiya, we want to kidnap Alin for lunch, right? And Sister Penny, please share this lunch with all clinic employees. If less, then just say,” the puzzle about the food sender was answered already.
“Come Alin!” take Mrs Aretha.
“Eh, I take a bag for a while,” Alin immediately headed to his room without waiting for the approval of Mrs Aretha. He was completely blank, not knowing what to do and say other than to accept Big Madam Monza's invitation. When he turned around to leave the room after picking up his bag, Ragnala was already standing leaning against the door while holding his side.
“You owe me an exploration!” ragnala said with a wicked smile.
“Even I need some explanation for myself too,” murmured Alin is not as happy as usual.
^^o^
At a top restaurant in the city, Alin was only able to stare at the tenderloin steak presented in front of him. He could not see Beryl Monza and her parents in the other seat enjoying their lunch. While the three Monza children sat lined up next to Alin with sweetness. Nervousness, anxiety, radiating throughout his veins. The muscles of his body felt hollow, there was not the slightest energy to cut the meat steak that had been waving. Although his stomach was revolting to hold hunger, but his appetite seemed to fly. Alin tried to control himself rather than end up taking anti-depressant drugs that he had long destroyed.
Beryl noticed Alin's tensed-looking attitude, not even her food had been touched. The soft steak seemed petrified. Beryl took Alin's dinner plate, then chopped up the steak to make it easier to eat. Alin was surprised when he saw the plate lift up. There was a strange taste bubbling in the heart as Beryl helped her cut up the meat steak.
“This, eat. Do not let you get sick,” Beryl handed the plate back to Alin who received it with a thin smile while saying thank you.
Meanwhile, Monza's noisy children tease, making Alin blush. Beryl could understand the immortality that Alin felt, the same as that tucked in the bottom of his heart. To be honest, he did not want to force Alin to follow the will of his family. They are, after all, two strangers who are new to the world, a reality that cannot be dismissed.
“Alin, about when can we meet with your parents to propose?” ceplos Lady Aretha.
“Uhuk uhuk ...,” Alin coughed, the piece of meat being eaten directly slid down his throat before it was successfully chewed until smooth. The weather outside the restaurant was very bright, but why did he hear the sound of thunder from the sky. Alin patted his chest, while Beryl sparingly thrust a glass of water for him.
“Oh, Alin are you okay, son?” Lady Aretha panicked.
“Ma, can we eat quietly? Later we can talk after eating,” said Mr. Moazzam who understands the condition of his future son-in-law.
“Hm, okay Pa. Alin, I'm sorry Mama, yes?” Alin only accepted the apology of Lady Aretha.
After that silent lunch, Mrs Aretha again asked the same question, “Alin, sorry if your question sounded pushy. Mama knows this too soon, sorry Rory. You need time to think, right?”
Mrs Aretha realizes that her granddaughter Mallory is planning Beryl and Alin's wedding by force. To be honest, Mrs Aretha agrees with Mallory's crazy idea. In her eyes, Alin was a kind, sincere, gentle, friendly woman and had a motherly soul when compared to the high-class Zora. Merely, the age gap between Alin and his son raised a hint of doubt in his mind.
“May Mama know how old you are now?”
“Ehm, twenty-six Nyo-uhm, Mama,” Alin almost called her future father-in-law as Madam before seeing the big lady shake her head in dislike.
“Wow! My son, it looks like Alin is better suited to be your daughter than your wife! If she's your wife, she'll get old fast! Ckk! how lucky you are, Papa so envious!” Mr. Moazzam broke open while smashing his son's shoulders.
Lady Aretha blinked her eyes counting the age gap between the two of them. It was the same with Alin who turned his eyes to Beryl. From near the lines of the Monza family heir's face was similar to his papa, signifying their age did not differ much. Alin almost coughed a second time when he found out that fact.
“Yes, yes I married a man of Papa's age!” Alin closed his eyes, grimacing in his heart imagining how his father would react to knowing this. Alin suddenly shuddered in horror, immediately the removal of haunting bad thoughts.
“To be frank, I have not talked about this matter to Papa. I have not found the right time to convey it to him,” Alin hide his nervousness.
“As you know it's not easy. Marriage for me is something sacred, so it needs to be considered carefully. Moreover, this was too fast, even sudden. I have to talk carefully with papa so that he is not surprised,” everything in Alin's mind flows straightforwardly after he managed to master himself.
“I think we should give Alin some time, don't you think Nak?” Mr. Moazzam asked his son's opinion.
“Of course, Pa! Everything takes time, right? I don't mind postponing this wedding.”
“Dad..,” by Mallory.
“It is better now that I send Doctor Alin back to the clinic, pitying his patient who has been waiting,” Beryl moved from his seat. Alin followed the movements of Beryl, then said goodbye to Mr. Moazzam, Mrs Aretha and the three children of Monza.
This is the second time Alin was in one car with Beryl, the difference is now they use a range rover sport car owned by Beryl, not the toyota agya owned by Alin. How big their world is.
The second time also they were silent noiseless, drifting in their respective minds.
“Alin, can I call you like that?” Beryl opened her voice.
“Oh, yes please!” Alin prefers to be called by name alone rather than complete with his title, especially if they talk about problems that are not related to the profession he is involved in. That's more relieving.
“I don't want to force this marriage, you can refuse it.”
Alin was stunned, Beryl stared fixedly from the side.
“Then, how about Rory?” tanyanya. Why did this man change his mind? She was willing to marry before, but now asks him to refuse.
“Rory is just sulking, she'll be fine,” Beryl taps her fingers on the wheel. Alin inhaled a breath, not wanting to rush into commenting.
“Master Be ..,”
“Beryl, just Beryl!” Beryl refused to be called Master, because it would make her even more awkward.
“Be-ryl, has Rory told you about the woman?”
“Which woman?”
“Ugh, what's his name?” Alin.
“Ah, Zora!”
“Zora?” Beryl looked at Alin for a second, then refocused herself on the streets.
“Trust me, I won't marry Zora for whatever reason. Just imagine that I don't want to! I'd rather not marry if Zora is the only woman left on this earth.”
Alin did not understand why Beryl was so allergic when she told him about Zora. What kind of woman is she really? Even Mallory nicknamed her a dandy grandmother.
“Rory heard him asking someone to withdraw all his shares from your family business, can you handle it?”
“What?” Beryl stepped on the brake pedal. Fortunately, the road they passed was not the main road, and was deserted by vehicles. Otherwise, they could end up being cursed by many people. In a hurry, Beryl pulled the car over and stopped him on the side of the road.
“Really?” Beryl found no lies in the girl's eyes.
“Shit!” he hit the wheel.
“Is that a big deal for your family company?” Alin saw flames of anger sparkling in Beryl's eyeballs.
“Zora definitely made use of his papa. For me it's not really a problem, considering my family's shares are much larger. So it will not have too significant impact. But,” Beryl massages her temples.
“But?”
“Maybe it will have an impact on the friendship of both our parents.”
“Lantas, which one will you sacrifice? Friendship of your parents or your daughter?” search Alin.
“Huff! Between those two choices, don't you see that I'm the real victim?” Alin does not deny that whatever his decision, Beryl is the only person who has to sacrifice himself for the happiness of the family.
“For so long I thought living as a rich man with a rich treasure would be happy, but it turns out I was wrong,” Alin sighed softly. Comfort in his heart. A sense of sympathy and empathy rippled in the recesses of the heart.
Beryl leaned back in the car seat, turned her head and closed her eyes for a moment. What kind of life story he lived at the age of half a century. Beryl glanced at Alin, the newly known girl was able to neutralize her anxiety. Enjoying his face feels like a refreshing rainwater spray in the middle of a barren field. Especially now that the two of them had been free from the stiffness and awkwardness of each other.
“I'll talk to Papaku about this wedding plan, but make sure you have the right choice,” Alin has decided what he thinks is right.
“So you're willing to marry me?” Beryl questions Alin's decision.
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