Marrying the Depression Master
CH-138 Dinner

Ara left the room. Jack looked at the picture frame that Ara had forgotten not to include. He took it and saw it again. Every time I look at that photo every time a feeling of guilt comes up in his head. But it was fate and reality could not be changed, he had to be able to accept it and live his days normally.

Jack kept the photo back in the drawer, then followed his wife back to his room. His wife seems to be getting a call.

“Iya Bu,” Ara replied.

“Me and Jack will get ready for dinner, we will eat out,” Ara said.

“What?” asked Ara. turned her body to look at Jack who was already in front of her.

“What's up?” ask Jack.

Ara lowered the phone from her ear.

“Mom invited dinner at home, because Dad had come home from out of town, Dad bought me souvenirs,” replied Ara.

“That's a great idea, we eat at your parents' house,” Jack said.

“You're serious?” ask Ara.

“Yes, we can find another time to eat diestaurant,” replied Jack.

Ara put her phone back on.

“Alright, Jack and I agreed to dinner at Mom's house, but we didn't stay the night Mom, Jack did a lot of work,” said Ara.

“Iya,” says Ara again.

Phone's closed. Ara looked at Jack.

“Are you seriously eating at Mom's?” ask Ara.

“It's okay, after all it's rare to meet your father,” replied Jack.

Ara nodded, it was true that Jack had last met his father when he was forced home by his Father and Jack followed him home after which they never met again.

They immediately prepared to go to dinner at Ara's parents' house.

****

Actually they could have been to a luxurious romantic restaurant, but because Jack thought rarely met his father Ara, it would not hurt him to accept his in-laws invitation to dinner at his in-laws' house.

“You stay here overnight,” said Ms. Amril, when they arrived.

“It doesn't seem like Mom, Jack has a lot of work,” replied Ara.

“My son has arrived?” the voice of Mr. Amril appeared in the guest room.

“Already Sir,” replied Ara's mother.

Mr. Amril just looked at Jack sharply, making Jack immediately feel unsettled. Perhaps her father Ara will ask her to divorce Ara again. He was sweating right away.

“How are you doing?” mr. Amril asked Jack, still with a probing look.

“Good, Father,” replied Jack rigidly, he rarely met his Father-in-law.

Ara smiled looking at Jack's clumsy demeanor and his face paled.

Jack looked at his smiling wife.

“Why are you smiling?” whispered Jack.

Ara on her tiptoes, bringing her mouth closer to Jack's ears.

“You are very nervous,” whispered.

Jack looked at his wife.

“What is so right?” jack asked quietly, lest his in-laws hear.

Ara tiptoed again and whispered.

“You take it easy, my father won't tell us to split up,” he said.

Jack's face grew pale, he did not want it until his father-in-law asked him to part with his wife. Spontaneous hand held Ara's hand, making Ara look at her.

Mr. Amril looked at Jack, saw him from top to bottom, said his wife Jack was healed, is that right?

“Why are you just standing there? Mom invites you to eat, come!” his mother said Ara, pulling the hand of her daughter, who was attracted not only Ara but also Jack who held the hand of Ara.

Mr. Amril glanced at the hand of his daughter that Jack was holding. Jack immediately followed Ara towards the dining room. Talking to his father-in-law made it hot cold.

Ara stared at the food on the dining table that was all-round.

“Wah why the food is so much?” ask Ara.

“This food is food for pregnant women, so that Mother and baby are healthy,” replied Ara's mother, making Ara surprised as well as Mr. Amril.

“Are you pregnant?” ask Mr. Amril to Ara.

“Not Dad, I like nothing,” replied Ara.

“In a moment, you will drink the herbal medicine, surely soon you have a baby,” exclaimed Ara's mother excited.

“What's time? Don't give obscure herbs to my daughter!” mr. Amril said, seeming to disagree with his wife.

“Ordinary men, safe kok,” said Ara's mother, slightly frowning.

“I'm hungry!” exclaims Ara, trying to melt the atmosphere.

They start eating greedily while occasionally joking. Jack was happy with the family, and the parents and children looked very close. Not like he's struggling with treasure but it feels so lonely.

Sometimes Jack glanced at his father-in-law who was still looking at him like that, maybe his father-in-law still could not believe that he was cured. Jack did not say much, his father-in-law's attitude made him feel was was was going to tell him to divorce Ara.

Ara just smiled at Jack's suddenly stiff attitude. It seems her husband was traumatized to be asked to divorce her.

After the meal, they gathered in the terrace, sitting in the front seats of Ara's house, while watching the crowded vehicles pass by on the highway.

Ara turned to her husband, then brought her lips closer to Jack's ears.

“Carely talk to my father, don't get me wrong,” said Ara instead teased him, smiling, and left Jack and Mr. Amril.

Jack immediately turned sour. It was like kissing his wife because she was mocking him. He did not want his wife to go into the house. She was confused what to say to Ara's father. He's really tense.

“Are you really better now?” asked Mr. Amril, still with a probing gaze, making Jack even more tense, it seems like Ara's father does not believe he has been cured, he said, what to show until her daughter gets pregnant believing she's a normal guy?

“Iya,” replied Jack.

“How do you work?” ask Mr. Amril again, even though Jack is a general, still in his eyes Jack is his son-in-law, his daughter's husband is the same as his son as well.

“Good,” replied Jack.

“Are you going to stay here forever?” ask Mr. Amril.

“No, I plan to invite Ara to stay in Paris, because I have my job there,” replied Jack, why does it feel like he is in an interview? He who used to be in power felt dead fleas in front of his in-laws.

Mr. Amril nodded his head, although he did not want to be away from his daughter but Jack's husband Ara was more entitled to his daughter now.

“Daddy just advised, take good care of Ara, do not hurt her, we love her very much,” said Mr. Amril

“Yes, I will always take care of her, I love her very much,” replied Jack.

“Daddy hold your word,” said Mr. Amril firmly.

 Jack just nodded his head, why were those words such a threat to him? Even though he was a general, even facing criminals he dared why meet his father-in-law so nervous like this?

They were silent again, Jack did not know what to say, his wife instead did not appear.The atmosphere was getting awkward.Suddenly he remembered something.

“Dad, there's something I want to ask,” Jack said.

“What's the problem?” ask Mr. Amril.

“Before living here did Dad live anywhere else? Looks like Dad often goes out of town,” asked Jack, stale than nothing is ignored.

“Iya Dad does like to go to work out of town, “ replied Mr. Amrik.

“Surely Dad has moved residence many times,” said Jack.

“No, since I used to live in this house, this is the house of the relics of my parents. So even though you have given Ara a luxurious house, we can not occupy it, because in this house many memories,” replied Mr. Amril.

“So from small Ara stay here?” ask Jack.

“Of course, where else?” answer Mr. Amril.

Hearing him Jack was silent, said Ara if he did not have a photo of his childhood because of moving house, while Mr. Amril said that they lived in this house from a long time ago. Why is the story so different?

“What's up? You why?” ask Mr. Amril.

Jack corrected his seat, seriously looking at Mr. Amril, inevitably he had to ask this.

“Dad I'm sorry, but I have to ask this,” said Jack.

“Ask what?” asked Mr. Amril did not understand, looking at his daughter-in-law.

Jack sighed for a while, he felt tense, then spoke again.

“Is, is Ara not Dad's biological daughter?” jack asked, making Mr. Amril surprised.

“What are you talking about?” snapped it.

”Dad I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend, I just wanted to know, and I had a reason for that,” said Jack, feeling bad for his father-in-law.

Mr. Amril looked at him.

“Did you tell people to find Ara's identity to where my friend works?” ask Mr. Amril.

Jack was surprised to hear that, it turns out that Ara's father knew about it, he did not know that Mr. Amril's friend was working in the capital's population data collection.

“Yes Dad, I'm sorry, there are some things I want to make sure about my wife,” Jack said, making Mr. Amril look at her, does Jack know that Ara is his adopted son?

“Actually what do you want to ask?” ask Mr. Amril.

“Sometimes my wife's attitude reminds me of someone, which is my little friend, Arum,” Jack replied honestly.

Mr. Amril was silent, what was this that his wife said? Ara is similar to her daughter Ny.Imelda?

“So this is beyond reason, I just feel that sometimes it reminds me of Arum, even though I know my wife is not Arum, so is her real mother Arum. That's why I found out Ara's identity, I'm sorry,” Jack said honestly, he was afraid to offend her Mr. Amril.

Mr. Amril was silent for a moment.

“Nak, Ara my biological daughter or not, which surely could not have been your little friend, your little friend drowned at sea in France, could not have been carried far away by the current here, maybe if it happened even such a small child would not last long at sea, would have died,” said Mr. Amril.

Jack was silent, what Mr. Amril said was true.

“Maybe it's just a coincidence that Ara reminds you of Arum,” said Mr. Amril.

“Yes Dad, you're right, I'm sorry,” Jack said.

“You better calm yourself down, don't obsess over things you should forget.  Don't be tied to the past that will haunt you for the rest of your life. You have to move on, you have Ara now and maybe soon you will have a baby, you just focus on your family,”, said Mr. Amril advising Jack.

Jack went back to silence, what Mr. Amril said was true, but somehow he felt something was stuck in his heart, it was uncomfortable every time Ara's behavior reminded her of Arum and the curiosity re-emerged.

“You're serious!” hear Ara's voice startle them. Ara immediately approached her husband.

Jack looked at his wife and smiled.

“Dad bought me a cloth souvenir, I really like it,” said Ara while lifting a pouch in her hand, then sat down beside Jack.

Jack immediately hugged his wife and kissed her forehead, he loved her very much, forgetting that there was a father-in-law there, he forgot when he was so nervous in front of his in-laws.

Mr. Amril just smiled looking at him.

********