Before marriage
1655 Words
Nadine stared lovingly at the towering tall building in front of her. Nadine was genuinely amazed by the magnificent and spacious place. The building was like in big movies.
“Wow, the building where dad works is very big. Nadine wants to take pictures there, ah.” Nadine said while taking out her cellphone from a tote bag.
Nadine is just an ordinary high school student who rarely takes vacations to beautiful, elegant, and expensive places. However, she has a slightly odd hobby: showing off aesthetic photos on her social media accounts.
That’s what her friends out there are doing. Don’t teenagers Nadine’s age seem happy to do that? There’s nothing wrong with that, right?
“This is an office, Nadine. Don’t act out too much. You just stay here, okay, Daddy must attend the meeting soon,” said a man with an authoritative tone.
Nadine nodded obediently. Even so, she was still busy taking the beautiful photos exposed inside the building.
“Don’t be rude, don’t act out too much. Sit over there,” Nadine’s Father suggested.
“Okay, Dad.” Nadine nodded once more before her Father ultimately left her.
Nadine was amazed when she saw the beautiful design that spoiled her eyes from the details of the company building and even looked at her in amazement.
“When I grow up, I will build a building like this.” In her heart, she said so
But after a while, Nadine felt bored, after a long time she satisfied herself taking pictures and taking whatever she thought was interesting from the office.
Nadine felt like calling her Father to get out of the meeting room and go home, but she knew it was polite and childish to call her Father it was rude.
Her lips pursed, she swung her legs, her eyes fixed on the passersby.
Suddenly her chair twitched, a beautiful woman sat next to her, hugging a neat folder.
“Little Sister, why are you here?” asked the beautiful girl with a fantastic faint smile.
“Waiting for Daddy,” replied Nadine.
“Just got home from school, huh?”
“Yes, Dad was in a hurry, so he didn’t have time to go home first.”
The woman tapped Nadine’s shoulder.
“The meeting is still taking a long time, because this is a meeting for the launch of our new product. Some delivery parties will be directed to marketing distribution.” the woman said again.
Nadine was immediately interested in the woman’s conversation--even though she didn’t understand anything herself.
“The president even devised this idea a week ago, after being advertised, the product had a sharp increase in demand in the market,” the woman continued.
“That president must be amazing.”
“He’s very rich. In fact, this is the office of a foreclosed company, headquartered in Canada.”
Nadine gaped in amazement. “Wow, I really want to work here as well as you guys.”
“If you want it, you’ve to study hard and get into a best university, it’s very difficult to choose to work here even as a janitor, I’ve even been rejected twice,” said the woman with a grave face.
Nadine nodded. She would make her parents proud, she would study hard, and get the best grades to apply for a job in that great company.
Nadine waited two hours, she was bored, even her cell phone was off.
“Uh, where’s the toilet?”
Nadine remembered her Father’s advice to stay on this bench, but nature’s call forced her to disobey.
She also approached the janitor who was mopping the floor and asked where the toilet was, “Excuse me, sir, where is the toilet?”
“It’s over there, Sis.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
Nadine ran because she couldn’t stand it until she found the toilet and finished her wish.
After she came out of the toilet cubicle, she could faintly hear the groans of a grown man washing her hands.
Nadine looked calmly approaching the man, her reflection reflected in the mirror, making the white-skinned and western-faced man look at her questioningly.
“What’s that?”
“Sir, are you all right?”
The man didn’t answer and turned off the faucet, making Nadine nervous at being ignored.
“That’s not how it works, Uncle. It will hurt your hand even more.”
Nadine could see the bases of her large, veined fingers were bleeding like they had been hit by something.
Nadine immediately searched the contents of her bag and grabbed the man’s hand.
“Uncle, use this.”
Nadine is very unprofessional in dressing wounds. She attaches a strand of plaster with animal motifs so that it covers the base of the finger.
Nadine felt herself being stared at until her cheeks were blushing, but she could still be seen at close range despite her tan skin.
The sweet immediately looked up and looked at the man shyly, “Uncle, don’t look at me.”
The man snorted, “Tch.”
“Uncle, do you realize that uncle is a handsome man?” Nadine showed her innocence, giving a slight smack to the masculine man’s arm.
“Aren’t you tired of being good-looking all the time?”
What the hell?! What kind of question is that?
“Hey kid, shut up,” the man snorted coldly.
Too busy daydreaming about how perfect the divine being in front of her was that Nadine didn’t realize the man had left her alone in the toilet.
“Does Uncle already have a wife?”
The silence, there is no answer at all.
“Uncle?”
Nadine slapped her forehead. “Oh my gosh he’s gone.”
“Oh hey, why don’t you thank me?!”
Nadine doesn’t know that the person plastered on his hand is Charlie Kenward, the owner of a large company she admires.
***
“Dad, Nadine met a handsome man in the office earlier.”
Nadine tightened her arms around her Father’s stomach as her Father started the motor.
No, her Father wasn’t an ‘important person in his office. Nadine’s Father is just a courier.
Didn’t get an answer from her Father, but Nadine continued to babble.
“The office where Daddy works is great, Nadine wants to work there.”
The Father just smiled. “Study diligently, don’t you want to go to a public university?”
Nadine nodded enthusiastically. “When Nadine is in the mood.”
There was no more conversation until Nadine reached her room. He opened the back of the book and wrote down his hopes and dreams. Either materialized or not.
“At least I’ve a goal now.”
.
.
.
“You call me, Sir?” Nadine’s Father bowed respect to the boss.
“It doesn’t have to be like that, Dad.”
Mr. Zee (Nadine’s Father) frowned in surprise. “Dad?”
The boss turned his chair, seeing the confused look of Mr.Zee. “Didn’t you already know that I was going to marry your daughter?”
“Mr. Charlie, but Nadine hasn’t graduated yet...” Mr. Zee was surprised by the words of Mr. Charlie a few seconds ago. Even this felt like a dream in broad daylight.
“When will she graduate?”
“Next month.”
“I will marry her next month.”
“Mr. Charlie?”
“I won’t hurt her, trust me.”
“But Nadine....”
“Is it that difficult for me to ask for your blessing?” Charlie interrupted Mr. Zee’s conversation before finishing his words.
“Tell me, where I’m lacking, so that it’s hard for me to get your blessing. Dad?”
Mr. Zee sighed. He thought that releasing his daughter to Mr. Charlie was the right decision.
His daughter’s life will be more secure because Charlie has it all. And Charlie has incredible patience to wait.
“Okay, I’ll talk to Nadine about it.”
.
.
.
“Dad! Mom! Look at this!” Nadine shouted with a twinkle of happiness.
“What’s wrong, Nadine?”
“I passed into the university without a test!” excited Nadine.
Nadine’s Father choked to hear it, Nadine who saw it thought that her parents must be proud of her.
“Are you pleased to hear this, Dad?” Nadine asked with the sweetest smile she showed her parents.
Nadine’s Father lied. He didn’t talk at all about the marriage between Nadine and Charlie one month ago.
Charlie went back to Canada after the talk that time. He thought that Charlie was just joking about the wedding. So he didn’t talk about it with Nadine.
“Congratulations! My dear Nadine. You’re indeed a child who does not give up if you have a definite goal, we as parents are very proud of you, dear.” Her Father smiled and stroked his daughter’s jet black mane.
“So, what are you going to major in dear?” Asked the mother, who was no less happy.
“Industry Management,” replied Nadine.
The Father gulped. “You really want to work at the company where Dad works?”
“Of course, Dad. Doesn’t your company need a lot of workers engaged in the industrial sector? Nadine heard that Mr. Charlie will build an apartment area near here, isn’t that very good, Nadine doesn’t have to spend far for transportation when working later.”
Hearing Charlie’s name, Mr. Zee was quite surprised, “You know Charlie?”
“No, Nadine only knows her name, why Dad? Is he fierce?” asked Nadine then.
“A little,” replied Nadine’s Father with an inexplicable expression.
“His name is like American, is he handsome?” Again Nadine asked with a face full of innocence.
“Yeah.”
“Is there a child the same age as Nadine? If there is, make a match.”
- Writer
