Charlie's
1277 Words
Charlie smoothed Nadine's fallen hair. he gently stroked Nadine's mane, which was resting quietly with a soft snoring that was leaning against his chest.
Nadine thought that she would fly business class like state officials when she traveled.
But what Charlie had was beyond his expectations, until he fell asleep from being too comfortable.
It's the end of semester break, Charlie keeps his promise by taking Nadine to Canada to visit his hometown using a private jet.
Not an exclusive business cabin seat that Nadine sat on but a soft mattress and Charlie's arms on her first flight.
And people as rich, smart, and handsome as Charlie are not without reason marrying weirdos like Nadine.
Flashback
Charlie seemed unconcerned about his surroundings, but the sound of soft crying made him curious.
Charlie glanced at the boy who was still wearing his uniform at nine o'clock at night and he was waiting for the bus, sitting on the bench at the bus stop with Charlie.
"f**k!" cursed the child.
his legs swing strong because of the high bench seat and his hair is pulled.
Charlie just glanced at the name tag the boy was wearing.
'Nadine.'
Charlie had no intention of remembering the boy's name, but unfortunately Charlie did.
Fate brought him to meet Nadine for the second time.
"If you meet someone you don't expect a few times, that means he or she is your soul mate," said Charlie's employee who was gossiping during break time.
Charlie just massaged the bridge of his nose, doubting the myth a bit, "Meeting twice doesn't count for a few, does it?"
Yes, their second meeting was in one of his malls.
"This is very expensive," Nadine complained as she checked the price of a bag she was interested in.
"Just take it, father will pay for it."
"No dad, we can just look for bags online which are cheaper."
"The more expensive the goods, the better the quality."
Charlie just listened to the pair of kids and dad arguing.
"When she grows up, Nadine will buy it herself, father just pray that Nadine can marry a rich person."
Her father chuckled, "study hard."
Charlie unconsciously thumped at that smile.
Nadine is truly magical. She made Charlie melt when she cried, and she made Charlie cringe with her smile.
Fate is on Charlie's side.
The father figure he is after is his employee.
Bruk!
Charlie saw a familiar-looking middle-aged man drop trial goods from the factory into his office.
The boxes were scattered and some were even broken because they fell from the goods truck.
"What are you doing, do you really have the money to make up for the loss?!" snapped the man's boss.
Since Charlie looked familiar, he approached the two people who were making a lot of noise in the basement of his office.
The two of them bowed and apologized to each other to Charlie.
"I'm sorry sir, I was really careless."
Charlie just stared at one of the two men with intense eyes.
"You, come to my room," Charlie said pointing to the man who dropped the things earlier.
None other than Nadine's father.
"I'm really sorry, sir. I will compensate for the loss, I am willing to cut my salary, as long as I beg you don't fire me."
Charlie just stared at him blankly, the man trembled and pleaded with him.
"I don't care and I didn't come here to talk about my carelessness."
The man looked down, waiting for Charlie to speak.
"Don't worry, I won't fire you," Charlie said, making the man calm down a bit.
"How many children do you have alive?"
"I have three children, sir. But my eldest is married."
"Nadine Alexandra? is she your child?"
The man looked surprised, how could this boss know about it?
"H-how?"
"Get out of my room."
The next day, he met Nadine for the third time.
"Sob."
The clock shows nine o'clock at night, Nadine is always crying while waiting for the bus to arrive.
After Charlie attends a humanitarian event, he always goes home by bus, which is why he sits at the bus stop.
And meet Nadine again.
"I know you're a foreigner, uncle. but I want to tell you, sob."
Charlie turned, his chubby cheeks reddened, his sobs breaking, his legs swinging hard.
"I don't know what's wrong with me, they're all avoiding me."
"They are cruel. Why doesn't anyone have empathy?"
"If I had good visuals, a lot of treasure, and a smart brain, I probably wouldn't be like this."
"They fooled me, they stayed away from me, they never believed in me, I was enslaved, but, sob, I couldn't fight back."
And the bus stopped, Nadine ran a little into the bus, leaving Charlie feeling frantic, wanting to take Nadine in his arms.
again, they met by accident.
Brak!
"There is no pardon for the corrupt!" Charlie snapped emotionally at the meeting.
Charlie took advantage of the new product launch rally attended by the company's top brass to some lower-class workers to humiliate the top brass who embezzled the company's money.
"I'm in Canada doesn't mean I'm not watching you guys!"
Brak!
The sturdy round table even Charlie smashed into pieces, leaving everyone in shock.
"E-excuse us, sir."
Charlie smiled lightly, "Excuse me?"
"Even firing you and bringing you to justice is not enough for me, I will not forgive a thief like you before your families are impoverished."
Charlie's fists clenched into fists, hitting the table again and making the criminals cry, kneeling begging for mercy.
Charlie fit to see the drama of their dirty tears and chose to go to the nearest toilet to clean the wound.
"Umm that, uncle are you okay?"
deg.
Charlie didn't answer and turned off the faucet. The sound made him unmoved.
"That's not how it works, uncle. It'll hurt your hand even more."
He saw Nadine rummaging through the contents of her bag, "Uncle, use this."
Deg.
"You'll just get hurt more."
Charlie watched the tiny fingers wash his hands and put the plaster on his hands in a mess.
Nadine looked at him, asked him to speak. Charlie was really fascinated.
"Uncle, have youmarried?"
Charlie made a fool of himself, before Nadine looked at him, he was out of the toilet, with a little smile on his face.
Charlie truly believed that he and Nadine were meant to be.
Soon he might call Nadine's father to tell him he was marrying their son.
"You called me, sir?" Nadine's father bowed respectfully to his boss.
"There's no need for that, father."
"Father?"
Charlie turned his chair to face the confused Mr Zee "Didn't you already know that I was going to marry your daughter?"
After that, Charlie decided to go to canada. Apart from helping his father work at the head office, he also asked his parents for permission.
"I ask permission, dad, mom."
"Are you sure you're getting married?"
"I'm certain."
"He's 18, Charlie."
"I know."
"We're not worried about you, we're worried about him."
"I promise to let her find happiness in her teenage years."
"Daddy knows you're the man in charge."
"If you get rejected?" asked Charlie's mother then.
"I'll try to be accepted."
"Daddy doesn't expect grandchildren, in fact now your priority is Nadine's happiness, make her an adult, Charlie, until she is ready for marriage."
Charlie burst into tears, hugged his parents and thanked him.
"Thank you, dad, mom."
Charlie married Nadine, because he loved her.
loved Nadine's innocence, vulnerability, and idiosyncrasies that made her feelings blossom.
What Charlie is looking for is not a perfect person but someone who can fill his emptiness.
- Writer
