Capítulo 15: Family Dinner
Andrea never had dinner with a complete family like this. Since he was born, there was only him and his mother.
When his mother was young and worked at a hotel in Bali, she fell in love with her manager from Italy, who immediately asked to be transferred back to Italy when he learned that the woman was pregnant. So, Andrea was born without ever knowing his father.
His mother learned from experience, never to trust men again, and she raised Andrea not to follow his sorry-ass father's footsteps. Andrea loved his mother deeply, and he was happy with just the two of them.
He never felt that he lacked anything ...
Until the moment he sat down to dinner with Ludwina and the rest of her family.
Mr. Kurniawan and Mrs. Inggrid were very friendly. Andrea noticed how they looked at each other lovingly, talked with smiles on their faces, and pretended to complain at how naughty and stubborn their children were.
They both loved classical music and named their three children after the world's greatest composers. Johann, the eldest, was named after Johann Sebastian Bach, and Ludwina named after Ludwig van Beethoven.
A few months later, Andrea learned that there was a middle child between Johann and Ludwina. Wolfgang died of meningitis at the age of 14. Wolfgang was named after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Johann was a doctor who was taking his specialization in pediatrics, and Ludwina held a BA in English Literature from Columbia University. She dreamed of becoming a famous writer. When Andrea discovered that Ludwina studied in the United States for four years on her own, Andrea's perception of the girl changed slightly.
As it turned out, the girl was not at all spoiled. A spoiled girl won't be able to survive alone in a foreign country for four years.
Andrea did not know what Ludwina's father did because they did not discuss his business at the dinner table. Their focus was only on the activities and achievements of their children. But judging from their massive mansion, Andrea could guess that this family was really wealthy, old money wealthy.
His mind drifted to the past as he remembered the change of attitude on Adeline's parents years ago. They turned cold when they found out Andrea was in love with their daughter.
Andrea glanced at Ludwina, who was enthusiastically telling her family about how Andrea had put her on top of her suitcases and pushed the trolley across the terminal earlier, and her family burst out laughing.
That girl was so cute. Subconsciously, Andrea glanced at her with an amused smile.
Ludwina's father turned to him, and suddenly their eyes met. Andrea immediately looked down. Somehow he became self-aware and was reminded of his place. He did not want to repeat the mistakes he did with Adeline. He shouldn't fall in love with a girl from a wealthy family.
"Andrea, what were you doing at the airport? Were you landing or departing?" asked Mr. Kurniawan suddenly. "How come you and Ludwina collided at the terminal?"
"I was supposed to fly to Singapore, Sir, but I missed my flight," Andrea answered with a smile.
"Well ... then, whenever you want to fly there again, just tell me, OK. I'll buy you a new ticket."
"There is no need, Sir. I should have attended a job interview tomorrow morning on Middle Road. I won't make it anyway."
Everyone at the dinner table stopped talking and exchanged glances. Ludwina covered her mouth in surprise.
"Oh, no... I'm so sorry... You miss a job interview because of me..."
"It's OK, seriously. It's just a job interview. There will be more." Indeed, Andrea was not too worried. Several companies were approaching him to work for them.
His desire to work in Singapore was not that great because he actually did not want to leave his mother alone. Moreover, Singapore reminded him of his failed wedding plans three years ago.
"You can just send me your resume. I will find a suitable position for you," said Mr. Kurniawan kindly. Andrea shook his head with a light laugh.
"Seriously, it's OK, Sir. For me, what's more important is to make sure that Ludwina is OK. I was really worried about hurting your daughter when I bumped into her."
Ludwina looked up and nodded. "That's right. Men must take responsibility. Give me your phone number. I'll send you my physiotherapy schedule."
Johann shook his head and rolled his eyes so hard, but Ludwina didn't give the slightest care. She said, "Doctor Indra said I needed physiotherapy for one month! Don't you trust your own colleague?"
"OK, then. Thank you for taking care of our Ludwina. Please, don't hesitate to ask for my help, anytime you need it, OK?" said Mr. Kurniawan in the end.
Everyone in the dining room could see clearly how Ludwina stared at Andrea with admiration, and how Andrea never stopped smiling throughout their dinner. Mr. Kurniawan, Mrs. Inggrid, and Johann looked at each other meaningfully.
During the two-hour dinner, Andrea suddenly felt like he had a family. He also did not understand how he could feel so welcomed by these people that he just met.
They talked a lot of trivial things and didn't realize how two hours passed so quickly. Andrea finally realized he had to go home. It was almost 10 pm. With a heavy heart, he took his leave.
In his heart, suddenly, he was feeling a loss. Maybe this was how it felt like to have a complete family. Seeing how Ludwina's family was very warm and happy, a tinge of jealousy crept in his heart.
One day, when he had a family of his own, he would make sure that his family would be warm and happy like Ludwina's family. His children will have parents who were patient and loving, just like Ludwina's parents.
He would be a good father to his children and a loving husband to his wife. He admired Mr. Kurniawan greatly and secretly wanted to be like him.
***
Three days later, Andrea got an SMS from Ludwina. At that time, he was working on a new digital security software program. He paused to read the contents of the SMS.
[The first physiotherapy session is tomorrow at 2 pm at RSCM. Please pick me up at home.]
He smiled and nodded. Andrea could not continue his work. His mind flew to the cute girl who had caused a scene at the airport three days ago.
He knew for certain when he held Ludwina's feet, the sprain was not at all severe. Now, it should have completely recovered. Yet, Ludwina insisted on going to physiotherapy and demanded Andrea accompany her. Surely, it was only an excuse to meet him. This thought made Andrea smile even wider.
"OK, let's see how long you can pretend to be injured..." he muttered to himself.
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