LOVE YOU, UNCLE

“Ghea, where are you going? You’re in such a hurry.”

Denisa, who was Ghea’s friend and playmate on campus, immediately addressed her as she unintentionally passed by the library. She found her friend getting ready to go home, even though the clock showed it was only three in the afternoon. This was not Ghea’s usual routine.

As a diligent college student, Ghea tended to stay late. If she didn’t have classes, Ghea liked to hang out in the library, either working on assignments or just reading books. Usually, she would decide to go home around five in the evening. But now? The day was still scorching hot. It was strange to see her friend preparing to leave so early.

“I have plans to meet someone outside tonight,” Ghea replied while zipping up her backpack.

“Plans? Do you mean a weekly date? With whom? Rio? I thought you had already broken up with him,” Denisa questioned without pause.

Previously, Denisa knew that Ghea had decided to end the relationship as soon as she received news of possible infidelity from her ex-boyfriend, a friend’s former partner. Denisa was very relieved. She had been praying for Ghea to realize that she had been used all along.

“Ugh, no way!” Ghea exclaimed. “I’m not meeting that jerk. I can’t stand looking at his face anymore.”

Denisa raised an inquisitive eyebrow. She was genuinely curious about who Ghea was meeting tonight. It was quite unusual for her friend to go out on a weekend evening like this. During her relationship with Rio, Ghea rarely spent time meeting on weekends or other holidays. It was indeed odd!

“So, it’s not Rio? Then who are you meeting?”

“If I tell you, you’ll probably laugh,” Ghea said quietly. She then grabbed Denisa’s arm, urging her to sit on one of the chairs in the campus corridor.

“What’s going on?”

Denisa’s brow furrowed further as she stared intently at Ghea. She was waiting for an explanation to all the questions she had thrown at her earlier.

“My dad plans to set me up with his friend’s son.”

“WHAT?!”

Denisa’s eyes widened, and she shook her head repeatedly in disbelief. “Don’t joke around, Ghea. April Fools’ Day is still far away. There’s no need for such an outrageous lie.”

“I swear to God, Denisa. I’m not lying.”

Denisa fell silent for a moment. She looked deeply into Ghea’s eyes, trying to find any hint of deception in those jet-black, honest eyes her friend displayed.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“So, who do they want to set you up with?”

Ghea took a deep breath, lifting her shoulders dramatically. She was confused about how to start. She was still in shock, herself, about being set up with someone she had never met before.

“Personally, I don’t even know him.”

“What’s his name, Ghea? Why is Mr. Maxwell suddenly setting you up?”

Ghea then opened her shopper bag and took out a photo from inside, handing it to Denisa.

“I don’t understand what’s gotten into my dad’s mind. The other day, out of nowhere, he asked me to meet a guy he plans to set me up with. Can you imagine how shocked I was?”

Denisa nodded. She was equally shocked to hear this news. She then took the photo that Ghea had given her, looked at it for a moment, and was soon left in awe.

“Is this the guy they want to set you up with? Randy Walters, Antonie Walters’s grandson?”

Ghea nodded weakly.

“Yes, that’s him.”

“That’s great, Ghe,” Denisa teased without hesitation.

“Huh? What’s so great about it?”

“Well, it’s good,” Denisa said. “Randy is famous everywhere. If you marry him, you’ll automatically become famous, and your life will be secure. The wealth of his family will last for generations. But, there’s a catch.”

“What?” Ghea inquired.

“Randy is known as a playboy. He’s often in the news for changing girlfriends, mostly from the celebrity world. But it’s not a big deal. If you marry him, it’ll be a great achievement. People will think you’ve conquered a top-tier playboy.”

Ghea immediately rolled her eyes. Why was Denisa becoming just as annoying as Mario, her sister? They were both the same. They were happy to use her as a pawn for an early marriage for business purposes.

“Don’t be ridiculous! You’re just like Mario Antolin Denovan, my super annoying brother. You don’t care that I’m marrying a guy I don’t know, let alone love? Besides, he’s much older than me,” Ghea protested openly.

Denisa burst into laughter. It was amusing to see the annoyed expression Ghea was displaying. But, according to Denisa, Ghea should be happy. After all, the person she was going to marry wasn’t just anyone.

“Getting to know him is easy, Ghe. You can do it while you go out. The age difference isn’t a problem. Plus, matters of the heart can be arranged. Have you ever heard the old saying, ‘familiarity breeds affection’?”

Ghea immediately shook her head.

“What saying is that?”

“Simply put, if you get used to meeting and interacting with your future husband after you’re married, over time, love will naturally grow,” Denisa explained.

“Oh, you sound like Mario Teguh,” Ghea mocked, earning laughter from Denisa.

“But I’m serious, Ghe. Give it a try. Consider it a replacement for Rio. If you really get married, you can show him that you can find a replacement who’s even better in every way.”

Ghea sighed. After discussing her future husband at length, she rushed home early to prepare before meeting Randy tonight at a café.

***

Randy seemed to be getting bored listening to the individual presentations of the candidates he had met today. Starting with Alesha, Randy sipped his coffee while listening to the prospective wife presented by his mother, who was showcasing their family’s wealth.

“Besides traveling across Indonesia, I also have a hobby of traveling abroad every week when my work schedule here is empty. Especially now, the bank my father manages is expanding overseas. So, it seems I’ll choose to live abroad rather than in Indonesia,” Alesha explained in great detail.

“So, you enjoy traveling abroad?” Randy asked casually.

“Of course. Especially to Milan or Paris. It’s like heaven there because I can shop for various expensive bags or shoes to add to my collection.”

Randy nodded along. Feeling satisfied, he decided to excuse himself and move on to the next meeting at a cosmetic clinic owned by the second candidate, Velia. Randy spent only 30 minutes there. Feeling bored, he moved on to the next candidate, Tamara.

“Out of the three candidates, none of them suits my taste, Vin,” Randy complained after finishing the meeting with Tamara, who had a behavior very similar to Alesha’s.

Randy was genuinely puzzled by why all the women he had met were more or less the same.

“So, you’re meeting me tonight just as a formality?” Randy inquired.

Ghea nodded honestly. She made no effort to maintain an image in front of the man who was regarded as highly famous and even labeled as a top-tier playboy.

“More like respecting the request of both my parents. Honestly, on one hand, I don’t like being set up like this. But on the other hand, I can’t disobey my parents’ orders. So, rather than regretting it later and being cursed to turn into a stone, I don’t mind sacrificing my Saturday night to meet you.”

“Saturday night?” Randy was surprised when the woman in front of him suddenly referred to their meeting as a Saturday night appointment. Did he really look that old?

“Yes. I read in your biodata that you’re currently 35 years old, while I’m only 23, turning 24. That means there’s quite an age gap between us, nearly 12 years. So, it’s appropriate for me to call you Uncle.'”

Unconsciously, Randy burst into laughter. He didn’t feel offended. Instead, he found Ghea’s frankness amusing and natural, without any pretense.

While most people usually tried to catch his attention, Ghea was different. She was very laid-back and even dared to compare tonight’s meeting, which had no value, to watching Korean dramas at home. And she had just bestowed upon him the nickname ‘Uncle.’

“You’re funny, you know that? Too honest. But it’s okay, I prefer girls who are as honest as you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Ghea retorted. “You’re the one who’s overly positive. Besides, why bother with so much pretense? By the way, how about you, Om? Is there anything you want to discuss? Or maybe there’s something you want to convey?”

This time, it was Ghea who asked. Only 15 minutes into the meeting, she already felt bored and wanted to quickly end this blind date.

“Actually, there’s nothing,” Randy replied. “Just like you, today’s meeting is just a formality.”

“Alright then,” Ghea said, rising from her seat. While putting on her sling bag, which she had previously placed on the table, she prepared to leave. It seemed that her level of boredom tonight had reached its peak.

So, instead of continuing with small talk, Ghea thought it would be best to conclude it. Furthermore, she felt that the man in front of her was also reluctant to choose her as his future wife.

“Let’s just end this meeting tonight. We’re not interested in each other, right? Rather than wasting unnecessary time, it’s better to go home and rest. The most important thing is that you’ve met me, and I’ve seen you in person as well,” Ghea chatted on extensively. She made no effort to conceal her true feelings. If Randy was offended by her words or actions, so be it.

“So, you want to leave now? It’s not even 7:30 yet. Aren’t you afraid your parents will ask why you’re coming home early?”

“First of all, thanks for your concern,” Ghea replied. “But you don’t need to worry. Everything can be arranged. Besides, I’m also confident that I don’t fit the criteria to be your ideal wife. That’s why our meeting ends here. Thank you very much for the time you sacrificed. Goodnight.”

Randy watched Ghea’s departure in silence. Amid the many thoughts swirling in his mind, there was one idea that made him suddenly smile. It was as if he had a plan ready to execute.