Chapter 17
Nathan stared at his dish with calculation. He liked everything, but something was missing for him. He sat with his arms crossed, rubbing his chin. In front of him, two people sat, sighing heavily and grumbling in annoyance as they observed Nathan's behavior.
"Just be patient and eat. Daddy has to make sure nothing is missing," Nathan said without the slightest trace of guilt.
"I've ordered everything according to your preferences, Mr. Nathan," Tasya tried hard to maintain the tone of her voice. She had done everything to keep her patience. Most importantly, she prayed to God to keep her sanity. Unfortunately, examiners like Raptor never failed to annoy her.
"Really?" Nathan stared intently at Tasya. "Are you sure?"
"Daddy!" Naina snapped angrily. "I'm already hungry. Besides, Tasya ordered everything on the menu. Isn't that enough?"
"We're missing garlic sauce and chili flakes, Naina," Nathan smirked. He immediately called the waiter to fulfill his request. "Now, with those, it will be delicious for sure."
Tasya slapped her forehead, while Naina growled in frustration. Everything Nathan wanted was already on the table, including a larger portion of vegetables than usual. Just because they were lacking two condiments, Nathan postponed their meal. Meanwhile, Naina was already starving.
So was she, actually.
If only she hadn't been rushed to arrive at Naina's house this morning, she would have had time to finish her rice cake dish. Her phone kept ringing, forcing Tasya to hurry. When she arrived, Naina and Nathan were already standing with their arms folded. Tasya also hadn't forgotten all of Nathan's remarks to her this morning. Nathan was truly irritating with his behavior this morning.
Meanwhile, Naina immediately grabbed Tasya's hand and whispered, "Your boss has been annoying since this morning. Can you believe he told me to hurry up with my shower? I didn't have time to wash my hair. It doesn't smell, does it?" Tasya sighed softly, she kissed the top of the child's head, and smiled broadly. "No, Naina. You always smell good. You've been using the hair vitamins we bought, right? Later, I'll help you tie your hair in the car, okay?"
Without hesitation, Naina nodded. Her smile widened. She wore a navy dress paired with white sneakers. "Let's go, Tasya." She then pulled Tasya to get into the car.
"You sit in the back, Naina. Alone," Nathan spoke up. His eyes still showed displeasure at Tasya's arrival, which he considered late. Was his statement last night unclear? They were supposed to leave at eight, but that girl didn't arrive until nine. Oh my goodness! Tasya shouldn't have needed to go home, right? Who asked Tasya to promise to accompany Naina to the funeral? On a Sunday, no less. It could have been possible for Nathan to ask Mr. Jack to take them wherever they needed to go today. But because of this, Nathan also felt guilty for not visiting the graves of his late brother and sister-in-law for a long time.
It's all Tasya's fault! And she's late too!
"I don't want to be alone! I want Tasya to tie my hair first," Naina glared in dissatisfaction.
"You can do it later, right, Naina?" Nathan scoffed. He opened the car door and asked his niece to get in. "Tasya can tie it from the front. Right, Tasya?"
Tasya could only resign herself to the behavior of these two people in front of her. They both glared at each other with an air of hostility. One stared with a challenging gaze, while the other regarded Naina's request as a spoiled whim. "I'll tie Naina's hair first, sir," Tasya finally decided. She was met with a joyful shout from Naina and a sharp look from her boss.
"I'm not a chauffeur, Tasya."
"I know. You're the best boss in the world. Unfortunately, your kindness is only seen through the tip of a straw."
"Tasya!"
Tasya opened the back door. "Come on, Naina, get in. If Mr. Nathan doesn't want to drive, I'll just call Mr. Jack to drive us. I'll ask him."
"I'm the boss here, Tasya. Not you."
Tasya remained silent.
"Watch yourself," Nathan grumbled, but he quickly walked towards the driver's door.
"If you're not willing to drive, after I tie Naina's hair, I can drive instead."
Nathan glanced at the rearview mirror, where Naina made a silly face, a sign that she had won the battle. Meanwhile, the woman next to Naina was busy gently combing her hair. Her face was smiling, albeit faintly. Despite the thick glasses obstructing his view, the bangs that Nathan wanted to get rid of, he could sense sincerity there.
Nathan wasn't really angry, though. The annoyance he felt was fleeting, although he was somewhat unwilling due to Tasya's earlier remark. What did she say? His kindness is only seen through the tip of a straw? Oh my goodness, that's completely absurd! The journey to the grave was filled with banter from the backseat. Through the rearview mirror, Nathan could see how Naina and Tasya interacted with each other.
He was reminded of his introduction to Tasya last night. Naina's behavior, especially when she was with the woman with red hair, was always something. In times like this, Nathan should be grateful to Tasya, right? Because at least Naina could be calm and a little obedient around her assistant. Hmm... maybe after their visit, Nathan should express a little gratitude?
"I can take over driving if you want, sir. I've finished taking care of Naina," Tasya said, making Nathan turn his head.
"No need." The man focused back on the steering wheel.
"You said you're afraid of being called a driver." Tasya adjusted her glasses. "Just move over, sir, so we can take turns driving." "You're annoying," Nathan grumbled.
That was just one thing that left Tasya puzzled. Why was there a creature like Nathan? And the second thing happened right at the cemetery. Nathan commented on everything, especially about Naina's parents' graves. He said, "I don't want my two brothers' graves to be neglected. Look at the area around, there are still a lot of scattered leaves. We may not visit often, but it doesn't mean the maintenance costs for these graves are rarely sent, right?"
Okay, fine! Nathan's protest had some truth to it. But from the condition, Tasya didn't think it was due to neglect or intentional scattering. It just hadn't been attended to by the staff yet. Moreover, their visit was still early in the day. Why did Nathan make a fuss about such a trivial matter?
Oh... the protest wasn't over. What Nathan just did had consequences for Tasya. She was asked to immediately check the finances regarding the expenses already paid for the maintenance of both graves.
Raptor was truly exceptional at making others irritated!
Fortunately, from somewhere, Tasya's initiative came. Anything related to Nathan's personal matters, she compiled in a special email and kept in a separate archive. She could quickly answer all of Nathan's questions. And she also gave a little explanation to the man not to put too much pressure on others during Naina's visit this time.
This visit should be more solemn, right?
"Those two graves mean a lot to me, Tasya," Nathan said with a sharp gaze. "I don't want their graves to be poorly maintained. What's the point of paying a high price if I don't get anything in return?"
"Yeah, sir," Tasya sighed for the umpteenth time. "But can you see the situation?"
Nathan scoffed. "Just because I haven't visited in a while doesn't mean no one has come."
"I understand, sir. The management has already apologized, right?" Tasya tried to remain patient.
"I'm still upset about it," Nathan folded his arms across his chest.
"The one who should be upset is Naina, sir. Maybe there's something she wants to tell her parents. Something she doesn't want you to hear but ends up getting ruined."
"Oh, really?" Nathan tilted his head. "I don't understand if that's the case."
"Because you've been getting angry since earlier."
Nathan fell silent. Then he took wide strides to catch up with Naina, who had already reached the car. Seeing that, Tasya kept her distance. She didn't know what they were talking about, but she was sure that this time Nathan was letting go of his ego. Far away. The evidence was Naina's wide smile as she hugged Nathan.
In reality, the two of them were no different from people forced to think and act maturely because of the circumstances. Just like herself, who had to figure out how to be a good older sister and support everything that was left behind. Robin insisted on not going to a school that drained a lot of money. Meanwhile, the middle child tried his best to support himself, although sometimes Tasya still helped. The most challenging thing for Tasya, besides her mother and family, was her father's overwhelming debt. According to her records, she had settled many of those obligations, leaving only one matter: their house.
"Come on, Tasya. Why are you daydreaming over there?" Nathan called, making Tasya quicken her pace.
They were going home. At least, that's what Tasya thought. The reality was that the sedan Nathan was driving entered the area of a well-known steamboat restaurant in Jakarta area.
Tasya thought Nathan was no longer annoying. They could enjoy a peaceful and pleasant meal together. Unfortunately... it was just a fantasy. Nathan was still annoying. The incident with the condiments alone had delayed them from enjoying the dishes.
"Why are you so quiet, Tasya?" Nathan had been observing Tasya's silence for a while. The girl just stirred her soup. Was there something wrong with all the orders? No, there wasn't. Tasya knew their preferences, both hers and Naina's. But why was Tasya staying silent and not showing any appetite?
"Ah!" Tasya blinked slowly. Her eyes locked with Nathan's before she gave a faint smile. "No, sir. I'll remember what was missing earlier."
"No need for that, Tasya," Nathan grinned. "Just eat. Eat a lot. If it's not enough, add more."
Naina nodded in agreement. "This is delicious, Tasya." Her spoon was already full, ready to enter her mouth. "Get me the vegetables, please. Earlier, you said I should eat a lot of vegetables, right?" Tasya's smile grew wider. "Okay."
"I'll get the slices of meat for you, Tasya. Make sure they're not overcooked. I don't like that."
"Yes, sir."
"Tasya, I want the egg. Cooked, please. Is it ready yet?" Naina asked with a curious look.
"Be patient, Naina," Tasya took a slow breath.
"Just grill the garlic, Tasya. You'll definitely like it."
She slowly exhaled the air she had gathered in her chest. "Yes, I'll grill it for you, sir."
"Where's the meat? Just grill the shrimp, right, Tasya? You like it, don't you?"
Oh God! Calm Tasya's heart down!