The Kidnapped Bride

"Why don't you open the door, uncle?" Javier asked, in a little bit hurried tone, the man inside, listened to his words.

"Hmm. Tell me who the girl is with you first of all." demanded the old man, as far as he recognized the voice to be. But hearing this, Jennifer's eyes shifted towards Javier, on whose face was covered with a sly smirk.

"My wife." 

A short and crisp answer made her heart skip a beat. It would be considered the first time when he is actually declaring her to be his wife…. giving her the name of Mrs. Johnson. 

'God Jennifer. stop event childishness. He can see your blush with his naked eyes, he's too easy..' immediately, Jennifer coveted her face to avoid an embarrassing moment.

But soon after, the knob of the wooden door into the frame was opened and came in view of a man with a stick in his hand.

His hair was all white, and his wrinkled face was covered with narrow eyes. 'He looks old..' in fact, the man seems much older than Mr. Johnsons or, even Lucas's grandfather!

Javier took the first step and hugged the man, with all his hand's height. "How are you.. uncle."

"It has been months since you last visited. I thought that you haven't returned from abroad and that is why not come here even once.." the man looked quite sentimental when he said those words.

"I'm sorry uncle.. It got quite complicated back at home. I thought of coming here or two." That was all that Javier replied with when he broke the embrace and stared at the old man.

A frown settled on his forehead, when Javier said, "I believe you have even aged. I can't see that much of difference in you anymore."

Hearing this the man laughed when he patted Javier's shoulders, "Child, I'm already an old man. What did you even expect of me at this age?"

Javier smiled but didn't say anything with respect to this. Instead, he looked around and extended his hand. Taking the same, Jennifer stepped inside as well and faced the old man with a sweet smile.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. I'm Jennifer." Hearing her voice, the man looked at her from top to bottom, as if examining her.

"So you are.. this brad's wife?" The man asked with a devious look to which Jennifer vigorously nodded, "That's me." 

"Hmm.." he wasn't warm as she had expected him to be. Rather, he stayed quite distant in the start which made her alerted. Averting her eyes at Javier who passed her assured smile, did she find herself relaxing a bit.

"Come inside." That was all the old man said before they shut the door behind and walked inside. Heading towards the living room, Jennifer found the house entirely made up of wood, but it was too odd to see such wooden houses still as strong as ever.

Her head turned around from one place to another, where she was curiously looking at every piece. "You find this interesting don't you?" Javier's voice pulled her out of a daze.

Without looking at his face, did she answer, "Yeah? This place is too beautiful and.. making me really eager to know why you brought me here."

He looked at her face with a complicated look plastered on his face. But then, he took a deep breath to reveal some of the details, at least bit by bit.

"This.. house is special. My m-" he wasn't able to finish when the old man came from behind, holding a tray.

The couple's attention marched towards the man when Jennifer stepped ahead to take the same from his hands in hers, "Give me uncle. I will.. take this to the table."

"Oh, thank you so much." The old man nodded and Jennifer placed the tray on the table. "Uncle… This tray is heavy. Why did you even carry this?"

Hearing her worry, the old man laughed lightly. Noting how much she was worried by the fact that he might fall by bringing something to eat, but the tray was a piece of cake for an old man like him.

"Daughter, this is my home. And if I have my guest to visit, I like to make them eat and serve them." He wasn't joking, thought Jennifer.

Her lips pursed into a straight line when she realized that neither Javier nor the old man revealed anything but their interaction was enough for her to know that they might be close.

'This old man… is too friendly. Is he Javier's relative?' She was eager but knew that this wasn't the time to even ask.

Both of them sat on the couch when the old man stared at Javier with his warm expressions, "Is everything fine back at home?"

Taking the sip of the tea, Javier nodded his head. Yet his expression told another tale that seems to be noticed by the man as well.

Letting a tired sigh out, he lowered his eyelids to see the ground beneath them, "I know things won't be easy back at home. Afterward, they haven't been for the past decade."

"I never expect. That is the key which makes me live in this state." Javier's statement made the old man laugh but he never broke his gaze.

"You have gone through so much so I won't blame you. Circumstances are really a bad thing.." Jennifer thought that this might be related to his past or any philosophy?! 

Regarding those, she had no clue but that never dimmed her wish to know. Quietly taking her sip of tea, Jennifer had no intent to interfere in between them.

But the other old man also didn't let her stay out of their talks for long when he switched his talks towards her.

"For how long have been you both married?" In return, Jennifer kept her tea down to say, "Few days only."

Her answer made the old man frown. His eyes narrowed slightly when he looked at the couple as if this was almost a disbelief in his eyes. "And for how long do you know each other?"

"One month!"

"Almost four years!"