When Wirata and Stefan had finished showering, they came out and went back to the kitchen. They were sneaking at the door. Stefan saw his mother stirring vegetables in the pan. The aroma spread throughout the room. His father was stood leaning on the counter behind her and watching.
Wirata did not hear any dialogue between Stefan's father and mother. The used dirty equipment and pots and bowls sat on the counter had not been washed yet. Wirata was thinking quickly then she pulled Stefan's arm back to the living room.
"What is it? Or do you want another round? I don't mind that. Let's get back to the bedroom."
The lustful man said with sparkling eyes, only thought of hot stuff under the belly button!
"No, don't be silly. Listen to me carefully."
Wirata whispered and looked back to the kitchen direction. Making Stefan shut up and follow her eyesight.
"I am always listening. Just tell me."
Stefan whispered back, took the opportunity to hug her from behind and put his chin on her shoulder, his ears were up ready to listen.
"Your mother and father are about to divorce. Your father doesn't want a divorce. It's your mother who wanted it."
Wirata said in a low voice. Stefan immediately frowned.
"What? ... divorce?! I absolutely do not agree with that. They seem okay all these years. Why do they bother about just a piece of paper? Or they just don't care about their children that it is not OKAY."
He said with a furious voice and unpleased expression like a teenager who was going to protest his parents when he heard they were going to divorce.
"If you don't want them to divorce then you have to help your father."
"How?"
He asked right away as he always trusted her smart brain.
"Help him to reconcile with your mother. You are a clever man. You can find the way."
She praised him and turned to give him a kiss on his chin.
"I only know when I have to plan for myself but I am not sure about others. But since you think I am capable of getting them back together again. I will try."
Stefan said. Wirata smiled in admiration of the man who was her everything.
"Great! Go ahead and give your best shot."
Wirata pushed the big man back to the kitchen.
"Hold on. Will you give me some ideas. I know you have plenty."
He said in a whispered tone as he still did not know how and where to start.
"Make your father looks good in your mother's eyes."
She suggested. Stefan smiled.
"That's easy. He's always looking good."
"I don't mean outer looks. I mean to give him to do something that will WOW your mother."
The soft voice said. Wirata looked at his handsome face when he was in a thinking mode. She smiled and reached to gently pat on his cheeks. She was so fond of him when he made a face like this...really thinking hard and his dark eyebrowed knitted together.
"For a man, sometimes doing things to impress a woman doesn't have to be expensive gifts and presents. But to give her a hand and help her whatever you can. I like it when you help me in the kitchen rather than buying me flowers."
Stefan listened and smiled, pulled her to cuddle.
"You like that I'm good at washing dishes, right? Now I can do both, with hands and with the dishwasher. Soon I will cook for you as well. "
The dashing voice said happily that he was able to impress her. And he also wanted to do better. Wirata gave the man a sweet smile.
"And don't forget that I like a lot of onions in my food."
She teased him as she knew how much he hated to peel onions.
"But you also like tomatoes, right?"
Tomatoes were a lot easier to handle. Wirata laughed out loud to see him trying to convince her.
"Yes, if you say so. Let's go help your father. Show him some skills you have learned in the kitchen. I am sure your mother will be impressed as I am very impressed with you."
Wirata encouraged the big man who was smiling broadly.
"Okay, understood. I don't want to have divorced parents. Just they separated from each other it is hard to bear. "
"If so, let's go help them to get back together."
Wirata grabbed his arm and they walked back to the kitchen. She wanted to know how he would handle it.
"Wow! smell like heaven in here, mother."
Stefan said and walked towards his mother, who was using the spatula stirring in the pan. He kissed on her cheek. Wirata went to arrange the table to get it ready.
"Wow! It looks yummy, mom. I always love your cooking. Right, dad?"
He said to his mother and turned to ask his dad, who was standing, looking at the back of his wife without knowing anything else to do. In fact, the picture of Michael in the kitchen was new for his family and people who knew him well.
"Yes, everything is delicious and I miss that."
The father's deep voice replied.
Stefan hid his smile seeing that his father was watching his mother with deep love in his eyes. The tall figure turned to look at the sloppy counter. He thought of Wirata's advice. He turned to look at the slender woman who was at the table arranging plates and cutlery.
"I will help you clean up this mess."
Stefan said to his mother. He took everything he had to wash and put it in the sinks.
"Father, could you please pick up the rest for me?"
Taking a chance to order his father. Michael straightened up immediately. In fact, he was thinking of what he could do to help his wife. But with never being in the kitchen for cooking before so he did not have any ideas and skills. He did feel useless in here at the moment. When Stefan asked, he then moved to pick up the remaining equipment to Stefan.
Jacqueline glanced at the two tall figures standing side by side in front of the sinks. The father stood there, unsure of whether to walk away after placing the items to maintain the big boss posture. Or whether to stay to help his son.
Jacqueline kept glancing now and then wanted to know how he was going to decide. It was the picture that she had never seen before and did not think it would happen ever. As the two men were self-extreme bosses with high egos.
When the son turned on the disposal and began to scrape the food waste into the hole. The father then came to open warm water to wash off the debris that stuck on the plates.
"Why don't you wait to wash with the machine, honey?" Jacqueline asked.
"I don't want to risk breaking these glass bowls, mother."
In fact, it was his excuse. He could wait until they finished cooking and eating to do the dishwashing but Stefan wanted his father to gain scores from his mother. And he could see now that his mother had softened eyes when looking at them both.
"Using the dishwasher is cleaner, the system's designed to kills germs. Just wait until I finish and then we will put all in the machine."
Jacqueline continued. That's what most Americans did. Because of the belief that a dishwasher had better sterilization systems.
"Well, since you have mentioned it. I have heard from somewhere that it isn't good to kill all microbes, mother. Because there are many types that are beneficial to the human body. Sometimes being too clean can be dangerous too."
Stefan's speech made Jacqueline turn to look at him. As far as she knew, her son was not into reading or gaining knowledge that not involved his business.
Stefan extended his chest a little when seeing his mother looking at him with surprise eyes in a good way. He remembered this information from the beautiful woman who was trying to hide her smile while she walking up and down near the table.
"I'm telling you, mom. It's true that sometimes when our system is too clean, meaning you don't have antibodies and then you get attacked by disease easily. Look at people in developing countries, a lot of them are much stronger than Americans. If you look at sports competitions, marathons for example. The Africans won medals a lot. Also, Asians people live longer."
Wow! This time Michael and Jacqueline turn to have eye contact. Their son was talking about health and about the world while he was washing dishes!
With his father helping to hand him the dirty ones.
"I am listening. Please continue."
Jacqueline said with her smile. She liked what she saw right now. Her son was getting better and better. Got to give credit to the lovely young lady over there.
"Well, it's because they believe in living a simple and easy life, eating a lot of vegetables. Many old people still have nearly full teeth. But look at the Americans with all veneers teeth and false teeth it's because of our eating behavior, too much sugar. A lot of the new generation are overweight. We get used to staying comfortably by letting machines work for us. And doing small chores is an exercise, it keeps us moving. We rely on technology too much to help with our lack of time and busy life. It's comfortable but also indirectly hurts us. Rich people live well, but they are unhealthy with various diseases because of the lifestyle we chose, which is staying comfortable now but suffering later."
"Very impressive. I like this version of my son, Wirata. Do carry on improving him.
Jacqueline turned to talk to Wirata. Two women smiled at one another.
"And you are talking about the dishwasher and the rich?"
"Yes, mom, I am the rich that will not follow the popular American trend. That's the reason I am doing it by hands when I have time."
Stefan finished his longest speech ever. And glad he could make a conclusion related to the beginning. He was very impressed with himself right now! And nearly forgot to help his father to look good in his mother's eyes!
"Father, would you like to try? It's not difficult."
Stefan demonstrated to his father. Michael nodded. Since his son was able to do it so he could do it as well and it seemed the ladies liked it, too. Michael decided to give it a go.
"Alright."
The multi-millionaire businessman said in short. He pulled his sleeves up and did as he saw Stefan did. Stefan helped to rinse with hot water.
"You are great, father. It's a useful skill that mother would love to see in you, wouldn't you, mom?"
Stefan teased his parents. His father turned to look at his mother as if waiting to hear what she was going to say. But she was silent and turned away to pick something from the fridge as though she did not hear Stefan.
"I saw she smiles, daddy. Don't give up."
Stefan whispered to his father as he did not do this often. Only manly talk with him in the past. His father's face lit up with a hint of a smile and hope in his eyes.
"Thank you, son. Wirata told you?"
"Yes, and I had to know about my parents from her. Why didn't you tell me?"
Stefan asked in a whispered tone.
"I don't want to give you my problem."
Michael replied. They were talking in low voices while they help each other to wash the bowls and pots and plates until finished washing-up. And Michael did okay, he nearly dropped and broke a glass bowl! Apart from that, everything was safe and clean.
Jacqueline tried to hide her smile to see the scene in front of her. Michael washing plates, she should take a picture of him at this moment. But it was only a thought, Jacqueline did not dare to do it, instead, she picked up some more baby corns and mushrooms as she remembered Michael loved eating them.
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