My Handsome Uncle, Please Be Mine!

Part 52.

That afternoon, the weather in Jakarta was scorching. A black car zoomed through the city streets at a moderate speed.

Joe sat behind the wheel, while Clara and Kimmy sat in the back seats. They had just dropped Kimmy off for a check-up.

“Uncle, when will my family come?” Clara asked, busy texting Nadia.

“At five in the afternoon,” Joe replied.

“Um, can I meet Nadia?” Clara asked for permission.

“Of course, as long as it’s not a male friend, I’ll allow it,” Joe replied.

“Can I come too?” Kimmy suggested. She was getting closer to Clara, especially during Clara’s last moments in the house.

“No, Kimmy, Papa won’t allow you to go out with just Clara!” Joe said firmly. He glanced at the rearview mirror, looking at his daughter and shaking his head.

“Kimmy, Clara is just going out for a bit!” Clara said, patting Kimmy’s cute cheek as she sat beside her.

“Oma said, Clara will go with her family, is that true?” Kimmy asked, looking sad and staring straight into Clara’s eyes.

Silence. Clara swallowed hard, not knowing how to answer Papa’s question.

“Kimmy, Clara will come to the house to meet you, don’t worry!” Joe reassured her, driving slower because the road was crowded with vehicles.

“Isn’t Papa sad because Clara is leaving?” Kimmy protested.

“Yes, Papa is sad, but Papa won’t stop Clara from leaving!” Joe explained quickly.

“Um, so when will Clara come back to our house?” Kimmy persisted.

“Maybe in a month or two,” Joe replied casually, while Clara remained silent because she really didn’t know.

“Hooray!” Kimmy cheered, widening her lips. A sweet, sincere smile adorned her face.

Joe stopped the car in front of the gate.

“I’m going now, Uncle,” Clara said. “Kimmy, Clara will be back soon,” she added.

“Be careful, Clara, don’t take too long!” Joe cautioned.

“Yes, Uncle!” Clara replied. She opened the car door and got out.

“Bye, bye, Clara!” Kimmy said, waving her hand out of the window.

“Bye, bye!” Clara replied.

The four-wheeled vehicle entered the house, while Clara waited in front of the gate for the taxi she had ordered.

While waiting, Clara decided to call Nadia. She really missed her friend.

Before long, the taxi arrived. Clara opened the door and sat in the back seat. She continued trying to contact Nadia.

The call connected.

“Hello, Clara!” Nadia greeted excitedly. “Where are you now?” the voice on the other end asked eagerly, no longer able to wait for Clara’s arrival.

“I’m on my way to your house, Nadia, we’ll meet soon, just a moment!” Clara replied with equal enthusiasm. Just like Nadia, Clara also missed her friend very much.

“Sorry, Clara, I should have come to Uncle Joe’s place, not you coming here!” Nadia apologized. She had just arrived home earlier that morning after a very long vacation touring Indonesia with her parents.

“It’s okay, Nad!” Clara reassured her.

“Okay, Clara, I’ll prepare some food for you, please turn off your phone now, okay?!” Nadia requested.

“Alright, see you soon!”

“See you!”

The call ended. Clara sat back and looked at the driver.

“Take me to this address, please, sir!” Clara requested.

“Okay, Miss,” the driver replied, focusing on driving.

Now Clara sat quietly again. There was a mixture of happiness and sadness in her heart. Happy because she wanted to meet her family, but also sad because she had to leave the people she loved. Uncle Joe, Kimmy, and Nadia. They were all people who filled Clara’s memories with joy.

Clara looked out the window, with no idea what would happen ahead. She just hoped that her family would support all her decisions in life.

“We’ve arrived, Miss!” the driver said after pulling over the car. He stopped in front of a house.

Clara snapped out of her reverie. “Here’s the money, sir!” She handed him two fifty-thousand bills. “Thank you, sir!” she said.

“You’re welcome!” he replied, taking the money from Clara. “Here’s your change, Miss!”

“No need, keep it for yourself!” Clara said, quickly getting out of the four-wheeled vehicle.

Clara walked towards Nadia’s gate. She stepped quickly, then rang the doorbell.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Footsteps approached.

The gate opened. Nadia stood there with a not-so-happy expression.

“Clara!” she exclaimed.

“Nadia!” Clara replied.

They hugged each other tightly for quite a while, breaking down the layers of longing in their hearts.

“Let’s go inside!” Nadia invited, leading Clara into her house.

They walked straight to Nadia’s room, which was on the second floor.

“So, how’s your relationship with Uncle Joe?” Nadia asked, genuinely curious to hear Clara’s story firsthand.

“Look at this!” Clara showed the necklace adorning her slender neck. “Uncle Joe made this specially for me, and it’s one of a kind,” Clara boasted.

“Wow, you’re amazing, Clara. It seems like you’ve already gained love and attention from Uncle Joe!” Nadia exclaimed, never expecting Uncle Joe to reciprocate Clara’s feelings.

“This is all thanks to you, Nad!” Clara hugged her friend tightly again, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

Nadia returned the hug tightly, rubbing Clara’s back. She felt happy too.

“Are you crying?” Nadia asked. She could faintly hear Clara’s sobs.Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

Clara didn’t answer. Tears continued to fall.

Nadia released the embrace, observing Clara who was busy wiping away tears with the back of her hand.

“What’s wrong, Clara? Why are you crying?” Nadia inquired.

“Later in the afternoon, my uncle, my biological grandfather, will pick me up. He wants me to live with him. But I’m afraid, afraid of missing Uncle Joe, afraid of missing you, Nad, and I’m also afraid of missing Kimmy!” Clara revealed. During her time with Joe, she never showed her sadness. She always smiled and acted like everything would be okay. But in front of Nadia, Clara’s defenses crumbled, and tears continued to flow from her eyes.

“Relax, Clara, we can still meet. It’s just a matter of distance and time. We can schedule to meet whenever we want!” Nadia suggested, trying to calm Clara down.

“You’re right, Nad!” Clara replied, slowly stopping her tears. “Thank you, Nad, you’ve been a great friend, my best friend,” she added.

“Yes, I feel the same way, Clara, thank you. We’ll always be friends no matter what!” Nadia said. “Wherever you are, whether at Uncle Joe’s house or at your new family’s house, we can still communicate, understand?”

“Yes, Nad!” Clara agreed.

They looked at each other and then smiled.

“Before you leave, let’s have a meal together!” Nadia suggested.

“Sure!” Clara replied.

They both got up from their seats and headed to the dining room on the ground floor.

Clara, Nadia, and Bu Arni ate together. They deliberately postponed lunch to eat with Clara.

“Aunt, thank you for the meal, honestly from the beginning until today, I’ve always liked your sour soup,” Clara said, finishing her last bite.

“Yes, Clara,” Bu Arni replied.

“Nadia, Aunt Arni, I’ll take my leave now,” Clara requested, glancing at the watch showing 3:23 PM.

“Sure, Clara, take care!” Nadia replied.

“Yes, Clara, take care!” Bu Arni echoed.

“Yes.”

Nadia and Bu Arni escorted Clara to the front gate. Bu Arni, who had just found out that Clara would soon be picked up by her family, hugged the girl again.

Joe was sitting in the living room. The clock showed 4:05 PM. Clara was supposed to have arrived home by now. However, she hadn’t arrived yet.

Joe’s phone rang. Freedy Lim’s name appeared on the screen. He slid the green icon on his phone.

“Hello, Mr. Lim!” Joe greeted.

“I’m on my way, I’ll be at your house before five!” the man on the other end replied.

“Yes, Mr. Lim.”

“Alright, that’s it!” Freedy Lim’s voice sounded cheerful.

“Yes, Mr. Lim.”

The phone call ended. Joe swiped his phone screen, searching for Clara’s number.

Joe called Clara’s number repeatedly, but there was no answer. None of the messages he sent were read.

By 4:30 PM, Clara’s number still hadn’t answered his calls.

“What’s wrong?” Mrs. Linn asked, noticing the worried expression on her son’s face.

“Clara isn’t answering my calls, Ma!” Joe replied, still trying to contact Clara’s number.

“Where did she go?” Mrs. Linn asked.

“To Nadia’s house, her friend’s, Ma!” Joe replied, swiping his phone screen to find Nadia’s number. He remembered that when Clara still lived at the dorm, Clara once sent a message using Nadia’s number.

Joe immediately called Nadia’s number. He waited for a moment before the call connected.

“Hello,” Nadia greeted.

“Hello Nadia, is Clara still at your house?” Joe asked, worry filling his mind.

“No, Uncle, Clara went home around half past three!” Nadia replied. “Hasn’t Clara arrived home yet?”

Joe didn’t answer. He was sure something had happened to Clara.

To be continued.