War: A Business

Chapter 37: Welcome Home

    We entered the house. The place is dusty. Looks like this place haven't been cleaned for a long time. The place is also very messy.

"Do you clean?" I asked.

"No." she answered.

"Well, you should, because I'm here now."

"Are you hungry?"

"I'm starving."

"Then I will make your favorite dish, instant spicy noodles and corned beef mixed with rice."

"Yes!" I raised my fist in the air.

"Do you want to see the baby?"

"Yes."

  We walked to a white staircase with marble steps. The railings are made from metal.

  Then, we walked right in the corridor with two rooms at both sides. One of the rooms in the right are open.

  We walk inside the room. The room is pink, full of toys. A white crib is in the middle of the room.

"Go on." she gestured.

   I walked closer to the crib. I look inside it. I saw a healthy baby girl wrapped in a pink cloth.

  I tried to pick the baby up, but I was too afraid to accidentally drop her.

"Like this." she guided both of my hands to help me hold our infant daughter.

"She's got your eyes." I remarked.

"And your brown skin and our dark hair." she replied.

"She is beautiful. Maria, isn't it? " I commented.

"Yes." She uttered.

"Its so cute!" The voice inside my head squealed.

"At least you said something sensible for once." I mentally commented.

"Well, thanks."

"Hi Maria. I'm your tatay." I greeted softly to our infant daughter.

  She cried. Then she was flailing her arms. Julia picked her from my arms.
My wife cradled our daughter in her arms, trying her to get to sleep. Then she gently placed her in the crib.

The voice in my head chuckled." The baby cried because you're so ugly, Jack-in-a-box."

"Well thats a new one." I mentally commented.

"Thank you, for appreciating my clever nickname I gave to you." It joked. "Not like anybody but you can hear me."

I decided to ignore it.

"Sorry, she doesn't quite know you yet. You have been gone for a year." she apologized.

"Its okay." I comforted.

"Ok, lets eat."

"May I have a question hon?"

"I haven't been cheating on you, Jack."

"How did you know?"

"Because I'm the smartest woman on earth, and I know that you are easily jealous."

"I'm not."

"Yes you are."

She kissed me in the right cheek, the feeling invigorating me.

"And thats why I love you. Now lets eat." she flirted.

    We walked downstairs to the kitchen. At least the kitchen is clean. My wife proceed to cook instant noodles and corned beef simultaneously.

    The aroma of the food being cooked filled the kitchen. The sound of heated cooking oil with the corned beef crackled loudly in the kitchen.

    She is a amazing woman.

   My wife woke me up with the aroma of spicy noodles and corned beef mixed with rice.I didn't notice that I fell asleep until now.

"Tired?" she asked.

"Yes." I answered weakly.

"Then eat. The noodles are spicy, just like me." She cracked open a corny joke.

I sarcastically laughed." Very funny Julia."

Then we ate our meals with absolute gusto.

"As always, your cooking is the best. Some things never change." I complimented my wife's divine cooking skills.

"Your welcome hon'. Compliments for the most amazing chef in the universe." she boasted.

   After a whole pot of my wife's cooking. I burped loudly. We laughed together.

    We got upstairs, we walked to our bedroom.

   The bedroom is clean, except for the bed. It had not fixed yet. Pillows were sprawled across the white king-sized bed.

   The blanket is messy. Beside the bed is a nightstand. On the nightstand is my supposed white, porcelain jar of ashes. Beside the jar is a bouquet of wilting roses. On the top of the jar, pictures of me were pinned against the wall.

   Its creepy to see your own jar of ashes when you're not dead.

"Now." she twirled her hair. "I miss your long hard d-"

"Okay I know. No need for that.I know what you're planning." I interrupted.

We lay down on our bed and did some "things" to each other.

"Yeah, 'things'." The voice in my head mocked. "At least it feels nice."

   I enjoyed our moments together,very much. I wished this moment will last forever, no more thinking about the next plan of attack, finances, etc.

   I just want a normal life, to be with her. To be with my own family. To spend time with them. To make up the one year that I left them.

   I don't want to fight anymore. But Life is a sadistic shit sometimes.

Thanks for reading!