"It was my fault." He thought out loud. "Maybe because of the way I behaved with her in the past six months."
Jason laughed out loud to remind him of his presence. He, deep inside knew that his friend had fallen for his flash-replacement bride not in the way he every time spoke about her. Ginn was always complaining about her meeting with her boyfriend Davis in excuse that people will see her and spread rumors but he was just being jealous as Jason already knew.
Jason realized that Ginn had not loved before but loved Michan. Kristine's case was just a compulsion of lust and unsatisfied feelings of being loved for years. Ginn was not loved during his childhood and that brought a benign trauma for yearn of love.
Ginn frowned on realizing how he was in big trouble since his best friend, Jason heard him rat out himself. The teasing would not end for another two weeks to say the least. 'I am dead!' He thought to himself and cursed silently under his breath. How would he escape from this predicament with the world's best teaser but most silent guy in their trio boy group. These two, Jason and Claus are the friends he got after separating from Michan and Danielle. For an unknown reason, he could not bring himself to get over the regret he felt and get new friends who were girls.
He always thought about Michan mostly every day and kept drawing portraits of her on her birthdays for the two years. He never really knew why he did all he did. Jason always wondered who the portrait girl was and the moment he saw the stand in bride, he recognized her and all his questions got answers hence the puzzle completed.
...Six months earlier...…
"Brother what's wrong?" A smooth alto feminine voice sounded from the kitchen side. The owner of the voice was a beautiful curvy coffee brown haired lady dressed in a tank top and jean shorts. Ginn turned to face her with his fury fully plastered. his chest kept rising and falling under his button shirt. She had the same facial appearances as him and if one took notice clearly, they would say that she was the female version of Ginn except her black eyes. "Why did you do it? Why did you make her do it yesterday? Ginna speak up!" Ginn was disturbed by Michan's stern reply that he was nothing to her and she did it all for his sister's sake.
"So what? Are you angry?" He sighed at her disturbing answer in form of a question.
"I just asked you a question so answer me. Do not ask me your damn questions!" He bellowed at her in suppressed fury.
Michan walked-in in time to hear his loud tantrum. "It's okay Ginna. Answer him. Tell him that his so beloved trustworthy Lover left him just to do revenge on me." Michan and Ginna had called up Kristine on the day of the wedding but he did not answer until they used Michan's phone to call. She boasted and accused Michan that she was the cause of the wedding failure because she had done all that just to do revenge on Michan.
Michan instructed the curvy beautiful lady to speak simply adding fuel to Ginn's already burning up rage. He also did not know why he was angry that she married him not because of him but rather his younger sister.
"Why would I believe that? We've spent two years without talking and you expect me to believe you?" He tried to make her feel the way he was feeling; frustratedly angry.
He indeed succeeded as Michan felt a pierce in her heart. "Then don't." She simply answered and walked away leaving him rooted to the ground with a hint of regret. Days went by in a flash and finally Michan resumed working.
After graduation which was six months before the wedding, Michan and Danielle were fully enrolled into the tourism company that they worked in as they studied for the past two years during their campus life. The incident with Ginn and Kristine pushed them to engross themselves in working as interns during the weekends and campus holiday breaks.
"But Mich Love, when will we have time for ourselves?" Danielle tried reasoning with Michan but to no avail. She needed a place to protect her mind from going crazy, that's when she decided to work in almost all her free times, and then Davis came into her life distracting her from the pain she felt because of Ginn's scandal. Danielle on the other side did not know why she was being so cold from then on but tried her best to alight Michan's like once again which was not an easy task. She decided to be a pillar of strength for Michan and supported her in every situation just as she had done for her.
The duo was amazing at it's work. The company paid them as full workers. Danielle's father was extremely proud of the duo's friendship unlike before he realized what a good influence Michan was on his daughter's attitude towards him.
Since the marriage time, Michan and Ginn slept in different rooms until date. Walking out of her room early in the morning and returning late in the evening, did not stop Michan from preparing breakfast and dinner for the family. In all she ensured not to meet Ginn so as to avoid chaos as he never appreciated any of her deeds.
"Sister-in-law, why don't you join us for the breakfast you always make for us?" Ginna asked jestingly. Michan smiled and patted her shoulder. "It's because am busy and do not want to be late for work." She bid her farewell and moved out. That was her daily routine; cook breakfast, go to work, cook dinner, go to sleep and repeat.
In those early months of their marriage, Michan grew closer to Mrs. Thompson, Ginn and Ginna's mother but no connection with Mr. Thompson their father who was so business oriented even with personal matters such as marriage. He had accepted Kristine because of her family background and power.
"Mother, I will be on my way." Mich informed Mrs. Thompson.
"But remember to return soon so as to meet Ginna's daughter, okay?" Michan nodded affirmatively. "I will mother." She had insisted that Michan should address her as 'mother' not Mrs. Thompson. They pecked goodbye and Michan departed with her lovely smile to report to work.
That evening tried to see that Michan and Ginn reconnect rather reconcile but the very next day proved its own fate.
"Baby, look your aunt is here." Ginna told her chubby cute two-year-old who had cute blue orbs. In the past, Ginna got pregnant two years back when she was still in school. She had fear of what her parents would do to her and whether they would support her as a family would. Amidst her fears, Michan stood by her side even after the Ginn scandal. She was there as a big sister and a friend when her parents deserted her.
Michan's unconditional support and love in Ginna's first four months gave her a fighting will that she held onto for those difficult times and the past two years.
"Sis, my daughter's life and my peace of mind are thanks to you. If you were not there, I guess we would not be here." Ginna spoke as they sat on the long-curved couch.
"Do not say that. You were always strong. And this cutie, will be as strong as you." Michan rebutted with a friendly yet serious face.
"You know what Sis, my husband; her father had not run away but had gone to find a way for us to live together and comfortably. He returned to England to seek his parents' consent and support. One month after you left for USA, he returned and requested my mother to allow him take me with him to England. That's why I went missing when you eventually returned here. I completed my university from there as we took care of our little cutie here." She pinched the little one's chubby cheeks lovingly. "Sis, you were right. He was not the type to dump me in such a way. I am even ashamed that you believed in him more than I did." Ginna narrated joyfully. Happiness was fully obvious in her every single statement.
The rest of the family members were listening unbeknownst to Ginna and Michan. Mrs. Thompson turned to her husband with teary eyes. She felt a pang of guilt for what they did in the past to their own daughter for four full months; the critical moments of her pregnancy. She lived with Michan for all that time. Due to the guilt that she felt for doing that to their daughter she softened up from being the business-oriented lady to a mother. This was her action of regret. Mr. Thompson nodded knowingly and embraced her in a tight hug.
"I know. I know my Love." The warm tears wetted Mr. Thompson's T-shirt from her eyes. The regret from betraying their own data in the past, was too much for her to handle. He smothered her brown coffee hair in comfort.
"Oh, cutie! What fruit would you like me to feed you? What did you miss as you stood under the crown of England?" Michan asked the little girl a bright hearty smile whilst jesting with her. At that moment they were seated on the round diner table leaving the well-furnished rectangular one empty. "I want Sweet Uncle to feed me." Ginn smiled and looked at her adoringly. "Which one do you want me to feed you, my princess?" Ginn asked in the same jolly tone as the little girl. She looked around and sighed disappointedly. "What is it my princess?"
"Sweet Uncle, the sweet pineapple is not here." Everyone's facial expression turned gloom. The air got cold as they all knew the story behind the 'sweet pineapple' as the little girl called it. Michan chivalrously tried to coax the little one to let her feed her the fruit.
"Rinna darling, let Sweet Auntie do it for you."
"No!"
"Mich it's okay! I will do it." Ginn peeled the piece of fruit he retrieved from the kitchen fruit basket and fed her slowly and steadily. "Uncle, please take a bite." Ginn smiled and shook a 'no' to her request.
"But why Uncle? Sweet pineapple is as sweet as you."
"You talk a lot cutie. But now listen, I get sick when I eat it. Do you want me to get sick?" little Rinna shook a 'no' and pouted cutely. He pinched her chubby cheeks adoringly and dazed at the piece of fruit. The next question of Rinna fell on deaf ears. "Why does everyone love pinching my cheeks?"
Back in the days of his childhood before Ginna was born, he had a cute lovely younger sister named Lancy who loved pineapples just as much a Little Rinna. She always requested him to peel for her the pineapple and also take a bite but he never did so. Until present day, he wished he had peeled for her the pineapple at least once. The day she got knocked down by a bike, he blamed himself because he believed it was his fault just as his father had said. His father blamed him for Lancy's death till date and their relationship has always been estranged but worsened since then.
Michan had always tried to make him used to peeling pineapples when they were still friends. His ability to peel the fruit for Little Rinna was a result of Michan's friendship, support and love. He glanced over at her and found her looking at him with a nice smile adoring her beautiful exquisite face. They locked their eyes for a while and continued eating their desired fruits and pastries with flavoured milkshakes.
The day flowed smoothly and the next morning, Ginna departed with her family back to England. She had only returned to prepare her beloved brother's wedding.
…. Back to present.....
Mrs. Thompson and Michan grew closer as a mother and daughter and was able to open up to her some of her fears and regrets including the estrangement between Ginn and his father. Ginn grew up almost fatherless and was a jolly but lonely child. He always felt that no one loved him genuinely. It is then that Michan realized why Ginn treasured Kristine so much.
'Did he think we would leave him since we were just friends and Kristine was to stay forever since she was a lover? His insecurities caused all this?' Michan wondered.
Will she soften up for him from now on?