Chapter 8: Calm before the Storm (1)

Rachel was currently reading the magazine that she found when Jake was still awake. She looked up to Jessa that seemed to be in a hurry.

"Jessa? What's up?" Rachel asked.

"Nothing, does Jake displayed any convulsion?" Jessa concerning asked when she saw Jake lying silently on his bed.

Rachel didn't immediately answer but threw a towel to Jessa.

"Clean your self first," she instructed.

Jessa gave out a sighed of relief, knowing her friend's intention.

"Jake didn't give any undesirable responses. He didn't even move after he fell asleep. He's like a corpse while sleeping but I already checked him few times," Rachel lazily added at turned back in reading her magazine.

Jessa took herself near her friend and snatched the magazine that it was reading. Rachel directly looked up to Jessa and tried to snatch the magazine, But, Jessa already ran a few distances from Rachel and flip the magazine to the front page.

"What we have here?" Jessa curiously asked.

She immediately blushed upon seeing the title. Rachel took that moment to snatch back the magazine.

"See? You shouldn't take this!" Rachel blamed her while glaring her intently.

The silence reigned for a few moments.

"What's the emergency meeting all about?" Rachel changed the subject and lead her to the sofa.

Jessa calmed herself and organized her thoughts.

"About the recent bombing on each respective churches and offices in the world. Director Lopez was even confused about the sudden silence of the Higher-ups in the incident. He just instructed us to prepare in any situations that may occur," Jessa answered while trying to recall the meeting a few hours ago.

Rachel nodded while listening and remember something.

"Jessa, when will you advance your rank? Wouldn't it be better if you aren't shackled by the Zone? You could be like me, a Freelance Intercessor?" Rachel inquired.

Jessa stunned by the sudden suggestion of Rachel. She couldn't process it immediately.

"I don't know. Maybe, if Jake graduated. Maybe I will file a request for advancement," Jessa answered which a trace of hesitance in her voice.

Rachel wasn't that surprised in Jessa's reply.

"Well, how about your love life?" Rachel changed the topic once again.

Jessa instantly blushed upon hearing her friend's inquiry. Seeing her friend's reaction, Rachel giggled and started to poke Jessa's side.

"Stop it!" Jessa complained while evading Rachel's poking.

"I will stop it if you gave the name of the lucky guy!" Rachel giggled and continue to poke Jessa.

"Stop it! Or, else I will report you to grandma!" Jessa threatened.

Rachel stop poking and scowled.

"What a killjoy," Rachel mumbled.

Two days later, Jake was blankly staring at the ceiling. He undoubtedly missed his bed during his stain on the hospital. His daydream was instantly cut off when he heard a certain pattern of knocks from his door. He saw Gloria after it opened the door.

"You don't seem to love to sleep, aren't you?" Gloria joked.

"I just missed my bed," Jake softly answered after got up to from his bed.

"Change your clothes because we will be having our lunch in approximately 15-30 minutes. Jessa was cooking our lunch today," Gloria noted before closing the door and left Jake's room silent.

Jake didn't waste any second and urgently change his clothes. He directly went to the dining room to eat but he was quite disappointed that the food was not ready yet.

"Uncle, I thought that you already leave?" Jake asked upon seeing his uncle seating at the table.

"How can't I be here? The food will be ready in any minute without me sparing any force. Then, who I am to say no to blessing?" Edward answered and stood to get some plates and utensils.

Jake was satisfied with his uncle's response. On the other hand, Gloria didn't like her son's attitude, so she pinched its ear.

"Mom! Stop it! Mom, the plates! I was holding the plates!" Edward bawled while holding the plates.

When Gloria heard her son, she promptly removed her hand from her son's ear. She even snatched the plates from her son's hands while glaring it sharply.

"If I hear it the second time, I promised you that I'll call your director to put much load on you," Gloria threateningly spoke to Edward while not eliminating her gaze.

Jake could only breath out silently.

"I know. I won't do it again," Edward surrendered and sat silently on the table.

Gloria got tired of waiting for Jessa to finish, therefore she entered the kitchen to check upon Jessa. After a few minutes, the two could hear some reprimanding inside the kitchen.

"Jessa, this dish was a bit salty and the other one was a bit vapid. What happened?" Gloria asked.

Meanwhile, Jessa had an aghast expression upon hearing her grandmother's comment. Seeing her granddaughter's reaction, Gloria couldn't help but sigh in disappointment.

"I'm sorry, I was just wanted to serve the dishes quickly because we're all tired and wanted to eat," Jessa's answered while giving a downcast expression.

Gloria looks at the ceiling for some time and turned to her granddaughter. She gently lifts its face to make eye contact.

"Don't be that sorry. We're not that perfect in the first place. I know that you still wanted to uphold your promise but always make sure that you're doing your best. Now, go to the table while I'm fixing these dishes. Go," Gloria gently commanded.

Jessa silently obeyed and got to the table. Edward and Jake stared at each other while wordlessly exchanging gestures to who will be lifting Jessa's mood. In the end, Edward conceded his defeat.

"Jessa you know Mom, right? You know how perfectionist she was in cooking. Even a piece of pepper that has put in the dish, she will immediately notice it. If I was cooking at home with her, I don't know if I was already in a contest. A 100 percentage of being criticized," Edward tried to lift Jessa's mood while having him complaining about her mother.

"I CAN HEAR YOU!" Gloria's threatening voice from the kitchen.

"Did you know, there was a time that I cooked for her voluntarily. In the end, I was criticized. Even an extra milligram of pepper that I didn't notice, she knows. How to monster her taste?" Edward complained.

Edward didn't notice Jake's gesture while he was speaking. Leaving him stunned, seeing her mother staring at him intently. All he could do was to smile and wordlessly plead for atonement. Without sparing a second, Gloria once again pinched Edward's ears while pulling him to the kitchen.

The two remained on the table could stare at him with pity. They know that their uncle had already gone down in the bottom line. The two looked at each other a laughed quietly.

"GOOD..."

"There's nothing good today!" Gloria exclaimed from the kitchen and interrupting the greeting midway.

Rachel could innocently blink and looked at the kitchen's direction. She got to the table and immediately asked Jessa.

"Why aunty was in the bad mood?" she innocently asked.

"You better not to ask. Otherwise, you wanted to be part of uncle's punishment," Jessa reminded.

Rachel could only nod.

"Why you're here? Didn't you have a customer today?" Jessa diverted the topic.

"She just canceled her appointment. Do you know how hard she begged for me to book an appointment for me and to fill it with my schedule?" Rachel hissing scornfully.

Jessa shook her head while hearing her friend complains. After an almost a quarter an hour of complaining, Rachel felt her throat dried. She stood up and approached the kitchen. She was immediately stopped by some undesired(torturing) noises inside. She instantly turned back to the table where Jessa and her brother were seated.

"What do you hear?" Jessa slyly asked seeing Rachel's frozen expression.

"You better not asked, Jessa. I know you don't want to be part of tor... ehem cooking lesson of Aunty Gloria," Rachel reminded her friend but it rather sounds a threat.

It had taken approximately half an hour before they could finally. Instead of only having two dishes that have been served at the table, there were five dishes.

"Isn't having five dishes for five people was quite wasteful?" Edward asked after being seated and it was noticeable that his ears were red as an apple.

The three especially Rachel restrained herself from laughing upon noticing Edward's ears.

"You better not to asked. We could just packed it away," Gloria coldly answered after giving the Grace before the meal.

Edward didn't ask any further because of fear that something may happen.

"Jessa?!" Gloria called for Jessa attention.

Jessa immediately lifts her gaze to her grandmother, while thinking what would be the possible topics that it may ask especially now.

"Why don't you just move to your Edward's house? It was closer to both Zone 66 Main Office and the University? It was beneficial for both of you," Gloria spoke and gaze over Jake, then it returned to Jessa.

Jessa couldn't help but frown inwardly. She couldn't make any changed of expression in the front of her grandmother and especially now.

"Grandma, didn't I already explained to you? Did I want to be here because of both Dad and Mom's memories? I may leave this house but not right now," Jessa reasoned.

"You're dad, huh?" Gloria snickered.

"Grandma, just let us stay here for a while. We might be moving soon. I just wanted to cherished the memories," Jessa explained when she saw some unsatisfaction into Gloria.

"Fine, whatever. I'll be leaving soon, I just recalled something urgent," Gloria stated and continued to eat.

There was almost a quarter of an hour that silence reigned between the five people. After everyone finished eating, Gloria bid before leaving. The four people left chose not to comment on Gloria's behavior. In matters of a few minutes, Edward tidied himself before glaring to Jake's direction that was viewing some old photo albums.

"Jake, I had brought some new games? Do you want to see them?" Edward asked his nephew.

Jake immediately turn his head upon hearing Edward and set aside the old photo albums.

"Why would I refuse? Can you request my sister that I will come along with you?" Jake asked his uncle with bright eyes.

"I know that you would ask that. I already requested, Jessa. Anyway, why don't you bring some clothes if you wanted to sleep over my house," Edward hooted and messed Jake's hair when Jake got closer.

Jake paid no mind upon messing hair. He urgently ran up to his room and pack his things.

"We'll be going!" Edward shouted before leaving the house.

Even though there was no response to him from the other two, he took no mind at all because the other two might be doing something important. Minutes after Jessa finished washing the dishes and the cooking utensils. She took her mobile phone from the table and saw many missed calls on it. She clicked to view who has missed caller and call back.

"Does anything happen?" Jessa asked in a bland tone.

"Have you remember about the Yearly Gathering that was held on exactly 7 pm?" the caller in the other line reminded.

"Wait? What? Is it today? I totally forgot about it," Jessa exclaimed and couldn't believe that she had truly forgotten about it.

"I don't know, what's happening in you. But, you must attend the gathering because the Headmaster expects your presence and you know the venue, right. Well, I'm hanging up because I'm finishing something urgently," the caller concluded the call.

"Jessa," Rachel called out.

"Wha-what?!" Jessa exclaimed once again upon seeing Rachel leaning at the door.

"You look problematic?" Rachel commented.

"I think so?" Jessa answered with a bitter smile.

"Well, what about it? Maybe I can help you?" Rachel offered.

"I had to attend a party," Jessa answered.

Hearing her friend's answer, something in Rachel's memory was triggered.

"It was a formal party?" Rachel inquired.

"Yes,"

"Was it only for the staff of the University?" Rachel inquired once again.

"Yes," Jessa answered.

"I remembered! It was the Yearly Gathering that you always attend?" Rachel asked.

Jessa only gave her a nod.

"You should be thankful, I had reserved many dressed in my wardrobe. Because we had the same body physique, you could choose among my dresses!" Rachel hooted and pulled Jessa outside the kitchen.

"Before we leave? Can I call, Grandma?" Jessa taught.

"You can do that later. We still have to drive to my house so I could fix you!" Rachel cheerfully spoke while pulling Jessa out of the house.

"Wait I need to lock the house!" Jessa exclaimed.

Rachel releases Jessa's hand before pulling it once again after it locked the door.

"Hello, Ma?" Edward greeted Gloria on the phone.

"Where are you, right now?" Gloria asked.

Edward couldn't be helped but to clear his throat before answering.

"Still stuck in the traffic here at the intersection. I probably at home in 10 - 15 minutes," Edward carefully answered.

"Edward, Jake will be sleeping over at your home tonight. Jessa might also sleep there after the gathering, she will be attending tonight," Gloria commanded.

"Ok," Edward helplessly answered.

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