6 I Will Repay Them

That morning, Marcel helped Nana prepare breakfast for the entire Delvino family. Sweat streamed down his forehead and down the back of his neck while Shirley and the others chatted and ate.

“Mr Marcel, eat in our room first.” Nana whispered when she saw Marcel sitting miserably by the operating washing machine.

“Later, Nana.” Marcel replied in a low voice, he glanced at Shirley who was busy eating the crispy chicken thighs that were served. Not to mention the greedy voice of Ciko, who was busy grinding black pepper beef, which made Herman admonish him to be more polite at the dinner table.

Marcel held his stomach, which was sore because he had not been filled with anything, but had been forced to work hard to help with the household chores.

“I’m so full!” exclaimed Ciko as she reached for a tissue to wipe her lips.

“Eat more politely next time,” Herman said flatly. “After this, mum and dad will attend a meeting with a client from the company that produces the drill ....”

“I remember the film about the meteor!” chirped Alvon, Shirley’s number three brother. “The astronauts had to hollow out the meteor with a drill to prevent it from hitting the earth!”

Ronnie snorted into his plate, Alvon was a big fan of all things’ astronomy.

“When are you planning to go to the planet Uranus?” asked Shirley teasingly. “I want to leave a message for the aliens who stopped by there ....”

Laughter filled the whole kitchen until the sound reached Marcel’s place. Not a single one of them thought to invite Marcel to join them at the table.

“Mr Marcel, you’re so pale ...” Eli whispered as he checked the washing machine that had just stopped running. “They’ll be gone soon, then you can eat.”

Marcel sighed.

“Eating leftovers again,” he complained. “Your food is even more humane than the food they left for me.”

Eli fully understood Marcel’s sentiment, as she herself would not have had the heart to eat leftovers.

“You wait a moment, I’ll get a whole meal for Mr Marcel.” Eli promised.

“Don’t!” Marcel hissed. “That’s not necessary, I’m worried that if you get caught ... You might get sacked for that.”

Eli felt bad for Marcel for a moment.

Nana appeared not long after that.

“Eli, help mum clear the dining table!” she said to her daughter. “Mrs Shirley and her brothers have left, what would Mr Marcel like to eat for breakfast?”

Marcel shook his head and said, “How come they didn’t look for me to finish the leftovers?”

“I think they know that it was the leftovers that made Mr Marcel try to kill himself,” Nana replied carefully. “Isn’t that great? You don’t have to be tormented anymore now ....”

Marcel was silent and not convinced by Nana’s opinion.

“Shall we, Sir?” invited Nana as she turned to Eli. “You’ll catch up soon when the laundry is done?”

“Yes, Mum!” Eli nodded.

Marcel followed Nana’s suggestion to go to the kitchen and sure enough, several serving bowls and plates were still on the dining table.

“They didn’t eat everything?” asked Marcel in surprise because he knew how greedy his wife’s family was. They used to eat almost all the dishes served and deliberately left a little for Marcel to eat the rest.

“It just so happens that Mr Ciko and Mr Ronnie asked us to cook more than usual,” Nana informed him. “Even if Mr Marcel isn’t allowed to eat at the same table as them, it’s at least an improvement.”

Marcel was silent for a few moments, somehow not quite convinced by Nana’s opinion.

“Sir, hurry up and eat, I’ll clean up after you!” continued Nana as she piled up the dirty plates. “There’s still a little tea water left, shall I add some?”

“That’s enough, Nana.” Marcel nodded as he sat down at the dining table. Just as he reached for a piece of crispy chicken thigh that was still intact, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed the thigh.

Marcel turned his head and his gaze immediately fell on Ciko, who had snatched the chicken thigh.

“Want some breakfast?” asked Ciko with a lopsided smile.

Marcel gulped just as his stomach screamed with hunger.

“Mister ...?” Nana, who noticed Ciko’s arrival, hurriedly intervened. “Sorry, I’m ....”

“No need to apologize, Nana!” said Ciko in a loud voice. “I have no problem with my brother-in-law having breakfast.”

Nana even gaped for a few moments, as if she couldn’t believe what Ciko had said.

“I ... I’ll eat the leftovers as usual,” said Marcel, who was lazy to make a fuss early in the morning.

“Oh, no need!” replied Ciko with a grin. “Today in particular, I’m being kind, so I’ll allow you to eat dishes that are still intact. One of them is this chicken thigh.”

Marcel furrowed his brow, hardly believing what Ciko was saying.

“Want some?” asked Ciko as she waved the chicken thigh in Marcel’s face. “Take it!”

Marcel was stunned and hesitantly stretched out his hand to take the meat.

However, before Marcel could grab it, Ciko deliberately dropped the chicken thigh on the floor.

“There, eat it!” she ordered arbitrarily.

Nana was wide-eyed.

“Sir, don’t do this ....” squeaked Nana, who couldn’t bear to see what was happening in front of her. “Mr Marcelino was once poisoned, so ....”

“Nana, just shut up if you still want to work here,” said Ciko in a threatening tone. “Marcel, hurry up and eat.”

Marcel was speechless.

“This chicken is delicious,” Ciko chuckled. “Go get it!”

Marcel bent down to grab the chicken thigh with his hand.

“Grab it with your mouth!” ordered Ciko, kicking Marcel in the knee and knocking him to the ground.

“Mr Marcel!” Nana exclaimed in distress.

“I’m not ....”

“Pick it up with your mouth!” cut in Ciko sternly.

“I’m not a dog, okay?” said Marcel, fighting back for the first time. Despite the pain in his stomach, he didn’t want to obey Ciko’s crazy order. “I’m your sister’s husband ....”

“And I’m your brother-in-law, you idiot!” cursed Ciko as he slapped Marcel on the head. “Hurry up and get it, or shall I send people to track down your parents and throw them in jail?”

Marcel looked up at Ciko with hateful eyes, Nana was trembling at the situation unfolding before her.

“Hurry up!” Ciko ordered again.

Holding back his anger, Marcel was forced to obey his brother-in-law’s orders. He lowered his head and bit the chicken thigh with his lips.

Nana turned her face away because she wasn’t three.

Ciko burst out laughing and exclaimed, “Too bad I didn’t bring my mobile phone! Ronnie would have loved to see this scene, ha ha ha!”

Nana, feeling very guilty, hugged Marcel’s shoulder as soon as Ciko left the kitchen, still with his loud laughter.

“I’m sorry, Mr Marcelino! It’s because of me ...! It’s because of me that you’re like this! I shouldn’t have forced Mr Marcelino to ....”

Marcel spat out the chicken thigh and wiped his lips.

“It’s okay, Nana. Someday I will repay them many times more painfully than they ever did to me,” Marcel vowed with lightning flashing in his eyes.

To Be Continued—