LOVE YOU, UNCLE

“What’s this, Mom?” Randy asked as he looked at the photos in his hand one by one.

That day, in an office building, Randy Walters appeared puzzled. Having just finished his work, he was suddenly presented with several photos of women to look at and consider.

“These are photos, Randy. Why are you asking like it’s something unusual?”

Randy immediately looked up. He took a deep breath, trying to remain patient, hoping not to be provoked by what his mother had just said.

“Randy knows that these are photos. What I mean is, why did you give me so many photos, Mom?”

“Well, it’s for you to choose. There are four photos of women that I’ve selected as potential daughters-in-law. Please choose the one that suits your taste.”

“Mom…” Randy interrupted, placing all the photos on the table, a difficult-to-interpret expression on his face. “We’ve discussed this so many times. Please don’t rush me into getting married.”

Verona Wood immediately gave him a sharp look. If she had usually been soft-spoken, this time, the fifty-year-old woman tried to show her teeth to her son.

Moreover, Verona had compromised enough. She was extremely tired of seeing her only son remaining alone like this.

“Mom doesn’t care, Randy Walters. Anyway, you must obey your mother’s request now. You have only two choices: let me choose for you, or choose one of the four women from the photos I’m presenting to you. Besides, what’s so difficult about making a choice?”

Randy sighed deeply. The narrow-eyed man chose to close his eyes for a moment. He was genuinely tired of arguing with his mother like this.

“How can I choose? I don’t even know any of them.”

“It’s easy if you want to get to know them first,” Verona quickly replied. “I can arrange everything according to your preferences. Besides, it all depends on your intentions. Remember, Randy, you’re 35 years old now. How long do you plan to stay single? Aren’t you tired of hearing the office rumors about their boss being homosexual? Or maybe you really are homosexual, which is why you’ve been refusing to get married for so long?”

“Oh, my God, Mom.”

Randy exclaimed. He didn’t accept the accusation his mother had just made. Moreover, what was wrong with being 35 years old and unmarried? In South Korea, handsome, wealthy men were still single at the age of over 40. It was only in Indonesia that late marriage was seen as a disgrace by netizens who didn’t contribute. Moreover, there was no playboy who was homosexual, Mom,” Randy argued extensively. It seemed like he intentionally presented all his arguments, reflecting what he had felt all along.

However, instead of the homosexual rumors, all his employees were more aware of the fact that he was the kind of boss who frequently changed his partners or dating companions. Who knows how many women he had brought to the office or to various parties.

“That’s why!” Verona immediately frowned. She glared at her son. “Prove to everyone that you’re a genuine man. Instead of being a playboy who dates or has fun without commitment, bring one of them to meet me for selection.”

“Selection? It’s like a job interview.”

“Well, it has to be! Choosing a partner should be clear about their qualities. Besides, you come from a reputable family. You can’t just find a partner casually.”

“It’s so complicated, Mom. This is what makes me reluctant to bring a partner to meet you. In the end, they’ll back out before the battle even starts.”

Hearing this sarcasm, Verona was not pleased. Apparently, her son was once again managing his emotions, which he had been holding back all along.

“In that case, I’ll find one for you. You just have to choose and accept it. You can make sure their background, qualities, and characteristics meet your criteria.”

Randy took a deep breath. He exhaled slowly, then spoke in a softer tone.

As a naturally obedient child, he didn’t dare to contradict his parents’ orders, especially his mother’s. From his education, hobbies, and everything else, they had all been arranged in a certain way.

Even though he often protested, in the end, Randy always complied. It was because of this obedient behavior that sometimes his mother took advantage of his weakness.

“So, does Mama want Randy to marry the one Mama chooses?”

“If you ask what I want, of course, I want you to get married as soon as possible. That’s why Mama is offering to help you choose.”

Randy nodded. He was aware that this time he couldn’t argue or refuse what his mother had ordered.

Usually, Randy presented many reasons to postpone the order to get married. But this time, he had run out of words. He could no longer resist.

“So, I have to choose one of the four women in these photos?”

Verona nodded repeatedly. Then she pointed to the brown folder next to her son.

“In the brown folder, there is a supporting document that explains the background of all the candidates. You can read and study it first. But Mama’s advice is, if you can, meet them in person. After that, make your choice based on the one that you find most suitable.”

“Give Randy one month to study all of this, Mom,” he requested with a pleading tone.

However, instead of agreeing, Verona shook her head repeatedly.

“Nope. That’s too long. Mom will give you three days.”

“Three days won’t be enough, Mom!”

“You don’t need to read the files for a long time, Randy,” protested Verona. “You only need a few hours to read a business proposal, right?”

“But this is about a life partner, not a business.”

“Mom doesn’t accept protests or negotiations. What’s certain is that when the weekend arrives, you have to meet one or all of those women and make a choice as soon as possible.”

Randy sighed and nodded. He had no choice but to comply with all the orders his mother had given. He couldn’t protest when he was treated like this.

***

“The first candidate is named Alesha Almira. She is the only child of Dion Prasetya, who is famous for having a network of Nobu International banks.”

Alvin Wedakarna, a man who had served as Randy’s personal assistant for five years, looked serious as he read out the data for all the potential wife candidates that Mrs. Verona had prepared for her son. Meanwhile, Randy sat quietly in his chair, listening to the explanations his assistant had been providing.

“Alesha Almira is a model and socialite, sir,” Alvin continued. “She graduated from the University of Toronto in Canada.”

“Next,” Randy replied hastily, as if he didn’t want to know more. “Just go ahead and read the second candidate. Honestly, I’m not interested in having a socialite as a wife. I don’t know why, but I’m sure a wife who brands herself as a socialite is too self-absorbed in her own world.”

Alvin nodded. He understood that Randy was a very picky man. In addition to prioritizing his work, Randy had very high standards for a life partner.

“The second candidate is Velia Angelica,” Alvin continued to read the data about potential wives in his hands. “She is the youngest daughter of Hartono Jaya, who is a ship and coal business owner. Velia herself works as an aesthetic doctor and already owns many beauty clinics in major cities in Indonesia.”

Randy nodded thoughtfully. He was considering what it would be like to have a wife who was an aesthetic doctor.

“Ah, that sounds complicated!” Randy mumbled softly. He had many considerations in choosing a potential wife this time. “Just go ahead and read the next one, Vin.”

“The third one is Tamara Salim. This woman is the only daughter of Wilantara Salim, who owns a chain of hospitals and several medical equipment factories. Tamara’s profession is similar to the first candidate’s, sir.”

Randy could only sigh from his seat. He was getting bored hearing the data of the potential wife candidates that his mother had prepared. In Randy’s eyes, almost all the candidates seemed to have the same criteria.

“Read the last one, Vin,” Randy requested after a moment of silence. “After that, please help me choose which one I should meet.”

“The last one is named Ghea Mariana. She is the youngest daughter of Maxwell Denovan, who owns IndoAsia Group and several hotel chains and shopping centers. Ghea is currently a student at a private university. Among all the candidates, this young lady is the youngest, only 23 years old. I don’t know why Mrs. Verona included her in the list of choices.”

Alvin then stepped forward and handed over all the photos from the folder, which Randy might not have seen completely.

“This one is Alesha,” Alvin pointed. “This is Velia. The one in the white dress is Tamara. The one wearing white sneakers is Ghea.”

Randy looked at all the photos that Alvin presented once again. He carefully examined them, trying to decide which woman he should meet over the weekend.

At first glance, their appearances were quite similar. They all looked beautiful, graceful, and captivating, like most old-money women.

“What do you think, should I go through with this arranged marriage?” Randy asked.

Alvin, standing in front of Randy’s desk, nodded with confidence. He knew that there were no other options, considering Mrs. Verona’s decision was final.

Even though Randy had protested many times in the past, he always ended up complying. He couldn’t afford to go against his mother’s orders or decisions.

“There’s no other choice, sir. Besides, as Mrs. Verona said, getting married and having children is a prerequisite for you to inherit the family’s growing business and subsidiaries. If you don’t hurry, you might be overtaken by other Walters family members.”

Randy fell into deep thought at that moment. He brought his hand to his chin, pondering his mother’s words from the previous evening.

“You are the strongest candidate, son. Do you want to let Sandara, Sinta, or Celina take this opportunity away from you? Do you want to see them, all of them, succeed where you could have? Are you willing to let that happen?”

Asked this way, Randy nodded immediately. Since childhood, he had held onto the same dream of making his parents, especially his father, proud of his achievements.

Randy also never forgot that his father had always tried to mold him into a competent leader, someone responsible, calculated, and, most importantly, someone who was respected by all the employees.

“Yes, Mom.”

“Alright, that’s settled. Just get married and have children soon. So that Grandpa can make you the next successor.”

Randy closed his eyes dramatically. For some reason, he felt burdened by his mother’s request to get married as soon as possible. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be the successful business heir he had always aspired to be. It was just that, in Randy’s opinion, getting married, especially to someone he didn’t love, wasn’t an easy matter.

However, refusing wasn’t the right choice either. Frankly, Randy was also not willing to see the position he had been aiming for taken by his other cousins, all of whom were women. Where would he hide his face?

“So, what’s the plan, sir?” Alvin asked when he noticed Randy had been lost in thought for a long time. “Which woman would you like to meet next weekend?”

Randy lifted his head. After some consideration, he made a final decision.

“You can arrange the schedule for next weekend. But one thing is certain, I want to meet all of them, without exception.”