The Married With Stranger
Thank You

"What's wrong?" ask Agnese while chewing.

"We need to get out of here."

Dennis was not calm there. He sat down again and gulped down the margarita to the toilet, but this time around he spread his gaze to look for the man. Because he's sure he hasn't left.

"You haven't finished eating." Agnese wiped her mouth with a piece of tissue because she had finished the tacos and organic chocolate milk ordered earlier. "Remove it, I'll wait," he continued.

"It's okay. I can eat later. Now we have to get out of here."

"But ...."

"No 'but', come on!"

Dennis got up and walked towards the exit. Agnese followed the man. However, before Dennis' hand touched the door, Agnese stopped.

"Eh, wait!"

Dennis turned to look at Agnese. "What's wrong?"

"I want to try playing it" replied Agnese as she pointed at the doll's claw machine.

Dennis' gaze led to Agnese's designated spot. His forehead frowned when he saw a doll claw machine mobbed by several children. He looked at Agnese who was also looking at him expectantly. He breathed a long breath. He did not know what it meant to take pictures of the two of them. However, seeing Agnese's face made her unable to resist.

"All right, but not for long."

Agnese nodded and walked towards the machine that kept many dolls inside with a sennag feeling. He was among several children playing the machine. While watching them play, his brain turned a memory as he approached the same machine with his father. His face changed, from happy to sad.

Losing someone dear is always difficult. Especially the loss caused by death. There will always be a feeling of sadness because of the inability to meet the person who makes the heart grieve. Just like Agnese felt today. He could only smile to imagine himself laughing when he saw the father struggling to get a doll in the claw machine.

From where Dennis stood, he saw Agnese suddenly lose the happiness that had just been created. While remaining vigilant, he approached the girl. "Hey! What was? Why is your face so moody?"

Agnese let out a long sigh, then stared blankly ahead. "I used to play a claw machine with my late father, but all that can only be remembered, can't be repeated."

"Wait here. I'll come back" Dennis said, then left Agnese frowning at his point.

Not long after, Dennis is back. He asked the children who were there to step aside first and let himself take over the game. He inserted coins that had been exchanged at the cashier, then touched the driving tool to find which dolls had a great opportunity to be achieved.

The first, second, third, even until the fourth experiment, Dennis had not succeeded in making the clamp grab a doll to be taken to the hole that will remove the doll. The person he was looking for had left because he was too busy to get something to buy without spending money to get it.

Agnese laughed watching the failure after failure experienced by Dennis. "That's it. You won't get it."

Dennis looked at Agnese for a moment and put the coin back into the machine. He still does not give up. He believes that the machine can be conquered and the puppet inside can come out. Especially when he heard Agnese's laughter, it made his spirit even more blazing.

No matter what time of the experiment, Dennis managed to bring the doll into the hole. He looked down to take the reward of his hard work. He presented the doll to Agnese. "This is for you."

"Thanks, Dennis," said Agnese, receiving a doll from Dennis.

Dennis was happy to see Agnese smiling while hugging the doll from her fight with a claw machine. He even forgot the mysterious person who had taken his picture with Agnese. The most important thing now was that the girl was not sad anymore. Moreover, the main purpose of taking Agnese out to make her happy.

"Come on!" take Dennis who is Agnese.

As soon as the restaurant door closed, Dennis pressed one of the keys in the lock and walked closer to the parked car not far from the entrance. When he arrived in front of the car, he walked towards the door Agnese was about to enter. However, before it managed to open, the girl refused so she immediately walked around to go inside and sit on the steering wheel.

Dennis stepped on the gas pedal and immediately drove towards Agnese's house. The plan that had been drawn up on the way to school was destroyed instantly because he did not want anything bad to happen. He would drive the girl home and investigate the mysterious person afterwards.

While focusing on driving, Dennis occasionally glanced at Agnese who unceasingly rubbed the head of the doll with a smile.

"Do you like it?" ask Dennis.

Agnese smiled. "I like it, thank you."

"I'm glad you like it."

"I'm more pleased with your struggle to get it."

"really?"

Agnese nodded and went back to remembering how Dennis had gotten his knowledge. "I believe people say that effort will not betray results. Because your efforts made me forget my sorrow for a moment," replied Agnese honestly.

Dennis breathed a sigh of relief hearing Agnese's statement. At least a short trip today was not in vain.

"Next time, I'll take you to where I mean. Today it's quite up here."

Agnese looked at Dennis. "Why indeed?"

"There's something I have to do."

"It's okay. Anyway you've kept your promise to make me happy."

A few tens of minutes ahead, Dennis stopped right in front of Agnese's house. He pulled the handbrake lever up slightly, then looked at Agnese.

"Come in!"

Agnese smiled in response and immediately opened her seatbelt. After that, he opened the car door and lowered his right leg. Before the other leg came down, he focused his gaze on the figure of the man grasping the steering wheel from earlier.

"Dennis?"

"Yes?"

Agnese returned with a smile. "Thank you" he said later.