Chapter 784: 783 A Quiet Place
Quiet, deathly quiet, the whole house was eerily silent without a single sound. It was terrifyingly quiet, so much so that one couldn’t help but hold their breath, fearing their own noise might disturb such stillness. This oppression and frustration heavily burdened the chest.
Jeff Galas had never known the mornings at home could be this quiet.
If it were a usual day, at this moment, one would be able to hear Jenna’s nagging and Annie’s protests. Annie always wanted to try some junk food, but Jenna always refused on the grounds of health. Their war never ended.
The sound of the school bus’s engine stopping at the door would become the start of another argument, with Annie wishing to return to school, but Jenna always believed that Annie’s health did not permit it, and then Annie would look to him for help.
With his eyes closed, Jeff tasted bitterness in his mouth—
“Dad, I hardly have any friends. I don’t know any of the kids at school. If this continues, I won’t have many people to invite to my funeral.”
Then, Jenna would scold Annie harshly, she couldn’t stand the word “funeral.”
A lump stuck in Jeff’s throat, why not let Annie eat some junk food, why not let her return to school and enjoy life like other kids her age… Were they being too selfish?
Such quietness was unbearable.
A surge of nameless anger rose, and Jeff just wanted to find someone to argue with.
Suddenly looking up, Jeff saw Jenna in front of him, busy with breakfast but then stopping abruptly, standing there dazed, staring into nothingness, her soul already lost somewhere, without sadness or pain, just emptiness.
The rage, stuck in his chest, yet ultimately dissipated.
Jeff felt annoyed and dejectedly dropped his fork.
The fork and the plate collided with a crisp sound that, in the quiet house, was especially loud, almost like thunder.
Jenna startled, her body shook, but she hurriedly tried to cover her panic, pretending to continue bustling about, saying in a fluster.
“Alright, alright, it’s almost ready.”
Watching Jenna strive to pretend everything was normal, the breath stuck in Jeff’s chest. He too hastily bowed his head to hide his eyes, afraid they might betray fear and sadness.
Suddenly, Jeff stood up, speaking in a low voice.
“I just remembered, I have a meeting this morning, I better head over soon, I’ll handle breakfast at the office.”
Jenna was still trying to persuade him, “I could just make you a sandwich right now…”
Jeff waved his hand, “No need.”
Turning around, he took big strides, almost running away, he just wanted to leave this place, this quiet that was suffocating.
Suddenly, as he pulled open the door, Jeff was about to rush out when he saw Li Wei, who was about to knock on the door. Both of them were stunned.
Jeff’s eyes widened, at a loss, his voice stuck in his throat.
Li Wei showed a polite smile, “Heading to work so early?”
Jeff shook his head then nodded, his mind a mess, “You… Li Wei… I mean, how did you end up here?”
Li Wei peeked inside, “I came specifically to visit you, but if you are busy, I can come back this afternoon or tomorrow.”
Jeff, “Oh, no, that’s fine, now is good. Is there anything you need? Sorry, please come in. It’s certainly not hospitable to make guests stand at the door.”
Incoherently, Jeff stepped aside, welcoming Li Wei into the home.
Upon entering, Li Wei saw Jenna coming out of the kitchen.
Li Wei felt a pang of heartache.
Not because Jenna was disheveled and messy; on the contrary, Jenna had returned to her usual neat and elegant self, her hair meticulously done up, even wearing makeup, lightly dusted, everything just as normal.
It was apparent that Jenna was doing her utmost to keep everything just as it had been—
as if Annie had never left.
It wasn’t just Mr. and Mrs. Gallas, even Li Wei himself couldn’t quite grasp the reality that Annie was gone.
Subconsciously, Li Wei looked up the stairs directly in front of the main door and waited briefly, but with no sign of activity, he sheepishly shifted his gaze away.
“Hey, Jenna, sorry for disrupting your morning ,” Li Wei said with a smile as he greeted her.
Jenna waved her hands dismissively, “No, not at all, we were just about to have breakfast. Would you like to join us?”
Li Wei, “Although I’d love to, I had breakfast before I came over, and I still have to head to the team later. If I don’t want to throw up during practice, I better control myself.”
A light joke slightly eased the atmosphere.
But soon, it became quiet again, a painful silence filling the space.
Jeff quickly extended an invitation for Li Wei to go to the dining room, where it was easier to sit down.
Li Wei saw, at a glance, three sets of neatly arranged cutlery on the dining table.
Mr. and Mrs. Gallas busied themselves, boiling water and rummaging for tea leaves, insisting on their task despite Li Wei’s repeated refusals.
After the commotion, a cup of green tea brewed from a Lipton’s tea bag was placed in front of Li Wei. He was slightly amused by it, but he did not refuse their kindness.
Jeff sat down opposite Li Wei, while Jenna stood by the sink, and then again fell into an awkward silence. Even Li Wei could feel how torturous this quiet was.
Everything was just as Annie had said.
So Annie knew her parents well, accurately predicting the future.
Li Wei tasted a hint of bitterness on his tongue but still flashed a smile, “Jenna, please sit down, you really don’t need to keep standing.”
Jenna declined at first, but seeing Li Wei’s insistence, she finally sat down.
Li Wei was thinking, pondering, how should he start the conversation?
This was somewhat difficult.
Taking a deep breath, Li Wei decided to cut to the chase, “Jeff, Jenna, this Sunday, we will be facing the New England Patriots at Arrowhead Stadium. I hope you can come to the match.”
Mr. and Mrs. Gallas were taken aback, completely unprepared for Li Wei’s purpose, exchanging glances but neither had any clues.
Jenna looked at Li Wei, “Thank you, really, I appreciate the invitation, but…”
Even before she could finish her sentence, Jenna could see Li Wei flashing a bitter smile.
Despite her confusion, Jenna continued without pausing, “We can’t accept. Honestly, neither of us understands football at all, just the occasional excitement. I don’t even know the rules of football, nor do I understand the purpose of all the tackling on the field.”
“Sorry, it’s not personal, I feel the same about all sports, I don’t see the point. So we’ll pass on such an opportunity, better leave it for the fans who do enjoy football.”
“Karen, Karen and Felix would surely love it.”
Li Wei quietly waited for Jenna to finish speaking, then glanced at Jeff, who nodded in affirmation. This allowed Li Wei to release a slight sigh.
“Indeed, Annie was right.”