Tanaga and Ashley were shocked by her reaction. Ashley thought Grandma Hanada would refuse to accept their marriage at all, and demand they separate. It had gone more smoothly than she’d expected.
Tanaga had expected the same. He was happy with his grandmother’s decision, but he made sure not to let it show on his face. Their contract’s term was also one year, which made him wonder if she knew something about the agreement they had made.
To find out if that was the case, Tanaga asked softly, "Grandma, can you give us a moment to talk about this?"
Feeling agreeable, the old woman responded, "All right. I’ll give you a few minutes but make it quick. The food your chef is preparing for your dinner reception looked delicious. It will be served soon, and I’m famished." With that, she stood up and walked out of the room.
Tanaga moved over to sit beside Ashley so they could speak more intimately.
"Did you tell her about our contract?" Tanaga asked in a whisper that sounded angry.
"Excuse me, Sir! Weren’t you outside the door, listening to our conversation? Did you hear me mention the contract? No! Because I didn’t." Ashley fired back at Tanaga.
"Hmmm. I just thought I should ask in case I missed something." Tanaga blushed. He was slightly embarrassed though he would never admit it. "Just to be clear, don’t ever mention the contract to my grandmother. Not ever. She’d have a heart attack if she found out." Then he stood and led Ashley out of the room. They made their way to the dining area where his grandma was waiting.
When they reached the dining room, Lola (Grandma Hanada) was sharing the adventures of her travels to the Immigration Officers, who had arrived early for dinner. She proudly told of the places she’d recently visited as the officers listened intently.
As soon as Ashley and Tanaga walked in, the butler announced that dinner was ready to be served.
Tanaga helped his grandmother from her chair and ushered her toward her designated seat at the table. Though she didn’t need his help, she was happy to receive the attention of her grandson. This was the first time in years that Tanaga had gotten close enough to her that she could hold him.
She couldn’t imagine what had happened while she was away that had caused such a sudden change in Tanaga. He had begun distancing himself from her when his parents died ten years ago.
She had repeatedly had their deaths investigated, but no matter how much money she spent or who she hired, the results were always the same. It seemed that some people were just capable of impeccably concealing the truth. The inability to obtain answers had taken a toll on her grandson.
Lost in her thoughts, Lola didn’t realize they were already at the table. When she looked up, Tanaga was standing there waiting, holding onto the chair he had pulled out for her to sit in.
"Thank you, grandson!" She said, her smile mirroring the gentleness in her voice as she sat down.
Once she was seated, Tanaga pulled out another chair. Everyone assumed he was pulling this chair out for his wife. When Tanaga quickly sat in the chair, he had pulled out. Everyone watching was shocked. He didn’t offer it to Ashley or even invite her to sit beside him.
"Tanaga!" His grandmother cried out, giving him a stern look. "What kind of husband are you?" She scolded.
"What do you mean, Grandma? I don’t understand what you mean." Tanaga said. The innocent and confused expression on his face shamed his grandmother.
She gestured to Ashley with her hand. "Tanaga, look. Where’s your wife?"
"Huh? Oh, my God! I’m so sorry." Tanaga gasped and turned to look at Ashley, as she stood behind him.
"Sit!" He ordered as he pointed to the chair next to him. There was no sweetness in his voice now. It was as if he was telling a dog to sit, not speaking to his new wife. The Immigration Officers quickly took note of his tone.
The junior officer whispered to is superior, "Boss, I think we need to keep an eye on these two. He’s not very considerate of his wife to be so newly married. What do you think, boss?"
"Hmmm, you’re right. We’ll schedule monthly visits to see how things progress. I’d say it’s a strong possibility that this marriage is sham." The superior officer whispered in reply.
Tanaga noticed the officers muttering to each other and glancing at Ashley. There was no doubt they were talking about the couple. He quickly tried to distract them.
"Officers, please! Have a seat, eat before the food gets cold." Do they know? He asked himself as he contemplated their abilities. There’s no way, he reassured himself.
Ashley sat quietly, lost in her own thoughts.