Everyone was sitting at different corners, so Melinda clumsily picked the dishes and served them. She couldn't manage everything on her own.
Melinda was busy and started to sweat despite the chilly weather.
She stumbled on her feet as she opened the zipper of her coat. Jonas grabbed Melinda's arms and gave her a basket of vegetables and bamboo sticks. He couldn't see her struggle anymore.
"Sit here and prepare the vegetables for making kebabs. They have been washed clean,"
Jonas said as he looked after Melinda's work. Melinda was shocked by Jonas's thoughtfulness.
She grinned happily as it was an easy job. All she had to do was sit down and arrange the vegetables in the skewer.
Jonas served pre-cooked food and cakes as starters while Melinda prepared the grill for barbecue. Nelson and Aron went to the river for fishing.
Queena helped Jonas and Rey arrange everything as they set up a barbecue grill and a temporary stove. Queena started by boiling the water and Melinda finished skewering the vegetables.
She called Jonas to ask what she needed to do next. But he didn't say anything and let her do whatever she wanted.
It was a mellow morning and the cool breeze carried a warmth that instantly lifted Melinda's spirit. By the time dinner was ready, Nelson returned with succulent freshwater fishes.
"Jonas, I saw some flowers on the hillside. Why don't you and Mellie grab them so that we can decorate the table with them. Also, I want to post the pictures of WeChat moments?" Queena said.
Melinda's eyes lit up. She was clumsily sprawled on the grass and Jonas gave her a hand.
She bit her lip and took his hand as he pulled her to her feet.
The flowers in the suburb were swaying in the wind. Melinda carefully picked all the beautiful, bright ones and gave them to Jonas.
The colorful hillside stood out against the somber suburbs as the flowers bloomed during winter.
"These are beautiful. Take it."
Melinda beamed as she gave a bunch of flowers to Jonas. His hands involuntarily reached for the flowers, his eyes fixed on Melinda's beautiful face. The flowers faded in comparison to the bright smile on Melinda's face. Jonas dropped the flowers to the ground as his face became itchy.
"What are you... Jonas, what's the matter?"
Melinda's mouth popped open in shock. She was about to scold Jonas for not holding the flowers properly but she realized that something was wrong. Angry, red rashes formed on Jonas's flawless skin that gradually spread all over his face and arms.
"My body is itching,"
Jonas muttered. He didn't notice the rashes as his eyes were fixed on Melinda. She lunged forward and grabbed Jonas's hand as he was about to scratch his face.
"Stop! Don't scratch it."
Melinda held Jonas's arms and took him back to where everyone had assembled for dinner. Queena dropped the dishes when she saw Jonas's red face.
"Gosh! It looks like an allergy. Let's take him to the hospital right away."
The picnic came to a halt because of Jonas's allergy but no one could understand what he was allergic to. They were worried if it could be something else worse than an allergy.
Queena and Melinda took Jonas to the hospital, while Nelson left with Aron and Rey.
The short drive to the hospital felt like an eternity as Melinda's mind was swarming with all possibilities of Jonas's condition ranging from skin allergies to terminal illnesses.
Jonas was fine but Melinda broke into a cold sweat and the blood drained from her face.
Jonas knew that it was dangerous to scratch the rashes, so he resisted the urge and endured the torture in silence.
He saw that Melinda's body was trembling. She bit her bottom lip as she inspected Jonas's rashes. "Are you cold?" Jonas asked intently.
He saw that Melinda was nervous and tried diverting her.
"Yes," she mumbled and hugged him tightly.
Melinda always maintained a safe distance from Jonas and he was surprised by her reaction.
He pushed her away as he was afraid that it could be a contagious disease. He didn't want Melinda to suffer as well.
Queena was agitated and drove as fast as she could. When they finally reached the hospital, the doctor quickly assessed Jonas's condition and diagnosed that Jonas was allergic to pollen. Although his condition wasn't serious, the doctor insisted on him staying back until he fully recovered.
Queena's heart sank. She felt guilty for asking Jonas to bring the flowers. Moreover, being a mother, she didn't know what her son was allergic to. She couldn't stop blaming herself.
Jonas fell asleep after taking medicine. Queena and Melinda were sitting beside the bed. They had informed Nelson about Jonas's condition and asked him to stay back at home.
While everyone was worried about Jonas's allergy, Aron remembered that Jonas was negotiating a new business opportunity.
The business was very important for the company and if Aron used Jonas's absence to his advantage, he would be able to reap benefits.
Jonas woke up in the afternoon. He didn't know how long he might have to stay in the hospital, so he asked William to manage the office and business.
"You are hospitalized, Jonas. Can't you just stop worrying about the business?"
Queena asked worriedly. She had been after power and money before. Her son had worked hard to win the right to inheritance but nothing mattered to her anymore. Her family and son were important than anything else in the world. Queena couldn't see her son working hard by neglecting his health.
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