JB3: The Governor's Secret[ PUBLISHED UNDER ETLUX OC PUBLISHING INC]

24

Narcido Jonas Juariz

Napatigil ako sa pagbaba sa ng hagdanan nang mag-ring ang cellphone ko. I clicked my tongue before answering the call. "What is it?"

"What took you so long to answer?" Ang iritadong tanong ng taong nasa kabilang linya.

"You don't need to know. What do you want?"

"How are you and your soon-to-be ex-family, Jonas?" he asked mockingly instead of answering my goddamn question.

"For the second time, what the fuck do you want, Nathaniel?" Nakakaubos talaga ng pasensya ang gagong to. He's so good at pissing me off.

"I have revised the conditions for your divorce. Ipapadala ko na ba mamaya?"

I clinched my jaw at the mention of divorce. That word always lit up a shitty fire inside me. It's twisting the shit out of my guts. I don't know if Nathan is purposely doing this to piss the hell out of me. But this bastard is doing a great job at making me.

"No. Ipapadala mo yan dito kapag sinabi ko. Kung iyan lang ang itinawag mo, ibababa ko na 'to." I was about to put the call down nang pigilan niya ako. "What is it this time?"

"Shanice is asking for you—"

"Don't entertain her and never tell her my location." Pagputol ko sa sasabihin nito. I stopped communicating with her after my fight with Denisse. For some reason her voice irritates me.

"Sure. Here's another one, Stanley Gonzales came by my office. He's asking for your whereabouts dahil ayaw mo raw sagutin ang mga tawag niya."

Napahigpit ang kapit ko sa cellphone matapos marinig ang pangalan ng nakakasuklam na tatay ni Denisse. Fuck that bastard.

"What else did he told you?" I demanded.

"Jonas, just a peice of advice. If you're going to divorce Denisse, do it now. Kukunin na ni Stanley si Denisse at ang mga bata. He told me about your marriage with Den and your plans of divorcing him. Since you cannot protect them for a long time it's better to give them ba—" Hindi ko pinatapos sa pagsasalita si Nathsn at walang pasabing pinatay ang tawag.

Give them back?! Give them back my ass. He forced me to take them back then yet now....

now what, fucker? What are they now?

I did not entertain my thoughts at ipinagpatuloy ang pagbaba sa hagdanan. Dumiretso ako sa sala kung saan ko iniwan ang kambal.

"Daddy, binigay niyo na po kay dada 'yong flowers po?" Janisse moved his eyes away from the TV and gave me a big smile.

I nod at him bago umupo sa sofa na naka pwesto sa likuran nito. They begged me—no, the two of them conspired againts me para payagan silang kumain sa sala habang nanonood ng paborito nilang cartoon. I don't know if I should be proud or be afraid with these two. The uncanny similarities between me and these two is quite scary.

"I did. Are you going to tell me now what your dada likes?"

"Dada likes us." Ang sagot ni Janisse.
I rolled my eyes at him and heaved out a sigh.

"Babe, that's obvious. Tell me specific things that he likes." Tumigil ito sa pagkain at tumingala sa akin.

"Daddy, why are you asking us po ba? Hindi ba dapat si dada tinatanong niyo po?" Ang naguguluhang tanong nito sa akin. If it was before, he'll definitely fool me again but not this time. Alam kong inaasar lang ako ng batang 'to. His personality reminds me so much of Nathan when he was still a kid.