Good Riddance (DS #2)

Chapter 54

"You're welcome."

Sumingit ang mukha ni Santino sa gilid ng screen. "Mommy, Mommy, look at my shirt!"

The camera flipped and she saw Santino wearing a white shirt with "Daddy's boy" printed on it. "Daddy bought it for me! I'm a Daddy's boy!"

"Huh? But I thought you're Mommy's boy?" she pouted. Pilyong hagikgik lang ang sagot ng bata.

Pero ayos lang sa kanya. Umiinit pa nga ang puso niya kung mas paborito ni Santino ang Daddy nito.

Paborito rin naman niya si Jack, eh!

The camera flipped back to Jack's, then Santino sat on his father's lap. At saka lang napansin ni Blair ang suot na shirt ng asawa. White shirt din iyon at may naka-print na "Daddy".

"Terno pala kayo ng shirt! Kapag girl talaga ang next baby, mag-gaganyan din kami."

Blair can imagine it already. And then, the four of them would take a happy family picture!

"You better pray hard that it'll be a girl, then," ani Jack. "Kung lalaki ulit ay gagawin ko ng junior."

"Kung lalaki, kahit junior, gagawin kong Mommy's boy!" hindi papatalong sabi niya.

"Okay, good luck."

Parang nang-aasar ang tinig ni Jack! Magbibiro pa sana si Blair na kung hindi kaya siya umuwi? Eh, 'di sa kanya lang ang baby! Pero huwag na lang dahil bad joke iyon. Baka ma-praning na si Daddy Jack sa kanya. Saka nakikinig si Santino, baka maniwala.

"Anyway, gaano ba kayo katagal sa Manila? Bibisitahin niyo raw ni Kuya Bari si Kuya Sandro?"

"Mayroong annual consultation for the corporation's next business moves. I have some proposals. Your brothers wanted to evaluate it together. Ipe-present din iyon para sa anniversary ng mga kompanya..."

Blair dreamily sighed as she listened to Jack. He sounds more executive now than before. Hindi nito pinangarap na magpatakbo ng multi-media corporations.

Jack has always been humble, even towards his dreams. Isang publishing company lang, maligaya na ito.

But the Lord favors the humble.

Kaya't hindi lang publishing company ang pinamumunuan nito ngayon. Although, Kuya Sandro's the one running the Delos Santos Corp., Jack was the most qualified and perfect front. Not a Delos Santos, but the most favorite boss of the employees next to the late Ysabella Delos Santos.

Basta, kahit saan ilagay si Jack, pumapabor ang lahat rito. Blair can still remember how he won so many business awards before...

"Favorite ka talaga ni Lord, babe! May 'Best Publisher of the Year' award ka na naman!" Pinindot ni Blair sa iPad ang email galing sa isang prestigious award giving body para sa local publishing business ng bansa.

"Last year din nanalo ka nito. Tapos ngayon ulit! Mayroon ka pang 'Best News Article published in a Local Newspaper' award! And here, another one!'"

This Plaque of Honest Journalism on print category is hereby awarded to Mr. Jasiel Jacquin Salamanca Valleroso, the head director of Cronica Publishing Company under Delos Santos Corp., for printing and distributing resources with integrity and trustworthy content...

Nilingon niya ito. "Sabihin mo sa 'king hindi ka paborito ng Diyos? Hinakot mo lahat ng award, Jack! Pati sa stocks performance ng publishing companies, may award ka as one of the highest. You're so amazing, babe. Bakit ba ang galing-galing mo palagi?"