Missions for Love

Act #49: Prince Joash ♥

"That guy always fakes illness!" nanggigigil na bulalas ni Jao. Nasa garden sila habang nagta-tsaa kasama si Prince Niel na kumakain ng cake. "I hate to complain, but since we were children, whenever the situation got complicated, his health just conveniently fail. He's what you call a shut-in."

"What do your parents think of your brother?" tanong ni Areeya. Hawak nito ang kumakaing si Niel.

"How should I know? When he's around, we keep our mouth shut." Sagot ni Jao.

"Ah! Pero pinagtatangkahan niya ang 'yung buhay..." gulat na sabi ni Areeya.

"There's no proof. So bringing it up will just create disruption." Kinuha ni Jao ang kanyang cup of tea. "Siblings compete, but when parents find out, especially mother, they will make them cry. Besides, the old guy Rowland is behind this and is using my brother at his convenience. My brother doesn't have the guts to behave that way."

Napabuntung-hininga si Areeya. Nalulungkot siya sa magulong relasyon ni Jao at ng kuya niyang si Prince Joash.

Close siya sa lahat ng pamilya niya... maliban sa kanyang kuya.

"Is there something that can be done?" tanong ni Areeya. Napatingin si Jao sa kanya. "Your brother thinks you are competing for the throne, right? So if the misunderstanding could be cleared..."

Sadyang hindi tinapos ni Areeya ang sasabihin.

"I wonder..." turan ni Jao. "For as long as I can remember, that guy has always hated me. As the years passed, his body became weaker and he separated himself more and more until I rarely saw him. We talk and yet he ignores me and glares at me from a far."

"There are things I want to say, if we could only talk." Sabi ni Jao saka ini-relax ang katawan sa garden chair. "I feel incredibly bad..."

It isn't a political problem I guess...

"It's good that you are close to your siblings." Komento ni Jao.

"Ah, hindi ba't close kayo ng ate mo?" komento naman ni Areeya. "You are the spitting image of your older sister. At kung long hair ka, wala nang makakapuna nito."

Bahagyang natawa ang prinsipe. "Between a young man and an old hag, the skin resilience is different."

Isinandal ni Jao ang mga braso sa lamesa. Inilapit nito ang mukha sa pamangkin niyang kumakain ng matamis.

"You know when Adalene was pregnant, I wondered how would she be as a mother. To my surprise, she's raising Niel so well..." sabi ni Jao sabay kurot sa malambot na pisngi ni Niel.

"Huh... mama's gentle." Wika ng bata.

"No, no, she's a devil." Protesta ni Jao saka magkabilang pisngi na ang kinurot nito. "Challenging her little brother to a duel and then breaking his limbs, constitutes a devil."

"You shouldn't have accepted the losses."

Nagulat sila nang biglang may nagsalita mula sa likuran ni Jao. At di na kinailangan ni Jao ang lumingon upang tingnan kung sino ito dahil sa pamilyar nitong boses.