"PLEASE, KAHIT NGAYON LANG, HMM?"
I sighed hard as I looked at the parcel in my hand.
"Bakit kasi hindi nalang ikaw ang magbigay?!" I asked.
"Eh, busy nga ako," the person on the other line said. "Tsaka, ano bang problema? Same building lang naman kayo ni Cliford, ah? Bigay mo nalang 'yung invitation then I'll see you later. Bye!"
"Hello? Hello?!"
I looked at my phone.
That woman!
Tiningnan ko muli ang parcel. Invitation ito para sa college batch reunion namin at sa akin pa pina-aabot ang invitation para kay Andrius. Cliford ang tawag sa kanya ng batch mate namin pero mas prefer ko siyang tawagin sa second name niya, ewan ko ba.
Ba't naman kasi ako pa ang magdadala?
Eh paano nalang kung mangisay ako sa sobrang kilig?!
I cleared my throat.
Bahala na!
Tiningnan kong muli ang pinto. Kahit kumatok ay hindi ko magawa. Nang maka-ipon ako ng lakas ng loob para kumatok, natigil naman ako nang may marinig akong sumisigaw sa loob.
"YOU'RE NOT MAKING ANY SENSE!" sigaw nito.
Bahagya kong binuksan ang pinto para makita kung ano ang nangyayari sa loob. Ang tumambad sa 'kin ay isang lalaki na naka tuxedo at nakatalikod. Sa harap n'ya ay si Andrius na napaka kalmado ng mukha.
Anong nangyayari?
"JUDGE CLIFORD ANDRIUS BLAKE, LET ME JUST REMIND YOU THAT WE ARE THE REASON BEHIND YOUR SUCCESS."
His voice sounded intimidating. Galit na galit ito at ramdam mo ang ginagawang pananakot.
"No, sir," Cliford Andrius said. "I AM the reason for whoever I am now."
I heard the guy scoffed.
Ano bang nangyayari?
Katatapos lang ng hearing kanina. The case was against the mayor's son na allegedly nakabundol at nakapatay. Courtney Spencer was the prosecutor and Cliford was the judge.
Could it be it?
"Tama nga sila," sabi ng lalaki. "Dapat hindi ka na namin inindorso para maging judge."
For the first time in few instances, I saw Cliford smirked.
"Didn't you endorse me because I was a top performer in our department and the first one who topped the BAR after the Constitution was amended?"
The guy laughed.
"That's given, honorable judge," he said, sarcasm in his voice. "But do you think we did that just for that? Come on, you're smarter than that."
Andrius smiled.
"Don't tell me you appoint judges to be your puppets?"
The guy laughed again. "I knew you were smart!"
Andrius smiled again and looked at the guy in the eyes.
"I'm afraid, mister," he said and the smile on his lips faded. "I'm no puppet."
"What?" the guy asked.
Andrius sat on the edge of his table.
"But of course, it depends on how will you bargain for me to drop the charges, right?"
Wait.
Don't tell me...
Magpapabayad s'ya?
Come on, Andrius. You're not as low as that!
BINABASA MO ANG
"Kill Me, Attorney." (Law Series #3)
Romance[PUBLISHED UNDER LIB] #3. "If I won't have you then might as well kill me, attorney."
