Chapter 24

Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 24

"I received a call from my cousin. He said that Karlos is married now and already has children of his own."

"So what? Why does it even matter to us?" Delilah grimaced in annoyance, but she decided to listen for now.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. If he tries to contact us, don't reply, no matter what he says. I heard he's living as a fisherman in a small bamboo house, probably struggling to make ends meet."

"Of course I won't reply. From the moment we left him in the province, we basically severed our ties. Just let him stay there and disappear from our lives. Hehe, fisherman, such a pathetic job. I bet he's trying his best to live like a rat scavenging for scraps."

Being a fisherman wasn't considered a respectable job by people in the capital. They preferred working in offices with air conditioning or running businesses where they could boss others around. They looked down on people who did hard labor such as farmers, fishermen, construction workers, those who earned money through sweat and calloused hands.

Delilah smirked as she imagined Karlos suffering under the extreme heat of the sun, pulling in nets just to survive another day, earning a few hundred pesos at best.

Emanuel slowly nodded, satisfied after confirming that Delilah had no intention of ever making contact with Karlos.

"I'll also have to talk to the kids later. I'll tell them not to contact Karlos or respond to any letters or calls they receive from him, no matter how emotional or dramatic his message might be."

He knew his two kids were never close to Karlos, even during childhood, so they probably wouldn't entertain him anyway. Still, it was better to speak with them directly and make sure they understood the family's stance.

"That's great to hear," Delilah agreed.

As they talked, they heard the front gate creak open. Delilah looked out the window and saw an old woman carrying a basket as she stepped through the gate.

"Mother-in-law is back." Delilah slightly smiled as her mood instantly lightened. She eagerly exited the room, with Emanuel following a few steps behind.

"Ivana, carry this basket."

The old woman, Bruha Alejandro, ordered the 15-year-old girl to carry her basket, which contained some groceries. Ivana nodded and carried it without protest, avoiding eye contact with her grandmother. Bruha was known for her dislike of girls due to her outdated beliefs. Among all three children, Bruha only loved the eldest grandson and ignored the rest.

"Mother-in-law, you're back!"

"Hm." Bruha gave a subtle nod while Delilah wiped the sweat from her forehead, barely hiding her excitement.

"Let's talk inside the house where it’s cooler and more comfortable."

The three adults sat down at the table while Ivana quietly began preparing the dishes.

"Phew, working as a maid for a rich family is really tiring. But I managed to steal some nice clothes and food from them, so it's alright, I guess. We're relatives, but they still made me work as a maid. How cruel is that? They should’ve just given me money and let the other maids do the work instead of making me scrub floors and clean toilets. We're family, after all."

"Mother-in-law, enough with the chit-chat and drama. You know what my husband and I want to know," Delilah said, licking her lips in anticipation.

"How's the third young master?"

"The third young master?" Bruha Alejandro grinned, pride shining in her aged eyes.

"He's doing fine. He just finished college."

"That's great! That’s great to hear!"

Delilah was so happy she nearly clapped her hands, while Emanuel nodded, clearly proud of the news.

.........

......

...

Two more days passed, and Karlos remained consistent with his fishing routine despite the exhaustion. Early in the morning, around 3 a.m., he woke up to trap crabs just like he always did. Over the course of those two days, Karlos earned about 9,000 pesos through relentless effort.

That brought his earnings to 19,000 pesos in four days, minus expenses like fuel, bait, and tips for the helpers and dock workers.

The people who helped push the boats out of the water were used to receiving tips, and Karlos couldn't change that tipping culture. So, he gave them at least 20 pesos every time he docked his boat on the beach.

Even so, earning 19,000 pesos in just four days was incredible and far above the average for local fishermen. Karlos knew that most crab trappers only earned about 1,000 to 2,000 pesos a day. But he was consistently earning about double that amount.

So today, he decided to give thanks to the Goddess of the Ocean who watched over his livelihood.

Every Sunday, the seventh day of the week, Karlos and his family would visit a small Ocean Church in their neighborhood to offer prayers and gratitude to the Goddess they believed in.

Karlos wore a blue, long-sleeved button-up shirt, black pants, and a pair of black shoes he only wore on special occasions. Even though he had been a fisherman for two years, it couldn't hide the fact that he had a certain swag about him that never faded.

He looked perfectly comfortable in his long-sleeved shirt, and his posture and confidence made him appear more like someone from the city than a fisherman. He resembled a professional of some kind. Heck, people might even mistake him for a model or a young executive. If Karlos dressed like this every day, he could probably seduce a rich woman without even trying.

"Look at Papa, he's so handsome and tall!" Maya squealed while carrying Arabella, who clapped her tiny hands. The little girl wore a lovely floral dress with bright pink ribbons.

Just like Arabella, Iñigo, who was sitting calmly, was also dressed adorably and formally. The baby boy wore a button-up shirt, black shorts, and matching tiny shoes.

The twins looked absolutely precious.

Of course, Maya also wore something nice. She had on a long yellow dress that extended down to her knees.

"Karlos..."

Maya bit her lip while staring at Karlos... Yeah, the couple would probably do the horizontal monster smash once the kids were asleep later.

Today was Karlos' day off. He didn't wake up early to fish for crabs like usual. Today was reserved for attending the Ocean Church and giving thanks to the Ocean Goddess for bountiful catches and safe journeys.

"Are you guys ready?"

Karlos carried Iñigo, who babbled and tugged at his collar.

"Yeah, let's go."

The church was within walking distance, about ten minutes away, so they didn’t carry much. Karlos locked the house before they left, just to be safe from thieves or nosy neighbors.

The family walked past their neighbors, who smiled and greeted them. Some were dressed formally as they were also headed to the Ocean Church for their weekly worship. Others wore regular clothes, as they followed different beliefs and didn’t worship the Ocean Goddess.

Karlos chose to worship the Ocean Goddess because, as a fisherman, he depended on the sea for survival.

When Karlos died in his past life, he met a congregation of deities in the afterlife, a strange realm filled with divine light. That encounter made him realize the gods were real and powerful beyond human understanding. Because of that, he placed his faith in the Ocean Goddess, one of the deities of this world, believing in her divine protection and presence.