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From: "Haywood Jablomie" <dorsai@mail.com>
Subject: {ASSM} STORY: Kelly's Adventures Part 1 of 3 - (M/F, oral, cons)
Date: Thu,  9 Aug 2001 10:10:03 -0400
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Kelly's Adventures - Part 1 of 3 - (M/F, oral, cons)

by Dorsai

Copyright (c) 2001 - Dorsai@mail.com


LEGAL DISBLAMER
	Erotic fiction. Not legal for everyone everywhere. It's up to
you to know YOUR situation.


INFORMATION
	You can get a copy of this story in text and .pdf (Adobe
Acrobat) formats, and my other stories, at the alt.sex.stories
text repository at
		www.asstr-mirror.org
under my Author name of Dorsai. If you do, *PLEASE* make a
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us authors. They will accept any donation, and you can donate
anonymously - see their donations page to learn how.

    You can reach me directly at my public email account at:

		dorsai@mail.com

This story is released for FREE public distribution provided the
copyright notice is retained. This story is NOT FOR SALE at any
time, by anyone. This story may NOT be included in any
collections or posted on any site for which ANY type of fee or
other charge is required before the user can read it. I *WILL*
prosecute any violations of my copyright, or the terms of
distribution.

    For those wishing to provide feedback to me, or any other
author, there are a number of anonymous remailers available from
the site:

		http://www.1netcentral.com/anonymous-email.html


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Part One



My best friend in the world was Paul. 

Divorced with 3 kids, I helped him out in his job as a salesman
when I watched out for his kids when he had to go out of town on
business. They were good kids, so it wasn't much of a problem.
When his daughter, Jan, was in high school, I was watching out
for them one time when I accidentally interrupted her while she
was masturbating. 

That one event led to changes in my life that I had never even
considered: from getting her started on learning sex education on
the Internet (she and Paul's other kids attended Catholic
schools, where sex ed wasn't well thought of), things progressed
to introducing her, and her best friend Kelly, to physical
intimacy. 

Then things progressed to teaching several of their other friends
about love, and sex. When all was said and done, I'd deflowered a
half-dozen girls before they even graduated high school -
including Jan, with Paul's explicit permission. To top things
off, the extremely intelligent and attractive Kelly had fallen in
love with me, as I had with her, and moved in with me. After high
school, she'd gone on to attend college, majoring in mathematics
and philosophy. On graduation, she'd gone to work for me in my
engineering business.

She'd been working for me for a little over a year when one of my
customers (a loyal bunch - they knew that despite my rates, I was
actually *saving* them money with my designs) let me know that
they were seriously considering opening a manufacturing facility
overseas - specifically, the Philippines. Knowing I'd spent time
there while in the Navy, they asked me to take the lead on
finding them a good site for their plant. After a few days of
exhaustive discussions detailing what they needed, what they
wanted, what they'd like to have, costs for land/labor/materials,
and so on, I agreed. My job wasn't to actually sign any contracts
or anything; rather, I was to narrow down the number of choices
to a half-dozen or (preferably) less. That done, I'd go back with
a few of their people to make introductions and get things
started. From there, their own people could take over to make the
final selection, and seal the deal.

As I pointed out to them, my knowledge of the Philippines and its
people was limited, and likely years out of date. Their response
was to observe that it was still infinitely better than anyone
else's that they thought they could trust with the job.

With the details of who and what and when and where worked out,
we signed a contract for my services: I was to go there for a
period of four to eight weeks, returning with between two and six
potential sites that met a checklist of requirements necessary to
support their facility. I was also to return with the names of at
least two lawyers to represent them, and a detailed list of the
various legal and financial requirements they'd have to meet, as
well as the names and titles of any government officials that
they'd be dealing with. It wasn't a small task, and they knew it
- they didn't grumble in the slightest at the hefty fee I was
charging them.

They were willing to pay Business Class airfare; I got a price
quote for that rate to submit with my expense report, and then
bought First Class tickets. Yes, ticket*s*. Kelly had made it
quite clear early on that if I went on *any* business trip
without her, I'd come home to a house without her in it. I didn't
think she'd actually DO it, but she'd made her point. If I was
going to the Philippines, I wasn't going alone. The departure
date was for a good six weeks away - ample time to get passports
for me and Kelly, get my other clients set up to deal with my
absence, and make all the other arrangements. As always, my
secretary worked wonders for me, and I made a silent vow to bring
her something *extra* special from the Philippines.

Still, *I* had to deal with such things as doing some research on
the Philippines as it was at the time, and contacting a company
in the Philippines to arrange for a guide and driver. Then
contacting that guide - a Miss Marlyn Ramos, age 32 - to let her
know what I was going to be there for, and what places I wanted
to visit, so that SHE could make the hotel reservations and such
- ensuring that we got the best possible rates. From previous
experience, I knew that given a chance, too many businesses there
had Filipino (regular) and American (inflated to varying degrees)
prices for about everything. She was also the one to make contact
with the officials in the different cities that we expected to
visit, ensuring that we would have access to them when the time
came. At her suggestion, I agreed that she would be the one to
hire our driver - so that he could also pull duty as a guard for
us for increased pay. Americans weren't immune to the political
kidnappings that happened there, and she assured us that our
driver/guard would be there for more than mere appearances. With
the knowledge of what we were there for, and the main places we
wanted to go, I gave her authority to make additions to our
itinerary, and take care of the sequence and scheduling. She even
emailed us a brief description of her qualifications for the job,
along with her description and a digitized photo we could use to
help identify her at the airport. When Kelly saw it, she just
looked at it for a while, without saying anything. We responded
in kind, sending descriptions and digitized photos of the two of
us, as well.

With that taken care of, all that remained was to try to ensure
that the house didn't burn down and that our cat, Cat, didn't
starve while we were gone. Jan and the others quickly worked out
a system and schedule of who would be doing what, and when, to
make sure things would still be there when we got back. Every
last one of them flatly refused ANY kind of compensation or offer
I made them to repay them for their help; I quietly resolved that
they would NOT go unrewarded - I remembered the beauty and
delicacy of the silverwork I'd seen in Baguio, years before.

The fateful day finally arrived. Paul took time off from work to
take us, along with Jan and one of her friend, Sandra, to the
airport to see us off. We were flying a U.S. airline as far as
Los Angeles; from there it was Philippine Air Lines the rest of
the way. We got to the airport in plenty of time, and didn't have
any trouble getting our tickets in hand, or our baggage checked
through. Kelly and I both kept a carry-on, though, with a couple
changes of clothes in it - while I expected our luggage to arrive
with us, it wasn't something I was willing to bet money on. Paul
and the rest kept us company as we made our way toward the gate -
even going through the security checkpoint with us so they could
stay with us as long as possible. Jan and Sandra were both
terribly jealous of Kelly getting to go with me; Kelly was both
frightened and excited at the prospect: her biggest adventure to
that point had been when her parents had taken her on vacation to
Canada one summer, when she was still a child. 

Finally, it was time: Paul and the others gave us a final hug and
kiss (okay, Paul only kissed Kelly) before watching us head down
the jet way to our plane. As the plane backed up, we could see
them watching us through the big terminal windows. We waved, and
they saw us well enough to wave back before we lost sight of
them.

The flight to L.A. was pretty typical. Granted, in First Class we
got a little better treatment than the thundering heard in Coach.
But really, at 30,000 feet and 400 miles an hour, what can you
DO? Things improved somewhat after our two-hour layover in L.A.,
and we boarded the flight to Manila, via Hawaii and Hong Kong.
Once airborne, the flight attendants (all young, female, and cute
as could be) quickly began pampering us. When one of them brought
us our drinks, I thanked her in Tagalog, the 'common language' of
the Philippines - it being slightly more common than English, and
a definite improvement over the multitude of local dialects. She
looked surprised at my "Salamat po!" (honorific version of "Thank
you"), and asked where I'd learned Tagalog. I told her that I'd
been stationed there, and was going back on business. I added
that my wife and business assistant - indicating Kelly - was
going with me; her first trip outside the U.S. The flight
attendant told us her name was Mhay, and that she would be happy
to come back and visit with us. Kelly thanked her, and Mhay
dimpled prettily before moving on to take care of some other
passengers.

Kelly leaned over to whisper in my ear "She is such a *doll*!"
then looking around and adding "They ALL are! Are all the women
there this pretty?"

"Nope. Most, but not all. These are the cream of the crop, so to
speak. They don't have any problems there about hiring practices,
so the airline is free to hire only the prettiest young girls
they can find. A job like this - travel, good pay, plenty of
chances to meet eligible men - is highly desirable, so they don't
lack for applicants."

Kelly poked me in the ribs, and said "No, really, what are they
like?"

"I just told you. Think about it - do you think a businessman on
a trip wants to look at the guy that served US on the way to
L.A., or somebody that looks like one of THESE? Then think about
WHY the airlines would hire that guy anyway."

She looked at me doubtfully, but thought it over, finally telling
me "Okay, I can see your point. You mean this airline can really
DO that? I mean, just hire the pretty young girls and no one
else?"

"Sure. It's a fairly poor country, so the general attitude is
that ANY job is better than NO job; and nobody's inclined to fuss
at the companies that have the jobs. Besides, it's their country
and their rules. If you don't like it bad enough, don't go
there."

She gave me another doubtful look, and I went on to explain
"Kelly, this is something that you need to understand, completely
and fully, before anything else: we are going to a FOREIGN
COUNTRY. It is NOT a suburb of Los Angeles or New York or
anyplace else in the United States. It is THEIR COUNTRY, and THEY
make the rules. *WE* ARE THE FOREIGNERS. I've traveled through a
lot of Asia, without any problems, by keeping that in mind AT ALL
TIMES. Give them half a chance and you'll probably find the
people we meet to be friendly, courteous, and helpful - but never
lose sight of the fact that it's THEIR country and THEIR culture.
We can learn to get around in it. But if we're not careful, we
run the risk of assuming we KNOW it when we don't - by getting
too comfortable and confident - and making a mistake that gets us
into trouble. When the stewardess gets back, I can give you an
example."

Kelly looked surprised, but nodded her agreement. A few minutes
later, Mhay reappeared, telling us "I have a few minutes before
we start the meal, if you would like."

I assured her that we certainly WOULD like, and she took a seat
on the armrest of an empty seat on the aisle. She looked at us
expectantly, and I spoke up, saying "Mhay, this is Kelly's first
trip outside the United States, and I am trying to help her
understand that not all places have the same customs. If you
would be kind enough to help me, I think I can help her
understand what I am talking about."

Mhay assured me that she would be happy to help, and I asked her
to show us how she would gesture for someone to come over to her.
She nodded, the stuck her arm out before letting her hand drop
toward the floor. Kelly looked at her quizzically, and I asked
Mhay "Why do you do like that?"

She answered "Because that is the nice way."

I went on to ask her "You know how Americans do it, right?"

She nodded, and said "You can do that, too, but it is only for
servants or like that. The other is the polite one."

I turned to Kelly, and said "You heard her. The way WE would
normally gesture someone over, by crooking a finger at them, is
the RUDE way. If you did that anywhere in the Philippines, you
would almost certain cause a problem. But doing it the RIGHT way
- for the Philippines - would make people think you were polite.
It's just the REVERSE of that old saying: different folks,
different strokes." - making her smile at that last part.

We heard someone say something in Tagalog, and I saw Mhay turn
her head and nod to the speaker. When she turned back, I asked
her "You have to go back to work now?" She smiled and nodded, and
I thanked her for her help. She said it was her pleasure, and I
asked her if she would be able to come back and help me practice
my Tagalog, and maybe learn some new words. Her whole face lit
up, and she assured me that she and the others would be happy to
help however they could.

When she was gone, I told Kelly "You saw how she perked up when I
asked her to help me learn more Tagalog?" Kelly nodded, and I
went on "The one constant I found in my travels was that if the
local people can see that you're at least TRYING to learn and fit
in, they'll be happy to help you - sometimes even going out of
their way to do it. You can mangle the language, botch a custom,
or foul up a ceremony, and they'll forgive you - as long as they
can see you're TRYING. If I asked Mhay or any one of the others
how good my Tagalog is, they'd assure me it was fine - except
that I already *know* my pronunciation is bad, and my accent
worse. But I TRY, and that's what counts."

Kelly nodded her understanding, and I told her "While we're in
the Philippines, you'll see me do different things, and say
different things. CAREFULLY watch and listen, not just to me, but
to the Filipinos we meet, and I think you'll get the idea. Until
then, don't be afraid to explain yourself before answering
questions, or asking for help before doing things. Don't hesitate
to tell someone that you don't know how to do something the
Filipino way. Even if you get it wrong, they won't be upset
because you at least made the effort."

Kelly put her head on my shoulder and hugged my arm before saying
"You sound like you had a lot of fun traveling around."

"I did. Made a lot of mistakes, got confused a lot, was
*constantly* lost, but sure, I had a blast. Anyplace I went, the
first things I tried to learn was some key phrases in the local
language."

"Such as?"

"Such as 'Hello', 'Thank you', and most important 'where's the
bathroom?'" - earning myself a giggle. I continued by telling her
"Actually, I did have a lot of fun. Met a lot of nice people, and
visited a lot of pretty and interesting places. Learned a lot,
both about the countries and the people in them - how their
cultures worked, how they evolved, stuff like that."

"Ever get into trouble?"

"Never anything serious enough to get arrested for."

She tilted her head back to give me the fisheye; I was saved from
having to explain myself right then and there by the reappearance
of Mhay, who let us know that they would be serving lunch soon,
and asking what we'd like, after detailing our choices. Kelly
simply looked at me, waiting for me to decide for both of us:
we'd been given a choice between braised beef and a Filipino
dish, chicken adobo. It took me only a moment to decide - we'd go
with the chicken adobo. After Mhay left, I described what the
meal would be to Kelly: essentially, a chicken `stew' with plenty
of vegetables, served over rice. Several minutes later, Mhay
returned with out meals. After taking a tentative bite, Kelly's
face lit up as she told us "This is *good*!" - and getting a
smile from Mhay before she left to take care of her other
passengers.

Shortly after Kelly and I had both removed the last molecule of
the adobo from our plates, Mhay turned up again to take them back
to the galley. With our trays cleared, she came back again to ask
if there was anything else we'd like.

"Isang sarbisa, paki", I answered. A GI *never* forgets how to
order beer, no matter WHAT the language.

Mhay nodded, and I continued "San Miguel?", and she noddedagain.

Mhay waited patiently when Kelly asked me what I'd just ordered.
When I told her I'd asked for a beer ("Isa is `one', add `ng' to
the end for grammar; sarbisa is beer, paki is please"),
specifically a San Miguel brand, she indicated she'd like to try
one, too. I looked up at Mhay, and said "Dalawang, paki". She
smiled her understanding, and left us to return a few moments
later with two cold bottles of San Miguel, and two glasses. Kelly
and I both carefully filled the glasses before taking a sip;
again, Kelly's eyes lit up at the taste.

Kelly and I had both gone through about half our beer when Mhay
showed up again, along with one of the other stewardesses. She
introduced us, saying "This is my friend - kaibigan in Tagalog -
Cherry". I could feel Kelly start to giggle next to me, and I
discretely nudged her to indicate that it wasn't the time for
that. She quickly got control of herself, and told Cherry "It's
nice to meet you.", followed by my own greeting.

Mhay told us "Cherry wants to practice her English - she already
speaks Chinese - so she will be helping me."

I could see on Kelly's face that she was surprised that the cute
little Cherry already spoke _another_ language, and wanted to
practice yet a different one. I assured both of them that we
would be happy to help, and thanked them for taking the time to
help US.

For the next couple of hours, the two of them coached both Kelly
and I in pronunciation and expanding our grammar as we coached
Cherry - who took our polite corrections in the good will that
they were intended. A few times, Mhay and Cherry both laughed
when Kelly or I (or both) badly mispronounced a word, and started
to blush at embarrassing us - until Kelly and I laughed along
with them, and assured them that we thought it was funny, too. As
it sank in that we weren't going to play at being `Important
People', they gradually became even more friendly, and willing to
correct our errors.

When they finally had to leave to take care of their other
duties, Kelly and I both had a secure grasp on several key
phrases, and had passable pronunciation.

When Mhay and Cherry were both out of earshot, Kelly leaned over
to tell me "Never before in my LIFE have I heard anyone with the
name `Cherry' - I nearly laughed when Mhay introduced her!"

"I know - that's why I nudged you" - "Nudge, my foot; I thought
you were going to cave in a rib!" Kelly exaggerated - "to let you
know not to. Something else you need to know is that the country
we're going to is roughly ninety percent Catholic; it seems like
about two girls in three has the first name of `Maria', so it's
pretty common for them to use nicknames. There's no telling what
you'll hear somebody called, so try to remember that no matter
what it sounds like to YOU, it's somebody's NAME, okay?"

That sobered her considerably, and she thought things over for
the next several minutes as I finished off the remains of the
latest beer Mhay had brought me - my excuse being that I needed
to keep my vocal cords well lubricated.

Finally, she spoke up again, telling me "It really *is*
different, isn't it? I really didn't _understand_ what you were
telling me about customs and cultures and all of that; at least,
not until we got on this name thing. I started thinking about
what you said, about people's names; and I suddenly realized that
MY name could be laughed at, too - like in `Kelly green'. I know
*I* wouldn't like it much, and that gave me a different
perspective; it kind of put me in Cherry's shoes. Now I really DO
understand that we're going to a different place with different
rules. Before, it was still kind of abstract, but now it's REAL.
If she comes back, I think I have to apologize to Cherry."

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

"Why not?"

"Because if you apologize, there's a real risk that she wouldn't
understand what you're apologizing ABOUT - remember, to her, it's
a perfectly reasonable name - and you might find yourself trying
to explain WHY you thought you were giving offense. And like I
told you, the Philippines is like 90 percent Catholic, and not
particularly `liberal' about such things as sex; the girls there
are EXPECTED to be virgins right up to the time they're married,
so your explanation would likely embarrass the hell out of her,
if not outright offend her."

Kelly thought that one over for a bit, and said "I see your
point. Better to just let it go this time, and learn from it."

"That's it. And just so you know, we're probably going to run
into people with names that cause just the opposite reaction."

"Such as?"

"Such as we meet a girl - though possibly a boy! - called `Baby'.
She, or he, will likely be the youngest child, and that's what
they've been called all their life. Doesn't mean anything to
them, particularly, but to us it's a different matter: Baby could
be a term of denigration or endearment, and you might find
yourself having trouble using it without adding the emotional
value we Americans would give it."

I watched as she rolled that one around in her mind for a while
before asking "So what do I do, then?"

"What I found works for me is to use my emotions as a kind of
alarm system - if something hits me that brings up an emotion, I
use that as a way to kind of `flag' it for INTELLECTUAL
processing, rather than just responding to it immediately. If I
have trouble saying or doing something because of the way it
makes me feel, I stop a moment to examine why - and deal with it
then, rather than let it tie me up in knots. If I can't settle it
any other way, I just remind myself that it's their country and
their rules, not mine, and go from there."

Kelly nodded her understanding, and got thoughtful again. She
stayed that way until a couple hours later, when Mhay and Cherry
showed up again. Remembering our previous lessons, she greeted
them in Tagalog, and thanked them in it when they told her she
was doing very well.

Cherry and Mhay both gave us language lessons a couple more times
during our flight to Manila; after Kelly and I had our talk, she
was appreciable more intent on the language lessons, and much
more willing to ask Cherry or Mhay the *why* of a certain phrase.
She showed more interest in asking them cultural and situational
questions - what do I do if..., how should I..., and so on. Being
female as Cherry and Mhay were, Kelly thought of things that
simply wouldn't have occurred to me - and I learned even more
about the culture in the process.

We finally made it to Manila, and made it through Customs without
any problems. Baggage in tow, we made our way out of the secure
part of the airport to the receiving area for our flight. Tired
as we were, it still didn't take us long to spot Ms. Ramos.

She seemed to recognize us about the same time, and moved to meet
us as we headed toward her. Straight black hair to the middle of
her back, a little button of a nose, full lips, dark eyes, and a
nicely curved figure, she was a delight to look at with her
smooth, clear complexion. Standing a full 5 feet, 2 inches tall,
Kelly and I both towered over her.

"Mr. and Mrs. Andrews? Welcome to the Philippines."

"Mabuhay (Greetings)" I told her, followed by Kelly asking "Kumu
sta ka?" (How are you?).

Ms. Ramos got a delighted smile on her face, and answered
"Mabuhay! Mabuti!" ([I'm doing] Fine!).

She looked at both of us for a moment, then asked "How is it that
you know Tagalog?"

I explained to her that I'd been there while serving in the Navy
(I saw what she thought of THAT), and that both of us had asked
for - and gotten - language lessons from a couple of the
stewardesses on the plane. Through a twist of fate, I saw Mhay
and Cherry walking a little distance from us, and pointed them
out to Ms. Ramos. About that time, Mhay happened to look in our
direction and saw us. She smiled and waved at us, then nudged
Cherry, who did the same. I was proud of Kelly when she
remembered to extend her arm and let her hand drop to gesture
that we'd like them to come over. Both readily changed direction
toward us, and in a few moments, they were in an animated
conversation with Ms. Ramos. When they were done, Mhay and Cherry
both told us it was nice to see us again, and wished us well.
Kelly and I reciprocated, and the two of them headed back the
direction they'd been going while Ms. Ramos watched.

When they were out of earshot, Ms. Ramos told us "You pleased -
and surprised - both of them very much with your willingness and
ability to learn to speak Tagalog. Cherry in particular is
grateful for your help in letting her improve her English."

Then she looked at me speculatively, and said "There aren't many
U.S. sailors that come to our country that take the time or
effort to learn our language, Mr. Andrews."

"Please, call me Dan - and this is Kelly. I'm sorry to say that I
know that, Ms. Ramos." - "It would be Miss Ramos, but I think
Marlyn would be better since we'll be together for a while." -
"But the Philippines isn't the only country I spent time in, and
I found that I LIKED to learn about the places I was lucky enough
to visit. I also found that it was easier to get the help that I
so often needed if I was able to speak at least a LITTLE bit of
the language. I have no illusion that I am fluent in Tagalog; but
I hope that I can at least be POLITE."

She listened to that, and when I was done, told me "Yes, I think
that you were probably the kind of visitor that we LIKE to have
here, Dan." Then she turned to Kelly and said "I was told that
this is your first trip to our country. You impressed Cherry and
Mhay very much with how quickly and well you learned the Tagalog
they were able to teach you. And Mhay was *very* pleased that you
remembered how to show them you wanted them to come over here. It
isn't often that we get visitors that take the time to learn OUR
way of doing things."

Kelly answered her by saying "Dan was able to explain a few
things to me on the flight here, and help me understand that *I*
am the foreigner, now. I am sure that I am still going to make
mistakes, but I would hope that you would be kind enough to
correct me, so that I don't make any more than I have to. This is
a new place for me, and I know that I have a lot to learn - I
don't want to be an `Ugly American'".

Marlyn smiled at that, and told her "You are too pretty to be an
*ugly* American anywhere - but I understand what you mean. I'll
be happy to help." She went on to tell us "Your driver is waiting
out front with the car. If you'll give me moment, I'll get him to
help with your luggage. Please, wait here."

I assured her we wouldn't move from that very spot, and she
smiled at me before heading for the door. True to her word, she
was back in a minute or so with a very fit-looking middle aged
man. When they were standing in front of us, Marlyn told us "This
is your driver and bodyguard, Bhoy". I could see Kelly thinking
*that* over as Marlyn went on "He is retired from the Philippine
Army, and even served a tour in Viet Nam, so he really is
qualified as a bodyguard. He works as a driver and guard only to
have something to do, and to make a little extra money. I've
worked with him before, and he is very good and very helpful. As
I told you in the email, we won't be going anyplace where there
is any real risk; he is here more as an insurance policy, I think
you would call it."

I told her "I understand, and thank you."

She smiled again, and said "It is I who thank you, Dan. Ours is a
poor country, so anyone who is bringing jobs for our people is
someone we want to take care of. If you're ready, we can get you
to your hotel now."

Kelly and I both indicated that we thought that was a fine idea,
and Bhoy quickly moved to take command of the three largest of
our bags, while Marlyn picked up a fourth. Kelly and I both tried
to protest, since we were left with only our carry-on bags, but
Bhoy and Marlyn both ignored us as they led the way out of the
terminal.

Once outside, Kelly immediately knew why I'd `suggested' (all but
TOLD her to wear) light clothing for the flight: we were hit with
heat and humidity that was happily very rare in our part of the
U.S. I watched, too, as Kelly tried not to react to the varied
smells that hit us - the combination of odors that any large city
in the tropics develops: auto exhaust, decaying vegetation, and
too many people - all leavened with heat and humidity. For
someone who'd never been exposed to it before, it can be a real
assault on the senses.

Once Bhoy had stowed the luggage, we all piled in. Bhoy drove, of
course, while Marlyn took shotgun; Kelly and I were left with
plenty of space in the back. I was more than a little surprised
when Marlyn had Bhoy drive us past the monumental garbage piles
near the airport as we made our way to the hotel. When Kelly saw
it, I saw her turn pale and her expression change slightly when
she saw the number of people digging around in it. A little
farther along, we passed a shantytown, and Kelly saw the crude
shacks that lacked even the most basic plumbing. I heard Kelly
draw a breath, and quickly squeezed her hand to let her know to
keep quiet. When she looked at me, I mouthed the word `later',
which she understood to mean that we'd talk about it in private.
As we got closer to the hotel, Kelly started noticing the traffic
- and I saw her flinch a few times when she thought we were going
to have an accident. I suppose I should have warned her about the
insane Manila traffic.

When we got to the hotel, the outside staff quickly got the van
unloaded while the desk clerk (five feet of condensed cute) got
us checked in. Ready to head up to our rooms, I turned to Marlyn
and said "If you don't mind, I would like for us to go over your
plans for our trip this evening. I would be delighted if you
would join us for supper in a few hours, after we've had time to
rest from the flight, and clean up a little."

Marlyn answered "I was thinking the same thing, except for the
dinner part - but I accept. What time would you like me here?"

I checked my watch to find that it was getting close to 3:00 PM.
"How about seven o'clock, then?" I asked, and she readily agreed.
I went on to say "I don't think we'll be going very far tonight.
Do you think that we should ask Bhoy to stay?"

She thought it over, and answered "No, I don't think you need to.
This is a good hotel, and there isn't any trouble around here.
Just don't go more than a few blocks, and you should be fine - I
think you know what places you will be safe in. Once we leave
Manila, though, you will want to let Bhoy know what your plans
are, since he can help you better than I can."

"Then that's what we'll do; thank you. We'll see you at seven,
then?"

She nodded, and we parted company.

Up in our room, I tipped the bellboy when he'd unloaded our
luggage, and he left happy - carefully closing the door behind
him. Kelly and I both had a look around the rooms (it was
actually a small suite) before both of us released a sigh of
relief. I was the first to start undressing, but Kelly didn't
hesitate to follow my example. In just a few moments, both of us
were naked as we headed for the bed to lie down.

As the air conditioning dried the thin film of sweat from our
bodies, Kelly looked at me and said "I couldn't BELIEVE that pile
of garbage, and how all those people were digging through it!
What were they doing there? And what about that place with all
those shacks? I thought I saw some woman actually PEEING behind a
bush!"

"That garbage pile is actually kind of famous - every so often, a
chunk of it falls over and kills a few people. All the people you
saw on it actually LIVE there; they dig through all the stuff
trying to find things they can sell for food or clothing or
anything else they need."

"But it's GARBAGE!"

"So? Haven't YOU ever thrown away something that was still good,
just because you didn't want it any more? We recycle aluminum at
home, but here, it's not so important - so there's plenty of
aluminum cans and other stuff for them to dig out and sell. It's
not fun, but for most of them, it's do that or starve. I know
which one *I'd* prefer."

I went on to tell her "And that bunch of shacks we saw is a poor
neighborhood, is all. The woman you saw probably WAS peeing
behind a bush; damn few of those places have running water
inside, never mind actual toilets. But even the people in those
shacks are better off than the ones at the dump, aren't they?"

She looked at me as though she couldn't believe I was saying all
of that as matter-of-factly as I was.

I told her "Kelly, I'll tell you again: this is a POOR country.
Up until the end of World War II, the Philippines was a U.S.
possession that we got when we won the Spanish-American war.
After that war, the U.S. government really screwed them over when
they started fussing that they wanted to be their own country.
Try reading up on the Philippine `Insurrection' sometime. We
didn't get around to `giving' them their independence until after
World War II. For the last couple hundred years, they've always
been under someone else's control; it's taking them a while to
figure out how to do stuff on their own. Shucks, OUR country had
a tough time getting going after we got OUR independence from
England."

She looked at me doubtfully, and I went on "It's true, Kelly.
None of the countries that has had control over the Philippines
has done them any favors. The Spanish laid the Catholic religion
on them, and look what's happened: the Church doesn't believe in
birth control, so they've got more people than they know what to
do with here. There are only so many jobs and other work to go
around, so the surplus population is left holding an empty bag -
if they're lucky enough to have the bag. They've also got a
corruption problem; I expect _that's_ a freebie from the Spanish,
too - it seems to be a pretty common problem in ALL the countries
Spain `discovered'. So, because of the corruption, the people
with power and money tend to get MORE power and money, while
everyone else loses out. It's almost as though the average person
*expects* their politicians and government officials to be
crooks; the only time anything significant happens about it is
when it gets too blatant. Hell, look at what Marcos did here:
when they got fed up enough to chase him out, he left the country
with many, many millions of dollars - on a salary of a few
thousand a year. Part - no, *most* - of the reason Marlyn is with
us is to help me figure out who has to be paid how much for what,
if my client builds a facility here. Sure, my client is going to
get tax breaks and all that - but they'll be paying some of it
back under the table, you can bet on it. *I* know it, my client
knows it, and Marlyn knows it. The definition of an honest
politician here is one that STAYS bought after you've paid him.

"No, it's not `right', by our standards. But it's THEIR COUNTRY.
It's up to THEM to decide what to do with it, and when. The only
problems they have are the ones THEY recognize, and decide to
change THEIR way. All we can do is offer help they're willing to
accept: bringing in jobs and money to help them develop a larger
middle class, and stabilize a shaky economy. We can come in, and
when they let us, SHOW them the benefits of some of what we do;
and help them recognize the problems they have, and show them
possible solutions. But until THEY decide what changes they want
to make, and how to make them, all we can do is let them run
their country their way. We wouldn't like it if they started
trying to tell us how to run OUR country, so we have to show them
the same restraint in return."

I finished up by telling her "I'm not sure why Marlyn took us by
those places; I KNOW there are other ways out of the airport.
When we've gotten to know her a little better, I'll ask her - but
I'm not really expecting any kind of real answer, either."

Kelly listened to all of this, and when I was done, I saw her
give a small shudder as she thought about what she'd seen.

The only consolation I could offer her was to say "I know, Kelly.
I don't like it, either. But by being here, we ARE helping; and
if things work out, we'll have helped even more."

"How?" she asked.

"While we're here, we're spending money - good old U.S. dollars -
that they didn't have in their economy before. The money we're
spending is going into the pockets of the people here, more than
the politicians. Marlyn has as much as a couple months of work
while we're here - and the money she earns will be spent on
things that make jobs for OTHER Filipinos. We've got a driver and
bodyguard; he only has to work because he wants to - but the
money we pay him will be spent to increase HIS life style a
little. For all we know, he'll throw away enough aluminum and
other stuff to feed a couple of those families on the garbage
mountains for several DAYS. When we leave Manila, more of the
money we spend will stay in the local economies - which means
that they'll have that much more for things like schools and
such; maybe some child will have a textbook that they wouldn't
have if we HADN'T come here. If my client builds a facility here,
they'll be hiring Filipinos - creating jobs that wouldn't have
existed otherwise. The folks they hire will spend THEIR money,
making jobs for the things other Filipinos make - who will spend
THEIR money, and so on. Yes, a fair chunk of the money will be
wasted because of the corruption. BUT, and this is important,
most of it WON'T - there will be kids that are able to go to
school and learn that it doesn't HAVE to be this way. There will
be parents that don't have to spend all their time just trying to
survive; and with more `free' time, they'll be able to pay more
attention to what's happening around them, and why it's happening
- and change things, if they want. When they've had a taste of a
better life for themselves and their kids, you can be damn sure
they're not going to want to go back - which will put pressure on
the corrupt politicians to actually DO something to help the
people - if for no other reason than to stay in their profitable
government jobs."

"It isn't much, is it?"

"No, not really. But it's SOMETHING."

"It won't happen very fast, either, will it?"

"No. But better to happen slowly, than not at all."

Kelly sighed deeply, and said "I guess when you've got nothing,
ANYTHING is *something*."

A moment later, she looked at me and said "Promise me that if we
get a chance, we'll do something more - even if it's just for ONE
person."

"If we can, we will. You already know that."

She sighed again, and answered "Yeah, I know - but I just wanted
to make sure."

By unvoiced agreement, we decided to let the subject drop in
favor of a good cuddle. When Kelly saw my eyelids start drooping,
she got up to dig out the wind-up alarm clock I'd brought along.
She quickly set the time, then the alarm; after making sure it
was fully wound up, she set it on the night stand and lay next to
me again. I don't think that it was more than a few minutes
before both of us fell asleep, exhausted from the flight.


It wasn't the alarm clock that woke me up, but the feeling of
Kelly's warm mouth wrapped around my erect penis. When I looked
down at her, her eyes gleamed as she released me long enough to
tell me "This seemed like a *much* nicer way to wake you up than
that damn clock!"  We'd tested it before we left, and both of us
found it an *extremely* effective - if unpleasant - way to wake
up.

Taking me back into her mouth, she easily slid her lips down me
until her nose was touching my pubic hair, before lifting her
head again. After all the time that we'd lived together and been
married, it still amazed and delighted me that she was so able to
get me going like this. I watched her for a minute or so,
enjoying the sensations she was creating, and the effect she was
having on my libido - but it wasn't much longer than that before
I wanted to return the favor. We'd been together long enough that
she recognized the signs, and without prompting, started to move
herself around so she could straddle my head.

When she got close enough, I helped guide her leg over me, and
quickly lifted my head to sample the nectar that I still loved:
spicy and sweet at once, it was a flavor I never got tired of.

With the taste of her on my tongue, I pulled my head back a bit
to have a look at her womanly flower: thin vaginal lips fully
extended and parted, framing the glistening entrance to her
womanhood; her Mound of Venus covered with a dark, dense, but
surprisingly short and soft pubic hair. At the top of her cleft,
her larger-than-usual clitoris was erect, and clearly visible. No
matter how many times I saw it, the vision of her sex always
delighted me.

Lifting my head again, I ran my tongue between her labia to
collect another taste of her essence before putting my mouth over
her mons. Forming a rod with my tongue, I slid it into her
opening as though it were a miniature erection, and started
making love to her with it. I heard her moan of pleasure, and
felt its vibrations in my erection. Mischievously, I timed my
penetrations of her to be OPPOSITE to the way she was sliding her
lips up and down my manhood - as she was taking my penis IN, I
was pulling my tongue OUT, and vice-versa. I'd done that to her
before, and she told me that it always made her feel as though
she was at opposite ends of the same penis - and got her *very*
aroused. As I'd expected, it had the desired effect this time,
too - in less than a minute, I could tell that she was getting
even wetter and hotter inside as she started slowly hunching her
pelvis against my face, trying to get more of my tongue inside
her.

Sadly, I couldn't hold my tongue like that for as long as SHE
would have liked. I finally had to let my tongue muscles relax a
bit, and moved my attentions to her clitoris to begin softly
`milking' it with my lips. That was something that she
particularly enjoyed, and I felt her clitoris stand out even more
from my attentions. I felt her deep-throat me a few times before
she started dancing her tongue along the underside of my penis -
she knew what *I* liked, too!

I continued tending to her nubbin for another couple of minutes
before I felt the overflow of her essences touch my lip. Taking
her clitoris between my lips, I softly sucked on it for a few
seconds as I fluttered the tip of my tongue across it *ever* so
lightly; and heard/felt her groan of pleasure as she pressed her
pelvis against my face. When she paused to take a breath, I
quickly moved to put my mouth over her opening again, and began
lapping her secretions from between her vaginal lips as though
she were the Flavor of the Month. Her response was to spread her
legs more, inviting me to continue; which I gladly did. It wasn't
long before I let myself start dipping my tongue into her again,
delving into the source of her precious oils.

When I'd exhausted the immediate supply, I decided to stimulate
production by taking one of her labia in my mouth and gently
sucking on it as I softly pulled at it with my lips. She
deep-throated me a couple more times, then went back to gently
sucking on me as the let her tongue and lips wander along my
length.

It didn't take much longer before the pleasure of what I was
doing to her - and what she was doing to me! - began to have
their effect, and I felt my scrotum begin to tighten up. With
Kelly cupping it in her hand, she knew when it happened, too, and
quickly increased her efforts to bring me to a climax. I didn't
want to leave her `hanging', and reciprocated by focusing my
attentions on her still-erect clitoris by circling it with my
tongue as I applied varying degrees of pressure to it. I knew my
actions were having the desired effect when I felt her start a
rhythmic thrusting of her hips against my face as I continued to
stimulate her sensitive nubbin. Even as she was responding to MY
actions, I was responding to HERS - I could feel myself getting
closer and closer to my release as Kelly continued to use her
mouth and lips and tongue to stimulate me.

I finally got her to the brink of orgasm, and held her there for
several long seconds before pushing her over the edge with a
rapid fluttering of my tongue across her clitoris. When her
climax started, she pressed her mons against my lips, and I
happily started a gently sucking on her clitoris in time with her
spasms. What I didn't expect was the prolonged moan of pleasure
she released, and how quickly it would push me into my own
release - even as she was drawing a breath after the first wave
passed through her, I was flooding her throat with my seed. It
was a challenge for both of us to continue our attentions to the
other, but we managed; when it was over, Kelly all but fell off
of me to lay at my side, both of us gasping for breath as we
tried to recover from our pleasure.

Kelly was the first to move as she slowly managed to turn herself
around so that she was laying head-to-head with me. I managed to
roll onto my side, and ease myself over so that I was next to
her. I laid my arm on her belly so that I could hold her breast
in my hand; she put one hand on my arm and the other on my thigh
before I said "Yup. That's _definitely_ a better way to wake up
than that damn alarm clock!" Mustering what little enthusiasm she
had left, she rapidly nodded her head in agreement before both of
us started laughing. And we had an even harder fit of laughter
when `that damn alarm clock' DID go off.

But, as planned, it _did_ get us up, and moving - first to shut
it off, then to make our way into the bathroom for a shared
shower. I took the opportunity to caution Kelly to enjoy the hot
water while she could - there wasn't any guarantee that anyplace
we stayed at outside of Manila would have genuinely HOT water;
more likely, we'd be showering in tepid water, at BEST. I knew
she was paying attention to what I told her when she elected to
enjoy it for an extra minute or two after I got out and started
drying off.

Dried, rested, and again fit for public viewing, the two of us
made our way down to the lobby. There wasn't any sign of Marlyn,
so we elected to have a seat on one of the surprisingly
comfortable couches available. When we first sat down, Kelly
started to move to pull my arm around her; I pulled it back, and
whispered to her "I'd love to - but the rules here are that
public affection isn't a good idea; even for American tourists."
Kelly smiled her understanding, but I could see the
disappointment in her eyes.

We'd been seated only a few minutes when we saw Marlyn enter the
hotel. Kelly and I both got up, and moved to meet her.

She saw us moving toward her, and changed direction to meet us
halfway. Once we were close enough, Kelly and I both greeted her
in Tagalog while she responded in English.

"It's been a long time since I was last in Manila, so if there is
a place that you would like to recommend, or a place that you
prefer, I would be more than happy to hear about it." I told
Marlyn.

"There are several places near here that would be fine. DO you
have any preference?"

Kelly told her "I *loved* the chicken adobo we had on the plane;
so I'd like to try some more Filipino food, if you don't mind."

Marlyn smiled, and said "I don't mind, at all. Too many of the
visitors I work for want to go to restaurants that feature THEIR
food, so I seldom get to go to the better Filipino restaurants. I
know just the place, and it is right on the next block over."

Kelly and I both voiced our agreement, and Marlyn started for the
door, then stopped and turned around. Kelly looked at her
quizzically, and Marlyn told us "Dan, I am sure you know what to
watch out for, but I think I must tell Kelly. Tonight, in the
dress you are wearing, you don't have to worry about it so much,
but any time you are wearing *anything* with pockets, you have to
watch out for the children. Many of them are pickpockets, and
will steal from you. You will also see people begging. No one
will stop you from giving them money, but I have to warn you that
many of them are not as disfigured or poor as they look. I know
that Dan will be watching out for you, and so will I. But if
anything happens, and you find yourself separated from us, do NOT
let *anyone* try to help you - just stay where you are, in a
public place, and one of us will find you. Never, EVER go into a
dark place without one of us with you. You are an American
tourist, and it is not likely that anyone will bother you very
much, except to try and sell you things for too much money; but
sometimes, things happen. What is your expression? Oh, yes -
better safe than sorry."

Kelly immediately looked at me, and I told her "She's right.
Remember what I told you before?" - she nodded, and I went on
"Now think about what it really means, and you'll understand. You
don't have to be afraid, just careful, okay?"

Kelly looked at both of us, and told us "I'll do exactly what you
say."

Marlyn smiled in reassurance as she told Kelly "Please, I don't
mean to frighten you. I only want to make sure that you stay
safe, and enjoy your time here."

Kelly smiled back, and Marlyn turned to lead the way to the
restaurant. As she'd said, it was on the next block, though at
the far end. Between the hotel and the restaurant, we were
swarmed by a small army of children. As predicted, they tried to
pick my pocket; I was ready for them, having wrapped my wallet in
several large rubber bands to give it extra friction before
sticking it in my FRONT pocket. It wasn't going ANYWHERE without
my noticing. We also saw several different varieties of beggars,
and were accosted several times to make a purchase from a street
vendor. Kelly stayed right next to me, and Marlyn impressed me by
walking on the other side of her, so that the two of us provided
protection for her. Entering the restaurant, it was as though we
were passing from a combat zone into public park, the change was
so dramatic.

The hostess at the restaurant told us that it would be several
minutes before she could seat us, and told us that if we would
leave our names, they would let us know in the bar when a table
was ready. Marlyn had a brief conversation with her in Tagalog,
then told me "They're busy tonight, so if you want to wait, you
can get something to drink in the bar and they will come and get
us."

I told her that was fine with me, as did Kelly (who, I suspected,
wasn't quite ready to run the street gauntlet again). Another
brief conversation between Marlyn and the hostess, and Marlyn was
leading us toward the bar. Inside, a waiter quickly guided us to
a small but comfortable booth. I ordered a beer, while Kelly and
Marlyn both settled on a Coke.

The waiter had the drinks on our table in short order, and Marlyn
chatted with him for a moment before he left. When he was gone,
she told us "I just told him that we were waiting to eat. The
drinks will be added to the meal."

After we'd all had a sip of our drinks, Kelly turned to Marlyn
and said "I don't want to insult you or anything, but I'm curious
to know where you learned English - you speak it very well;
better than I do most of the time!", with a grin.

Marlyn smiled back, and said "I graduated nursing school here,
and worked at a hospital in Houston, Texas for almost two years.
It was there that I learned English so well."

Kelly stared at her, and asked "You're a nurse?"

"Yes, I was. A Registered Nurse, working in the emergency room at
the hospital."

"You said `was'. You're not a nurse any more?"

"No, not now. There was a problem at the hospital, and I had to
come back here."

"If you don't mind my asking, what happened?"

Marlyn got a sad look on her face, and told us "I was working one
night when we were very busy. An ambulance brought in a young
boy, and all of the doctors were very busy with other patients,
so one of them told me to take care of him. I checked him, and
realized that he was overdosing on drugs. I ran some tests, and
found out what it was - heroin. I treated him for it, and got him
stable, even after his heart stopped. When I was done, I wrote in
his records what I'd found, and what I'd done, just the way I was
supposed to. The next day, I was called at home and told to come
into the office immediately. I did, and was sent up to the
hospital administrator's office. In there, there was a woman that
the administrator told me was the young boy's mother. She was
upset that I'd written down that her son had overdosed on heroin.
I told the administrator what I'd found, and how I'd known what
was wrong with him. The symptoms could ONLY have been from a drug
overdose, and the tests I did PROVED that it was an opiate,
specifically heroin. One of the doctors that night was called in,
and he verified my diagnosis. But the mother was the wife of an
important person, and didn't want her son to have any record of
ANY kind of drug usage. She insisted that I was wrong, and that
the records be changed. I said that I wouldn't do that, and she
got very angry. The administrator told me that I had done a good
job, but that he thought I should change my diagnosis. I refused,
saying that the tests I'd done, and the medications I'd used,
would only be valid for a heroin overdose - that anyone who
looked at those would know that my diagnosis was wrong. I told
him that if they wanted to change ALL the records, they could,
but that I wasn't going to change MY diagnosis. He got upset with
me, and told me to leave. That night, when I got to the hospital,
I was told that I had been discharged for working without the
supervision of a doctor. The doctor that had been in the managers
office found me, and told me that everyone knew that I had do
ne exactly the right thing in treating the boy, and that I had
only done it because another doctor had told me to take care of
it; I was only being fired because the boys mother was causing
trouble, and that was the only excuse they had."

Kelly was horrified, and told her "That's TERRIBLE! Wasn't there
anything you could do? Someone you could go to for help?"

Marlyn just gave her a sad smile and answered "No, not at that
time. I was there under a professional visa, since the hospital
needed nurses. When I wasn't working for them any more, I had to
leave to come back here. And when I got back here, none of the
doctors or hospitals would hire me because I had been discharged
from the hospital in Houston; WHY I was discharged didn't matter.
So I had to find different work, and I was lucky enough to get
this."

"Wasn't there anything your family could do to help?" Kelly
asked.

"My family is all gone - they died in a typhoon while I was in
college here in Manila."

"Where are you from?" I asked.

"San Fernando. It is a few hours north of here."

I nodded; I knew - approximately - where it was.

Marlyn started to say something else, but the hostess for the
restaurant approached to tell us that there was a table for us. I
turned to Marlyn and asked her "How much should I leave as a tip
for the waiter?"

She told me "You can leave him just a couple of pesos, if you
want. He will also get ten percent of the tip you leave for the
meal, too."

I fished a couple of 1-peso coins out of my pocket and left them
on the table as the hostess started to lead Kelly and Marlyn into
the dining area. I quickly caught up, and held Kelly's chair for
her when she sat. Marlyn watched as I did it, but didn't say
anything as she seated herself.

When we were all seated, I turned to Marlyn and said "You started
to say something in the bar, before the hostess came in. What was
it?"

She looked at me a little sadly, and answered "Oh, it is nothing.
Don't worry about it", before turning away slightly.

I looked at her a few moments, and finally got her to look at me
so I could tell her "Marlyn, I think there is something that you
should know that will help BOTH of us - you AND me - while we're
in your country. It is not my habit to ask people about
themselves unless I am *interested* to know the answer. Kelly is
like that, too - you saw how she reacted when you told us what
happened about your job in the United States. We really *are*
interested in your country, and in YOU."

When I finished, she looked at me intently for a few seconds,
then seemed to reach a decision. She looked at Kelly, then back
at me, before saying "I was going to tell you that the typhoon
that killed my family didn't just take my mother and father and
sisters and brothers. It killed almost everyone I knew. The only
ones left were me, here in Manila, and my brother's daughter. She
was only a few months old at the time, and they found her crying
where she was trapped in some tree branches that were tangled
together. It took them almost an hour to get her out."

Marlyn looked at Kelly after that, and saw the sadness on her
face as Kelly asked her "Is she okay, now? Where is she?"

Marlyn told her "She is fine. She had some scratches and was
suffering from exposure, but nothing more. I could not take care
of her, so she was put in an orphanage. I send them money
whenever I can so they will take good care of her, but it is
still hard on her - and me. I visit her often, but I still can't
take her into my home; it is too small, and I don't make enough
money to get a bigger one."

I asked "What is her name? How old is she now? Does she go to
school?"

Marlyn looked at me again, and answered "Her name is Marilyn, and
she'll be 13 years old next month. While I was working at the
hospital in Houston, I was able to send enough money for her to
go to school like she should; but since then, not so much. To
help pay her expenses, she has to work at the orphanage, and
doesn't have much time for that anymore."

Kelly saw me start to `go inside' myself as I started thinking
about what Marlyn had just told us, and told her "I'd like to see
what she looks like, if you have any pictures."

That distracted Marlyn long enough for me to finish my thoughts,
so I was ready when Kelly handed me the photo of Marlyn's niece.
Looking at it, I saw the shy smile she was offering the camera. I
could also see clear signs of the intelligence and humor in her
eyes. There was a distinct family resemblance, and I didn't doubt
for a moment that she was going to be a real cutie when she grew
up.

I handed the photo back to Marlyn, and asked "If you don't mind
my asking, what did it cost you to pay her expenses while you
were in Houston?"

Kelly knew me well enough to give me a joyous look before Marlyn
told me "I was sending them fifty dollars a month to pay for her
expenses, and school supplies", as she looked at me curiously.

I looked at Kelly, and she nodded happily, before I asked Marlyn
"Would you mind if Kelly and I sponsored her, instead?"

Marlyn looked stunned, and objected "But it is too much! And you
don't even know her!"

I replied by telling her "No, it is NOT too much - we can afford
that, easily. And you have already told us everything we need to
know about her."

Still in shock, Marlyn started to say "But..."

I cut her off by telling her "'But' nothing. You and I both know
that there are many organizations that sponsor orphans here - and
some of them charge more than fifty dollars a month for a child.
Fifty dollars is less than what we would have to pay if we were
still in the United States, and in this case, Kelly and I would
KNOW that ALL of the money was going to the person that needed
it. And Kelly and I would both know WHO that child was, and why
she is there. We would *know* that she wasn't just the child of a
prostitute, or a poor family that couldn't take care of her, or
anything like that - you have already told us that she is from a
good family that she lost in a disaster. Looking at her picture,
I think she is smart" - "She is!" Marlyn hastened to assure me -
"and that is the *best* reason I can think of to help her go back
to school."

Marlyn was still sitting there, dumbfounded, when the waiter
approached. Marlyn absently ordered pancit; I told the waiter
that Kelly and I would have some, too. I also requested refills
for our drinks; by the time they arrived, Marlyn was able to
speak again.

When the waiter had left, she told me "I am having trouble
accepting your offer, Dan, because I don't know how I can ever
repay you - or even thank you for your offer."

I answered "I don't remember saying anything about repayment. And
knowing that that young girl will get an education that she will
obviously benefit from is all the thanks I need, or want."

After a few moments, Marlyn suddenly looked at me suspiciously,
and asked "Why are you doing this? REALLY?"

I looked her straight in the eye and answered "Because it's the
*right* thing to do, and I _can_."

Still suspicious, Marlyn asked "You don't want her? Or me?"

I couldn't help answering "If all I wanted was a little girl, I
could find one here in Manila. The same thing for a pretty
Filipina. For extra money, both would be virgins. If *that* was
all I wanted, do you think I would be talking to you like this?
With my *wife* sitting right next to me?"

I paused to take a breath and continued "If you want, we can go
back to the hotel right now, and I will give you five thousand
dollars cash. You take that money, and have your agency send
another guide. You have the money for your niece, and you don't
have to see me again - ever."

We were all saved from any further conversation by the appearance
of the waiter with the first course of our meal. All three of us
ate silently, though Kelly and I shared a few Looks.

After the waiter reclaimed our dishes, Marlyn made a few false
starts before she was finally able to tell me "I am sorry if I
have offended you, Dan - and you, too, Kelly. I am so used to
seeing the American men that come here on `business' and only
want to use our women, that I forgot about the other Americans
that I met and knew in Houston. I also let myself forget that you
aren't like the other American sailors that were stationed here,
Dan, and I apologize. You do not have to give me the money, or
find another guide. I will be happy to stay with you and show you
my country. I am most grateful for your *kind* interest in my
niece, and I accept your offer to help her - if you are still
willing."

I wasn't particularly surprised when Kelly spoke up, telling
Marlyn "I am glad to hear your apology, because I think you
offended Dan, and I KNOW you offended _me_ with your suspicions.
But I know Dan well enough to know that he will still want to
help Marilyn, as I do. When you get to know us better, you will
understand that the LAST thing EITHER of us would do would be to
force someone to do something, or to take advantage of them. You
didn't know that before, but I think you will before we leave the
Philippines."

There was another, longer, pause in the conversation when the
waiter brought our main dishes. Kelly's face got a pleased look
after she sampled her pancit (mixed vegetables and rice), and the
side dishes that went with it. By mutual consent, all of us
decided to let the matter of Marlyn's niece drop for a while.

When we'd finished eating, Marlyn reached into her purse and
handed me a couple of folded sheets of paper. She told me "This
is the itinerary that I would suggest. You can see that we are
starting in the south, in Davao, and generally working our way
north. I know some of the places fairly well, others not so much.
There is enough time in the schedule that if you want to spend
more or less time in a place, we can accommodate that. I also
have the names of several lawyers here in Manila, as well as at
least two more in each of the places on the list. I have had no
contact with them other than to tell them that you are
representing a company that is considering building a small
factory here, to make sure that they are qualified for that kind
of work."

I looked over the list Marlyn had given me, and saw that there
weren't any real surprises on it - all of them were at least
mentioned in the research I'd done as being potential sites for
foreign investment.

I was just finishing looking the list over when the waiter
reappeared to see if we were interested in dessert. Kelly and
Marlyn both opted for ice cream while I settled on cheesecake.

After he left, I started talking to Marlyn about the places we
were to visit - asking her questions about the areas to try and
get some background on them. Even as we were enjoying our
desserts, we continued talking about the different areas, and
what I could expect to find when we got to them.

When it was clear that we were done, the hostess quickly brought
over the check for our meal. I again asked Marlyn how much of a
tip would be appropriate. She told me that ten percent was
sufficient, but that if the service had been *particularly* good,
I could go as high as fifteen. I decided on the latter figure,
since the waiter and hostess had both been prompt and efficient.
I moved to help Kelly with her chair, and was surprised when the
waiter quickly moved in to assist Marlyn, too. She politely
thanked him, and he and the hostess both thanked US.

When we got close to the door, Marlyn told me "The waiters here
know that they SHOULD help women with their chairs, but seldom
do. But when YOU helped Kelly, he was ashamed not to do it for
me, too. When they see the tip you gave him, perhaps it will help
them remember to do it again next time."

We ran the gauntlet back to the hotel, and Marlyn again took
station on the opposite side of Kelly so that we formed something
of a shield for her. My size and broken Tagalog told most that I
wasn't to be trifled with; they didn't even BOTHER with Marlyn.
Again in the hotel lobby, I asked Marlyn if she would like to
have a drink - alcohol, coke, or coffee, her choice - with us
before she left. She thought it over a moment, and agreed. We
went into the bar and I ordered a beer, which Kelly duplicated.
Marlyn selected coffee, and the three of us settled into the
booth the waiter had shown us to.

When we'd gotten our drinks, I asked Marlyn "How soon could
Marilyn start going to school again?"

The subject surprised her a bit, but she readily answered "The
day after the orphanage got the money for it."

Kelly asked "How much would they want to start?"

"Only the first month."

Kelly went on to ask "How soon could you get it to them?"

"If I called to let them know, I could telegraph it to them and
it would be there in one day only."

Kelly looked at me, then excused herself - I knew that she was
going to go up to the room to get some money, and took the
opportunity to discuss a few things with Marlyn.

"I would like to thank you for helping to watch out for Kelly, by
walking on the other side of her from me."

To my surprise, Marlyn blushed slightly, and answered "She is too
pretty and too young to let anything happen to her."

"When we get to the places we're going, will you be with me
during the meetings?" I asked.

"Oh, no, that won't be necessary. All of the people you will be
seeing are fluent in English."

"There is something that I would like to ask you to do, then,
while I am busy during the day, if you would."

Marlyn looked at me curiously, and answered "I would be happy to,
if I can."

"Actually, it is a couple of things, but one of them will be
easy, I think."

She nodded for me to continue, and I said "First, if you can, I
would like to meet the American managers of any companies in the
area we visit. I think they can tell me things that only another
American would think important. The second one is if you would
keep Kelly company - show her different places, go shopping with
her, and like that."

Marlyn smiled, and said "Yes, I think the second one would be
easy. The first one, I will try. I don't know if a Filipina could
get you an appointment, though - they might think that I am only
trying to get someone else into their office."

"I suppose that's true. I'll give you some of my business cards;
if you tell them why I'm there, and who I'm visiting, that should
help convince them that it really is another American that wants
to see them."

"Yes, I think that would do it. Is there anything else?"

"Only that I am interested to know *anything* that you can tell
me about the different places we're going, and the people that I
meet. I have had a *very* good business relationship with my
client for a very long time, and I want to do the best job I can
for them, and send them to a bad place."

About then, Kelly made her reappearance with an envelope in her
hand. She sat down with us again, and discretely slid it over to
Marlyn, telling her "There is $200 inside. That should cover the
cost of the telegraph and the telephone call, plus what Marilyn
will need. If you need more, don't be afraid to tell me, or Dan,
and we'll see that you get it."

Marlyn sat there in stunned silence for nearly a minute before we
saw her eyes start to tear up. Kelly quickly reached out to take
her hand, asking "What? What's the matter?"

Marlyn took a deep breath, and told her "This." - gesturing at
the envelope - "You are so kind to me, even after the way I
talked to you in the restaurant. She is my only family, and I
feel so bad that I cannot help her more, and now I can because
you are so kind." as tears started down her face.

Kelly quickly squeezed her hand, and said "Its okay, Marlyn.
We're doing it because we want to help her."

"But you are still so kind to me, and to her, I don't know how I
can thank you."

"You don't have to thank us. When she is able to leave the
orphanage with an education, that will be all the thanks we
need." I told her.

She looked at both of us gratefully, and carefully put the
envelope in her purse. When she looked up at us again, she was
sniffling a bit, and Kelly quickly handed her a couple of paper
napkins. Marlyn thanked her, and started dabbing at her eyes, but
not making much progress. Kelly slid from the booth, and took her
by the hand, saying "I think you need some time in the ladies
room". Marlyn slowly nodded, and made her way to stand next to
Kelly. With a look to me, Kelly led the way toward the sign that
indicated where the ladies room was.

Several minutes later, I saw as they made their way back to the
booth; Marlyn once again looked like the composed professional
she'd first appeared, while I could see that Kelly had shed a few
tears of her own.

When they'd sat down again, I asked Marlyn "I saw on the schedule
that we were supposed to leave for Davao tomorrow morning at nine
o'clock. Would you like us to leave later, or even the nextday?"

She hastened to assure me "Oh, no, we don't need to do that. I
can send them the money tonight, and call them tomorrow morning
before we leave."

Kelly told her "Marlyn, please, *please* don't hesitate to tell
us if there's anything we can do to help."

Marlyn quickly told her "Oh, no, everything will be fine, really.
It isn't a problem."

"Hindi malaking bagay?" (No big thing) I asked, teasing.

"Oh, no", she smiled.

Kelly looked at me, and I told her "We have a little drive
tomorrow, a few hours, to get to Tacloban. Spend the night there,
and another easy drive to Davao. Of course, the driving is always
easier when it's somebody else doing it!", making both of them
laugh.

A few minutes later, Kelly yawned, and I suggested that we'd
better get some rest - that we still hadn't really caught up on
our time zones. Marlyn seconded my opinion, and Kelly readily
agreed. We all stood up, and I told Marlyn "If you want, you are
welcome to join us for breakfast tomorrow. If you will be busy,
though, we'll understand. I thought we would be in the restaurant
here in the hotel about 7:30." She said she'd try, but couldn't
promise. I said that I understood, and she wished us both a good
evening before heading for the lobby of the hotel. Kelly and I
followed her as far as the elevators, then made our way to our
room. Both of us were again feeling the effects of the flight, so
neither of us felt frisky enough to try any repeats of our
earlier performance. I left a wakeup call, and Kelly again set
that damn alarm clock. Sure that we'd wake up in time, the two of
us made our way to bed, spooning as we fell asleep.


The next morning, the wakeup call from the front desk was enough
to get me up and moving. I tried to get Kelly up, but she
protested that it was still too early. With a wicked smile on my
face, I set the damn alarm clock on the nightstand next to her
before heading in to take a shower. Sure enough, a few minutes
later, I heard it go off, accompanied by Kelly's muffled curse
before she shut it off. A minute or so later, she dragged herself
into the bathroom, and after unloading the beer she'd had the
night before, joined me in the shower. We had a fine time waking
each other up with lots of soap and plenty of slippery fun.

Before we'd left, I'd shown Kelly a few things about packing a
suitcase, so it didn't take us much to get ready for the trip. We
made it to the restaurant in the hotel a few minutes before 7:30,
and didn't have any trouble getting seated. We waited a little
bit, but didn't see any sign of Marlyn, so we both went ahead and
ordered breakfast - the waitress was used to American tourists,
and had brought coffee on her first stop at the table.

We were just finishing our meal when we saw Marlyn at the
entrance to the restaurant. The waitress saw her, and directed
her to where we were seated. She joined us in a cup of coffee as
the three of us discussed the day ahead. I remembered something,
and told Kelly "While we're on the road, do yourself a favor, and
just watch the scenery. If you watch Bhoy driving, you'll just
get nervous."

Kelly looked at me suspiciously; Marlyn just laughed and told her
"Driving rules here are MUCH different than in the United States.
I think the best description here is that biggest and fastest has
right of way."

Kelly gave Marlyn a look of disbelief, but let it go - I could
tell that she wasn't quite sure if we were joking with her, or
not. I didn't worry about it; she'd find out - one way or the
other - soon enough.

When all of us were ready, we left the restaurant. I went over to
take care of the bill while Kelly politely flagged down a
bellhop. A few minutes later, and Bhoy was loading the van while
Marlyn told us a little about the different areas we'd be passing
through. Kelly had made sure to keep her camera out, and was
anxiously looking forward to the start of her first real
adventure. I had a look inside the van, and saw that someone had
taken the time to load a small cooler with drinks, and then iced
them down. 

That reminded me of something else, and I discretely pulled Kelly
to the side and told her "There's something else I forgot to
mention before now."

"What?"

"About drinking here."

"I've already been drinking here. I had a beer last night,
remember?"

"No, I mean about drinking for thirst. If it doesn't come in a
bottle, or it hasn't been `processed' somehow, DON'T DRINK IT.
Coffee, sodas, hot tea, bottled water, beer, all that stuff is
fine. Ice is `iffy' outside of Manila; better not to actually put
it IN your drink. They can't really afford the extensive water
treatment systems we're used to, so there's a risk of there being
something in the water. Nothing that would actually kill you,
probably, but you might WISH you were dead. Okay?"

She gave me a Look, and said "I'm glad you remembered to tell me
that BEFORE, instead of AFTER!"

I glanced around, and saw that no one was looking, so I gave her
a quick kiss and said "Me, too!".

We looked around, and saw that the only thing missing from the
van was us, so we quickly took our seats in the back.

Bhoy started the van, then had a brief conversation with Marlyn.
She turned to us and said "Bhoy wants you to know that if you
want to use the seatbelts, he doesn't mind. He said that he knows
most Americans feel better when they have them on."

I looked at the rearview mirror, where I could see Bhoy looking
at me, and I told him "Why would I want to wear the seatbelt?
That would just make it harder to get out after he crashes."

He just laughed, and put the van in gear as Marlyn smiled at my
joke with him.

As I'd expected, Kelly couldn't HELP but watch Bhoy drive. After
about an hour of feeling her dig her fingernails into my hand, I
could see as she almost had to FORCE herself to look at the
scenery instead. On the plus side, once she'd had a look at it,
she didn't bother watching Bhoy any more - there was just too
much for her to take in.

The van had air conditioning, but with the windows open a bit,
and the speed we were doing, I didn't feel any need for it. Kelly
was too wrapped up in watching things go by - and trying to take
photos out both sides of the van at the same time - to think
about it.

We made a brief stop about 12:30 for a light lunch, then it was
back on the road again. We rolled into Tacloban about 5:30, and
made the hotel by 6:00. Once we'd gotten our luggage into our
room, Kelly and I shared a quick shower to rinse the road grime
off. Dressed in fresh clothes, we joined Marlyn in the lobby so
the three of us could go out to eat. Bhoy assured us that we
didn't need a bodyguard for the places we planned to go to - all
within a few blocks of the hotel - and left us to make his own
way for the evening.

After supper, Kelly and Marlyn (with me along as load bearer)
decided that a little shopping was called for - Kelly decided
that she *really* needed some lighter-weight clothes. Marlyn
found a few bargains, as well, so I had my hands full by the time
we made it back to the hotel.

Marlyn passed on my offer for something to drink, so Kelly and I
enjoyed a cold beer in the bar after we (I) got the stuff
unloaded in our room. We bought a couple of cold Cokes each to
take back with us to the room, keeping them chilled with some ice
the hotel provided.

After watching a little Filipino TV - and understanding about 1
word in 5,000 - it was time for bed.

Marlyn joined for an early breakfast the next morning, and when
Bhoy showed up at the appointed time, we packed up and headed
south to finish the journey. Kelly discovered that she didn't
have anything even remotely like `sea legs', even for something
like the ferries that took us between the islands of Luzon and
Samar, then later, Leyte and Mindanao. But she'd brought along
some Dramamine, and hung in till the rides were done.

It took me only three days each to get the information I needed
in Davao, then Surigao; both places were well-geared toward
foreign investment. We spent only a day in Prosperidad; the
officials I met were more interested in lining their pockets than
attracting a factory that would create jobs.

Cebu took a little longer - but only because Kelly all but fell
in love with it. I had *my* work done in 4 days, but Kelly talked
me into staying a couple more so she could look around, to
Marlyn's amusement.

Ormos took nearly a week - they wanted the factory and jobs, but
had something of an organizational problem. I finally did get to
meet with everyone I had to talk to, but the confusion over my
presence did little to reassure me.

Plaridel had a lot going for it, but I didn't think it had enough
to make it to the finals.

We skirted around Manila, heading for Dagupan. There, I spent the
better part of a week, slightly impressed with how ready and
eager they were for foreign investment. It was while we were
there that I noticed a certain wistfulness in Marlyn's face. I
thought I knew what the deal was, but discretely checked a map to
make sure: we were barely an hour away from San Fernando, where
Marilyn was.

I knew I didn't even have to check with Kelly; the next meal the
three of us shared, I told Marlyn "There is a side trip that I
would like to make. I know it's not in the itinerary, but I think
we have enough time for it. Heck, even if we don't, we'll MAKE
time for it."

Surprised, Marlyn looked at me and asked "Where is it that you
want to go?"

"Well, I think it's time we paid a little visit to a town north
of here. Maybe you know where it is?"

"Perhaps. What is the town?"

"San Fernando."

Kelly just grinned as Marlyn sat there in stunned silence for a
couple minutes before jumping out of her chair to come over and
hug me - then blushing furiously in embarrassment. She quickly
sat down again - blushed some more - and told me "You would do
that? You would go there for me, so that I can see Marilyn?"

Kelly laughed, and told her "Of course we would. I didn't know he
was going to do that, but it sounds like a FINE idea, to me!"

Marlyn suddenly got a crestfallen look on her face, and told us
"I can't do that. My employer would be upset with me if I went to
that place while I am your guide."

"But that isn't a problem. It wasn't YOUR idea to go there, it
was MINE. Kelly and I are going, and it is your job to keep us
company, right?"

Marlyn nodded her head, still unsure, before I told her "Besides,
*I'm* not going to tell your employer, and KELLY isn't going to
tell your employer. Would Bhoy tell?"

Marlyn smiled, and said "Bhoy isn't even working for them, he's
working for me."

"Then the only person we have to worry about telling them is YOU.
So stop crying, and get to work."

She looked at me, confused, and I told her "If we're going to San
Fernando, and it's not on the itinerary, you're going to have to
find a place for us to stay, aren't you?"

She nodded, and with a happy smile on her face, told me "I know
just the place, and you don't need reservations. It is a Filipino
place, but very nice. I think you will like it."

"Good, then it's settled. What time do we leave tomorrow?"

"Ten o'clock will be good. We won't have to hurry to leave, and
we will still get there in time for lunch."

I had a thought, and asked Marlyn "What are the rules for the
orphanage? Does Marilyn have to stay there while you are
visiting?"

"Oh, no. I am her family, so she can stay with me", she answered
- then suddenly realized what I was getting at, and said "NO! You
can't!"

"I can't what?"

"You can't let her stay with me in the hotel. It will be too
expensive!"

"Too bad. I'm going to pay for it. If you want to waste the
money, then that is up to you." I told her.

She started to get indignant when Kelly took her hand and said
"Marlyn, I promise you - Dan will do *exactly* what he just said.
Dan and I have been together for over six years, and when he gets
like this NO ONE can argue with him - not even me. So accept the
gift he is offering, and enjoy your time with Marilyn."

The fire in her eyes told me that Marlyn didn't think the matter
was closed - but *I* knew it was. And when Kelly looked at me
again, she knew it, too.

----------

Part Two will be along Real Soon Now.

Dorsai

-- 


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It is not enough to obey Big Brother.
You must also learn to LOVE Big Brother.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


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