Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d Organization: The Committee To Thwart Spam Approved: X-Moderator-Contact: Eli the Bearded X-Story-Submission: From: Jim Fix Subject: - Angeles City [1/1] m/f con rom (Celestial Reviews 154) This story contains explicit sexual descriptions. If this type material offends you please read no further. The events are purely fictional and are based on anecdote and GI stories that begin with: "This ain't no shit. . . . " Translation: Once upon a time. . . . ANGELES CITY By Jim Fix A crying baby jolts me from a restless sleep. As I sort out my surroundings I can hear a rushing sound that reminds me I am on an airplane. My body complains that it is numb and cramped. I try to find a more comfortable position but the GI next to me is asleep and has slumped over into my space. Shreds of a dream remain in my mind and I try to recall what seems to be a very pleasant dream. All I can bring back is a indistinct face surrounded by long black hair; perhaps that Japanese girl I knew. The baby could have waited a minute or two more to wake me. Pressure on my ears tell me that we are descending and soon this long flight will be over. My mouth feels dry and leathery from the conditioned air in the airplane and I search the seat pocket in front of me for a miniature bottle of bourbon. Military charter flights don't serve drinks but I remedied that oversight when we stopped in Hawaii many hours before. I find one bottle left and, after looking around to see if anyone is watching, down it in one gulp. The bourbon works its usual magic and a warm feeling radiates from my stomach to my extremities. I feel much better now with something to dull the exhaustion of a very long trip. Looking at my watch I see we have about an hour before we land at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. With nothing better to do I recline my seat and lay back, wool gathering, letting my mind wander over the past. . . . . . . . A little more than a month ago I was stationed at a base in the Northeastern U.S. January weather made a transfer to the tropics seem like a gift from heaven, someone at personnel had a heart or screwed up big time. I was leaving sub-zero temperatures and snow for the warm tropic sun. Vietnam was only a short distance from the Philippines but I would deal with that possibility when it came up. Sixteen years as a GI will hammer pragmatism into every fiber of your body. Leave and travel time gave me a month off before I had to leave California for Clark so I took the time to visit my parents for a couple of weeks and later with my estranged wife and our children. The visit with my parents was pleasant and relaxing. They were used to me popping in for a short visit and then leaving for some place at the end of the earth. My wife and children were a different matter. She had filed for divorce the previous year and we should have a final decree any time now. I hadn't contested the divorce and was, in fact, very much in favor of it. My many absences had cooled the romance between us and an affair with a young lady in Japan had pretty much put an end to our marriage. My only regrets were for my children who would be left without a father. Perhaps that wasn't as big a loss as I imagined, duty had kept me separated from my family more than we had been together. If Uncle Sam had wanted me to have a wife he would have issued me one. The visit had its awkward moments but as time passed came off pretty well. I did the visiting father bit and took my kids shopping and bought too many gifts to their delight. My wife and I discussed the details of our divorce and child support arrangements. With everything in a tidy package I left for California. . . . . . . . "We will soon be landing at Clark A.B. . . . ", the inevitable airline announcement rang out over the intercom and scattered my reverie like so much confetti. A few seconds to buckle my seat belt and I was ready for landing. When I looked out the window I could see a green sea of rice paddies and coconut trees under an afternoon sun. A cityscape flashed under the airplane and the screech of tires announced that we were on the ground. When the airplane stopped at the terminal ramp everyone jumped up and then began to crowd toward the exits. I was wearing a winter uniform suitable for winter in Northern California and when I stepped outside I was hammered by heat and humidity The walk across the parking ramp reminded me that this was the tropics and by the time I reached the terminal building I was drenched in sweat. Inside the customs area I noticed there were GIs handling the baggage. This was unusual; local civilians were usually hired to do this. It wasn't long until I learned that there was a strike by the civilian employees and that would everyone please bear with the temporary arrangements? "Do I have a choice?", I thought. In normal times I would check through customs and be whisked downtown to an air-conditioned hotel. Today I found out that a bus would take me to temporary transient quarters that proved to be an open bay barracks with a couple of fans. After a shower and a change of clothes I stowed my bags and wandered up to the table that served as a front desk and asked directions to the Non Commissioned Officers Club. The harried young Airman told me that a bus ran every hour on the hour and that I had just missed it. "Wanna beer?", he asked. "Hell yes.", was my reply. He had a nice little business going; from a refrigerator behind him he grabbed a cold San Miguel and said, "That'll be a quarter." "What do you know about the strike?", I asked. "Same old shit, every year or so the locals go on strike for more pay. All the gates are closed and you can't get off or on the base." "This sure puts a crimp in my plans.", I replied. "Shit Sarge, it fucks all of us up. You staying here or are you transiting to Nam or Thailand?" "I'm staying here. I don't have an assignment yet." "There'll be a bus at 7:30 in the morning to take you to in- processing. The strike will be over in a few days and then you can go downtown and chase the girls." "Yeah sure, I was expecting to be in a hotel with a cold beer and a hot female tonight instead of a barracks full of hard-tailed GI's." "That's the fucking breaks Sarge.", he said laughing. "What the fuck, this beats New Hampshire this time of year.", I observed. I took a chair and sat sipping my beer and listened the others sharing my fate bitch, gripe and complain. What the hell, I had half of what I had been expecting. The other half would have to wait until the strike was over. I drank my beer and nursed my disappointment. The rest of the week was filled with in-processing and getting settled in my new job. Normally I would be assigned to a flight line as a Maintenance Supervisor on transport aircraft but for a change I had drawn desk duty. I was to be working in a headquarters section shuffling paper from the States to operating locations in Thailand and then shuffling the replies back to the States. It takes all kinds of jobs to make a career and day shift with regular hours beats a flight line all hollow. As soon as my local security clearance was granted I went to work shuffling my share of the paper. The strike was finally settled sometime Friday and Saturday the gates were open. A friend of mine, Red, had shipped in from the States a few days after me and we had decided to meet after I finished my half day Saturday morning. We hadn't seen each other in a couple of years so we planned to have a reunion and party together. We met at the NCO Club and had a drink or two while we waited for one of Red's buddies to show up. Red gave me some good news, he had drawn an assignment with me at headquarters. He would report in on Monday. I spent a few minutes explaining what the job was like and he seemed resigned to paper shuffling. A couple of years ago we had worked on opposite ends of a radio net. Red had manned a desk in the control center and I had been a maintenance coordinator in a radio truck on the flight line. We had gone from two disembodied voices on a radio to fast friends. Transfers back to the States had separated us and transfers back overseas had reunited us. Our conversation returned to the impending party. We were both excited for just outside the main gate was a candy store. Both of us had been stationed in an area where casual sex was sparse and here we were in a place where the willing ladies outnumbered us. Red said his buddy, Tom, was an old hand in Angeles City and would be our guide for a while today as we learned the lay of the local village. Angeles City was probably one of the best places a single GI could be stationed. There were blocks of clubs and bars that furnish two things uppermost in many GI's minds; sex and booze. Take a few thousand young, healthy men, pay them well twice a month, turn them loose on a third world economy, and things happen. Depending on your point of view either good, bad, and sometimes ugly. Angeles City was all of these and more. "What do you want GI? I get for you cheap.", is the come-on heard a thousand times and if you are out on the street you'll probably be ripped off. Rule One: never pay up front, you'll never see the guy again. Rule Two: never let a strange jeepney driver take you to a place he knows outside of town, you might end up dead in a cane field. Rule Three: leave your wallet locked up at home and carry your money in a front pocket, there are enough pickpockets to staff a small city. Rule Four: have fun. The strange thing is if you are friendly, spend your money wisely, and tip fairly good your are safer than in any city back home. Violate the rules or be a hard core asshole and you are at least likely to end up with your ass kicked and all your valuables missing. The worst case is simple, you won't need your valuables, you'll be dead. The base taxi sped toward the main gate and Tom pounded these rules into our heads. Both Red and I were old Asia hands but we listened with half an ear for you never know what this part of the world might surprise you with and what you don't know can be expensive or deadly. As we walked through the gate and out into the bustle of New Balibago Tom explained his plan, "Let's have one beer in a bar and move on to the next. That way I can show you guys enough good places to get you started before dinner. After dinner you're on your own." Red and I both agreed and Tom led us into a bar not far from the gate. There were no customers this early and we were met with a bevy of girls who led us to a table and sat with us. Before I got my first beer I had been groped, kissed, and had various parts of the female anatomy rubbed all over me. Tom was obviously a regular at this bar and he introduced us to the Mama-San. That combination of English and Japanese words has traveled all over Asia and simply means the manager or owner. Never piss-off Mama-San. We finished our beers and promised to return later. Out on the street Tom led us to another bar where we repeated our last performance. I made mental notes as we went for later. About three bars later I had to find the "comfort room" and when I returned I noticed a woman sitting with a couple of others at the bar. She was taller than her companions and had a striking appearance. I was instantly attracted to her and for what I had in mind first impressions are enough. When our eyes met she smiled and I walked over and took a stool next to her. "Hi, I'm Boone.", not original but this wasn't Manhattan. "Daniel Boone?", she asked with a laugh. That's an old joke with me but from an attractive woman with a musical accent on the far side of the Pacific Ocean it sounded fresh. "Nah, a bear ate him, I'm just Boone.", I replied laughing. "Hi just Boone, I'm Fely." She asked the usual questions, "Where are you stationed, where do you work, and how long have you been in the PI?" I bought her a drink and we sat and chatted; exploring the gulf between us. From her demeanor and conversation I gathered that she was older and more mature than the other girls, intriguing, my curiosity had just been pricked. Red was dancing with one of the other girls and when the jukebox stopped Tom said it was time to leave. "Will you be here later Fely?", I asked. "I don't know, maybe." "I have to go with these guys but I'll stop by after dinner. If you're still here perhaps we can go dancing?" "If I'm still here we can talk about it OK?" "OK.", I said as I followed Red and Tom out the door. We hit a couple more bars and I found my self comparing the girls to Fely and they came up short. I hoped she was still there later tonight. "Hey guys, are you ready for your initiation?", Tom asked. "What the fuck are you talking about?", Red asked in reply. "Oh, it's just a little thing that everyone goes through and I promise you will enjoy it.", Tom said with a grin all over his face. Feeling adventurous after all the beer we had drunk I had to open my big mouth and say, "If you did it, Tom, then we can do it. Lead on." "Do it, shit I'm going to be with you two and do the same thing. Let's get a jeepney.", Tom declared. For those of you who have no idea what a jeepney is a short explanation is in order. After WWII the U.S. Army left untold numbers of jeeps scattered about the Philippines in various states of disrepair. It was cheaper to abandon them than to ship them back to the States. With typical Pilipno ingenuity the local populace adapted this workhorse into a much needed form of local transportation. Today they still resemble the original vehicle in outline but that is all. Who knows what lurks under the utilitarian sheet metal? The outside is covered with paint in bright patterns and every type of chrome ornament is attached in whatever location available. The end result is a garish work of art unique to the Philippines. We filed out of the bar and Tom flagged a jeepney with a half ton of chrome ornamentation. We piled in and he gave directions to a bar just north of town on the MacAuthur Highway. It looked like any other bar but we had to go through two sets of doors to get inside. It was dimly lit and after the bright sunshine outside it took me a few seconds to be able to see anything at all. Tom led us to one of two large round tables in the middle of the floor. When my eyes became accustomed to the dim light I could see a line of booths down both sides and a bar at the end of the room away from the street. There were customers scattered through the booths in twos and threes. Tom ordered beers and when they arrived he explained the initiation. The three of us would sit at the table and drink our beers. The first to smile had to pay the bill. That seemed easy enough but there was one catch, there would be three girls under the table giving us a blow job while we drank our beer and if no one smiled the first to get his rocks off would have to foot the bill. The last man standing was the winner. "Are you fucking serious!", Red asked loud enough for everyone in the bar to hear. Heads turned and all eyes were riveted on our table. "Serious as a heart attack.", Tom replied. "Hey Tom, you gonna play the game?", someone asked from one of the booths. "If these two Newbies ain't chicken I am.", he yelled back. We had been neatly maneuvered into a position where we couldn't retreat without losing face. "Fuck it Red, it looks like we're going to get a blow job.", I said getting into the spirit of the game. "I ain't never had my dick sucked in public before. I don't know if I can even get a hard-on.", Red said laughing. All the beers we had drunk and geography were working on our inhibitions. Had someone suggested such a game in Ft. Worth or San Francisco both of us would have been shocked but here, half way around the world, it seemed like fun and with everyone in the bar egging us on it even seemed rational. Monday morning Red and I would be two uptight NCO's with security clearances up to and including ridiculous but right now we were about to get a blow job in the middle of a public place with other GI's cheering us on. What was stranger still, I was looking forward to it. One guy in the crowd looked familiar and when he came up to the table I recognized him as the GI working the desk in the transient barracks the first day. "Hi Sarge, I'll bet on you.", he said laughing. I motioned for him to come closer and quietly told him to bet on Tom. It had been a long time for me and I was sure to lose. Mama-San brought three girls from the back and they took seats beside each of us. When the girls sat down the betting began in earnest. All three were rather plain and wore low cut sun dresses with full skirts. The crowd joked with the girls and they gave as good as they received. The girl beside me unzipped my pants and began to play with my dick which by this time was as hard as a rock. "I won't have to work hard on this one.", she laughed. All the bets were down and it was time to start. Three fresh beers were placed on the table and the girls disappeared underneath. Someone shouted, "Go!" and the game was on. I almost lost in the first second. A warm wet mouth slid down the length of my dick and I only managed to keep control by taking a sip of my beer. This girl was good! She knew where all the sensitive spots were and she worked them to perfection with her tongue. She could suck her cheeks in and make a tight passage of her mouth that gripped me like a virgin pussy. When she bobbed her head up and down it was the best mouth fuck I had ever experienced. She alternated between teasing my sensitive spots with her tongue and long stroking with her head. Sweat popped out on my forehead as I fought to control my expression and fought a losing battle with an orgasm. She sensed my impending orgasm, slowed her strokes down, and nearly drove me out of my mind. I was almost there but her slow rhythm brought me on slowly, oh so fucking slowly. The sensations were almost unbearable and then I exploded. A smile lit up my face and I exclaimed, "Aw shit!" "One down!", the crowd yelled. The girl wiped me off with a napkin and zipped up my fly. She resumed her seat beside me and took a long pull on my beer. We shared the beer as Tom and Red continued to play the game. Finally Red broke out in a grin from ear to ear and slumped in the chair. He was finished and Tom followed shortly. "I'm Cora, what's your name?", she asked. "I'm Boone." She put an arm around me and cuddled up close. We sat this way sharing the beer as everyone noisily settled their bets. The other girls came out from under the table and sat beside Red and Tom. We sat laughing and joking about the game for a while and the girls had a few not so complimentary remarks to add to the conversation. The girls ordered drinks and we had another round of beers. Tom's girl put her hand under the table for a few seconds and from her movements she was apparently masturbating. Cora whispered in my ear, "Watch what she does." The girl pulled her hand from under the table and rubbed her fingers over Tom's nose and upper lip. "Do you like it?", she joked. "Like it, it smells so good I'd like to eat it.", Tom replied. Without preliminaries the girl hiked up her skirt and lay on the table with her legs spread wide. "Show me.", she said. To my amazement and the crowds amusement Tom proceeded to do just that. He dived between her legs and noisily slurped away as she wiggled and thrust her hips at his face. "Is she acting or is she really enjoying this?", I asked Cora. "She's really getting off, she loves to have sex in front of a crowd.", Cora replied. "This has been one hell of a day." was all I could think to say. "I have to go, come and see me sometime. I have a private room in back.", Cora said and disappeared through a back door. I made a mental note to do that. She gave outstanding blow jobs. Tom and his girl wound down and she got off the table and after teasing the crowd with her bare bottom went in back. We talked for a few minutes as I settled up the check and Tom suggested dinner. Tom took us to a hotel in a wooded park. The dining room was glass on three sides and looked out into formal gardens and over a small pond. The outside was softly lit with colored lights and provided a pleasant view for dining. Uniformed waiters stood by to cater to a diner's every whim. There was an organist who played soft music just loud enough to mask the background noise of the diners. What a contrast, from a participatory sex show to an elegant dining room filled with white napery. We ordered dinner and as we waited for our orders Tom suggested that Red and I get rooms now, later all the hotels would be full except the flea bags. Our waiter took care of the details in a matter of moments. Service like this could spoil me forever. Dinner was excellent and served with all the flourishes that add to the enjoyment of dining. Food takes on the unique character of the country where it is prepared and the same steak will taste different from country to country. In the Philippines coconut oil is used for cooking and gives the food a characteristic aroma and taste. To this day I can walk into a Pilipna restaurant in the States and my nose will tell me if the cooking is authentic or not. This was my first experience with real Pilipna cuisine and I fell in love. A practiced waiter can make an average meal seem great with just a little effort and our waiter was an artist. Without intruding he was almost at your elbow when you needed something or your coffee needed warming. When we finished we left a nice tip for the waiter, he had earned it. After dinner Tom went his own way and Red and I headed back for the bars of New Balibago. Red had his eye on a girl from one bar and I had designs on Fely. We decided to split up and go our separate ways until we had checked out the girls. We would meet in one or the other bars or somewhere in between. Darkness had fallen and with it the strip of bars had undergone a magic change. The dirt street was filled with people, jeepneys, food stands, and sidewalk vendors. Neon lights banished the night and jukeboxes blared out of every bar. Every jeepney driver had to blow his horn at the slightest provocation and the vendors hawked their wares at the top of their lungs. Stir in the music from a dozen jukeboxes all playing different songs and the result was a cacophony of sound found in this place alone. "We have the prettiest girls, the best music, and the coldest beer.", the shills at the front door of every bar shouted at each and all who passed by. There was an excitement in the air that made your blood tingle. It was Saturday night. I found the bar where I had met Fely and slipped inside. I stood for a moment letting my eyes get accustomed to the gloom and then took a stool at the bar. I ordered a beer and looked around; no Fely. A disappointed Boone sipped a beer in gloom. "You looking for Fely?", the counter girl asked. "Yes, do you know where she is?" "She said to tell you that she would be back at seven. You wait on her?" "I guess so.", I replied. My gloom disappeared and I began to look around the bar with new eyes. None of the girls came to sit with me. That could only mean that Fely had made a claim on me. I didn't dare invite one to share a drink for that would have labeled me a "Butterfly." To be called that is the kiss of death, no girl in the bar will go out with you. If Fely and I didn't connect tonight I would be fair game for every girl who worked in this place and if we did the other girls would be friendly but friendly only. I struck up a conversation with the counter girl to pass the time. Seven rolled around and still no Fely. When I asked the counter girl when she thought Fely would get here she said, "Fely's on Philippine time." When I asked for an explanation of Philippine time she explained, "Maybe seven, maybe seven-thirty." I would have to readjust my clock to the slower pace of Asia. I was halfway through my second beer when she breezed into the bar and took a seat beside me. "I didn't think you would be back.", she said. "I said I would.", another unoriginal quote from Boone, "Want a drink?" "Yes, let's sit at a table." We took a table along the wall out of the main traffic and sat talking for a while just getting acquainted. Fely didn't touch me or sit close as the other girls did. She maintained a little distance between us as we searched for common ground with words. She was different and I was beginning to like the difference. In a place where girls sit on your lap before they ask your name a little aloofness goes a long way. Red walked in with a cute little girl on his arm and I waved them over to our table. After introductions all around they ordered drinks. We talked about places to go and when Red mentioned Country and Western Fely suggested a club on the MacAuthur Highway. "Want to go now?", I asked. "Why not.", she replied. I gave her a hundred peso note to pay her bar fine and in a couple of minutes we were ready to leave. She handed me back my change and without counting it I put it in another pocket, separate from my other money. Later I would count it in private. Mama-San will make change of eighty pesos but not four twenties, she will give the girl a lot of small bills. If the girl is a little dishonest she will keep one or more of the bills out of the stack and hurry the horny and half drunk GI out of the bar. If he discovers the loss she blames the Mama-San and if confronted the Mama-San blames the girl. What the fuck over? If Fely ran a scam on me I would just keep my mouth shut and this would be the last time I took her out. Life's simpler that way. We caught a jeepney and in a few minutes stopped in front of a club that had a live band we could hear for a half a block away. When we went inside we were greeted by a sea of tables and a dance floor about thirty feet on a side. Every bit of space on the floor had a body dancing on it. A table up front was just emptying and we hurried to get it. It took a while but the aftermath of the last group was finally cleaned up and we had fresh drinks in front of us. The band played pretty good rock-a-billy and, while not a good dancer, pour a few drinks into me and what I lack in skill I try to make up with enthusiasm. Fely, on the other hand, could dance. When the band played a slow number everyone got up to polish their belt buckles. Fely danced with me the first time as if she were my buddies wife; close but not close enough to put a shine on my buckle. As the evening progressed things got a little more intimate but nothing like the hugging and groping that went on all around us. She wanted to be treated like a lady and who was I to argue with her? Somewhere during the evening I decided not to get more than a good buzz on. At the club I sent back most of my beers more than half full when a fresh round was ordered. When it came time to leave I was relatively sober. Red's girl suggested we get something to eat and led us to a Chinese restaurant just down the street. What can be said about Chinese food? It is the one constant around the world; always good and much the same in any country. At long last we were alone, I closed and locked the door of the hotel room and turned to find Fely standing in the middle of the room. I walked over to her had took her in my arms feeling a little tension in her body. I didn't press my suit any further and after a moment she relaxed and turned her face up to be kissed. A little voice in the back of my mind told me to let her set the pace and when you hear voices it pays to listen. We came up for air and she said, "Thanks for being a gentleman tonight." "It's easy to be a gentleman when you are with a lady.", I replied. Fely smiled up at me and hugged me close, my erection pressed against her stomach and she pressed even harder against it. "I think I'll stop being a lady.", she laughed. I kissed her again and our mouths opened and tongues explored. When we broke apart she said, "Let me take a shower, I'm all sweaty from dancing." She slipped out of my arms and went into the bathroom closing the door behind her. When I heard her under the shower I took my money and hid it under the liner of the trash can. My count of the change earlier had been correct but it was still too early to trust Fely around money. If I got ripped off it was a long hot walk to the base or one hell of an embarrassment borrowing money from Red. I stripped to my tee shirt and shorts while I waited for her to finish showering. When she stepped out of the bathroom she was wrapped in a bath towel with a hand towel around her freshly shampooed hair. She was a beautiful woman. With no makeup and her hair hidden under the towel her fine boned face, slightly almond eyes, and clear golden tan complexion combined to give her a delicate beauty that only Asian women posses. She moved around the room with a delicacy and grace as light as air. I stood up and took her in my arms kissing her with all my pent-up passion. She pulled away and said, "Go shower now, you smell like a carabao." I showered in record time and hurried back to crawl in bed beside her. Only one dim light was lit and I could see her only indistinctly. I put my arms around her and pulled her close and kissed her long and deep. She seemed unhurried and following her lead I began to kiss and touch her erotic areas. Her breasts were full and firm. I cupped them in my hands and kissed one nipple kissing down the side of one breast and up the other until I found another nipple. I took it in my mouth and nipped it lightly with my teeth. She gasped as I began to work on it with my tongue. Across to the other nipple and more of the same. With one hand I began to explore southward stopping to tickle her navel. Further south she had very coarse and sparse pubic hair. I toyed with the hair as I continued to work on her breasts. When I moved my hand further down she opened her legs and I stroked the inside of her thighs stopping just short of touching her sex. I began to include little excursions lightly over the lips of her sex as I massaged her thighs. I could feel the softness of large pronounced inner lips that protruded beyond her outer lips. Little by little I began to concentrate on her sex and soft mound. I moved my lips to hers and we kissed with open mouths; our tongues dueling each other across the boundary of our lips pressed firmly together. Gently I parted the lips of her sex and slowly inserted a finger into the wet slippery slit of her labia. Slowly, gently I pressed deeper careful to wet her tender areas with her copious fluids. When I had the whole slit wet and lubricated I moved my finger up to her little pearl at the apex of her labia. On first contact I heard her gasp and rotate her hips toward my hand. Slowly I began little strokes that ended just lightly touching her sensitive little bump. I could hear her deep ragged breathing and she began to match the rhythm of my finger with thrusts of her own. Now was the time and I climbed on top and gently pushed my erection against the lips of her sex. Her large labia got in the way so I took one hand and parted her lips. Fely took hold of me and guided me to her warm entrance. With slow gentle pushes I penetrated a little each time; withdrawing and pushing to gain a little more until she had my entire length inside. I lay still for a few seconds thanking my lucky stars for the blow job earlier in the day. It had been a long dry spell and I wanted our first time together to be good for both of us. I began to stroke in and out and Fely matched me stroke for stroke. It wasn't long until I felt the tightening and contractions that announced her impending orgasm. I began to stroke faster and faster, harder and harder until we were literally slamming our bodies together. I was right on the edge when she almost screamed, "OH YESSSSSSSS!!!" and I felt a huge contraction inside her hot wet sex. In an instant I went over the edge and grunted with each spasm as I pushed deep inside. We lay together enjoying our afterglow, my erection fading away as I remained inside her soaking in our mingled love juices. She kissed me tenderly and hugged me to her breasts. We acted as if we had all the time in the world and we did. After a few minutes I grew flaccid and a contraction from the echo of her orgasm spit me out of her warm slippery prison. I kissed her again and rolled off to lay beside her. After a moment she cuddled up beside me and put her head on my shoulder. She traced patterns on my stomach with her finger. "I'm cold.", she said and I gathered the scattered blankets and covered us. Fely snuggled against me once more and I fell asleep enjoying the warm security of a shared bed. The sound of a shower awakened me. I stretched the sleep kinks from my body and lay waiting for my turn in the bath room. I didn't have long to wait, it was only a moment when I heard her turn off the water. "Please hurry, I need the bathroom.", I called out to Fely. "I'll be out in a second." When she opened the door I rushed by her into the bathroom; too much beer last night. I took a quick shower and when I came back to the bedroom she was sitting on the bed still wrapped in her towel. Needing no more invitation than that I picked up where I left off last night. Afterward as we lay resting from our exertions Fely observed, "You're married aren't you?" "Does it show?" "You make love like a married man." "How does a married man make love differently?", I wondered. "You pay attention to a woman's needs. Single men mostly just satisfy themselves." "That's their loss, it's more fun when the woman is having fun also.", I said as my ego pumped up a few notches. "Is your wife going to join you here?" "No, we're separated and will soon be divorced." "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring back bad memories." "It's nothing new, we've been on the outs for a few years." "You'll find someone, you're a nice man." "Are you hungry?", I asked. "Yes, I could eat something I think." "Let's get dressed and see what they have in the dining room." When Fely got out of bed I got my first good look at her fully nude. She saw me looking at her body and the slowly turned in a full circle letting me see all of her. "I'm getting old and fat.", she said. "Far from it, you just look soft and well fed. You're beautiful just as you are.", I said and meant it. As we dressed she surprised me and said, "Find a new place to hide your money, all the girls know about the trash can." Embarrassed, I got my money out of the trash can and put it in my pocket. When we finished dressing we headed downstairs to the dining room. As we passed Red's room I could hear people talking so I knocked lightly. When Red answered I told him where we'd be. We spent the morning with the girls window shopping. Fely was like a young girl laughing and joking. She seemed so full of life and animated. Last night she had been reserved and laid back but not today. Red and I hung back and talked of boy things while the girls ranged ahead from shop to shop. We caught up to them in front of a shoe store and found they were talking about a pair of shoes. I could see the glitter in Fely's eyes as she looked at them. I asked her how much they cost and she went to find out. When she returned with the price I told her to buy them. Red looked at me as if to say I was crazy and perhaps I was but it was fun seeing the excitement on Fely's face. I handed her some money and left the girls to haggle over the shoes. Red and I went a few doors down to an open front sari-sari store and had a beer. We had lunch and then went back to the bar where Red's girl worked and dropped her off. Red said he had to meet someone on base and left Fely and I on our own. We walked back to her place and went inside. I ordered a beer and she disappeared in back where the girls had their living quarters. I could hear a rapid fire discussion in Tagalog not a word of which I understood except "hindi", meaning no, and "oh oh", for yes. The cashier looked at me with a new light in her eyes. Fely joined me in a few moments and we were soon joined by the rest of the girls in the bar. I sat back and listened to the girls talk about their dates and quirks of their business. It was a mellow afternoon and I enjoyed just sitting there with Fely laughing at some poor GI's shortcomings. When dinner time came I asked her if she wanted to go out for dinner and she accepted. After dinner we returned to the bar and I had another beer before I decided to go back on base. Fely followed me back in the hallway to the rest rooms and gave me a very warm goodbye kiss. "I had a wonderful time today and thanks for the shoes.", she said, "When will you be back?" "Maybe tomorrow night or Tuesday night.", I replied. "I'll see you then." When I returned to the barracks the same GI that I had seen downtown was sitting at the desk. "Hi Sarge, have a good weekend?" "It's hard not to have a good weekend in Angeles.", I replied. "Yeah, I know. I got some news for you, this barracks will be closing on Wednesday so you'll have to find a new place to stay. Now that the strike is over Housing is closing the temporary quarters." "My Squadron doesn't have barracks space for NCO's so I guess I'll have to find a place downtown." "Shit Sarge, they'll pay you quarters to live off base. I should be so lucky. Wanna beer? It's on the house." "Why not, I like to make latrine runs in the middle of the night.", I said laughing. I took note of the name on his name tag and filed it away for future reference. I might need a favor in the future and in the military favors are the oil that makes the machine work. I'm sure he had my name filed away for the same purpose. He handed me a beer and took a long pull off his own before he said, "Sarge, you sure got balls." "What do you mean?" "Downtown in the bar; you and your buddy sat there cool as could be and played the game. Most people back out or make excuses." "What the fuck? It don't take balls; just drink enough beer." "Yeah right! I saw you and your buddy later at the club. Those were some good looking hammers you had with you. Where'd you find them?" "I'll never tell.", I replied and gave him a sly grin. "It must be your hip pocket personality.", he joked. "Shit, I've got kids to support, that keeps me broke most of the time." The conversation wound down, I finished my beer and got ready for bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, I'd have to find a place to live after work. The next morning Red called me and asked if I had gotten the message about moving out of the barracks. He said he had talked to one of the guys who worked with him and the guy knew of a nice hotel that was cheap, quiet, and private. Was I interested? Hell yes I was interested. We made arrangements to meet for lunch and if I could get some time off we could move in that afternoon. When I explained my situation to my boss he readily agreed and I had the afternoon to look at hotels and get moved. About noon I stepped outside the building for lunch and waited for Red and his friend. About five minutes later the drove up and we headed to the club for lunch. Red introduced me to John who worked in Plans with him. After lunch John dropped us off at the temporary barracks and waited for us to get our gear together. It didn't take me long for I had never really unpacked. I lugged my bags out front and John drove up and helped me load. In a few minutes Red popped out of a barracks three doors down and we loaded his things and were off. John drove out the side gate into an area the had started out as a hotel area with the Vietnam War and, of course, the bars and clubs moved in to get a piece of the action. The perimeter road that ran outside the fence was lined with hotels, bars, and shops. A couple of blocks back was a housing area that was filled with GI families. John turned left on the perimeter road and shortly made a right turn onto a diagonal road that ran all the way into Angeles City. He stopped on the first corner in front of a small neat hotel. When we went inside the lobby was clean and well kept. The desk clerk showed us the rooms and they were large with comfortable double beds. This hotel only had rooms, there was no bar and no restaurant. Not twenty five feet from the front door was a bar and a half block in either direction was a hotel with a restaurant. This was ideal, no noisy crowds and no strangers wandering up and down the hallways. Red and I took rooms and moved in. John introduced us to his live-in girlfriend and that answered another question. No one cared if you had a room mate so long as it didn't bother anyone else. I was going to like this place. What more could I ask? I had an air-conditioned hotel room, a job on day shift with regular hours, and sin city for a playground. I made short work of unpacking, I hung up my clothes and put my toilet articles in the bathroom. The rest would wait for another day. I took a shower and dressed in civvies. I met Red in the lobby and we decided to go across the street and check out the bar. What's to say about a bar? They have drinks, girls, beer, girls, and a jukebox. This one had a pool table and the atmosphere of a neighborhood hangout. As we drank our beer I decided to go see Fely and Red decided to check out the local bars. We agreed to have dinner together if we weren't hung up somewhere. A short jeepney ride and I was at Fely's place. When I walked in the cashier greeted me as if she had known me all her life. "Hi Boone, Fely is in back, I'll go get her." Without my asking she sat a cold beer in front of me and disappeared in back. She returned in a few seconds and said, "She'll be right out." I sipped my beer waiting and in a few moments Fely came out obviously awakened from a nap. "Hi Boone, how are you?" "I'm fine, have a seat." "I thought you would be working today.", she said while taking the stool nest to mine. "The boss let me off early. Want to go out tonight?" "Sure, when do you want to leave?" "As soon as you can get ready. I have a surprise for you.", I said. "What's the surprise?", she asked. "I'll show you later, get dressed and we'll see about the surprise." Half an hour later we're getting out of a jeepney in front of my hotel. When the jeepney drives away I say, "Surprise, this is where I live now." "I thought you were living on base. Why did you move to a hotel?", she asked. "They kicked me out, they didn't have quarters for me. This is where I hang my hat now. Want to see where I live?" "Yes, I'd like to see your room." I led Fely inside and introduced her to the desk clerk. He handed me my key and I led her upstairs to my room. She looked at everything and from the sparkle in her eyes I knew she liked what she was seeing. "This is nice. You have everything here. I like your room." A soft knock on the door interrupted our conversation. I opened the door and there stood Red. I invited him in and he was surprised to see Fely. "Hi Fely. How do you like the hotel?", he asked. "This is OK. Do you live here too?" "Right down the hall. We moved in today.", Red replied. "Ready to go to dinner?", I asked. We went to the dining room in one of the other hotels for dinner. Red and I decided to try out a different restaurant each night until we had tried them all. Fely and I explored the neighborhood bars with Red until he found a girl to his liking. We begged off any further explorations and left him with his honey. He didn't seem to miss us as we left. Red and I were very different in some respects; especially about women. He tried to smell all the flowers and I liked to study each one in detail. I think that was his strength and my weakness. I got emotionally involved and when the inevitable parting came I collected another battle scar. Fely and I walked back to the hotel arm in arm through the warm tropical night. A quick shower and bed was uppermost on my mind. Later as I lay in bed with Fely cuddled up beside me I marveled at the contentment I felt. I had enjoyed the intimacy with my wife even when we were fighting. When I got orders to go to Japan we had cut the last tie between us and separated more or less permanently. While in Japan I had found a steady girlfriend and we had lived together for my entire tour. Even with the differences in culture and the language barrier I had been happy with her and missed her dearly when I had to rotate back to the States. My wife and I tried a reconciliation but that had lasted only two weeks. I had more in common with Tomiko than I did with a wife of nearly ten years. When my wife found Tomiko's pictures in my things she had thrown a tantrum. I had never asked her about her private life while we were separated and I had felt that she had no right to question mine. I had never questioned the shaving gear and the extra toothbrush in her private bathroom so what gave her holy orders to deliver sermons to me. We agreed to get a divorce and I left the next day after talking to the lawyers. I had met Fely only Saturday but I felt comfortable with her already. She was sleeping quietly beside me. I knew I wanted her to be there every night for as long as we got along and found each other pleasing. My last thought before I fell asleep was to ask her if she would like a more permanent relationship. The next morning the alarm went off and jangled me awake. Fely sat up in bed wide eyed looking around for whatever was making all the racket. I shut the alarm off and sat up on the side of the bed. Time to start the day. A quick shower and shave woke me up. I began to put on my uniform when a knock on the door was followed by Red asking if I wanted a cup of coffee. I knew why we were friends, he thought of the things I forgot. I put on some flip flops and padded down to his room and he handed me hot coffee in a hotel glass. I padded back and finished dressing. I went into the bathroom to use the mirror to put on my shirt, ribbons, and name tag to complete my uniform. I combed my hair and checked the final result. Everything looked shipshape but I would need a haircut soon. When I stepped back into the bedroom Fely's eyes widened and she said, "Maganda, talaga!" "What does that mean?" "You are very handsome in a uniform.", she replied. "For that compliment I'll take you out to dinner tonight. Would you like to go out with me again?" "Sure, if you want me to." "Why don't I give you the money and you pay Mama-San your bar fine and come here at six tonight? Can you do that?" "OK, six tonight." I put $20 on the table and said, "Here's some money to pay Mama- San and if you want take the extra and go shopping." She got out of bed and started gathering up her clothes as if to go. "You can go back to bed and get your beauty sleep. Just leave the key at the desk when you leave.", I said. "Are you sure?" "Why not? I'll tell the desk clerk that you are not to be disturbed. Only GI's have to get up this early." I kissed her goodbye and went down to the lobby to wait on Red and John. The clerk was sitting behind the desk and I told him about Fely. He said she wouldn't be bothered and complimented me on my choice of girlfriends. He said she looked and acted like a movie star. That is high praise indeed in a town where women are an industry. Work was slow so the boss told me to knock off early if I wanted to get settled in. I called Red and told him not to wait on me after work. I needed to do some shopping so I went to the Base Exchange and looked around. I priced a small TV, a radio, and a coffee pot. A quick trip to the bank to cash a check and I went back and shopped in earnest. I loaded my purchases in a taxi and had him stop at a little PX mini-mart so I could get coffee and snacks. My last stop was at Base Housing Supply to sign for a refrigerator for my room. The Base issued a small one to each NCO living off base and this seemed like a good time to take care of it. The taxi driver waited with his meter running while I went inside the warehouse. Who did I see sitting at the issue desk? My old buddy from the transient barracks. "Hi, how are you? Is this where you work?", I said in greeting. "Hi Sarge. This is it, I was on detail at the temporary barracks. What can I help you with?" "I need a refrigerator for my hotel room." "Want a big one", he asked and I nodded yes. "Let me see what I can do for you." He went into an office and I heard him talking to someone out of my line of sight. "We're out of the eight foot boxes. Why not issue him a twelve?" I couldn't hear the reply but my buddy said, "This is the guy I told you about yesterday. I have a truck leaving in an hour and we could put his box on it and save an extra trip later this week." Again a mumble. "Thanks Sarge." A Staff Sergeant came out with my friend and we were introduced. A short conversation later and I owed him a favor. When I went to Thailand he wanted me to bring him back some jewelry for his wife. That was easy and I got a huge refrigerator delivered today. I signed the papers and my friend handed me a cardboard box telling me not to say anything about where I got the ice trays. The taxi dropped me and my packages off at the side gate and I got them loaded in a jeepney for the final leg to the hotel. The clerk and the janitor helped me unload and I tipped the driver for the extra service. When I got to my room I couldn't believe my eyes. It was as neat as a pin. The clerk laughed and told me that Fely had spent all morning putting my room to rights. Too bad, when we carried all my packages in it was cluttered up worse than before. I spent the next hour setting up the TV and putting things away. I washed out the coffee pot and made a pot of coffee. When it finished I poured myself a cup and put the rest in a thermos to keep it hot and fresh. I hate coffee that has cooked in a pot for hours. The delivery men arrived with my refrigerator and hauled it up to my room. They plugged it in and made sure that it worked before they left. I unpacked the ice tray box and found six trays inside. Thanks friend. I cleaned the trays and after filling them put them in the freezer section to freeze. This refrigerator was meant for a two or three bedroom house. It had a freezer section across the top. I was supposed to get a small eight cubic foot model and this monster was fourteen cubic feet. All it needed was some beer inside. I walked down to the front desk and asked where I could get a couple of cases of beer and the desk clerk told me I could have it delivered if I wanted, all I had to do was order four cases. I agreed, he got on the phone, and the beer was on the way. Red and John got home and I invited them up for a cold beer. They were impressed with my luck. I told them that the warehouse was out of small boxes and substituted this one instead. Red had plans for the evening so I was left to my own devices. That was not a problem for Fely should show up in a little while. She arrived about six-fifteen and when I let her in she stared open mouthed at the room. She checked out the refrigerator top and bottom and bitched about so much beer and no food. The radio and TV delighted her. The coffee pot she didn't understand but she did the coffee. I drink mine black, no sugar but I had bought powdered creamer and sugar for those who do want it. She poured herself a cup and loaded it up with both. When she finished her coffee we went to dinner. When we got back to the room I figured this was as good a time as any to bring up the subject of a more permanent arrangement. There is only one simple way to ask a woman to live with you and that is direct so I plunged ahead, "Fely, how would you like to stay with me all the time?" She sat quietly for a moment, thinking, before she answered, "Boone, I'd love to stay with you but I don't think you would want me if you knew about me. I can only cause you trouble. You're a nice guy, I don't want to hurt you." "What do you mean cause me trouble?" "Boone, why don't you find another girl, one who won't cause you problems and doesn't have a past like I do? I've had some bad times and if you knew about them you wouldn't want me." "I don't want another girl, I want you. If you are so bad why don't you tell me about it and let me decide if I want you or not?" She began to cry and looked so small and frail sitting in the chair across from me. I wanted to go to her but she motioned for me to sit down when I started to get up. Finally she shrugged her shoulders as if to say, "What the hell.", and began to talk. "All right, I'll tell you but you must promise to keep this to yourself." I nodded assent and she continued, "First, I'm married. My husband is in jail in Manila for stealing money and trying to kill a man. He could get out any time now and he will come looking for me. When he does I will have to hide from him. He thinks I turned him in to the police. I didn't turn him in but after they arrested him I told them all I knew. I was afraid not to, if I hadn't told them they would have probably accused me of something and put me in jail." "Did you try to kill someone?", I asked. "No." "Did you steal any money?" "No." "Then what have you done that is so bad?" "My husband will come looking for me and if he finds me with you he will try to kill both of us." "Fely, I want you to stay with me. If your husband comes looking for you we will have to deal with that when it happens. If you have to go hide I'll help you whatever way I can. If he comes looking for me then I will have to deal with it. All I ask is that we spend whatever time we have together. I don't want anyone else, I just want you." She stood up and started for the door. She had to pass my chair on the way and when she got within reach I pulled her down into my lap. I held her close and kissed her. She started to resist but after a moment she relented and returned my kiss. "Boone, are you sure you want me to stay with you?" "Yes." "I'll stay but you have to know this, one day you'll come home and I'll be gone. When I get word about my husband I'll have to leave then. I won't be able to wait around to talk to you. The best I'll be able to do is leave you a note. Can you accept me that way?" "I'll have to.", I said kissing her again. "Another thing.", she said, "We never talk about this again. I want to be happy for whatever time we have and pretend that everything is normal." "If that's what you want I'll never mention it again." Her explanation had raised more questions than it had answered but they were questions I wouldn't ask. There were things that were just not done in this strange topsy-turvy world where Fely lived and one never questioned a girlfriend about her past. If you were dating a divorcee or a widow would you ask her about the details of her marriage? I think not, you would let her tell you what she felt you needed to know. We spent the rest of the evening on our honeymoon and now that we had agreed to share our lives for whatever time we had there was an openness that hadn't existed before this night. Tonight we would explore the mysteries of loving each other, tomorrow would be a sleepy day at the office. When I returned from work the next day Fely was waiting in my room, correction, our room. While I had been at work she had moved her things and rearranged some of the furniture. A hotel room that looked like all the others had bent to her will and had acquired a homey atmosphere. One area had the chairs arranged around the coffee table like a tiny living room by the entrance. The bed divided the room and on the other side of the bed in a small area under the window a new table had appeared with a new straight backed chair. A lamp, the coffee pot, and the radio sat atop the table. This little area had become a tiny kitchen or a study as needs may be. Fely was a master of small spaces and I gave her a big hug and kiss in thanks. "Do you like what I've done to the room?", she asked. "I love it. You've done wonders and now it feels like home." As a reward, she opened a cold beer for me and we sat and talked for a few minutes before I had to change for dinner. Fely suggested that we stay home tonight, she would have dinner sent in. A quiet evening together sounded like an excellent suggestion. As the days faded into weeks our bonds deepened. Fely and I inhabited an upside-down world where sex came first and intimacy followed if you had the time or inclination. We learned the other's likes and dislikes and accommodated them. We went here and there to see the sights. We pub crawled until we had our fill. We took in the cock fights on Sundays and Fely knew how to pick roosters. She won enough times to stay ahead with her betting. Mostly we had fun. Somewhere amongst all this activity we found time to fall in love. It had been a gradual process but I had not been conscious of it until our love had flowered, bore fruit, and ripened. I could hold forth with a long dissertation on why I loved her but it was accurate to say I loved everything about her. Our relationship was a single cloth with everything from sex to finances part of a larger whole. My previous marriage had been a series of compartments with children in one compartment, personal relationships in another, and sex in still another. My now ex-wife and I had done one thing at a time with a single-mindedness that had taken the excitement out of our marriage. On the other hand, Fely and I could start discussing finances and end up making love or start making erotic overtures to each other and find ourselves going to a new restaurant for dinner. No matter where we started we always ended up doing what was important at the time. All her parts were integrated into a single whole and by association I had become a part of this singularity. One Sunday morning as we lounged around just passing the time these thoughts coalesced and I realized I was head over heels in love. Sunday mornings we reserved for doing nothing in particular. We slept until we could sleep no more and then we got up and shared coffee. I would lounge around in my shorts and Fely would put on a robe to keep warm in the air-conditioned room. Neither of us were particularly modest around the other and paraded about with or without clothes as the occasion required. Fely had discovered that when she wore a loose robe the little flashes of her body did more to excite me than when she was completely naked. A glimpse of a silky inner thigh, a rounded breast peeking out of the folds of her robe, or the sight of the little triangle of hair that pointed to her feminine delights would set me off quicker than a nude bump and grind dance. Perhaps I have a fetish for bathrobes. One thing usually led to others and Sunday mornings were . . . interesting. I was head over heels in love with this beautiful nymph but that cast a dreadful chill over my thoughts. What could I do? I couldn't confess my feelings. We had no future other than one day to the next. She was married and there was no divorce under local law. She had a husband that would probably try to hunt her down when he got out of prison. "Boone, you are in one fucked up situation.", I thought. There was only one possibility, I resigned myself to another battle scar and made tender, passionate love with her. I had no idea that wonderful Sunday morning that our love affair would end so soon but end it did. I came home from work a couple of months later to an empty room. The desk clerk told me as I walked in the lobby that Fely had to leave suddenly on a family matter and had told him that I would know where to look for her note. I walked up the stairs to my room like a robot. Things were scattered and in disarray, the result of hurried packing. One of her suitcases was gone and when I looked in the closet many of her clothes were still hanging on the rack. She had indeed been in a hurry. The only place I could think of to look for her note was in the place where I kept the emergency cash hidden. There was a loose seam in the lining of my winter uniform jacket where I kept a couple hundred dollars or so for emergencies such as quick trips to Thailand with no time to get to the bank. I had shown this to Fely and told her if she needed any money to get what she needed and let me know so I could put it back. There had been few occasions when she had taken any money and she had always told me. When I looked in the jacket there was a note and no money. I took a seat and read the note: "Boone, I'm sorry about the money but this was a big emergency. My husband is in town looking for me. I told you that I might have to leave in a hurry and now I have. I'll write to you as soon as I find a safe place to stay. Please don't be angry at me there was nothing else I could do. Love, Fely" The day we had both denied had finally come. I had put this on the back burner of my mind but we both knew that sometime sooner or later this could happen. I reread her note and my sense of loss descended like a heavy blanket of despair. I poured myself a stiff drink and began to restore order to the room. When I finished I sat at the little table that served as desk and mini-kitchen. My eyes fell on a row of reference books I had put there between bookends Fely had bought. She had arranged the books to suit her sense of color and balance and I rearranged them in a logical order. Our only real fight had erupted over that. I had won the fight but lost the war, she didn't talk to me for a day or two. I rearranged the books in the order that pleased Fely and thought to myself, "Why did I yell at her over something so trivial?" The rest of the evening I spent getting drunk. The next day I nursed a hangover at work and found an excuse to take off early. I went immediately to the bar where Fely had worked before to see if Mama-San knew anything more about her. When I walked in wearing my uniform it took the cashier a moment to recognize me. She gave me a cold beer and said that Mama-San would be out in a moment. She busied herself behind the counter and offered no further conversation. Mama-San appeared from in back and invited me to a table far from the bar and told me about yesterday's events. . . . . . . . "This crazy Pilipno came busting into the place and demanded to see Fely. When I told him she wasn't here he nearly tore the place apart looking for her. He scared all the girls as he charged around in back. While he was back there I sent a girl to let Fely know he was looking for her. When he asked me where she was I told him that she was staying with a GI and they lived in a hotel on the MacAuthur Highway. He left and that was the last I saw of him. My girl found Fely at your hotel and helped her pack and catch a bus out of town. She got away but I don't know where she is. The Bar Association sent some people to find her husband and convince him to leave town. I don't think he'll come back here.", she said laughing. I could imagine the tender mercies used to convince him to leave and laughed with Mama-San. "She left me a note and said she would write when she found a place to stay." "She liked you Boone. She said you were very good to her. She was a good friend of mine and I was happy for her." "Yeah, I liked her a lot too. I'm going to miss her.", I said. "Don't worry Boone, Fely's a smart girl and she will figure something out." There was nothing more to say. I finished my beer and went home. The next couple of weeks dragged by and I remained in a blue funk. I went bar hopping with Red and the others but my heart wasn't in it. All I could manage to do was get drunk. None of the girls interested me. I was like a kid with the keys to the candy store who had a tummy ache. One thing I learned, what I felt for Fely was real. Our personal mail was delivered directly to the office. One day, as I was working, a letter was tossed on my desk with a strange stamp. When I picked it up I saw a return address in the Philippines. Hurriedly I opened it and began to read. The letter was one page front and back. Fely was in a place where her husband couldn't find her. Thanks to me, she had been able to catch an airplane out of Manila and put distance between them quickly. She was writing her family and working on a solution to her problem. The last paragraph poured out her heart and I almost broke out in tears. She closed with a simple, I love you, Fely. There was a P.S. "Don't try to write to this address, I'm not here and don't hide your money in the trash can." I folded the letter and laughed to myself. Just like her to say something like that. I could go out with the girls and I had her underhanded approval or perhaps tolerance. Red and I continued our bar hopping and on occasion I would take a girl to a "short time" hotel. I wouldn't bring them to my room, there were too many memories there and it was still Fely's room also. Red found a nice girl and settled down so I lost my bar hopping partner. The girls weren't particularly interesting so when the need arose I would stop and see Cora. She was an artist and for some twisted reason a blow job didn't make me feel as guilty afterward. About a month after the first letter another came with the colorful stamp and a different postmark. As I eagerly read it she said the usual things; I love you, I miss you, and I miss our Sunday mornings. She had moved to another place that was more comfortable than the last and a lot more secure. The last half of her letter was about her brother who would come by to visit me on a certain date. He would be able to tell me more news and he would talk to me about other things better left out of a letter. The date she mentioned was next Saturday little more than a week away. I had to make a trip to Udorn, Thailand but with a little luck I could be back in time to meet her brother. I would have to forgo a layover in Bangkok but I had been there before and I would go there again. While at Udorn I saw a pale yellow silk dressing gown in a tailor's shop. I thought of Sunday mornings with Fely and bought it. I stopped by the jewelry concession and bought several rings that caught my eye. I managed to wind up the official side of my trip and catch an airplane back to Clark on Friday. Saturday morning as I left for work I told the desk clerk that I was expecting a visitor and if he showed up before I got off work make him comfortable. Work consisted of getting debriefed from my trip and filling out my travel vouchers. When I wound this up I knocked off and returned to the hotel. Fely's brother was waiting for me in the lobby,. He was on the tall side of average for a Pilipno but was heavily muscled as if he did heavy work. When we shook hands he didn't give me a limp fish as is common in Asia, he had a strong, firm handshake and his hands were callused from rough work. I am over six feet tall and weigh a couple of hundred pounds but I wouldn't want to tangle with this man. As we walked up to my room I noticed he had a funny gait as if he was expecting the floor to come up and meet his feet, he had to be a seaman. Inside my room we sat with coffee and he told me about Fely's flight from Angeles and the places she had been since leaving. He was first mate on an inter island freighter and she would move from port to port on his ship and stay ashore for a couple of weeks at a time. She was safe but he said she missed me and wanted to come back to Angeles when it was safe. He told me the story of Fely's marriage and the abuse she had suffered from her husband. He had come from a prosperous family and at first had been very good to Fely. When she failed to get pregnant they had seen a doctor and found that he was sterile, things had gone downhill from there. He started drinking, gambling, and chasing every loose woman in town not caring if Fely knew about it or not. If she protested he beat her if she didn't he still beat her. He soon gambled all his money away and lost his business. Fely had to move back with her family or starve. Her husband began to rob tourists and sailors but was arrested after he stabbed a sailor. He blamed Fely for his troubles and vowed to kill her when he got out of jail. That brought him to the other part of his story. He said Fely had a plan to end her problems but it would take a lot of money which she didn't have. Alarm bells went off in my head. He continued and said if I could help Fely would be able to come back in a month or so. I asked how much money and he named a figure that would just about wipe out my emergency stash. I asked him if Fely needed any money for expenses and he said no, she had enough to live for now. I sat and thought about what he had said for a moment or two. Was this a rip-off? Could be, but when I asked if Fely needed money he had said no. If it were a rip-off he would have asked for more money then. Good judgment said not to give him the money but I missed Fely terribly and was willing to risk it. There was only one little thing that bothered me. What was their plan? There was only one way that she could be absolutely safe and I didn't feel really comfortable about that. The closet door was partially open and I could see Fely's robe hanging there that she had worn on Sunday mornings. That made the decision easy and I gave him the money and didn't ask about their plan. I invited him to have lunch but he politely refused saying he had to get back to his ship in Manila and he wanted to see his girlfriend this evening. They were planning to get married as soon as he saved a little more money. I dug through my bag and selected a Thai ring that had an oval opal surrounded by tiny rubies and handed it to him. "Give this to your future wife as an early wedding present from Fely and me.", I said. He was gone in a moment and when I went out for lunch the desk clerk called me to the front desk. He handed me an envelope with nothing on it but my name. Your friend left this for you and said to give it to you when he was gone. I went back to my room and opened the envelope. It contained two sheets of paper and a picture of Fely. She was standing by some shrubbery with a big smile on her face. I propped the picture up so I could look at it as I read her letter. It said all the usual things but her words had a ring of certainty and hope that had been missing before. The note from her brother was simple. He had been instructed by Fely to keep her letter if I had found someone new or if he thought something was wrong. He thanked me for the ring and wished us all the happiness in the world. . . . . . . . Two weeks later I got a letter from her asking me if I wanted a widow for a girlfriend. I sent a telegram that said, "FELY COME HOME. I NEED YOU." -- Story Submission: Submission criteria: Archive site: (Not active yet)