Slave Of Destiny

by Derek Easterbrook

  “I need you” she purred.

  They kissed and hugged as hands roamed over each other’s bodies. He kissed her neck and trailed his kisses to her breasts and she moaned with pleasure. Michael began to wonder if Sally was a virgin. Then he began to stress that she actually was one. Michael didn't know if he could go through with this if she was. Her lips sought out his and once again they began kissing deeply. He ran his fingers through her incredible silky hair and relished the silky feeling. His lips moved from her mouth and he smothered her entire face with quick little kisses. She arched her neck up as he trailed them down and started kissing her neck again. She moaned as he worked his way around and down to her breasts. She tensed up as Michael felt between her legs, but he felt her soften at his touch. She looked into his eyes again and smiled, so he went back to kissing every inch of her body. He moved his mouth around the soft contour of her neck, while her hand was busy probing between his legs. Michael’s mouth moved down to her breast and he nibbled on an engorged nipple. Her aureoles were small and milk chocolate in color, but he happily sucked on one. Michael moved over to the other breast and left a trail of saliva to mark his path. She moaned as he sucked on the other swollen nipple. She was moaning quietly as he nursed on both her breasts, then he licked and kissed all around the fleshy globes. Sally’s pubic hair was very dark and dense, so Michael reached out with his right hand and gently combed his fingers through it. She trembled as he hit one of her erogenous zones and he continued to rub her there. She groaned with pleasure at his teasing, so he trailed his kisses to her clitoris. Michael probed with his tongue and moved it lightly from the bottom of her slit to the top. Sally arched her back and tried to push harder into Michael’s face as he brushed his tongue against her clitoris. He heard her gasp loudly and Michael felt her body jerk several times with ecstasy before she quietly sighed and relaxed.

  “Please, make love to me now” she whispered.

  “I need to put on a condom” he whispered.

  “It’s ok, because I am taking the pill” she added, encouraging him to lie on top of her.

  She quickly reached down and wrapped her hand around his penis. Michael held his breath as he anticipated penetrating her body. She held his penis and moved it back and forth along her slit as she teased herself with it. Her breathing started to change as she guided him into her. Michael felt wonderful as he slowly slid into something hot, tight, and silky. She sighed as it slid in, but then she groaned when she felt his tip hit her cervix, but relaxed as he slipped in a little further. Michael sucked and nibbled on a nipple, before she pulled her breast out of his mouth and she encouraged him to kiss her. They were moving together in a steady rhythm and Michael felt like he was in heaven. Their tongues twirled and she sucked his into her mouth again. She stopped kissing and started making louder “Oh oh oh ooo” as Michael continued moving inside her. Suddenly, her upper body shook as she climaxed a second time. He could feel his own climax building up as his back arched and he filled her with his sperm. She groaned loudly as she felt the warmth flowing inside her and she moved her hips erratically as she had another orgasm.

  Michael collapsed on top of her as he felt his penis slowly becoming flaccid. She pushed him off and snuggled into the crook of his arm. Several minutes later he glanced over at Sally, but her eyes were closed and her breathing was regular, so he assumed that she had fallen asleep. Michael studied her face as she slept, then he shifted his eyes to her magnificent breasts which made his penis stir. She woke up because she must have felt it rub against her thigh and she looked down at it and then looked back up with a grin. She rolled onto her back and said “I’m ready if you are.”

  “I love you Sally” he said and bent down to kiss her.

  “I love you too” she purred.

  They made love to her again, before they had a shower together and went out for a very late dinner.

  Chapter 24

  The very next afternoon after work, Sally moved in with Michael. She had a few belongings, but even less in the way of good clothes.

  “Marry me and come back to Australia with me” he asked her after another long session of lovemaking.

  “What about my studies?” she asked haughtily.

  “You can study in Australia if you like” he said happily.

  “I want you to meet my family before you marry me. Can we go to the Philippines first?” she whispered.

  “I’ll do anything for you, darling” he mentioned as he kissed her again. “My visa runs out in three weeks, but I’m sure I can apply for one for the Philippines.”

  “My father can help us with the documents at the Australian Embassy in the Philippines. He has already helped my sister marry an Australian” she added.

  “How long did the process take?” he asked.

  “About three weeks, once we’re married” she admitted.

  “The Philippines it is. How about you quit your job and help me arrange the visa and the airplane flights. The sooner we leave the sooner we can get married” Michael said happily.

  The next morning she quit her job and Michael slipped the store owner money for the inconvenience. The two of them then went to the university and explained the situation. The next stop was the Foreign Consulate Office in Denpasar where her Uncle worked. He was only too happy to arrange the visa for him, so that his niece wouldn’t come back to his crowded unit. The next stop was a travel agent. Michael booked the flights for two people from Bali to Manila so that they could leave in a week’s time. Then he booked another flight for two people from Manila to Brisbane for six weeks after that. Michael could worry about the connecting flight to Townsville later.

  Later that night in bed Michael found he couldn’t sleep. Sally had been asleep for over 30 minutes, but sleep still eluded him so he tried to remember what he knew about the Philippines. Most Australians know very little about the archipelago nation. Michael knew it was a protectorate of the United States for nearly 50 years after the conclusion of the Spanish-American War and there were air force and naval bases there. More importantly, the little bit he had read about the Philippines paints a picture of this country that has a deeply engrained religious culture and its population are stereotypes that are prevalent in US citizens. He also knew that most Filipinos who come to Australia are nurses, medical technicians, or young Filipina brides. When Michael thought of the Philippines, he could picture large extended families that live happily together in small places. He also thought of large families that remain not only physically close, but emotionally close as well. Because it was January 1979, President Marcos' hold on power had deteriorated and he had declared Martial Law. The alleged attempt to end the life of Minister of Defense, several months earlier, gave Marcos a window of opportunity to declare Martial Law. Marcos announced the emergency rule the day after the shooting incident. Michael also knew the insurgency in the south was caused by the clash between Muslims and Christians, which Marcos considered a threat to national security. Michael smiled at the thought of the girly bars, but he also thought of heat, humidity and rain, just before he fell asleep.

  The two of them went shopping the next day for some decent clothes for Sally. They knew they had a limited baggage allowance, but a few more sets of evening and formal attire for both of them wouldn’t go astray.

  * * *

  Michael and Sally passed through Manila International Airport security just on 9pm and had their passports stamped, before they collected their bags.

  The sea of people and the noise that was outside the doors of the airport overwhelmed Michael, but Sally held his hand tightly and guided him over to where her father was standing.

  “Too many people and too noisy here to talk, we go now” he ordered, leading the way.

  The three of them pushed their way through the crowd with the majority urging foreigners to ask them to help them or calling out to loved ones.

  “My father used the money we sent to him to hire a Jeepney” she shouted above the din. It looked like a
ll her family turned up to welcome him into the family; Michael didn’t know how wrong he was. There were five people in the back of the fairly modern van. As they climbed in the back, her father and mother jumped in the front two seats.

  “This is my father, Honesto, my mother Corazon, My brother Juni, My other brother Boy, My sister Rosito, my brother Lauro and my other sister Tak-tak” Sally said slowly, before she added. “My other sisters Aimee and Denden are waiting for us.”

  “Your other sisters?” he mumbled, surprised at the size of her family.

  “Oh Yes and my sister Madonna is already living in Australia; Townsville in fact” she said.

  “You never mentioned that your sister lives in Townsville” he said.

  “Sorry, I thought I already mentioned it” she said apologetically.

  It just that struck Michael that Philippine names for both girls and boys tend to be what we in Australia would regard as overbearingly childish for anyone over about five. Where Michael came from, a boy with a nickname like Boy or Juni would be beaten severely at school by pre-adolescent bullies. So would girls with names like Tak-Tak and Den-Den. Here, however, no one bats an eyelid.

  The journey through Manila, out onto the freeway and then into the province of Pampanga took several hours, but finally the van arrived in Angeles City; home of the American Military Clark Airbase. The van stopped outside a house in Gomez Street and it seemed as if all the residents of the street came out to welcome the foreigner. Finally there were hugs and handshakes all around and a beer was thrust in Michael’s hand.

  “I need to use the bathroom” he whispered in Sally’s ear, when he finally found her again.

  With his duties out of the way, someone thrust another beer in Michael’s hand; a San Miguel. He actually jumped the gun by having a San Miguel with lunch during his flight from Bali to the Philippines and he loved the taste. To put it simply, the Philippines offers good beer cheap. This island nation has a rich and very diverse cultural heritage and, for these people, warm hospitality and lasting friendships are a way of life.

  * * *

  The next morning the smell of fried garlic, fried fish, and fried daing wafted from the neighbor's kitchen and it made Michael hungry. The two of them had stayed with her married second eldest sister’s in her one bedroom flat and they had given them the use of the bedroom. Sally disappeared for 10 minutes and came back with three bags of fully prepared rice noodles; their breakfast. Just up the laneway there was a food vendor who sold the delicious food attached to those wonderful smells. Den-den’s husband Catig had already left for work as a bartender at one of the bars on Field’s Avenue, so the three of us sat down and ate breakfast together. Later that morning Sally and Michael left for the local markets.

  Jeepneys, tricycles, motorcycles and the impatient, restless sounds of traffic buzzed around them during the one pesos jeepney trip. Michael watched boys walking with an arm over their buddies' shoulders and girls walking hand-in-hand. Some pedestrians pressed brightly colored bandanas tightly over their noses and mouths, because of the diesel exhaust fumes. The two of them went to the ‘dry’ markets and the warm smiles, courtesy, cheerful bantering, and “Hey, Joe!” echoed as Michael walked through them and exuberant children were everywhere. Here vendors sold dessert with strange colors and exotic flavors like ube (purple yam), cheese, and macapuno (young coconut). Bright colourful dresses filled some stalls, bags of every shape and size in others, while nick-nacks, souvenirs and cheap jewelry were everywhere.

  The ‘wet’ markets were several blocks away so they caught a tricycle ride to them. These markets were full of fresh pork, chicken, and fish and the vegetable stalls were brimming with vegetables, mangos, pineapples, and other tropical fruits. Sally explained to him the names of the fruits he’d never seen, but he soon forgot them because of an overloaded brain. The fish, prawns and crabs were still alive in their small ponds. Roosters crowed, ducks quacked and pigs grunted all around them.

  “We’re eating at my parent’s house tonight” she mentioned as she passed him the bags to carry. “We buy fresh food every day.”

  The two of them returned to her parent’s house where she advised Michael “I have to prepare the food for tonight. Juni will take you to our grandfather’s house.”

  Michael followed Juni, whose real name was Honesto Junior, down the street and around the corner. Half way along the next block he bought three cold beers and they continued on until the next alleyway.

  “How much are the beers?” Michael asked.

  “Red Horse is two pesos, fifty centavos” he replied. “San Miguel is cheaper.”

  Michael did a quick calculation and worked out that he could buy nearly five of these beers for an Australian dollar; beers in Australia were about a dollar each. The two of them disappeared down the passageway between the houses, until they came across a small courtyard. Here a tall old thin man was tending to some roosters, tethered by their leg with strings to stakes.

  Juni introduced him, but explained “He doesn’t speak or understand English.”

  It didn’t matter, because drinking beer together is the universal language. Juni explained to me that these were fighting cocks; a national past time in the Philippines.

  “Is it true about the girls in the bars?” Michael asked him, attentively.

  “You like to go there? There are about a hundred bars and they’re full of the best looking girls” he admitted. “We’ll go there in a few days.”

  * * *

  The one thing that really opened Michael’s eyes was the sheer number of companies employing armed security guards; not guards with tiny little pistols, but these had rifles or pump-action shotguns. The next morning Honesto, Michael and Sally went to book bus tickets to Manila on the ‘Rabbit’, the armed security guard smiled at them, greeted them warmly and opened the door to the office. Then her father took them sightseeing to Mount Arayat. It is an extinct volcano, rising to a height of 3,366 feet. Being only ten miles to the east of Angeles City, Mount Arayat is considered a mystical place and the legendary home of the fairy known as Mariang Sinukuan. Sally and Michael were getting married tomorrow, but today the family was having a picnic. Most of the family piled into the old family jeepney along with steaming pots of food and rice. Additional items were tied to the roof racks and then they were on their way. No one was going to climb to the top, just part of the way to look at some famous statues; he assumed.

  As the jeepney approached the base of the mountain her father detoured down a dirt road and drove along it for about a mile.

  “NPA” he hissed. “Quiet everyone.”

  Through the open window Michael saw several men carrying rifles standing on the road and in their way. One man walked over peered in the back door, before walking around to the driver’s door. He talked quietly with Honesto for a minute, but Michael couldn’t understand anything except one word – Americana.

  “Hindi, Australiana” he replied.

  “Americana” he shouted, pointing to Michael.

  “Hindi, Australiana” he replied again.

  The NPA soldier walked to where Michael was sitting and ordered “Passport Signor.”

  He handed him his dark-blue passport through the open window without saying a word. The worried look her father sent him told him to keep quiet and do what they say. The soldier took it, opened it up looked at Michael’s photo then glanced at him.

  “You Australian?” he asked.

  “Yes” Michael said softly, nodding his head.

  The soldier walked away with Michael’s passport and over to the other five armed men. He could see through the open window that all six men were examining his credentials. The first man returned and handed it back to Michael. “It is ok.”

  The soldier returned to argue with Sally’s father, who turned around and said something to Sally. She passed her father some money, which in turn passed it to the NPA officer.

  “Sigi” he said and walked away.

  The small group dis
appeared as quickly as they arrived and Michael breathed a sigh of relief.

  “What was that all about?” Michael asked.

  “A donation to the NPA” he said, as they continued on our way.

  Michael was sure, as in any country, there were serious problems in the Philippines. In fact, the problems facing the Philippines are so severe that one must wonder if the country can ever truly overcome them. Luckily most of the problems were in the southern part of the country. However, it is his experience that the richness of the culture, the warmth of the people, and the sheer beauty of the land and sea overshadow these problems.

  Chapter 25

  Hernesto had arranged for the two of them to move to their own small, one bedroom unit that night, but they were too busy with the church arrangements to care. Sally and Michael were married the next afternoon. The wedding progressed from the church to a small civil ceremony in a beautiful park. Time seemed to speed up and the wedding flashed by and all too soon it was time for the reception. The whole family, God parents and close friends were invited to eat in the local Chinese restaurant. After a couple of hours, the party migrated over to Gomez Street where a second reception was held. Tables were set up in the street and more food appeared to feed hungry neighbours. Beer and soft drink were plentiful, but Michael limited the amount he drank anticipating the time the two of them would returned to the unit. The children lit fireworks amongst the multitude of people, but no one seemed to mind.