“You have a bullet wound in your leg and another one in your side. You’re going to be fine” he said; not wanting to mention the gang rape.
Michael felt her shake as the news finally sank in. He knew she was re-living every moment, because she began to shake violently.
“It’s alright, Love; I’m here to help you” he whispered as he held her again. “You’re going to be all right.
Chapter 28
A nurse came to their unit twice a day to check on Sally and change her bandages. Her family and friends arrived mid-morning every day and some even stayed until night fall. Their food was always supplied and Sally seemed to recover quickly with her family around her. She became accustomed to using the crutches, and after a week she no-longer needed them, but she still refused to face the outside world.
“We’ll go to the clubs tonight; you, me and Juni” Henesto said to me. “Corazon will stay with Sally.”
Michael glanced shyly at his wife who just nodded her head and said “Go for it. I trust my father to look after you.”
* * *
They left the family jeepney at the unit and caught a passing one to Field’s Avenue. The jeepney we were in was one of hundreds, intricately painted and decorated modes of transport. Every few yards the vehicle seemed to stop to let off passengers and collect new ones. The driver pounded his horn every few seconds as the traffic increased. Because it was a Saturday evening, the street was already packed with tourists, military personnel and, of course, beautiful girls. The three of them started at the top of the street and began their leisurely stroll; the blare of rock music echoed out of each bar they passed and the smell of the charcoal barbeques added to the excitement. Most Filipinos were speaking Tagalog, the main dialect of the Philippines. Juni and Honesto chattered between themselves in Pampangan, but Michael didn’t mind one little bit. It was a muggy night so the three of them went inside a fairly moderate establishment. The smell of cigarette smoke, stale beer, sweaty bodies and cheap perfume filled the air, but they wandered up to three vacant bar stools and ordered three beers. The black light made the colours on the girls bikinis glow as they wriggled to the beat of the music. The dance floor was packed with writhing bodies of American military personnel and bar girls. A pretty girl came up to Michael and asked “Buy me a drink, Joe? I be your girl if you want.”
“He’s already got a girl; my sister” Juni piped up quickly; hoping to send the girl off to look for someone else.
“You cheat with me tonight and forget about her” she whispered sexily as she wriggled on Michael’s lap and slung her arm around his neck
“No. She’s my wife” Michael mentioned, eyeing her slender body and firm breasts.
“She lucky” she said before she kissed him on the cheek and walked away.
Michael knew that when you go to one of these places a girl will have a seat with you and within a few minutes of conversation will ask for a ladies drink. Most of the ladies drinks usually run from 2-3 dollars. They are either soft drinks or juice and the girl usually gets half of the price as take home pay. If the girl likes you and you like her then it is fairly easy to come to an agreement as to how much it will cost to pay the bar to get her to leave work early for the night. Technically it is considered prostitution but this is a way for the bar to recoup any loss that might be incurred as a result of the lady no longer dancing for the customers. Most Bar Fines run from $10 to $25 dollars a night
The three of them finished their beers and slipped out to go to another bar. The night air had an overlying reek of diesel, but the three of them stood quietly for a while observing the scene. A Filipino came up to Michael and offered “I take you to good bar; lots of pretty girls; big tits. Won’t cost much.”
“He’s with us” Honesto piped up.
The man walked away to offer his services to another foreigner. A rowdy bunch of ten drunken marines from Olongapo Naval Base passed them; looking for another bar to pass the time.
“We’ll go to Golden Nile bar now” he suggested. “Then maybe Mirrors club.”
The three of them continued to bar hop along Fields Avenue and Perimeter Road; drinking one or two beers in each one. Michael lost count of the beautiful girls he met, the number of bars they visited and, by 1am, he was ready to go home. The bars and their names kept flashing over and over in Michael’s mind; Golden Nile, Mirrors, Atlantis, Crystal Palace, Roxy’s, Doll House, Blue Nile, Misty’s, Rhapsody, Illusion’s, Maverick, Paradise, Genesis, Blueberry Hill and Bunny Ranch bar.
“Did you have a good time, darling?” asked Sally when we walked inside our flat.
“It was different!” he said; slurring his words as he kissed her. “But I would rather be home with you.”
“We go back to Manila in two days, but we hire a jeepney this time” Honesto said.
“Nooo” Sally cried.
“We have to begin the paperwork so that you can immigrate to Australia” he said.
“Nooo, I don’t want to go anywhere” she cried; tears running down her face.
“We have to begin everything then, because we’re running out of time. You are ok to walk now, so we go on Tuesday. Let’s go, Corazon” he suggested.
“I’ll see you tomorrow” Michael said as they walked out the door.
* * *
“Darling, Denden and Taktak are here to take you to church, so you need to get ready” Michael mentioned as he woke her up the next morning.
“No, I don’t want to go anywhere!” she said.
“I’ll come with you if you like” he offered.
“No, I’ll just stay here” she whispered.
Michael left her in bed and walked out to the lounge to talk to her sisters.
“She has to overcome her fear of going outside. Can you try and persuade her to go with you? She cannot stay inside for the rest of her life and I’ve already offered to go to church with her” he pleaded.
The two girls ventured into the bedroom to talk to their stubborn sister.
Thirty minutes later the four of them were climbing out of a jeepney to the sounds of the church bells. Sally was extremely nervous and kept searching the faces of the hordes of people climbing the steps to the church.
“Let’s go inside” suggested Den-den.
“No” she whispered as she frantically searched for any attackers.
Just then an old lady, stooped with age, came up to her and held her hand. She had the appearance of an elderly farm worker, which, aside from her dark complexion, had a flat nose and cleft lips.
“You are safe from harm and God is with you. I saved you and your husband that day, because you are both good people. You have your life ahead of you, so go now and pray to God and he will cleanse your soul” she whispered in her ear, before wandering away.
“Mariang Sinukuan” she whispered.
Michael turned around to look for the old lady, but she already disappeared into the sea of people surrounding the church.
“What did you say?” asked Tak-Tak, unsure if she heard the words correctly.
“It’s nothing, nothing at all. Let’s go inside” she explained, brightening up.
Michael heard Sally mention the enchanted lady’s name, but the woman that was here today was elderly. Honesto had explained the legend of Mount Arayat in detail and how Mariang Sinukuan was difficult to recognize, because of the different disguises she could transform herself into. Michael didn’t think any more about the event, because his wife appeared to be back to normal; just part of their customs and beliefs.
The dark-grey cloud, which was low on the horizon when they entered the church, was now overhead. As the four of them walked down the steps a light drizzle of rain made the girls pop up their umbrellas. They signaled for a jeepney to stop, so they piled on board. The four of them were going to the dry markets to shop for the rest of the morning.
“I love you” Sally said simply as she leaned against him. What a wonderful day.”
It was a warm, humid and breezeless d
ay, but Sally didn’t seem to notice the stench of rain on hot bitumen mixed with diesel fumes.
“I love you too, darling” he admitted.
Michael tried to analyze the smells filtering through the open jeepney windows. Sweat, urine were the first two odours that came to mind, mixed with diesel fumes, hot wet bitumen and cooking food. Abruptly the rain began to fall again; not a slight drizzle, but a tropical deluge. When they reached the markets, Michael ran for the nearest shelter, while the women popped their umbrellas and strolled in to join him. Fascinated, he watched the hive of activity; busy even on a day like this. He glanced at his Seiko watch and noted the time; 11:10. Plenty of time before lunch, but his stomach was rumbling due to the lack of a substantial breakfast. As if Sally had read his mind, she wandered over to the nearest food stall and bought eight cooked spring rolls.
“Just what I wanted” he mentioned hungrily as she passed him one to eat.
Suddenly an attractive woman came up to them, talked to Sally, before kissing her on the cheek and smiling. She seemed to notice Michael for the first time when she glanced in his direction. She was quite beautiful and her face appeared to be blemish free. Her skin tone was slightly darker than Sally and she had on red lipstick, which enhanced her perfectly trimmed eyebrows and almond shaped eyes.
Her long black hair was unusually tinted with streaks of auburn. She was conservatively dressed with expensive clothes, but she did appear to be much older than my wife.
“This is Magdella, my Godmother” said Sally, introducing us. “Magdella, this is my husband, Michael.”
“How do you do, Michael?” she said; her clear voice soft and reassuring.
“Nice to meet you too” he replied sincerely.
“Magdella Robinson is married to a Canadian American and she has only just arrived in Angeles City, this week. Her husband is a geologist and they live in New Guinea, near Mount Fubilan.” she explained.
Michael remembered reading about a company recently, which was exploratory drilling in the area. The Kennecott Copper Corporation believed Mount Fubilan was a copper mountain with a gold cap.
“The two of us are going out to lunch together tomorrow, so I’m going to leave you alone in the flat for a few hours, darling” she said.
Michael just nodded his head to what Sally had just said, but he was absently appraised her Godmother again. She was slim, about a size 6, but her shapely body belied her true age. Her dark brown eyes glanced at him again from behind her long, thick lashes. A blush crept onto her cheeks and her lips curved into the cutest little embarrassed smile. Her long dark black hair hung loose, long and straight over her shoulders and down her back. Michael heard her say goodbye to them before she walked away. His eyes looked at the skirt she was wearing that went a few inches above her knees. The navy blue skirt was half of a professional business suit, complemented with a light blue blouse; she was all class.
They continued their shopping and then headed over to her parent’s place for lunch. The afternoon flashed by and soon Sally and Michael were back in their flat. He began to pack away the vegetables, rice, meat and other foodstuffs, while Sally placed the clothes she bought in the bedroom. Michael walked into the bedroom after placing everything away; he wanted to talk to her about the event this morning. Suddenly Sally stripped herself naked and stood in front of him.
“What the fuck?” he mumbled under his breath.
Michael felt her touch on his neck as her hands found the buttons on his shirt; goose bumps erupted down his arms, because they hadn’t had sex for more than two weeks. She continued to undress him, without speaking. Every time Michael tried to say something, she placed a finger against his lips forcing his silence. After her silent task was completed she moved forward and embraced him. He felt the fullness of her lips on his. The sensation of her hard nipples against his chest made his legs weak with anticipation. She seemed to awake from her trance to find his hand on her bare breast. She massaged her other hard nipple with her warm hand. Blood continued to rush into her nipples and they ached to be touched. Her fingers squeezed and tugged it forcibly; urging him to copy her. Shivers of pleasure ran down her spine and she gasped at the feeling; sensing the building wetness between her legs. Feelings of desire overcame her suddenly and she slowly moved her right hand down between her legs. Not all the way down, but just to the soft downy hair around her groin.
Waves of delight engulfed her body. Sally could feel the pressure inside her groin building. Her left hand moved in circles around the one nipple while her right hand moved lower down in slow rhythmic strokes, until she felt her release overcome her. She thought, during that moment, that she wanted nothing more than to feel he husband inside her, feeling his manliness and his body against hers.
Chapter 29
Michael woke up in a cold sweat; the result of a nightmare that was already beginning to fade. Outside, the first rays of dawn pushed their weak light through the gaps in the curtains and he saw there were some scattered dark grey clouds. Michael crept out of bed slowly and stumbled towards the bathroom with the need to use the toilet becoming urgent. The bad dream was about Sally and how she had been abducted again; something he had already dismissed, because they wouldn’t be placed in the same situation again.
After using the toilet he removed his shorts quickly; he needed to cool off. Michael filled up the shower bucket with cold water and began to tip a refreshing cup of it over his head. Suddenly the bathroom door opened and Sally walked in. She draped her arms around his neck and whispered, “I felt you move restlessly in your sleep, just before I heard you get up. Is everything alright, darling?”
“I’ll be ok” he murmured.
“Did your dream relate to what happened to us?” she enquired.
“No. It was just a bad dream and I can’t even remember it now” he lied.
“Nothing seems to make sense about what happened to us” she said.
“Well we were lucky to come out of a very bad situation, alive” he admitted.
“I just don’t understand why we were the targets” she said; happy to talk about everything now.
“What do you mean?” he asked her curiously.
“They were going to kill me first, but they had no intention of letting you go” she said.
“Maybe the NPA thought I was a rich foreigner” he said slowly.
“Maybe, but let’s forget about it for now and go back in the bedroom” she whispered; taking him by the hand and leading the way.
Fifty minutes later they both had showered and were sitting down to a morning coffee.
“Are you going to be ok while I’m having lunch with Magdella?” she asked.
“I don’t see why not. I have several books to read and you’ll only be gone for a few hours” he said.
“Well, I better get ready and leave soon. Don’t get any hostesses in here while I’m gone” she joked as she got up; ready to put her make-up on and get dressed.
* * *
Sally groaned as she opened her eyes, then closed them quickly again. Everything was so bright and she had a hell of a headache. She forced to open her eyes again, but everything was blurry.
“Where am I?” she croaked as she tried to focus her vision; sensing someone sitting in the chair. “I’m so thirsty.”
“You’re in hospital and I’m so glad you’re all right, love” Michael whispered as he jumped up out of the chair.
Michael poured her a cup of water, raised her head with his arm and held the cup to her tender lips.
“How did I get here why am I here?” she asked worriedly.
“How much do you remember, darling?” he urged, seeing the despair in her eyes.
She tried to remember as far back as she could.
“I remember going to church, then the markets, before going to my parent’s house. I remember coming back to the unit late that afternoon. I remember getting up the next morning and making wild passionate love to you, before going to out. That’s it, that’s all I can
remember” she said slowly. “How long have I been here, honey?”
“You don’t remember going out to lunch with your Godmother, Magdella Robinson?” he asked.
“Oh my God is she in hospital too?” she gasped as she remembered the arrangement she made.
“You don’t really remember anything else? You’ve been here for 12 hours” Michael asked again.
“No. Why have I’ve been here for 12 hours? What actually happened?” she gasped.
“You were drugged, Sally. Someone must have put Rohypnol in your drink when you were dining with Magdella. Someone brought you into the emergency department of the hospital and a nurse recognized you from the previous time you were here. She contacted your parents and I’ve stayed by your side since then” he mentioned.
Michael noticed her hands were shaking uncontrollably and he felt his heart ache as he witnessed her pain.
“Where’s my Godmother?” she asked, fearing the worst.
“That’s the problem; no one has seen her or knows where she is. Your father fears she’s been kidnapped” Michael added.
“Oh my God - Oh my God” she cried as she tried to fight the bile that rose in the back of her throat.
“Your family is waiting just outside in the hallway. I’ll go and call them now” he said.
Michael poked his head out of the doorway of the ward and waved to her father; alerting them Sally had woken up. Suddenly her entire family piled into the small room; her mother choking back the sobs and tears. Michael made room for her parents to come to her bedside.
“Sally, thank God you’re ok” her mother cried as she hugged her.
“Have the police found out where Magdella is?” he asked Honesto.
“They haven’t found any trace of her” he said sadly.
Just then the doctor and a nurse came into the room, checked Sally’s blood pressure, temperature before checking her vision. He said something in Tagalog to Honesto for a couple of minutes, before both of them walked out again.
Slave Of Destiny Page 19
