by John Muir
CHAPTER 27
FATHER O'REILLY VISITS
near Linamon - Day 6
The moonlight was enough to distinguish shapes and to see where items were. Siti heard her uncle sneak silently out of the house about an hour before sunrise. She knew he would only be away for as long as it took him to catch enough fish. That meant at least two hours. Zahra was sleeping as only she could. Siti knew she could check on this stranger without any fear of interruption. She tugged at the bottom of the t-shirt she was wearing to make sure it hid the panties beneath.
She passed through the curtains and looked at the stranger in his underwear. He was lying on his side for the first time; previously he had always been on his back. Now, lying on his left side, his left arm was outstretched using it as a pillow for his head.
She wanted to lie beside him, but with the stranger having regained consciousness, the circumstances had changed. She listened as he moaned softly and she felt her need to feel his arms around her.
Perhaps the stranger had slipped back into a coma. If she was careful, perhaps she could lay on his arm without disturbing or waking him. Quietly she lowered herself to the floor, put the left side of her face on his arm and lay on her left side to mirror the strangers body.
It still did not feel right. She moved back slightly and nestled into the warm body. The moaning stopped. She got ready to spring up if the stranger woke. Within seconds the stranger began breathing deeply and she relaxed.
She jerked her body in fright when the stranger put his right arm over her and moved his body in closer. It felt nice to be held cuddled closely like this. She thought of two spoons in a drawer. His breath passed over her ear and she began to feel the same aches between her legs that she felt before.
As much as she wanted him, she knew she could not control the situation as before. She would have to content herself with this feeling of warmth and want. Then she felt the strength of the strangers 'thing' pushing into the flesh of her buttocks. She reached her right hand around and gently lowered the stranger’s underwear and felt the hard muscle in her hands. Then lowering her own panties, she snuggled in even closer.
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Paradise Plantations - Day 6
It was a kilometre slightly downhill from the machine shed and nipa hut to the site being cleared. Though he was walking slowly, Ueda was there before he was aware of it. The sudden starting of machinery to his left, on the ground already cleared, was all that stopped him from walking past. His mind was distracted trying to think what Yamada's future plans might be. The workmen never started until Ueda arrived.
This time he chose a shaded place, a little further away from the action than he had previously done. It was near the rough road, within sight of the activity of the graders and other heavy equipment, yet still far enough away to allow his mind to drift off without too much distraction.
He thought of the irony in last night's activity. While he was burying the Grandson's legacy from the shooting, the Grandson was sweeping the newly cleared area with his metal detector to dig up the legacy from his Grandfather.
He had buried the body in an area that the heavy equipment would have to use frequently. That way, the soil would pack down hard. Too hard for the body to be easily found or accidentally uncovered
Ueda went back to the nipa hut, washed himself thoroughly, ate some rice, then lay on the floor mattress. His mind began to worry over details. When he thought about burying his pistol, he realised that Yamada, using his metal detector, might find where he had buried it. So he decided he would bury it away from the newly cleared area. Before that he would disassemble it into as many parts as possible and bury them in as many areas as there were parts.
From Yamada's early morning ill temper, it was obvious he had again failed to locate his Grandfather's buried legacy.
The approach of one of the workmen snapped him out of his daydream. He asked where the foreman was. It was now the second day he had not appeared. Ueda told the workman that the foreman had said something about his wife having gone to visit her parents in Zamboanga. He had not seen him since then.
When the morning sun rose higher, Ueda shifted his position and began sitting where he could see both the approach road from the highway and the workmen clearing the forest. He was not expecting any traffic, so when he saw a dirty green jeepney slowly bounce its way along the road toward the newly cleared area he stood up. The jeepney had only the driver in the front seat. Three people were seated in the back.
When the jeepney began to pass his position, he ran after it, yelling for it to stop. He could not risk anyone stumbling onto where Yamada was hiding and probably asleep.
The jeepney stopped, and Ueda ran to the driver’s window on the left. As he was about to ask the driver where he was going, one of the passengers spoke with an Irish accent, which he had not heard since his time in the United Kingdom.
"I don't suppose you could tell me where I might find Mr Ueda?"
Ueda looked at the speaker. The man was European, and wearing a black shirt and white clergyman's collar.
"I'm Ueda."
"I'm very pleased to meet you at last, I'm Father O'Reilly. We spoke briefly on the phone."
Ueda looked at the other two sitting in the back with the priest. They were two very well built Filipinos. They each nodded an acknowledgment at his look.
"I think perhaps you may have misunderstood our Church's offer of help Mr Ueda," the Irish priest went on. "You see, your Japanese Government was so concerned that they contacted the Vatican to ask if His Holiness could intercede and assist wherever the Catholic Church could to help get Mr Yamada back."
Ueda nodded. He did not like this unexpected complication. Any further outside intrusion could cause pressure for a settlement of the ransom money, which Yamada obviously did not intend to pay.
"Please be assured that I am doing all I can Father."
"I am sure you are, my son. I understand that your Government is prepared to help you with a loan should there be a problem with short term realisation of cash."
"That is not necessary."
"I did not think it would be. From the lack of any panic at your bank I presume you have the funds already in hand?"
"We are almost ready."
"When are you next making contact with the kidnappers?"
"Soon I think."
"How are you getting your messages to them?"
"I can't tell you. If I do, it might put Yamada San's life at risk. Father, I really must ask you to not help at this stage. Perhaps I can call on you when we need to deliver the money."
"We are always willing to help, just as we help all of those in need. I gave you my contact number."
"Thank you Father, but I must insist you return now to your hotel. Just as I must wait here until the kidnappers contact me." Ueda waved his arms at a flat part of the cleared area. "Your driver can turn around here. Goodbye Father." Ueda tapped the roof of the jeepney, and the driver started the engine and turned the vehicle around without waiting for instructions from the Father in the back.
The jeepney started its trip back toward the highway.
Ueda bowed respectfully as the jeepney pulled away, then settled back in his shaded spot under the tree.
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near Linamon - Day 6
Omar returned four hours after sunrise with his assortment of fish. After tossing them on the bench, he passed through the curtains and saw Siti and Zahra sitting looking at the stranger who was also sitting up and looking back at them. An empty soup bowl was on the floor between them.
"So, this is why the household chores are not done eh," said Omar in English. "You girls will do anything to avoid your jobs."
"My fault, I'm sorry," said the stranger. "After another delicious feed of soup, somehow we drifted into English lessons. We've just been covering commonly used phrases."
The uncle said nothing, just nodded his head once in the girls' direction, and they both stood up and left the room.
"Have you remembered anything more?"
"Yes, when I was talking to the girls. It was something that was said. I told them that sometimes instead of saying thanks, you might say ta. Then Siti asked me to spell it. It is spelt T.A. I remembered, that is my nickname, T.A. But I still can't remember my family name."
Omar nodded. "I'm not sure whether that's good or bad. I don't know when Salim is coming back. The local papers are still reporting you, if you are the Japanese, as missing. But if you are not the Japanese then where is he?"
"He had to do some business somewhere, that's why he sent us on to Marawi. I remember he was going to take me to his pawn shops. We had been to his tailors in Cagayan de Oro where I had two suits made. I know I had quite a lot of money in my pouch to buy things from his pawn shop."
"What was the name of the tailor shop?"
"I can't remember."
"Was it Ari's?"
"Yes. I think it was."
Omar screwed up his face. "And when the Japanese got out, where was it that he got out?"
"I don't know. What I mean is I don't know the name of the place. He said he had some business to do."
"Was he by himself."
"No, the big Japanese that spoke good English got out too."
"What should I call you?"
"T.A. I suppose."
Omar called out, and Siti appeared through the curtains. He spoke rapidly with her and she flashed a quick smile in T.A's direction before she ran off quickly.
"I've sent her off to find out who among our group seems to have come into some money. I'll also check with Ari. In the meantime, you'll be safer here with me."
"I stink. Can I clean up?"
"Tonight, you can take a bath."
Omar linked several chains and then attached the new chain to T.A.'s right leg manacle. He undid the chain on T.A's left leg.
"There, at least now you can walk around a bit. Still not enough to reach the window, but I don't want you to be seen."
"What if I call for help?"
"Then my relations and friends all around this place would think the Japanese had recovered consciousness and come in. They might enjoy beating you up again. They would think they were beating up the Japanese. Nobody from this village likes him."
"But I'll tell them who I am."
"Not many people here speak English."
"I'll keep quiet then."
"Your life depends on it."
With that, Omar restarted working on his 'surprise project'.
T.A. watched for a while, with varying interest as Omar the set square to ensure his cutting was accurate. He was scoring a set line into thick glass with his fishing knife.T.A's thoughts were more about his own situation than on what Omar was doing. He walked toward the window.
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Maria Christina Hotel, Iligan - Day 6
"Well, that was a whole lot of bullshit from that Ueda fella," said Pater.
"You weren't doing too badly with the Irish bullshit yourself 'Father'," said Rangi.
"I'd liked to have gone further up that road and checked out the shed and the other buildings we've been told about. It might need a late night visit."
Pater watched his two companions nod their agreement.
"You two get something to eat. Meet me back here in an hour with all the others, and bring me some toasted sandwiches. I've got some phone calls to make."
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