Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 19:43:39 -0800 From: Jon Wesley Subject: Noah: Chapter 2 Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction and that of love. Any resemblance to actual places, events, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. This story may contain erotic and/or sexually explicit behavior between consenting people. If it is illegal for you to, or you find this sort of work offensive, don't download or read it! The people in this story do not use protection because diseases don't exist here. However, in our world they do so please use caution and protection. This story is protected by copyright. It may not be downloaded or copied for other than your private enjoyment and may not be changed in any way without the expressed written consent of the author. This story may not be put on any other site without the author's express written consent. If you like what you're reading or have a constructive criticism, please drop me an email! jonwesley1@inbox.com Noah: Chapter 2 I waved as Noah and Helen drove off, Noah was waving and smiling out the side window and Helen flipped me the bird while smiling mischievously. I finally went inside and after some major cleaning I settled down to handle some emails and then pack for my conference tomorrow. I took a nap and planned on leaving for the airport by 6 am. I had just settled in to bed when I heard my phone chirp with a new email. I opened it and saw it was from Noah. He reminded me of my promise about the movie and also about my next visit to Palo Alto, he wanted to spend the week with me. He closed his message my saying I'd better call him sometime this week and to be safe. I replied with a simple "Thumbs Up" icon and then a small heart. I made my flight on time and was at the conference in time for opening comments and normally I am completely involved with the specifics of these conferences, but today my mind was up in Washington State. I made it thru the first day and when I finally was ensconced in my hotel room which overlooked the city. I took a quick shower and then called Helen. "Hey Wes! How's the conference going?" I kinda chuckled and said, "After last week, it's been anticlimactic and actually kinda boring." Helen snorted and said, "Anything is anticlimactic after you spend 5 minutes with Noah!" I couldn't help myself and joined her in a laugh at Noah's expense. I heard Noah in the background and could visualize him jumping up and down as he clamored for the phone. Helen milked the conversation just to toy with him and I helped by making endless prattle about the conference and the fact that a few celebrities were at the conference. Noah was getting agitated when Helen giggled and said, "Well, I'd better let you talk to Noah before he pops a vein in his head!" I laughed as she handed the phone to Noah, "Uncle Wes!! Do you miss me? I sure miss you!" I kinda choked up but held it together, unbelievable that in such a short time Noah had my heart and I got the feeling he knew it already! I said, "Of course I miss you Noah! My day has not been right cuz I missed you, well, I missed your Mom's Pot Roast too..." There was a pause as he had to think a second, "Hey! That's not nice! " I laughed loudly which in turn got him to giggling, "You're funny Uncle Wes! I already miss ya!" I told him that I missed him more and that I'd be seeing him in a couple of weeks as I was going to be in Palo Alto for a week or two. He squealed so loud that I had to pull the phone from my ear until he stopped the noise. I finally got him calm and told him that he better be good or his Mom wouldn't allow him to visit, he promised to be good and I said I needed to talk to his mom so we said our goodbyes with Noah slipping a bit and saying, "I love you Uncle Wes." He quickly handed the phone off to his Mom and we discussed my being in Palo Alto in 2 weeks and having them visit. She thought it'd be great and then asked if keeping him for the week was an option as she wanted to fly up to Seattle and hang out with her friend. I told her that it would be fine, but payment was her pot roast our first night! She laughed and agreed. After that we discussed more about the conference and I told her I was headed to Korea to visit a orphanage I was supporting and then over to the Philippines to help open a new Children's clinic. Helen was kinda amazed at my itinerary and then asked a question that I figured was coming. "How much money did you make when you were younger...?" I laughed as I knew she was embarrassed to ask and wanted to put her at ease, "You remember a search engine called Goog**? I kinda was an original investor and when it was sold I was an instant multimillionaire, I've got a great investment firm and have pretty much not touched the principal as my profits have only increased." Helen was impressed but I told her that I keep a low profile and most people don't know who I am in "real life". Helen promised to keep my secret and we finally closed out the call. The next few days went so much better and I talked or texted Noah a few times. They were back in San Francisco and Helen was swamped with work. I told Noah of my approaching visits to Asia and he reminded me a few times that I needed to send him pics of my visits. I agreed and decided to get a new camera for my trip. The flight to South Korea was long, but being in First Class made it bearable. The crew were all Korean and they were very nice and I was very pleased with the service they provided. I only wished the American companies were as good as these people were. I arrived in Seoul at 3pm local time and as I came through customs a man was waiting for me with a sign with my name on it. He introduced himself as Huang Li Kim, he was to be my driver and guide while I was here. He seemed extremely nice and I was glad I had him as a guide. He suggested that we get to the Windsor and get settled in. I agreed and he escorted me to a chauffeured car and soon we were zipping through downtown Seoul. If I noticed anything, it was that all Koreans were fast drivers. I was a bit nervous as we careened thru the busy streets. Mr Kim was completely at ease with the driving which eventually made me relax a bit. We arrived at the Windsor Hotel pretty quickly and the staff there were very good at their jobs, as I was in my room in a matter of 10 minutes. Mr Kim told me he would arrive back at 9 am to take me on a tour of Seoul. With that, he left and I was alone. I opened my curtains and the view was amazing so I took a quick picture to add to the ones I was going to send to Noah after my tour tomorrow. I decided to take a short walk as I was in the shopping district of Seoul. I had only walked a short distance when I found a place that sold beautiful mink blankets and after the normal Korean custom of haggling we agreed on a price for two blankets. One was a beautiful blue and silver with an intricate design which I bought for Helen and then the one for Noah was a black fur with a dragon design in a soft gold color. I knew Helen would hate it but Noah would love it. After paying for the blankets and having them ship them to Helen's residence I left to continue my shopping. I found a place that sold little trinkets. I bought a set of crystal decanters for my bar and some crystal bourbon glasses that matched. I sent them via parcel to my place in Palo Alto then decided it was time to go back to the Windsor and have some dinner. I decided on room service as the dining room was semi formal and I am not a tie kind of guy. I had a nice sirloin with glazed carrots and a baked potato, it was as advertised, delicious. I'd just settled into the leather sofa when my phone chirped. It was an email from Noah, he sent me a selfie that was just adorable and a short note saying he loved and missed me. I sent one back saying that I would be sending him pictures tomorrow of my day and that I missed him too! I quickly sent it and then watched a little satellite TV and then at 10 I went to shower then bed. I had set up a wake up call for 7am and hit the pillow pretty hard. The wake up call was not needed as my internal alarm was all screwed up and I was wide awake. I dressed quickly and went downstairs to have breakfast in the dining room. Breakfast was very good and the coffee was excellent. I had three cups and as I was leaving they handed me a travel mug filled with my coffee with a Windsor logo on the cup. I met Mr. Kim in the lobby and he escorted me to our car and we were off. The day tour was amazing and Mr Kim was a very good tour guide. I took a ton of pics on my new camera and couldn't wait to show Noah. As the day came to an end Mr Kim asked me what I was doing for dinner tonight and I guessed it would be room service, he asked that I come home with him and have supper with his family. I quickly agreed and we headed towards his house which was just outside the city. It was a nice modern neighborhood and his house was one of the largest there. I thought he was just a guide but after talking I found out he was kind of in the same field as me as he was a huge contributor to the orphanage too. As we entered his home his family was standing there to receive us. His wife was a picture of beauty and spoke flawless English. They had 3 children, the oldest was 16, she was a younger version of her mom and then two boys, Kwan was 14 and had his Mother's facial features, I was kind of taken aback as he was like a porcelain doll. His handshake was firm but his hands were delicate. I think our handshake was a tad longer than was custom, as our eyes lingered on each other. Then the youngest at 9 was Little Hwang. He was bursting with energy and his smile was genuine and his handshake turned into a hug and then he was jumping around doing his best to amuse me. We all finally were seated in the living room and Hwang's wife gave us refreshments as she checked on our dinner. Little Hwang was all over the place and I eventually sat him on my lap which calmed him down and allowed me to breathe calmly again. Hwang took notice at Little Hwang's change and smiled and said, "You are a natural parent Wesley, do you have children?" I replied, "No, I've never been that lucky, but my Mother was running a daycare for many years and I was around them Til I went to college." Hwang watched as I kept Little Hwang calm and I could see that he was taking notes for himself. Kwan asked about American kids and especially about our music. He was a big fan of our rock music, especially The Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers. I made a mental note of this and we discussed American music and also talked about movies. Hwang was impressed with my ability to hold a conversation with his son whom he could barely get an acknowledgement out of normally. His wife came in and told us dinner was ready. I was surprised at the meal. It was totally American in nature. She had a roast with all the fixings, potatoes and broccoli. I was thinking this was probably unusual but Hwang's wife told me that she had lived in America for many years as her father had been a career diplomat. The roast was awesome as her kids kept saying like a mantra until they'd wiped it out. In that respect they were just like American kids, bottomless pits. After dessert which was a peach cobbler (surprise #2) they sent the kids off and we had coffee and just chatted. I heard my phone chirp and saw it was an email from Noah. I got a great idea and decided to call Helen. " Hey you!" She said. I asked if I could FaceTime with Noah as I had a surprise for him. She said sure and to call her back using the app. I hung up and called back using FaceTime and Noah answered immediately. "Hi Uncle Wes! How's it going in Korea?" I smiled at him and said "Just great! I wanted you to meet my new friends here in Korea, I flipped the camera and said, "This is my friend Hwang and his Wife Ami, they invited me for dinner and have been very nice!" "Noah smiled at this and said something very sweet, "Thank you both for being nice to my Uncle Wes, I hope he's being nice to you!" They both laughed and Ami said, "Your Uncle has been very nice to us and our children." Noah was quick and said, "You have kids?" Ami smiled and called for her kids. I panned over to them and introduced them all. Noah and Little Hwang kicked it off immediately. I eventually handed the phone to the youngest and he trotted off talking to Noah about video games and his newest Lego system. Kwan sat down next to me and asked about my help at the orphanage. I was mainly a financial contributor but lately I'd wanted to help more with the hands on portion and I explained that my trip to the Philippines was going to be more about helping in that manner. Kwan was very interested and asked thoughtful questions that required me to elaborate in a deeper way. Hwang and Ami both were interested and as we discussed the orphanage I found out that Hwang had been an orphan and understanding the system better than most he wanted to really help the kids stuck in those places. I was moved by his heartfelt thoughts and promised him I would do all I could with him to help guide my decisions. Little Hwang came back 45 minutes later and handed me the phone. Noah was smiling and said, "Hwang is cool Uncle Wes! We've exchanged emails, skypes and Xbox usernames! I think we're going to be good friends!" I laughed at how kids were all the same around the world, "Ok kiddo, I gotta close this chat out, I love you sport!" He smiled, "I love you too Uncle Wes, and thanks for bringing me along and letting me make a new friend!" I smiled and then laughed because Little Hwang was behind me jumping up and down and waving at Noah. Noah laughed and waved back and then we closed the app. Hwang and Ami both thanked me for Little Hwang and I told them that I did nothing. Hwang laughed and said, "I think you brought two kindred souls together!" We all chuckled at this and I yawned. Hwang looked at his watch and realized I was still fighting jet lag so he asked if I was ready. I agreed and after hugging them all and scooping up Little Hwang and getting his super hug we left for the hotel. Hwang thanked me for spending time with his family and I thanked him for allowing me into his home and that I'd really enjoyed myself and felt I had a family in Korea now! Hwang smiled broadly and we bowed to each other then shook hands. He told me that he would pick me up at 9am to head to Uijongbu which was an hour north of Seoul. With that I headed upstairs and grabbed a shower and placed my suit out for dry cleaning and was out like a light before my head hit the pillow. Again, my internal clock screwed me up and I was up at 6. I made a coffee in the room and was surprised that it was the same as what was served in the dining room. I opened the front door and was about to grab the paper when I realized my dry cleaning was already back! Gotta love first class hotels. The newspaper was the English version of Seoul 's largest paper and had an international section that covered U.S. News and sports but the front page had an article about the orphanage and even mentioned my name as one of the contributors. I was kinda feeling weird about it but shook it off as who in America was gonna see this... I was way off the mark on that.... After a great breakfast which Hwang joined me in, we headed off for the orphanage. Uijongbu was really just a suburb of Seoul as Seoul was a huge city of 11 million people. Uijongbu had until recently been a huge staging area for American military forces and hang told me that a lot of the kids in this orphanage were Amerasian which meant their fathers were probably American G.I.'s that left their pregnant Korean girlfriends in a bind. Plus, Asians were like most people and shunned these kids as impure to their Asian race. Hwang was trying to change that but it was an uphill struggle. As we pulled up to a rather imposing iron gate there were a hoard of news people outside the compound and Hwang just ignored them. As we pulled in, the children were in a formation singing some song that although I didn't understand it, I recognized that they'd really practiced it and sounded beautifully. As Hwang and I stepped out of the car I bowed to the children and clapped at their singing which I could see made them proud too. A group of staff were there bowing to us and we bowed back which caused a rash of bowing until I laughed and everyone began laughing too. The Director introduced himself as Mr. Li and he introduced the staff. This took a bit of time and after that he directed us to a small stage which had a microphone. Hwang said that we'd have to make an opening statement before the ribbon cutting. This made me nervous as they had just allowed a small contingent of the press into the compound and they were snapping pictures and setting up their video cameras. The Director made an opening speech which was short but he mentioned Hwang and I as major contributors. He then invited Hwang up and he thanked everyone and basically reiterated his belief that all Asians to include Amerasians deserved a chance and that this place was here to offer them a place to grow up safely and hopefully be adopted. He then introduced me as a great American philanthropist and the orphanage's major benefactor. I started off kinda nervous, thanking Hwang and the Director, but then I looked over at the children and inspiration took over. " I want to welcome you children to your new home and tell you that you have a home for however long you need it, we are here for you and only you, our hope is that you are adopted, but while you are here, that you get a first class place to live, a first class school and hopefully first class food!" This brought laughs from everyone even the press. "I know that things were tough for some of you, but I want you to know that things are changing and I am hopeful for your futures, we've also set up a college fund so that you may go to college if you so choose, you will always be part of this family even when you're out in the world with a family of your own, help keep this place good for children that come after you and make them feel welcome, remember how you felt your first few days or months and how tough it is, be nice to each other and to the staff as they're here for you. To the staff, your reason for being here is these children, do not fail them as society has already failed them. We should be holding them up not holding them down. I will be an active member of this community as my friend Hwang will be my eyes and ears, so let's make this a success for all who enter those gates, children and staff! Thank you!" The applause started slowly but then became thunderous and genuine. Even the press were clapping. Hwang and I were handed ceremonial scissors and we were led to the stairs leading to the main building. After a quick speech by the Director we were given the nod and the ribbon was cut. Everyone clapped and more pictures were taken as the kids swarmed us like we were celebrities. Hwang and I were shown the facilities and although I'd seen pictures during the building phase, they'd not done them justice as the rooms were nice and there was no overcrowding. The dining hall was cozy and there were no long tables, just 4 seat tables and comfortable chairs. We were invited to eat lunch with the children and we readily agreed. Hwang and I sat with two boys, one was 7 and the other was 11. I found out they were brothers and fathered by two different americans. Jai was the older and Lyn was the youngest. Both had very American faces and obvious Korean hair. They were definite cuties and seemed to me that they were both very polite and smart too. I actually enjoyed my time with them and I could see Lyn was more open then Jai, he was a bit jaded but hid it mostly for his brother's sake. We sat and talked for quite a while and then I texted Helen to see if Noah could FaceTime me. In a few seconds the call came thru and Noah's face and smile appeared. "Hi Uncle Wes! Whatcha doin?" I told him I was at the orphanage and wanted to introduce him to two of my newest friends. Jai and Lyn were soon in an animated discussion with Noah while me and Hwang looked on. Soon Jai handed me the phone back and Noah and I promised to talk soon "alone" is all he said, but he thought Jai and Lyn were super cool! He smiled when he saw Hwang and greeted him too then said his goodbyes. Jai was a bit more relaxed as we walked the grounds and Lyn was a typical kid, bouncing all over the place. I found that I really liked these two and made a mental note to follow up on them after my trip to the Philippines. Jai and Lyn were clearly saddened that my visit was soon over. Lyn hugged me tightly and I was visibly affected by his tears. Jai almost reverted to his jaded self but seeing my watering eyes he relaxed and let me hug him. I promised I would be seeing them again soon and then had to leave. The ride back was quiet as I was running the day over in my head. Hwang and I went into the bar and he introduced me to the national drink called "Soju" it was basically a potent clear liquor that after a few didn't seem to burn anymore and went down smoothly, we almost got drunk but both realized that would not work as I had an early flight tomorrow. Hwang smiled at me as I seemed deep in thought. "Jai and Lyn really made an impression on you Wesley." I agreed and said, "They seem like good boys, they just need a break!" Hwang looked down and said, "I hope someday they will, but people here aren't very accepting of these AmerAsians, so Jai and Lyn will have a tough row to hoe in Korea. Someday maybe my country will be different, but for now..." He shrugged and then got up. "I've got to go home, thank you Wesley for all your doing and you are always welcome in my home, you are a valuable friend and my wife likes you, so it's a done deal!" We laughed and we hugged like old friends and I thanked him for his befriending me in his country. He said it was easy because I was a good man. We shook hands and then he was gone. The next morning I was checking out when the front desk handed me a Manila folder, inside were two files and a note from Hwang, "Dear Wes, I think I know where these boys belong, but I think you need to read these files. You are a good man Wes, I have it from great authority (Little Hwang) that you are awesome! Please do not doubt yourself in this matter, I see the real you and it has Father written all over it." Hwang. I made it to the airport just in time, destination , The Philippines! To be continued!