Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2013 14:30:56 -0800 (PST) From: John Michaels Subject: Filipino Love - chapter 48 FILIPINO LOVE BY JM Email: mmanlookin@yahoo.com Disclaimers and other info: see chapter one This story is my personal intellectual property. Any reproduction of any kind is prohibited without my express written permission. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT Ronni continued to rain kisses on my face, babbling excitedly. He was so excited that he was speaking in a mix of English and Tagalog making it hard to understand exactly what it was he was saying, but the basic message came through loud and clear: he was one ecstatically happy boy!! Jareth had helped Dhomz up off the floor, who was apparently unhurt by his tumble, and both of them were looking at Ronni with astonishment and probably a bit of concern for their friend's current mental state. They'd never seen him act this way before, and since I hadn't told them the reason why Ronni and Marcus had been out, were puzzled by his over-the-moon behavior. Marcus, Carl and Lorenzo came in just about then, laughing and talking, and when they saw the unbridled enthusiasm Ronni was displaying, went off into gales of laughter. This further confused the two older teens, and with great effort, I managed to tell them that I'd explain in a minute when I could get Ronni to calm down. He finally realized that his father had come in, and with a final peck on my lips and a toothy grin, hopped off my lap and ran to Marcus, wrapping his arms around him. "Thank you, Papa, thank you!" he said, excitedly, kissing his father repeatedly on the cheek. "I'm so happy! Thank you! I love you!" "You are most welcome, my son," said Marcus, chuckling. "It looks like we did a very good thing. I am very happy for all of us." Just then, Ronni stiffened in his father's embrace. "Ooh!" he exclaimed. "Gotta use the cr!" And with a final kiss on his father's cheek, he ran to the cr, and we heard the door slam shut. This got everyone laughing again, even Dhomz and Jareth, and as I got up, decided that it was "beer me" time. I made the offer, casting a stern eye at the two teens to let them know the offer didn't extend to them, and with disappointed looks, said they'd have a coke. Everyone else accepted my offer except for Carl, who reminded me gently that he was `on duty' and would take a water. Once everyone had their drink, we got settled in the salla, and I took a moment to bring Dhomz and Jareth up to speed. They were very happy for their friend and amazed and impressed that Marcus thought so well of me as to allow this to happen. Ronni returned, and, after grabbing a juice, came and took his `seat of honor'. Everyone was used to this by now and actually expected it, so there were no raised eyebrows. Marcus proceeded to tell us of how things went, with interjections and clarifications from Ronni and Carl. Lorenzo wasn't able to contribute as he had to wait outside the small office where they met with the records officer so wasn't privy to what went on inside. Marcus said that things didn't start off well as the officer was very uncooperative and questioned their motives, clearly trying to stonewall their efforts. Carl muttered that he was probably in a bad mood because he didn't `get any' over the weekend, and this got the adults laughing. The three boys looked confused, as they didn't understand the reference, and I could see Jareth and Dhomz whispering to each other. Suddenly the light went on, and they joined in the laughter. Ronni was the only one left in the dark, so I whispered in his ear the meaning of `get any', and he giggled. Once everyone had settled down. Marcus continued, saying that when he `most politely and solicitously' offered to compensate the agent for any inconvenience, the mood changed dramatically, and things moved along quickly after that. Reaching in his pocket, Marcus handed me a wad of bills, and a quick count showed that he was returning 5000 pesos. I cocked an eyebrow at him, and he winked, saying that they must have caught the guy on a good day. Jareth and Dhomz were confused by this, so we gave them a quick lesson on how to work the system. They were surprised that something like that was so wide-spread among government officials, but Marcus assured them that it this was simply the way things were done, whether ethical or not. I reminded Marcus that we now had to go to the land office and make the name change, and he said they'd already taken care of it. Ronni's new name was now on every official document except the house. He said that I would have to go with him since I was the co-owner. We talked and laughed for a while about some of the ridiculous things that go on in government offices, then I filled them in on my conversation with Dr. Marcos. They all agreed that we were going to have to do something about Sanie, and several ideas were batted around when Ronni started squirming on my lap, and not in a sexual way either, and kept glancing at the clock. There was clearly something bothering him. I leaned in and kissed his cheek. "What's on your mind, Love?" I asked. "Um, can I talk to Jareth and Dhomz for a little? I know they will have to go soon," he said, almost apologetically. "Of course you can!" I said. "You don't have to get my permission to talk to your friends." "Thanks," he said, giving me a kiss. "I really missed you when I was gone, but they will have to leave soon, and I need to talk to them before they leave." "That's fine, Honey," I said, giving him a hug. "I really missed you too, but I'll be right here when you get done. Just having you home again makes me feel much better." "Me too," he said, getting off my lap with a final kiss. "Be right back." With that, he went over to his friends, and they talked for a minute before heading outside. Through the window, I could see them standing in the yard, laughing and talking, with occasion bashful looks and blushes from the two older teens, and I knew that Ronni was pumping them for information about the talk we'd had. I decided to take this opportunity to talk to Carl, and after excusing us from Lorenzo and Marcus, took him over to the kitchen where we'd have a little more privacy. Before I could get started, Carl jumped in. "That boy really loves you!" he declared. "The feelings are very mutual," I averred. "He's my life. And what got accomplished today makes me the happiest guy in the world!" "You know, I honestly had some very serious concerns when I first found out about the two of you," he said. "You hear so many horror stories about adults taking advantage of teens, but what I see here is no different than any other marriage, with only the age difference making it any different." "Thanks," I said, sincerely. "We both feel it's a real marriage, and it makes me feel good that others see it that way too." "Well, Mr. James," he said. "I don't think you brought me over here just to talk about Ronni. What's on your mind?" "You're right," I replied. "And please don't be so formal. Call me `Phil' as the rest of my family and friends do. I hope you will consider yourself as both." "Thanks...Phil," he said with a smile. "It's going to take some getting used to calling my boss by his first name. Too many years of rigid rules and regulations behind me." "We'll break your bad habits yet," I said, laughing. "Anyway, the reason I wanted to talk to you alone is that I have a plan that I hope you'll agree too. Please hear me out first. Then I'll answer any questions. Ok?" He nodded. "Since your job is now protecting Ronni, I'd feel better if you were more accessible in case of an emergency than you are now. I'm talking any after-hours situation. Right now, you're about 20 minutes away, and if there was an immediate danger to Ronni, the time it would take you to get here could be critical as to the outcome. The house next door where you caught Ronald is presently available, and I was wondering – hoping – that you and Raymar would consider moving in." I held my breath. And a smile spread across his face. "I can't believe this!" he exclaimed. "Raymar and I have been looking for a new place since our current apartment is just getting too cramped for us, plus it's in the opposite direction from his work, and the commute can often be a nightmare. And everything that we've found that we like is even farther away or just too expensive." "That's good news, then," I said, with a huge sigh of relief. "If I can get Josie to put in some off-hours work for me, maybe you and Raymar could take a look at it this evening. What time does he get done work?" "Mondays are a slow day at the store, so he closes at 6:00," he replied. "I know he'll be excited about this. I'll call him and let him know in a few minutes. There's just one thing, though," he added with a frown. "This place is right on the beach, and rent probably doesn't come cheap. How much would the rent be?" "There will be no rent," I said, smiling. "It's part of your benefits package." "You're kidding!" he all but shouted, causing the other two to look at us. "When can we move?" He was as excited as a kid at Christmas. ` "According to Josie, it needs some work, but mostly cosmetic," I replied. "I'm having some major remodeling done on this place while I'm gone, and Josie has given me a list of possible contractors. I'm going to call them in a bit to set up interviews and will include any work needed on the other place to be done at the same time. If it is only cosmetic work that's needed, that should go quickly, but I won't have a move-in date for you until after the contractor can look at it and decide. But," I added, "this is going to be your home for a long time, hopefully, and if there are any other changes that you need to truly make it your home, tell me, and I'll have that work done as well, although that will most likely add to the time before it's ready." "Any idea what the layout is?" he asked. "Very similar to this," I said, with a sweep of my hand. "The major difference is that it's not as long, although it is as wide as this place, and where we have one very large bedroom and cr, the other has two smaller but still fair-sized ones, and the slightly smaller cr is in between them. I'm just going by what Josie told me. I haven't seen the inside myself." "The space sounds perfect for us," he said. "I don't mind if we end up with a smaller bedroom than we have now, just as long as there's enough room for the furniture and closet space. And as long as there's enough room to move around without bumping into each other all the time, it's only going to be used for sleeping...and other activities," he added, with a wink and a grin. "When Josie mentioned that it had two bedrooms, I thought it would be ideal for you," I said. "Lorenzo told me that you and Raymar are looking to adopt an older child." Yes," he said, his facial features softening. "That's actually the main reason we're looking for a new place. We hoping to adopt a 10-year old boy soon who has special needs. He contracted polio when he was an infant, and has some problems with mobility, although he manages to get around ok. Where we are now has only one bedroom and is on the second floor with no elevator. We've both fallen in love with Eddie and really want to adopt him. The size and location of the apartment was actually the only hold-up." "It's really commendable of the two of you to take on the challenge and overlook the disability to love the child for who he is," I said softly, putting my hand on his shoulder. "And we'll do anything we can from the side-lines to help make your lives easier." "Thanks," he said, as a tear slid down his cheek. "I'd always heard there were people out there like you, now I've met the president of the club. We both know that parenting, at best, is never an easy job, and with Eddie, it may be a challenge at times, but one we're both willing and ready to take on. He's such a sweet little guy and doesn't let his disability get him down. He wants so desperately to be loved by a family of his own and has a heart-full of love to give. Raymar and I can't wait to bring him home and give him all the love that he will ever want or need. And now, thanks to your generosity, it looks like that will be sooner than we hoped. Thank you, my friend." And with that, he hugged me – a gesture that took me completely by surprise. This muscle stud who could be the poster boy for Mr. Macho had a gentle and loving heart. He's going to fit into our `family' just fine! Just then, Ronni and his friends came in, and after a round of hugs, thanks and goodbyes, Jareth and Dhomz went on their way home. Realizing it was getting late and I still hadn't called the contractors to set up interviews, I asked Ronni if he would check to see if the others wanted a refill on their drinks and to get something for himself while I made the calls. He was happy to do it, and, with a kiss that could have easily become torrid, we both reluctantly broke apart, and he went over to the others, subtly adjusting his hardened cock. The first contractor I called said he could be here within an hour, the second, later this evening, and the third wouldn't be able to stop by until late tomorrow morning, which suited me just fine. Mornings in bed with Ronni are always the greatest way to start my day, even if there was no sex. So far, our track record on that was about 50/50, and that was just fine with me! Just spending time with him was always quality and so very soul-satisfying. I went over to the others and told them about the interview arrangements, and asked Carl if he and Raymar would stay for dinner. That way, they'd both be here for walk-throughs with the two contractors and give any needed changes. I also realized I'd better call Josie and alert her too, since we'd need the key to get in next door, and I figured I'd better call her now before she left the office. I knew she had to be home by 5:00 to relieve the daytime caregiver for her parents, so she'd have to drop off the key. I only hoped there were no contractual restrictions about the agent having to be present. When I got her on the phone, I told her of the plans for the evening, and she confirmed my fear. Because of insurance restrictions, she, as agent, needed to be present. Damn!! Lorenzo had heard my side of the conversation and got my attention. Asking Josie if she could wait a minute, I asked him what he wanted. "If I've got it right," he said," Josie needs to be here when you go in next door." I nodded. "I don't mind going to her place and staying with my aunt and uncle while she comes over here." I could have kissed him! Actually, I did, pulling him into a one-armed hug and planting a big one right on his mouth. Everyone started laughing at the expression on his face, especially Ronnni, while Lorenzo just stood there looking stunned, before regaining his composure and joining in. When I got back to Josie, she asked what all the laughter was about, and when I told her about bussing Lorenzo on the lips for his offer, she laughed also. I asked her, since she had to be here anyway, would she have dinner with us. She thought that would be good and that Lorenzo could eat with her parents. She said that before she left for the day, the caregiver always prepared dinner, and Lorenzo could simply take her spot at the table. With everything settled, she said she's see us in about a half hour and hung up. I asked Marcus if he'd care to join us so he could see the other property, but he declined with honest regret, saying he really needed to get home to his family. Both Ronni and I expressed our disappointment, but he couldn't be dissuaded. Carl said that he'd managed to call Raymar while I was on the phone to the contractors, and said he was so excited, he was ready to close up shop right then and there, and was most likely already on his way over, if he knew his husband, which I figure he must know pretty well after more than12 years together. With a hug and a kiss for Ronni and me from Marcus and hugs from Lorenzo, they took off, and it was just Ronni, Carl and myself. I turned my thoughts to dinner. While Ronni and Carl talked, getting to know one another better, I went to the ref and took stock. Looking over the varied items Lorenzo had bought, I decided on salmon steaks with dill butter, parsleyed potatoes and a simple salad of cucumber and tomato – quick and easy, especially given the busy evening we were about to have. Ronni called over and asked if I needed any help, and I told him I had everything under control and would be joining them in a minute. Getting the needed items together, I portioned five generous-sized salmon steaks on a lightly-oiled baking sheet, dotted them with butter and sprinkled them with fresh dill. I covered the tray with foil so it was ready to go directly into the oven and put it into the ref until it was time to bake the salmon. I peeled what would most likely be more than enough potatoes, cut them into bite-sized pieces and put them in a pot covered with bottled water, put on the lid and put the pot on the stove, ready to turn on when it was time. I then washed, peeled and thinly sliced several cucumbers before washing and cutting five medium-sized tomatoes into bite-sized wedges. I put both into a bowl and added some bottled balsamic vinaigrette for marinade, covered it with plastic wrap and added it to the ref with the salmon. I finished by chopping up some fresh parsley for the potatoes and also as garnish for the marinated salad, put it in a small bowl and also covered it with wrap so it wouldn't dry out. Total prep time: 10 minutes. I figured on no more than 15 minutes cooking time, which should leave us enough time to enjoy our meal without being rushed. And if anyone (Ronni!) wanted dessert, there were still a few cupcakes and ice cream left. Asking the others if they'd like a refill on their drinks, I grabbed Ronni's requested pineapple juice and beer for myself and went to join them. Carl said he still had his water from before. I had just passed the end of the island on my way to join the others when Josie knocked at the door. After a hug, I offered her something to drink, and she surprised me when she said she'd like a beer also, seeing the one in my hand. She laughed when I reacted, and said it was part of her Americanization from her college days, and one of her guilty, and now rare, pleasures. Telling her that she was now family, I told her to help herself, and, grabbing one from the ref, she deftly twisted off the cap like a pro and joined us in the salla, eschewing a glass and chugging straight from the bottle, much to Ronni's delight. We talked a bit about Ronni's name change, and she was very happy for the both of us. She then asked if I had any drawings of the additions to the house, and realizing that I hadn't done that yet, went to grab pen and paper. I drew a rough sketch – I'm a music teacher/budding entrepreneur, not an artist, Ok? – I outlined the present house in solid lines and the additions with dotted lines. Both Josie and Carl were impressed and Ronni was excited. I'm sure he could envision having friends and family over, as well as the entertainment possibilities offered by the new patio. I realized that it was a good thing I made this sketch, as it would be easier to explain what we wanted to the contractor so he'd be able to get a better idea of what would be needed and give a more accurate estimate. We were still discussing the changes when the contractor arrived. A glance at the clock showed that he was right on time. I like that! If you're enjoying it so far, please let me know. An "Atta Boy!" is always appreciated, and I respond to all emails. 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