Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:07:56 -0800 (PST)
From: John Michaels <mmanlookin@yahoo.com>
Subject: Filipino Love - Chapter 38

			       FILIPINO LOVE
				    BY
				    JM

Email:  mmanlookin@yahoo.com

Disclaimers and other info:  see chapter one

This story is my personal intellectual property.  You may not reproduce it
in any form without my express permission.

This and all subsequent chapters are dedicated to my own
Filipino Love!!


			   CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

     We arrived at the car rental place in short order that was located,
not surprisingly, out near the airport, and thirty minutes later, we were
in temporary possession of a current-year Nissan Altima.  I figured we'd
need at least a mid-size vehicle since I was positive that we would
occasionally have more than just Lorenzo, Ronni and me in the car.  This
car had seating for five adults and would most likely more than fit the
bill.  I realized that this was just a temporary fix to our transportation
needs, and made a mental note that I would have to go car shopping as soon
as I got back from the US.

     As we were pulling away from the rental agency, I decided to look into
something that had been in the back of my mind for a day or two.  I was
thinking that I wanted to enlarge our house and add two bedrooms and
additional bathrooms to accommodate any guests I'm sure we'd be having in
the future.  I asked Lorenzo if he thought Josie would be able to see us
for a few minutes sometime today, and he felt that she would definitely
find time for us.  I pulled out my cel phone and dialed her office.  She
picked up on the third ring, and, after exchanging the usual pleasantries,
I asked her if she would have time today to see us.  She told me that she
would be busy until after lunch, but that she could see us any time after
1:00, but that she had a 4:00 appointment to show a property.  Confirming
the time, I thanked her and disconnected.

     "How come you need to see Josie?" Ronni asked, clearly puzzled by my
action since this wasn't anything we had talked about.  I explained my
thoughts on expanding the house, and he was getting excited about it.
"That will be so cool!" he enthused.  "There would be room for when Paulo
and Mario come over or maybe we can have Christian and Sara stay, or Jareth
and Dhomz!"  He was definitely liking the idea.  Lorenzo started laughing,
and I joined him, wrapping my arm around my love's shoulder and feeling so
good that not only did he like the idea, it also took his mind off our
pending separation, at least for now.  I asked Lorenzo which store would be
best for getting a satellite phone, trying not to let Ronni know I was
doing this for him.  Lorenzo said that there was a very good store where we
could get both the phone and computer out at the mall, so off we went.
Ronni kept chattering away about all the good things that could happen with
more room in the house, and I had a hard time not to laugh at his unbridled
enthusiasm, although I couldn't help smiling.  Our route to the store took
us past that first property I had looked at, and the wheels started turning
in my head.  I was developing another spur-of-the-moment plan and would
talk to Josie about that also when we met later.  We arrived at the mall,
and after finding a place to park, headed inside to see what we could find.

     Once we got past security and were inside, we noticed live music
coming from a large open area that had a stage for events.  There was a
young singer, gyrating and belting out what, I assume, was one of the
current hit songs.  His voice was ok, and his dance moves were quite
acrobatic and some of them downright obscene!  He was obviously putting a
lot into this performance, probably hoping it would lead to something
bigger and better.  Ronni, being the typical teen, was drawn toward the
stage, and Lorenzo and I went along, albeit reluctantly.  I'm a trained
musician, and while this guy was ok, his voice was nothing all that great
and the band was much too loud for the space.  As we got closer, we could
see a placard announcing that this was Miko & Company.  Not too original,
but what the heck.  We were toward the front of the small crowd when the
song ended and the singer, Miko, I assume, bowed and thanked the applauding
audience using the microphone.  Dropping his arms to his side, he scanned
the crowd, obviously pleased with his performance and the semi-enthusiastic
response.  When his eyes got to us, he stopped and stared at Ronni, his
eyes now scanning him from head to toe, spending the most time focused on
the slight bulge made by Ronni's good-sized package.  A slow, lewd smile
spread on his face and he subtly licked his lips before raising his gaze to
look at Ronni's face.  He winked at him and slowly brought the microphone
back to his face, making sure it rubbed against his crotch on the way up.
Ronni noticed all this and scowled at this creep.  I was so fucking mad, I
wanted to jump on the stage and punch his lights out!!  Ronni turned to me
and wrapped his arms around me, and the smile quickly left the asshole's
face to be replaced by...anger?  Jealousy?  I'm not sure, nor did I care.
All I knew is that I wanted us to get away from there NOW!!  Putting my arm
around Ronni's shoulder, we started to turn away when I saw a definite look
of anger on the performer's face.  He put down the mike, said something to
one of the other band members and stormed off.  What the fuck!!  What an
egotistical little prick he was!  Did he think he could get away with
anything he wanted just because he was a performer?  Hell!  He wasn't even
that good looking either!  We worked our way back through the crowd, and
Lorenzo directed us toward the computer store.

     "What the hell was that all about?" Ronni asked me, obviously very
upset.  I stopped and pulled him closer to me, kissing the top of his head.

     "He's just someone who thinks he's God's gift to the world and can get
away with shit like that," I replied, trying to keep my overwhelming anger
at bay.  But Ronni knows me so well by now that he immediately picked up on
it and hugged me.

     "He is such a jerk!" he exclaimed vehemently.  "And I don't want you
to ever think I would find anything like him attractive.  There is only one
man in my life, and there will always be only one man, and that is my
Phil."  Shit!!  That's not why I was upset.  I had to straighten this out
right now!  Putting my hands on either side of his face, I looked into his
eyes.

     "Love, that's not why I'm so upset," I said gently.  "I never doubt
your love or commitment to me.  The thing that has me most upset is that he
thought he could get away with that in public, just because of who he
thinks he is.  He was looking at you like a prime piece of meat in a
butcher shop. I'm angry because you had to go through something like that,
and it makes me wonder if this is something he's done before.
Unfortunately, there are too many others like him, and you always need to
be aware and keep yourself safe.  I intend to go to the mall manager while
we're here and tell him what happened.  I don't want anyone else to be
disrespected like that by him.  This mall is a family place, and there's no
room for the likes of him here.  As a matter of fact, I think I'll do that
now.  I love you so much and will always do everything I can to keep you
safe."  Poor Lorenzo had no idea what we were talking about, as he hadn't
seen what happened.  I noticed he had this "deer in the headlights"
expression, and I mouthed the word "Later" to him over the top of Ronni's
head.  He gave a slight nod to let me know he got my message.  "Do you know
where the mall manager's office is?" I asked him.

     "Yes," he replied, still not knowing the reason I would ask him that.
"It's right above here on the next level."

     "Let's go there now before we do our shopping," I said.  "There's
something that needs to be taken care of, and the sooner the better."  With
Lorenzo as guide, we were soon standing at the receptionist's desk in the
manager's office, and after introducing us, I told her that we needed to
see the manager on an urgent matter if he was available.  As it turned out,
he had just returned before we got there and was able to see us in a few
minutes as he was on the phone at the moment.

     Five minutes later we were seated in his office, and, after another
round of introductions, I told him exactly what had happened with the
performer.  His face darkened, and he took a deep breath.

     "Mr. James," he began, "I'm so very sorry for that incident.  I will
be honest with you and tell you that yours is not the first complaint of
its kind that has been lodged against Miko.  This happened before just
yesterday with another young boy, but he made a compelling argument that it
was not what it seemed and that there were no ill intentions meant at all.
The mother believed his excuse and accepted his apology, so it went no
further.  If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you to please write out what
you've just told me, and I will see that this matter is not only taken care
of immediately but will also never happen again.  I believed Miko's excuse
the first time, as did the mother, but this is exactly what happened
before.  This is no mere innocent coincidence.  I cannot have someone like
that working in this place, and I will certainly let his band manager know
of these incidents.  He appears to be a very disturbed young man, and it's
unfortunate that his actions will most likely be the end of a possible
career.  You have my deepest apologies, and I hope you will accept my offer
for a certificate good in any of our stores in the amount of 50,000 pesos
for your troubles."

     This left me speechless! I had been convinced coming in here that
there would be at most a slap on the wrist for the offender and an apology.
The fact that not only had this happened before but that the manager was
willing to take these steps surprised me, to say the very least.  Ronni,
however, was not as unprepared to speak up as I was.  He was clearly pissed
and embarrassed by the incident and was definitely going to have his say.

     "Thank you, Sir, for believing us," he said.  "Your actions are very
much appreciated, especially your very sincere apology.  It makes me feel
better to know that something is going to be done so it doesn't happen to
someone else.  I feel very ashamed and dirty by what that guy did, and I do
not want anyone else like me to have those feelings because of that creep.
I have never had anyone do something like that to me, and it really upset
me.  I cannot speak for Phil, but I will accept your apology and thank you
for your kind offer of the certificate."  The manager was clearly impressed
by the maturity of my young man and seemed to relax visibly.  He knew that,
as manager, he was fully responsible for everything that went on in the
mall, and he also knew that we could create an enormous stink about this
that could possibly cost him his job.

     "Thank you...Ronni, is it?" he asked.  Ronni nodded.  "You show a
remarkable maturity for someone your age.  I am somewhat used to the
emotions of young people having several kids of my own in your age range,
yet you speak as someone much older than your years.  Listening to you, I
realized just how much this affected and hurt you.  I will increase your
certificate to 100,000 pesos for your troubles and ask that all of you
please do not judge our businesses here by the unspeakable behavior of one
individual.  Again, I am so very sorry for what happened."  That said, he
picked up his phone and spoke, I assume, to his secretary.  He passed a
sheet of paper to me so that I could write out our complaint, and as I was
doing this, we talked generalities for a few moments before the secretary
came in and handed him an envelope.  Once she had left, he turned his
attention back to us.  I had just finished writing the statement and had
passed it to Ronni to look over to make sure we had all the needed
information before signing it.  The manager gave Ronni time to scan the
document before handing the envelope to him.

     "In here is a card which works just like a debit card from a bank
except there is no PIN number required, so please guard it well.  All of
our stores here will honor it without question, so there should be no
problems.  If there are, have that store's manager call me directly, and I
will take care of it personally.  You will get a receipt at any store you
shop in that will not only show you the amount of what you buy, but also
the remaining balance to help you keep track.  Do you have any questions?"
I was surprised for a moment that he handed the card to Ronni, but then I
realized that after he spoke, the manager realized he wasn't dealing with
your average whiny teen but rather, a mature young man with a legitimate
gripe and who was the victim here.  We all stood, and after shaking hands,
we exited the office back out into the mall.  Poor Lorenzo was totally
gobsmacked by what had transpired in the office and was clearly very upset
that Ronni had been subjected to all that.  He protectively put his hand on
Ronni's shoulder as we walked the corridor.

     "I'm so sorry that happened, Ronni," he said.  "It's probably a good
thing I didn't see what happened.  I have a bad temper when anything bad
happens to my friends, and I probably would have jumped up there and decked
him."  This got an appreciative chuckle from Ronni.  We walked in
companionable silence for a moment before Lorenzo spoke up again.  "My mind
was on what just happened, and I wasn't thinking about why we're here in
the first place.  The electronics store is just down here."  A few more
steps, and we found ourselves at the store.

     "I have to use the cr," Ronni said, noticing that there was one right
beside the store.  "I'll be right back."  He went into the cr, and Lorenzo
and I looked at the different computer displays in the window discussing
the faults and merits of each.  Our discussion was suddenly interrupted be
my name being hollered from the vicinity of the cr.  Both Lorenzo and I
dashed into the room but couldn't see anyone.

     "Get your fucking hands off me, you pervert," I heard Ronni holler
from the last stall.  This was followed by a scuffle and the banging of
bodies against the partitions.  "Stop!! Phil!!! Help!!!"  Rushing to the
source of the noise, I pushed on the door, finding it locked.  Stepping
back, I body slammed it, sending it flying open, and knocking the person on
the other side down.  Ronni was frantically trying to pull up his pants,
and lying on the floor was none other than that bastard, Miko!!  As he
started to get up, I put my foot on his back and shoved, none too gently,
keeping him on the floor while Ronni finally managed to get his pants up
and fastened.

     "That sonofabitch followed me in here and tried to rape me!" he
exclaimed, throwing himself into my arms and sobbing.  Lorenzo and I must
have been too focused on the store display to notice this asshole following
Ronni into the cr.

     "He's a fucking little liar," spat Miko, from his place still under my
foot.  "I came in here to use the cr and he asked me to have sex and
brought me in here.  I knew he was a little faggot when I saw him at the
stage and figured I'd at least get a blow job out of him."  I greatly
increased the weight of my foot on him, which had the desired effect of
shutting him up.  At that moment, security arrived followed by Lorenzo, who
had rushed to get them when he realized what was happening.  We all soon
found ourselves back in the manager's office, the security guard
frog-marching Miko along with his arm twisted up behind his back.  When he
saw who was there, the manager was positively apoplectic with rage.  Then
he noticed that it was our little group that had recently left his office.
His eyes went wide, and his face lost all color, and he had to lean on his
desk for support.

     "YOU!!!" he all but screamed at Miko.  "You have been nothing but
trouble since you started here!  What have you done now?"  Miko started
jabbering in Tagalog before the manager cut him off.  "For the sake of our
customers, you will speak English.  Understood?  Now, you shut up for a
minute!  I want to hear from them what happened."

     Between Ronni and myself, we told what had happened from our own
perspectives as the manager got more and more visibly upset and angry, and
Lorenzo's face darkened with rage.  Miko tried to interrupt several times,
but a bit of extra pressure by the guard pushing up his arm behind his back
quieted him.  It was obvious Lorenzo wanted to pound this little shit into
the ground and I'd be happy to join him.  His hands were clenched so
tightly into fists that his knuckles were white, and he was shaking with
pure rage.  Even the security guard was affected as he looked at Miko with
total disgust, even though I'm sure he's dealt with all manner of incidents
in his job.  Once we had finished, the manager then turned to Miko and
asked him for his version.

     "He's a fucking, lying little faggot," he hollered.  He then told the
manager the lame excuse he tried to give me in the cr.  The manager, to his
credit, let Miko finish before turning to the rest of us.

     "It sounds like we have two completely different accounts of what
happened," he said, struggling to keep his temper under control.
"Fortunately, we can get to the truth.  All areas of this mall are covered
by security cameras that record in real time, even in the cr's, although
those only record what goes on in the common area and not the privacy of
the stalls."  At this, Miko gulped, and his natural brown Asian coloring
went completely white.  He knew then that his Filipino goose was not only
cooked but burned to a crisp!  The manager went over to a large cabinet in
the corner of the office and opened the doors.  There was a large TV
monitor and a control panel of sorts.  "This control here allows me to see
any information stored on the discs in security.  Let's see what it has on
file for that particular cr."  Punching a few buttons, there was soon a
menu on the screen giving the different locations of the cameras on this
level of the mall.  A few more buttons pushed, and the cr came up on the
screen.  It showed a few guys using the facilities at the moment, and while
you could see the urinals, you could only see the backs of those using
them.

     "You say this happened about 15 minutes ago?" he asked.  When we told
him "yes", he punched a few more buttons and the screen changed to show the
empty cr until Ronni walked in a few minutes later and going to the
urinals.  There were several camera angles showing this area including the
door, and with some more adjustment, the manager had a split-screen vision
of the door and Ronni's back as he stood at the urinal.  The door opened to
show Miko entering.  He paused as the door closed and was looking at Ronni,
obviously recognizing him from his clothing and build.  You could see a
lascivious grin spread across Miko's face as he started rubbing his crotch.
"I almost forgot," said the manager.  "We also have sound recording as
well."  Miko blanched, and if it hadn't been for the security guard holding
him, he would have hit the floor.  Pushing another button, you could
suddenly hear the sounds in the cr, mainly the a/c.  As Ronni finished, you
could hear the sound of the urinal flushing and could see him adjusting his
pants prior to pulling up his zipper.  You then saw Miko looking around the
room carefully to make sure there were no others in the facility, and then
rushing out of one screen into the other as he quickly closed the distance
between them.  He wrapped his arms around Ronni from behind and was clearly
groping him.

     Ronni was definitely caught off guard by this, not expecting anything
like this to happen in a public restroom in a busy mall.  "Get your hands
off me!!" he said, trying to push Miko away.  Miko could be seen tightening
his hold on Ronni and had obviously grabbed him by his sensitive balls.

     "I don't think so, Little Man," snarled Miko.  "You and I are going to
have a little fun!  I saw you looking at me on the stage.  I know you want
me.  Everybody wants me, so why fight it."  With that he lifted Ronni off
the ground and started toward the stall where I found them.  That's when
Ronni had first hollered for me.  Everything from there played out as we
had told the manager except for not being able to see what happened in the
stall due to the privacy nature of the cameras, but the sound was spot on.
There was absolutely no doubt who the aggressor was.  The manager turned
off the video when it showed us all exiting to come to the office.  He
turned to us, glaring at Miko, who had actually pissed his pants in fear.

     "This will all stop now!" he said to Miko, his voice heavy with
disgust.  "I had been warned about hiring you, but I have had other groups
perform here from your management agency and have never had a problem.  I
thought it was professional jealousy just against you when I was told of
you by other sources.  How very wrong I was!  You disgust me!!  I may have
made a huge mistake in hiring you, but there will no more mistakes from now
on as far as you are concerned.  If these gentlemen won't do it, I,
personally, will see that you are arrested and punished for what you have
done!  You claim to be only 20, but I know for a fact you will be 30 on
your next birthday.  The young man you assaulted is definitely a minor, and
I will see that you are prosecuted for assault, sexual assault, attempted
rape of a minor and anything else I can think of to the fullest extent the
law allows!  And God help you when you are in prison, which, I assure you,
you WILL be when the courts are done with you.  The other prisoners don't
look kindly on those who harm innocent children.  Even those who are in
there for the most violent crimes look down on vermin like you! You can
expect to be treated just as you were about to treat this young man.  And
you can expect that to continue for your entire prison life, which, if I
have anything to say about it, will be for a very long time indeed!"  At
this, Miko managed to break lose from the guard and lunged at Ronni.  I
grabbed him just before he could make contact, part of my hold on him being
his hair.  I suddenly found myself holding a wig in my hand.  Miko was
bald!!

     "NO!!!" he screamed.  "NO!!!"  With this, he dropped to his knees,
trying to cover his head with his arms and started keening wildly, his body
rocking back and forth.  The manager cocked his eyebrow.

     "Well, this is an interesting development," he said, trying to
suppress a chuckle, none too successfully, I might add.  Ronni started
chuckling, trying not to make things worse for his attacker than they
already were.  He turned to me, burying his face in my shoulder and let go,
his body shaking with laughter.  Lorenzo, the guard and I were all doing
our best to keep a straight face, and failing miserably.

     "Mmmhmm, Mr.  Saligumba," the manager said, through his suppressed
laughter, addressing the guard while trying desperately to regain his
composure.  "Do you have your hand cuffs with you?"

     "Yes, sir," he replied.

     "Please secure this wretch and take him to your office while we wait
for the police to arrive and take him away."  The guard brought both of
Miko's arms behind his back, securing them with the restraints before
hauling him up, none too gently, and leading him out of the office, closing
the door behind him.  I couldn't say for sure, but as he passed us on the
way out with the guard, I could swear that Miko had also shit himself, and
judging by the wrinkled noses of the others, I probably wasn't wrong.  The
light-hearted respite of a few minutes ago quickly vanished with Miko's
exit.  At this point, Mr. Mejos, the manager, dropped his professional
façade and slumped into his chair and began weeping, his face in his
hands.

     "I'm so sorry!  I'm so very sorry!" he wept.  "How something like this
could happen is unforgivable!  We screen everyone thoroughly before
employing them, from the janitors and sales clerks to entertainers and
management.  How Miko managed to slip through our screening is something I
will definitely pursue.  I should have listened more carefully to those
complaints and investigated them before he was hired.  This is all my
fault!  I cannot even ask for your forgiveness for something like this,
since I cannot even forgive myself!"  Looking briefly at me, Ronni went
over and put his arm around the disconsolate man.

     "Please, sir," he said, quietly, "this wasn't your fault.  I know you
do everything you can to make this a safe place for everyone to shop.  I
have heard of an expression that I think fits this situation.  If you will
pardon my language, sir, but `Shit happens'!  You need to understand that
no one here blames you.  You need to forgive yourself.  I do."  Mr. Mejos
put his arms around Ronni and hugged him tightly, the tears streaming down
his face.

     "I have a son about your age," he finally managed to say.  "If he
turns out to half the man someday that you are now, at your age, I will be
a very happy man.  You have a good and forgiving heart, and I hope you will
never lose that, in spite of things like today.  And I will try to forgive
myself, but it will take time.  Thank you!  Thank you all!!"  Giving the
man a final hug, Ronni came back to my side and put his arm around my
waist.  This was not enough for me, as I pulled him around for a full body
hug, the tears streaming down my face.  I was so damn proud of him and my
love for him ratcheted up enormously.  God, what a wonderful, caring and
mature young man!!  And he was my spouse, my love – my Ronni!  I am so
deeply and truly blessed.  Ronni looked up at me with a sweet smile and
kissed me.

     "Everything is ok, Phil," he said, lovingly.  "I have seen those
American cop shows sometimes, and they always say `Justice will be served.'
Now I know exactly what that means.  And I even can feel sorry for that
guy, Miko.  He is not that old, but he has really screwed up the rest of
his life.  But I also feel that he will get what he deserves, and even
though I really shouldn't, I hope he does go through all that Mr. Mejos
said to expect.  No one has the right to do what he tried to do.  I will
pray every day that I may forgive him, but, as Mr. Mejos said, that will
take time.  I think he is one messed-up dude!"  Mr. Mejos was looking at us
with awe, gently shaking his head as he listened to Ronni.

     "Just when I think I cannot be more impressed by this young man, he
pushes it farther," he said.  He stood, taking out his handkerchief, and
after wiping the tears from his face and blowing his nose, he cleared his
throat.  "I'm afraid I must ask for your further cooperation," he said.  "I
will need you to sign a form stating that everything we saw on the video is
correct.  Since both the guard and I were here to witness you seeing it,
all that will be required will be your signatures.  And because we have the
video, you will not be required to make a written statement.  Also, because
of the video, none of you will be inconvenienced by having to appear in
court to testify against him.  Will this be acceptable?"  Before I could
answer, Ronni again was the first to speak up.

     "Yes, sir," he said.  "We will be happy to sign it."

     "Thank you," said Mr. Mejos.  "If you will excuse me for a moment, I
will go and have my secretary print that up right away so you can go about
the rest of your day."  With that, he left the office.

     "Shit!!" Lorenzo said, softly, letting out a deep breath once Mejos
left the room.  "That was intense!!  Are you really ok, Ronni?" he asked
with genuine concern, placing his hand gently in my love's shoulder.

     "I'm fine," replied Ronni from the comfort of our embrace.  "Maybe a
little shook up, but ok.  I'll be fine."

     "I still can't believe that low-life would even consider doing
something like that, especially in such a public place as this!" he said,
with his voice tinged with anger.  "It was so hard to not just grab him and
choke the life out of him!"  Ronni broke our hold and went and put his arm
around his upset friend.

     "It's ok," he said, reassuringly. "I'm ok.  We're all going to be
fine.  Everything came out ok, and no one was hurt."  I had another plan
brewing, and decided I'd talk to both Josie and Lorenzo at the first
opportunity, hopefully, this afternoon.  About that time, Mr. Mejos
returned carrying some documents with him.

     "I have the forms for you all to sign," he said, sitting at his desk.
"Please read them carefully to make sure everything is accurate and that
all the information is there.  As we were watching the security video, I
also recorded it here in this office.  Since we have everything on disc,
there will be no need for any of you to have to make any court appearance
that will involve the culprit."  The three of us sat down and read the
papers.

     "Everything appears to be correct," I said, reaching for a pen to
sign.  Once I had done that, I passed it along to Ronni, who also signed
and in turn, passed it to Lorenzo.  Once we had all signed, we pushed the
papers to Mr. Mejos, who then handed me another document with a card
attached.

     "I'm going to ask you to please return the previous debit card I gave
you," he said.  "This new card is for 5 million pesos and has no
expiration.  I hope you will find this adequate compensation for your
distress."  All three of us sat there with our mouths hanging open, staring
from the card, to Mr. Mejos and back to the card again.  Ronni was the
first to break the spell by reaching for the card.

     "That's very generous of you, sir," he said.  "But correct me if I'm
wrong.  You are buying our silence."  Mr. Mejos sat bolt upright in shock,
then relaxed a bit and started chuckling, an embarrassed blush coloring his
face.

     "You never cease to amaze me, young man," he said.  "But, yes.  That
is exactly what I'm trying to do.  I am hoping that with this card, we can
keep this whole incident quiet.  This is the largest mall on not only the
island but also even the mainland and is very successful.  If word ever got
out of what happened to you here, it would be very bad for our reputation
and the businesses would suffer.  Frankly, you have a case that could sue
us right out of business, but I'm hoping that will not be the case.  I hope
you will all find this to be adequate compensation.  I would be most
grateful if you will accept it as such."

     "Honestly, sir," Ronni replied, "I would have been happy with things
as they were.  You had already given us that first card, and that creep is
now in the hands of the police where he belongs.  But I think we will
accept this new offer and will be sure to tell no one what happened here.
If things had turned out differently, though, we would not have hesitated
to bring this to court.  As it is, you have been most helpful. You did the
right thing in dealing with Miko and have shown genuine concern for me and
have made sure that me and my friends are ok.  Thank you."  While Mr. Mejos
visibly relaxed, both Lorenzo and I were sitting there with our mouths
open, staring at Ronni.  Is he really just 14 years old?!?  All right.
Almost 15, but still.  He had immediately caught on to the reasoning behind
this new card with the large amount attached and had called the manager's
bluff.  I had drawn the same conclusions but had been temporarily
blind-sided by the amount.  This kid was one damn sharp-minded guy!! He was
also able to clearly state our position, letting Mejos know that we were
fully aware of our legal options, while at the same time, reassuring him
that we wouldn't pursue those since he – Mejos – had handled the
situation to our satisfaction.

     "As his guardian, I totally agree with everything Ronni said," I
finally managed to get out.  "This is a most generous offer, and we will
accept it on your condition of silence, not just because it's part of the
deal, but because this was an embarrassing incident for Ronni, and this
appears to be the quickest and easiest way to put it all behind us."  As
this appeared to be the end of our business here, we stood, and, after
shaking hands all around and another round of profuse thanks for our
cooperation from Mr. Mejos, we left to get on with the reason we came here
in the first place.  We were walking, with Ronni in the middle, and as we
passed the cr where all the shit took place, he pulled himself tighter
against me.  I looked at him, and he gave me a sheepish grin.

     "Sorry," he said, "but I'm not as brave as I let Mr. Mejos think.  But
he needed to know how I felt, so I hid my nerves."  This was one of the
very few times that I realized that he's just a 14-year old boy and needs
the comfort and security that his parents and I can provide him.  I knew I
had a dual role to play here, and keeping everything in balance wouldn't
always be easy, but I also knew that he was extremely intelligent and
mature for his age and would make my `job' as easy as he could.

     "I'm sure glad you're on my side," I said, as I kissed the top of his
head.  "You're a real tiger when you want to be."  He stopped us just as we
were about to go into the electronics store and hugged me.

     "You don't ever have to worry about me and you," he said.  "I will
always be on your side."  Then, looking to see if anyone was watching, he
leaned in and whispered, "Except for those times I'm under you!"  With that
he pinched my butt and scampered into the store, stopping only long enough
for security.  I just shook my head and chuckled as I made my way through
the security check, where Ronni was waiting on the other side, a wide grin
splitting his handsome face and a "gotcha" look in his eyes.

     "He seems like a handful, but a really nice kid," said the grinning
guard as I walked in.

     "You certainly got that right!" I responded, chuckling.  Once the
three of us were reassembled, we headed off to see what electronic goodies
we could get to keep Ronni and me in touch while I was away.


I hope you enjoyed this latest drama in the lives of Ronni, Phil and their
friends.  Life is not all love and hugs, as we just saw.  Hopefully, that
pervert, Miko, will get all that's coming to him and more!  If you're
enjoying my tale, please write and let me know.  I'm also looking to hear
from any female readers, as I `d like to get your input too.  And if you
enjoy this and other stories on Nifty, please help them out with a donation
to keep this a free site.  http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html Thanks!!