Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2013 14:30:56 -0800 (PST)
From: John Michaels <mmanlookin@yahoo.com>
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!


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