Fifteen

Back to Construction, connection, and change...4

Author's note: These chapters are NOT stand-alones...The story starts here.

Construction, connection, and change...5

I really need to learn what has transpired this afternoon. According to the information Lyn texted me last night, Jana should have been the one to come, not Dina. But even if she couldn’t, were May, Li2x and Dido also in their fertile days? That’s just too hard to believe.

At eight in the evening, I have the four of them in front of me. I am not saying a word. That’s their job. I am here to listen. Lexi starts.

Jana is really not involved. Mel asked her to be with you last night but Mia has a fever and Jana didn’t want to go. So, last night when Lyn asks Jana if she talked to Mel, and chose not to go even though she is safe, that why Lyn thinks she involved.

Now Lyn takes over.

Mel did ask Jana. She did that first. There was no attempt at manipulation. She knew Lexi was out, so she asked Li2x, but the girl told her that none of them were willing until Dina had her turn. That’s where Mel made a big mistake. Lexi, Jana and me, we spend a long time with Mel about this. She argues with us. She say she has no choice. She did the correct thing. We tell her that not so. We try to explain but she not see it.

How did Reina get involved?

She with Li2x when Mel come. Reina supports Li2x.

While I know I will have to deal with the younger ones, for now I turn to Mel who is ultimately responsible for the mess.

Did anyone tell you that I didn’t want Dina or any of the young ones?

Yes, we all talk about it the night they come. We know you will say no if asked.

So when Li2x, May, Dido and Reina say you must send Dina first, you knew that I didn’t want that, correct?

Yes.

Then, why, Mel, did you send her?

No one else to send!

Did you ask Li2x?

Yes, but she say they won’t go. It is Dina’s turn.

Did you ask May if she was fertile last night?

Yes! She say what Li2x say.

And did you ask Dido?

Yes! Same! She say what Li2x say.

So, Mel, explain to me, why did you think there was no one else to send? You didn’t know that then and I bet you still don’t know now. So let’s find out. Let’s see if you are right on that point before we move on to anything else. Lexi, bring those three girls here right now, but send them into this room one at a time.

We wait. No one is saying a word. If nothing else, I am learning some of the limitations that Mel presents. I am sure it is not lost on Lyn or Jana. As to Jana, I fully understand why she took a pass last night and have no issue with her. Mia was sick. She is the mom, so since she would have been with me all night, that option was not acceptable. She was right to say she couldn’t join me. I would have been disappointed if she had.

And it is me who, just this week, imposed the limitation regarding fertile days. While I did not expect we would come a cropper on, essentially, the second night of the rule, I accept that it is possible.

May walks in.

Sir?

Last night, May, was it a fertile day for you? When was your last period?

I started this afternoon.

So last night you were not fertile, correct?

Yes.

Did Mel ask you if you were in your fertile days?

Yes, but I tell her I not go because Dina is next.

Is that your decision or mine?

Yours?

So why did you say what you said to Mel.

Nanay say to send her.

Does your Nanay make decisions here or do I?

You, Sir.

So were you wrong or right last night?

What I tell my mother. She tell me I must.

You tell her I am sending you back to her. If you can’t obey the rules here, you can’t stay here.

Sir, I promise I never do this again. If mother orders, I will tell her she must talk to you. Truly, I promise.

I see. Well, sit there in the corner and do not say one word. I don’t care what happens, you are to say and do nothing. Do you understand?

Yes, Sir.

Lyn, ask the next to come.

Dido enters and stands straight in front of me.

Dido, did Mel ask you if you were in your fertile days last night.

Yes, Sir. She do that.

How did you answer her?

I tell her this it Dina’s time to go to you.

But you knew then, I didn’t want Dina, correct?

Yes, but mother say you need to get over it.

Dido, who makes the rules here, me or your mother?

You do, Sir.

So, when your mother said to ignore me, why did you do it?

Oh.

Oh, what Dido?

I think I make a big mistake.

You know what?

What, Sir?

You made a huge mistake. Do you want to call your mother and tell her I am kicking you out of here and sending you back to her?

No! No, Sir!

Why shouldn’t I?

Sir, please. I know I make the mistake.

Yes, but what happens the next time your mother says to ignore me? She is going to do that again. I am sure of it. I am not happy, Dido. For now, sit next to May and say nothing to anyone. Do not talk to May. Keep your mouth shut until I give you permission to speak.

OK, Lyn, ask Lexi to come in with Li2x.

The two come in. Lyn pulls Lexi next to her and Li2x is placed in front of me.

Li2x did Mel ask you if you were in your fertile days last night?

Yes. Sir, these are my fertile days.

Did you tell that to Mel?

No, Sir, I tell her my friends need her to send Dina to you. That all.

Did you know I didn’t want Dina, yet?

Yes, Sir, but they say this important to do.

So you think it is more important to do what your friends want than what I want?

No, Sir, after I do it I think I made a mistake. I talk to Reina and she says it important to support my friends. If I not, I am lost.

I look up and say, Lexi, you know who I need to speak to next. And she leaves the room.

Li2x, your instinct was right and Reina was very wrong. You should not have told Mel, what you did. Are we clear?

Yes, Sir.

Will I have any more problems like this from you?

No, Sir.

OK. You and your two friends may now leave this room but no talking to Reina. Clear?

Yes, Sir.

Once the three are gone, I address Mel again.

You allowed two mothers of those two girls to overrule me. That is unacceptable. I have always said they were too young and they damn well still are! That is why I didn’t want them here to begin with! And they are pushing me to take younger kids! You, Mel, you are the adult and I expect more from you than to take that crap from those girls and then tell me there was nothing you could do! … No one is required to come to my bed. … No one! … If they don’t want to, no one is to force that to happen but … no one may put someone in my bed that I don’t want there. Is that clear? What happened last night is not acceptable! It will never be acceptable!

Lyn is frantically giving me a heads up. Lexi is at the door and ready to bring Reina in.

Bring Reina in please.

The girl isn’t stupid. She has seen some bad stuff in her life and she knows that she is not here right now to win any award. That being said, she is not cowering. And, in a way, I know why she said what she did. I don’t like it, but I do understand.

Do you have any idea why you are here now?

Because of last night?

Yes. What part of last night do you think I want to talk to you about?

About Dina going to your bedroom?

Not exactly. It is related, but no. Not that. Reina, before you came to live here, there were only two people in the world you could trust. Who were they?

Si2x and Jing2x. You know that.

And if they asked you to do something, you would do it, because they were the only ones you were safe with and could trust, right.

Yes, that is right.

Is it the same now?

Craig?

Are the only two people in the world you can trust, those two girls? If they ask you to do something I will not like, will you do it?

Oh.

Oh, what?

I made a mistake.

What mistake was that?

What I tell Li2x last night.

What did you tell her?

I tell her to do something you not want because her friends say it is required.

Yes, you did make that mistake. But, Reina, it is more than that. It is the reason you gave that advice that is the reason you are here. I could simply tell you not to give that advice to others, but that does not solve, for me, the deeper matter. Do you know what that is, now?

Yes, Craig. You are asking, am I really part of this family? If not, can it be fixed, maybe?

OK, that will work as a good answer to the question I asked you. Now, what is the answer to the question you just suggested needs answering?

It is my attitude, Sir. I need to fix my head. You are my love. You are the father of the child inside of me. This is my safe home. They are my friends, but that not reason to go against you. I make a big mistake in my head.

Is it something you can really fix?

Yes. Yes, I can.

OK. That’s all I wanted to talk to you about. Thank you for your honest answer, Reina.

I must, Craig. I owe you this. I know it.

Good, see you later. I have some chatting to do with Mel now.

Sige, sige.

Right now I could do with some rum. Damn.

I know exactly what happened and I know where the problems lay. Exactly how I deal with them is an entirely different issue. Sure, I have verbally spanked some of them tonight, but I am not sure if it really fixes anything. My biggest concern is Mel. In a way it is the very type of problem that Lexi has always seen in the girl. She is well meaning, innocent of heart, and a real problem at the same time.

On second thought, Mel, I have nothing more to say to you. Please leave me so I can talk with the others.

Craig, I am sorry.

Mel, I know you are. Still, you were very wrong and I am not sure that the next time, once again, you will be not be wrong again in a different way, but for the same reason. … You want to be nice. Mel, that can be a real problem. There are times when being nice is not what we need to be. It is not something I can teach. I am not sure that you can learn it. I do know that you are the mother of my son, and you will always be with me. And… I know I love you; even knowing that; though, you made me unhappy this time.

Mel starts to cry, pulls it together and asks, Would you like some rum?

Yes, Mel, that will be nice.

Mel, the quintessential barmaid. I look at Lexi and she looks back at me. We share that same knowledge and frustration. Mel is a good soul with an inability to say no when needed. It is not that she is stupid, though she is not the brightest. It’s not that she is incapable of saying no. It’s just that she finds the experience so painful that she looks for any excuse to say yes.

There are, by age, seven of you who I consider adults. Of those seven there are only five who behave as adults. As of now, I just don’t see Mel or Reina as acting as responsible adults. Do you three think I am being too harsh?

They look at each other. Are they sorting out who goes first, or are they sorting out if they want to differ with me? It is taking a while, and long enough that it is interrupted by Mel, who brings me my rum.

Finally Jana offers, I agree about Mel, but I think Reina, well, Craig, she knew. She knew why she was wrong. I like that.

The other two are in agreement that Reina needs a chance to prove herself. Mel, on the other hand, seems to be a lost cause. No amount of ‘growing up’ is going to solve this.

Lexi puts the wrapper on it when she says, Before, my sister was my never ending problem, every day I had to watch, protect and, sometimes, correct. Craig, I am sorry, but she is your problem now.

Gee, thanks! OK, well, I think we are done. Jana, I know you want to get back to Mia, so get going.

All go their separate ways and I settle in with my rum. What a fucking day.

Morning brings me back out to the lot before the workmen arrive at seven. As usual, I am the first one here and the last one to leave. Today, it seems like we have a convention here. There must be fifty workmen.

I was figuring two months to finish based on what I saw yesterday. I am readjusting, and I think maybe one month before the basic fence is up. There will still be wrapping to do, but once the fence is surrounding the place, we can begin to start on the excavation for the house and there are still no plans!

Sir Gilbert, Crisis! More men working here now. The fence will be up in one month. This is true! Please, I must have house plans right away!

Gud AM Sir This afternoon I will bring you plans for your review. Where 2 find you?

At the lot.

Very gud Sir I B there then.

At nine, Mia, in Jana’s arms, is here as is Lyn. Jana has a long and wide scarf she ties to one of the cross-pieces of bamboo below the rafters and, in it, Mia is placed. The child seems snug and happy. I ask what this thing is called because it isn’t a hammock.

In a way, it works like a sling you tie around your neck. The sides tied are not at the head and foot of the baby, but on her sides. The middle of the sling pouches down a bit. There is no way Mia will fall out. Jana gently rocks it until Mia is seemingly asleep.

I ask what it is called and Jana says it is a duyan. My Tagalog to English dictionary translates the word as hammock. Well, it is, and it isn’t. Jana has tied both ends close together up above, but she says the ends can be spread out more like a hammock, though the child is still sideways in the contraption.

This is the first time Jana has been out here while we are working, and the sight of so many workmen surprises her. I explain what it was like two days ago and how Lyn has acted to speed things up.

Lyn has yet to say a word. She is just looking out and smiling a whole lot.

It’s nice spending the morning with them. Mia sleeps soundly for over two hours here, causing Jana to laugh that Mia likes the outside life better than life in the big house. And shortly after Mia rouses, all take their leave.

The men here are stopping for their lunch and rest hour. Midday. I have my sack lunch and a book.

Afternoon brings civil engineer Gilbert to the lot. Dollars to donuts, he was ready to tell me I was exaggerating about when the fence would be done. He doesn’t even try…

Sir Craig, these are the draft plans.

And he hands me eight rolled blueprints. There are elevation views; there are plans for each of the three floors; there is a plan for the partial second floor rafters and a plan for the raised third floor/fourth rafters; there are plans for plumbing, and plans for the electrical service; there is the excavation plan; and a plan for the foundation which also shows footing and post details. In short, there is a huge amount of shit here to review.

We take it first, floor by floor. I pencil in changes we need made, at times flipping over to the plumbing and electrical sheets to make marks there. Then we take another look at the elevation plans. I am not crazy about the placement of some windows, which then requires changes on the floor plans as well.

The plumbing plan includes septic, and we discuss enlarging that. I had told him I needed it to be large, and his is far too small. Notes are made. The reason I need a larger septic is that grey water will also go to the septic and then leach out via a large third chamber. It’s possibly not quite code-permitted, but it is what I want. What I don’t want is a gray-water marshy area on the lot, something I have seen here quite often.

With the help of the guy who holds the pakyaw for the fence and three of his workers, wooden stakes, some red plastic bags we tie onto the stakes as flags, some monofilament line which is used here for laying courses of concrete hollow block, and a 100 foot measuring tape I have, we mark out the exterior dimensions of the house.

I am glad we are doing it. It is clear that we have to reimagine the courtyard in the back, as we are running too deeply towards the back fence. Gilbert and I make more notes and he takes off with the drawings.

The guy helping, Sir Pakyaw, is scratching his head. I look at him, a bit curious about what he is thinking. And then out it comes, as he says, Maybe three foremen and forty-five workers, Sir. Maybe more! If not, this take a very long time!

Yes, indeed.

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The final count...1