Fifteen

Copyright © 2019-2020 by VeryWellAged

Back to Some things should not be diagrammed...4

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

Some things should not be diagrammed...5

Good morning, Sir. How can I help you?

That’s how it starts. Sounds good, right? Ha!

Once I tell him what I need, he acts like I was making no sense at all and asks, How will you subdivide the lot?

I won’t. This is just for me.

It’s such a large lot. Not needed for one residence! You will subdivide, I am sure!

I won’t. I will build what you call a mansion.

Let me see the plan of your mansion!

They say they can’t tell me where to put a pole until I provide them with city approved house plans. I explain that I need the fence up first and want to bury the conduit at least a year before the plans are even ready.

We are going nowhere and both of us are getting pissed off. It is, to say it nicely, a caucus race¹. It would have been a Catch-22 except I did a very Lewis Caroll type of thing. I texted George as we were going round and round.

Please give me permission to use your approved plans to force Socoteco to provide me what I need.

Granted! Good luck!

Sir Engineer, we are in luck! You already have accepted my approved plans!

How can that be?

I will use the plans of Sir George Williams. You will note that the plan is also located on a two hectare lot.

Those are not your plans!

I just received permission from Sir George to use his plans. Would you like to contact him?

OK, so now he’s in a jam. He does have city approved plans. I do own a two hectare lot as in the plans. I clearly know George and have permission to use the plans.

The guy just folds and accepts that he needs to provide the information I am requesting.

Sir, based on Sir George’s plans we approved a 50kVA distribution transformer. That requires a feed line from this location. He is showing me a map. But to determine how we get to your property we will have to survey in the field. We will write a report on the needed wire and poles. We will write the specification for you to acquire the proper transformer. Please provide me your contact number. When we are ready to do the field work, we will ask you to accompany us.

So, in the end, I get a promise to work on the issue at some time in the future. I gather I am to pay for the poles and the wire. All I really needed was for the guy to point to a place on the plot map and say, ‘Put your conduit here,’ but that isn’t going to happen.

I have gotten to Socoteco at a little after nine. I get back home almost three hours later and I am tense, irritable and just wired. (The pun is not intended, but there it is, in any case.)

Mel has gone to the store with Reina. Chrislyn, who we call Si2x² sees me and is about to bring me some lunch, when something she sees causes her to stop.

Sir, are you OK?

I just had a frustrating time at Socoteco. They can be difficult to work with.

The girl smiles and offers, Yes, Sir, they have no heart I think.

Well they certainly think everything you say is a lie, when you talk to them.

Yes! I know. It very true, Sir. Sir, maybe you will feel better if I rub your shoulders? Do I have permission to do this, Sir?

It’s not such an odd request. Since the three girls have arrived I have not even touched them.

Yes, that would be nice.

Come to the couch, Sir. I get a towel because I need to use some olive oil. Please take your shirt off!

I thought I was going to get the informal back rub that is done over clothing and while sitting in a chair. This sounds far less informal. As I am getting my shirt off and Si2x is gathering up what she needs, I ask, Where did you learn to give massages?

Sir? That what my mother do at the spa. She do massage. She teach me. If you like, I can give you a real, complete massage anytime you want. I am very good giving massage.

There are massage ‘spas’ all over town. Asian cultures have a high regard for the medical value of it. When one of my girls gets ill, there is often a request for a woman to come to the house and give the ill girl a massage. So nothing being said is untoward, or sexual. It is well within the norms of the culture.

Si2x is good at it. I can attest to that. In the 30 minutes she works me, she is not gentle, but she is effective. I feel far better. The stress is gone.

The session is purely professional. There is not one moment when I wonder what is up with that. In the end, she cleans me up, wiping the remaining oil off before I put my shirt back on.

Sir, please just sit and relax a few minutes. I will put these things away and make your lunch.

It is all as one would have it. All proper. And yet, I am seeing Si2x in a little different light. I am appreciating her character. So far, the question has been, for all three, is there reason to let any of these girls go? They stayed due to an absence of affirmative answers. It has been the aggregation of negation that keeps them here.

But there comes a time when you just have to say, OK, they have won their spot here. And then what? Well, then they are here as maids, unless they request the change. But, how do they know they have ‘passed the test,’ if you will? We have never told them that the evaluation is over, that they are all staying, as far as we are concerned.

For me, this massage has gotten me thinking that I owe them the knowledge that I consider them permanent employees, even if nothing else occurs.

It is not an invitation to my bed. It is a message that any worry they had is over. I like them, trust them and no one will be asked to leave.

It’s odd, but there really has been a dry spell, as I waited on people to do what needed to be done on any number of fronts. Now, no more than half an hour after I finish my lunch, an engineer that Rena has put forth comes to the house.

He tells me about what he has built and how many men he has working for him. While he calls himself an architect, he is also a general contractor.

One of the lessons I gleaned from George and, if I am being honest a little from Brian, is that I do not want a general contractor. I will be my own general contractor.

In this case, I don’t want a guy as my architect who builds those little rabbit warren boxes. Some are bigger rabbit warrens, but that about sums it up. The fact that his numbers are way inflated, from what I have already ascertained from others, is just icing on the cake. I thank him for coming but will not make use of him.

However, because Rena referred him, she deserves to know why I rejected him. These days I have her cellphone number in my contact list. Via text, I ask her if she might find the time to meet with me.

Financially, Rena has been doing nicely for herself handling my business. And she knows I can pay what’s needed. That works in my favor when, two hours after I meet with the fellow I have sent packing, she is at the door.

Si2x sees Rena and quickly puts out drinks and snacks, which they call merienda, for us as we talk business.

I go over what the guy is good at, what he was offering, and then go over what I need.

I show Rena some sketches I have of what I am looking to build. She understands there is no match here and apologizes for sending him. I tell her apologies are not needed. I just don’t want to offend her. I tell her she deserved an explanation.

And that brings forth a smile. You value me, Sir?

Yes, very much.

Sir, I think I know what you need. Not all you foreigners are like you. Yes, the man who come, I think he good for many foreigners, but not you. There a man I think maybe he be right for you. He will do your drafting, and get the plans through the process, but you will build. That right? He mostly build big things.

Yes, that is what I want.

OK. Let me contact him. This man will be good for you.

While she is with me, I ask where we are on the title, but she has little to offer. We are waiting on bureaucrats.

In the end I put some pesos in her hand and thank her for her time.

Mel and Reina have returned from their shopping trip and I am putting away the sketches I was showing Rena when I receive a text from someone I do not know.

Sir Craig, I am Gilbert Mendio, Civil Engineer, Ma’am Rena ask me to contact you regards your project. May we meet?

Greetings Sir Gilbert, Yes I would like to meet. When is good for you?

Is tonight at 7 acceptable?

Yes. That is fine. Do you need directions?

No directions needed, Sir Craig! Ma’am Rena give that to me.

OK, see you at 7.

By six this evening, all have returned home and supper is on the table. I guess Si2x and Mel have spoken about the doings today and that has somewhat filtered to the rest of them in one form or another.

Lyn asks for details, but there is little if anything definite I can offer. Everything is still unresolved, though they do get a kick when I tell them of how I used George’s city approved plans.

I tell them that we have an engineer coming at seven. Lyn says, Really? Maybe Filipino seven?

OK maybe Filipino seven. … Look there is something I want to say with all of you here. … I think I see some frightened faces. That saddens me a bit. … Up to now, Reina, Si2x and Jing2x have not been told the results of any evaluation. I am going to do that right now.  … No one is making any noise. … I do see some fright on faces. … Everyone stays. Everyone. Each of you girls has done a wonderful job here and each of you has earned my trust. There is nothing more to evaluate. As far as I am concerned, the only reason why you would not be here is because you decide to leave. I want you to stay. … OK that is all.

I see tears. I see smiles. I see hugs. I see a couple of faces with a question. One of them is Si2x.

I look at her and wait.

Sir, that mean we come to your bed now?

No, that is not what it means. It means only what I said it means. Are you asking for permission to come to my bed?

Yes, Sir. I am.

You understand that you might get pregnant? I know that it doesn’t seem to happen often as only Lexi is pregnant, but it does happen.

Before Si2x can speak…

Sir?

Yes, May?

Sir, that not right.

What isn’t right?

Jana, she pregnant. Mel, she pregnant, Li2x and me, we pregnant.

I look around the table at the faces before me. Jana, is this true?

Sir, I miss my last two times.

Mel?

Yes I think maybe I three months now. Not really sure.

Li2x, have you missed yours?

Yes, Sir. Two times.

And you May?

I just miss one time, but I sure.

OK I see. So, Si2x knowing that, are you sure you want into my bed?

Yes. Sir. I am sure.

Si2x, when was your last period?

Three weeks ago, Sir.

That is pretty good news. She won’t get pregnant this time.

OK, well, do you want to be with me tonight?

Yes, Sir, that would be nice.

Fine. Once the engineer leaves I will go to my bedroom. You may go earlier and wait for me to join you, or you can go up with me later. That is up to you. … But before anyone says anything else, I guess I have something to say. If any of you learns you are pregnant, the very first thing you should be doing is coming to me to share the good news. This is not the way I want to learn that I am to be a father! I want to celebrate with you as soon as you know it! I want to talk about baby names. I want to be involved with the mother of my child. I am not a spectator. Next time come tell me! … Lyn I need a calendar to figure out when each of you is due.

Lyn isn’t saying or doing anything. She is just sitting and looking at nothing in particular.

Lyn?

Nothing.

Lyn! What is going on?

Sir, I have missed my last one. Maybe?

It’s all of them save Dido. And who knows, maybe she is pregnant and just doesn’t know it. What happens next, I just can’t explain. I guess it’s not embarrassing, or it ought not to be, but I start crying as I say, This isn’t fair. I want to hold all of you right now and I can’t! Oh, how I love you all!

All around me there is movement and then I am surrounded by my girls. They are hugging me.

When the clock shows seven, the engineer does not arrive. And he doesn’t for another hour, appearing a little after eight. I don’t mention it to the guy. We don’t have time to waste on non-productive issues.

I pull out my sketches, the plot survey, my mechanical sketches of subsurface conduit work that needs to come first, including: conduit for a future, where we might actually see communication cables; conduit from the fence to the main house; conduit from the main house to outbuildings, generator, perimeter lighting, landscape lighting; conduit for a gate motor; conduit for electronic gate and remote surveillance; communications conduit from main to outbuildings; sanitary pipe from all needed locations to an over large septic; location of where I want to site the well and related underground water lines to the main, outbuildings and around the property.

I show some concepts for exterior design, interior room layout and scale. Ceiling height, number of floors, number of bedrooms, issues of access, size and nature of kitchen designs, placement of vehicle storage, all get discussed.

At which point I realize I have overwhelmed the guy. He isn’t tracking at all.

Sir Gilbert, this will be a big project and it will take a while to complete. Is this something you can work with me to design?

Sir, never have I seen such thought and work put into what I am asked to do. Yes this is a big project. But in each thing, you have ideas that must be understood or the plan will not work. I see this. Yes, we can do this together. But, Sir, some of this we do not want to show to the City. We do not show it because the code here does not speak to it. Much of the conduit work, they must not see! Much of the plumbing outside the main house, they do not need to see. We will not show them the outbuilding plans now.

He smiles, takes a long drink of water that Reina brought him before continuing.

What we will show is just fence and the main building. The first drawing to get approval must be the fence. But that drawing, the one I get approval for must not show the conduit you are burying in the base of the fence. So, yes, I will do this with you, but, if you are the general contractor, you must know, this will take years to finish. Truly, years.

I know. And I know that the last will be the outbuildings. I know I will need to be out there every day.

Yes, this is true. Sir I think we need a ten foot fence around the property.

That high around all of it?

Yes, I think so.

OK, let’s work on getting that approved and then we will need the version showing the electrical before we start the work.

We finish up with pleasantries and he is out the door by ten. By that point I figure that even if Si2x is in my bedroom she will be fast asleep. The maids get to bed early and get to work about five in the morning.

Good evening Si2x.

Yes, good evening, Sir.

If I am going to make love with you, I think you should call me Craig.

Sir, after you make love to me, I will call you anything you want!

I reach out and bring my maid to me. I really don’t know how this changes us. It will, but she will still be a maid here. A maid with benefits? But what happens when she has a child of mine? What will she be then?

Mel didn’t start here as ‘the maid.’ She ended up doing maid duties by default. This is different. Si2x was hired and is paid to be a maid.

Mel doesn’t have a salary. She does, as do all the girls, have an allowance, but that can be added to when needed. A salary is something else.

And yet, once I take her, in two years she will be a member of the land trust. Does she know that? I don’t think she has a clue. And should another not ask for my bed, that girl will be excluded from that trust. I will be creating a have and have-not chasm between equally hard-working and dedicated girls.

So, when I say I reach out and bring my maid to me, I am not being mean spirited, I am identifying the confusion that is essential to the very act.

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Some things should not be diagrammed...6