The Ark

Copyright © 2020 by VeryWellAged

What was and what will be...17

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

What was and what will be...18

It’s typical in one way. It’s sad in another. I’ve a long laundry list of the reasons for the sadness, but Dessa’s name features in all of them.

I’ve not met Dessa yet. I will soon enough, but as of now, I really know very little about her as a real person. All I know is why she and I will meet.

Her mother, at the ripe old age of 37, died. I ask, Of what? and am told, High blood.

They sure as hell don’t say hypertension here, nor do they append ‘pressure’ to ‘high blood.’ But you don’t die from that directly. Maybe the mother died of a stroke, but that I may never learn. Does it matter? I guess not. But hypertension can be treated… if you can afford the medicine. Many here can’t.

Dessa’s father is an alcoholic, and a tricycle driver when able to get off the floor to drive. The few pesos he gets are dedicated to getting drunk again. No one has seen the guy for a good three months. He may be dead. No one really knows. In any case, he might as well be dead, as Dessa is without a parent.

Dessa’s grandparents are all dead. One grandfather was a barangay captain¹, in Northern Samar², who, it seems, was targeted by the NPA³ and was assassinated a few years ago. His wife was also killed in the gunfire of that event. The other set of grandparents came to more mundane ends: a motorcycle accident and cancer.

I gather that there are some family members up north, but none around here, and the kid wants to stay here. Why she does is unclear to me, but her last name is the same as the barangay captain who was assassinated. I’ve no idea if that ties into it, but it’s a working theory for now.

The last thing on this laundry list is Dessa’s age. The kid is thirteen.

Did a single one of you know how young this kid is when I was asked that I accept her? Anyone? … No one? Before I said she couldn’t stay, would any of you really have expected me to have sex with this kid?

No one is saying, yes, so I’ll assume that we are all in agreement on this detail, or at least I hope so.

You are all, each of you, her Ate. I need one of you to take on the role of mother for her. If she stays at all, she is to be like Ana. And if she stays at all, we are going to locate a family member who can take her as fast as possible. Long term, she isn’t staying. I’m just not having a girl of that age here without her mother. Have I made myself clear enough?

That not what Miss Debbie want.

I know, Eva, and I honestly don’t care. It’s what must happen. Thirteen is just way too far over the line. You were almost three full years older than Dessa when you first came here. Ann was more than two years older. Reyna was the youngest, but she was more than eighteen months older, and she had Jessa next door. None of you are like this Dessa.

I see acceptance in most faces. Clearly, Eva is troubled, but there’s nothing I can do about that. There’s one who is smiling. It’s Nelia.

Eva is quietly freaking out. Ira, I have to tell Miss Debbie!

Why?

Maybe she tell Dessa the wrong thing before she bring Dessa.

No. Don’t tell her anything. Don’t contact her at all. I don’t want Debbie bringing the girl here. … Jessa, you contact Debbie, find out where the kid is and bring her here. If Debbie misinformed her, we will correct that. I don’t want Debbie to have any part of this.

You can’t expect a kid, living as this one has been, to be in today’s fashions. But her clothes aren’t just old, they are third or fourth hand. I’m not sure how you could even tell if they are clean. The colors are faded; the cloth is worn out.

She is a small girl. Small in every way. Her feet look tiny. Two of my gals wear a size 4 shoe. This girl must be wearing size 4 as well. Her hair is long and it doesn’t look like it has been trimmed in a long time. Her skin is pretty dark, and that may be because of being out in the sun a bunch.

There’s little else to report, as her clothing is just hanging on her frame and is at least two sizes too big.

She’s not shy. She fixes her gaze on me, but she is clearly scared. That much is easy to see. She’s trembling.

Jessa has brought her up from below. As the two meet us in the Sala, Jessa decides she should do the introductions.

Ira, this little girl is Dessa. Dessa, say hello to Sir Ira.

Hello. … Po.

Good afternoon. Tell me, why are you here?

Sir? Because Ma’am Jessa come get me?

Yes, yes, but why did she get you?

Sir, it because my teacher, Miss Debbie, say I am to be one of your girls.

Do you want to be one of my girls?

I guess, Po.

For now you will stay here and you are safe. You are not one of my girls, but you will stay with us while we find which of your relatives can give you your new home.

Po? Miss Debbie say being here better for me. She say better to not go to the relatives.

Yes, well, this isn’t Debbie’s decision. This is my home; I say who may join. You are too young to be one of my girls. So that isn’t going to happen.

A look of panic in her face is followed by what I gather is a stream of Cebuano to Jessa, who then answers in the same tongue, before turning to me and explaining, She is afraid she didn’t understand what you say. I tell her.

Does she understand now?

Yes, she really understand you. She just think it cannot be true. Debbie tell her you have taken other young girls.

Dessa, I’ve never added anyone to this house as young as you are now. It’s best that you join your relatives.

Maybe, not best for me, Sir. Maybe this is best for me.

And, she may me right. But that isn’t a good argument. If deciding on how far they might get in their educational pursuits, or their quality of life, were the only deciding factors, this house would be filled to the brim and way beyond. That just isn’t going to work. I get it that her relatives might live a meager existence. Sometimes the outcomes are pretty shitty.

And it isn’t a matter of whether she is pretty. I guess, for a thirteen-year-old she is about as cute as anyone might envision. But, for the love of God, she’s just too young, no matter however else I might want to rationalize it.

Dessa, for now you are staying here. But you really can’t stay here for long. Maybe it is best for you. Maybe that is true. But, this is my house and it is not good for me.

Why you break your word to Miss Debbie?

I never gave any promise to her. Did she tell you I did?

Oo.

What promise did she say I made?

That you would make me your girl. Just like you do with Eva.

Jessa, get that lying bitch here. Now!

Why did you ask me to come? Just earlier today, Jessa say you never want to see me ever again. Now she call and say you need to see me immediately.

Eva, Reyna and Dessa are in the room adjoining this one. Normally they would not be able to hear conversations in this room, but I have a cellphone with the ‘speaker’ on, sitting on the table in front of me with a connection to Eva’s cellphone. Eva’s phone is set to mute. She can hear us but we can’t hear her. Jessa is in the room with me.

Tell me, Debbie. Did I ever tell you I would take that girl to my bed?

Jessa say you told her to come and get Dessa.

I did. I repeat, did I ever tell you I would take that girl to my bed?

But you accepted Dessa.

That’s not an answer. Let’s start with a yes or a no. Did I?

Why are you asking this?

Answer!

No! No, you didn’t. Not in so many words.

Did I ever promise you that she was joining this family?

But you brought her here! Ira, what is this about?

Answer, Debbie. Did I promise you anything at all?

Why are you asking me this?

Because, Dessa says you told her I made promises. Why did you lie to her?

I didn’t lie!

How can you say that? I never made any promise to you.

But you told Jessa to get her!

Yes, I did. What part of that is a promise?

Debbie just stops talking.

Do you really think I was going to bring a thirteen-year-old to my bed?

Silence.

Maybe it’s you who is fantasizing about sex with young girls. Is that it? You want to rub bodies with Dessa?

She’s weeping now. I’m not sure why, but there are real tears. I leave Debbie sobbing and walk into the next room, closing the door behind us.

Do you need any more proof that I never made any promise?

Both Dessa and Eva are sobbing too.

Dessa, I really need an answer. Do you need any more proof that I was telling the truth?

She, in an almost whisper, says, No, Po. No need.

I grab the Eva’s cellphone, unmute it and say, Jessa, send Debbie home. We are done.

Po, what you say about Miss wanting for sex with me… that true?

Dessa, I have no idea. She probably doesn’t, but it’s possible.

The cellphone connection is live and it seems Debbie has heard the exchange, because I hear a gasp from the next room. And with that I close the connection.

I have an email from the contractor in Kennewick. He will get me the power tools I want. Once he gets them sent to me, he will send me the total cost I need to cover.

My email back is simply a ‘thank you,’ along with the shipping address.

Ann, that can’t be right. There are no relatives with whom we can place Dessa? None?

None.

Are you absolutely sure?

Ira! Four days I spend there. There is no one.

No one even if we give them a sack of rice every month?

No one. No one to give rice to!

OK, thanks for trying.

No problem. So she stays?

I don’t know.

It OK if we do it with her?

Ann, you want to bed the kid?

All I hear is a giggle, as Ann rolls over and on to me, grabbing hold of my balls.

Ann?

Sabaa nimu oi!⁴

I get the point, or rather, Ann would like to get the point. But I am not going to slide into her just yet.

My lips latch on to her right tit and start sucking. Ann’s girl, Ris2x, is four-years-old, and though, no longer needing breast milk for her, her breasts now feed little Mark. So, sucking on them is no less pleasurable for either of us than it was four years ago.

I’m flicking a nipple with my tongue and sucking a bit. I would manually play with her other nipple but, with milk flowing, it would be a bad idea. Still, just the sucking is great. And no matter what, it’s good to be with Ann. There’s no having to justify my desire for her. She is great in so many ways. The fact that she is one of my gals, is a reward that I have no way to say I earned. I’m damned lucky she is mine.

Ann likes a lot of stimulation on her breasts. Not all my gals do, at least, not as much as Ann does. But then, each of them is special. This is me with Ann.

As my Ann gets ready to launch, I mount her and slide in, accompanied by sighs and gasps, both hers and mine. She digs her heels into the mattress and pushes her body up to meet mine, as I drive her body down and into the mattress.

She reaches up, hands on my shoulders, pushes one heel into the mattress and, with the accompaniment of her arms, rolls us over.

Now on my back, I’m looking up at my beautiful twenty-one-year-old lover. My cock embedded in her cunt, and a smile on her face.

The sounds are not to inflate egos. They are not information. The noises she is making are more honest, more primal, and far more basic. In truth, there’s little sexy about making love. We are not being sexy right now. This is far more elemental. Yes, it feels way beyond good. It’s supposed to. It’s the cue bodies generate to make sure we propagate the species, even when we know that will not happen.

There’s little thinking. It feels way too good to think. At this moment, I never want the feeling to end. Does Ann feel the same way? How do you ever know how your partner really feels, other than the simple fact that she is here with me, has been before and will be again in the future.

All I do know is that, when cum spills into Ann, I grunt and hear her sighs.

Deliverance.

Dessa is looking down at the floor and being pushed forward by little Niana.

I hear Niana whispering, Tell him.

Dessa is shaking her head and still looking at the floor.

If you ever hope to stay, you have to talk to him.

Bakit?⁵

Hindi ko alam.⁶Do it! And she pushes her older companion forward towards me.

Po, may I talk to you?

Of course. What is it?

Miss Debbie. She run away when she see me. What I do?

Don’t you have a class with her?

Yes, she not run away when in class, but she never call on me. She not look at me. She avoid me out of class.

I’m not sure you can do anything, but I might be able to do something. Do you want me to try?

Oo. You angry with me?

No. Why do you think I would be angry?

I cause a problem.

Who said you cause a problem?

No one. I just think it.

Ana, come here, child.

Niana knows she isn’t in any trouble and steps forward with a sense of safety. She doesn’t say anything but stands upright and looks at me straight on. Do you have any idea why Dessa thinks she caused a problem?

Uncle, you told her this is not the place for her. She think that because you think she is not good.

Oh. OK, yes, I see.

Dessa is shitting bricks. What are you afraid of now?

You be angry at Ana.

Ana, do you think I’m angry at you?

No, Uncle, you not angry.

Dessa, why do you think I’ll be angry with Ana?

She tell you what you do. That not respectful.

Ana is respectful. She told me the truth and helped me see what I was not understanding. No one in this house will receive my anger for being truthful. I’m not angry with Ana and I’m not angry with you, Dessa. … Dessa, I like you. The reason why I say no to your living here as my gal is simply because you are too young and because I am done adding anyone.

She is looking down again and mumbles, Ana is younger.

Yes, Ana is younger. But Ana is here because she is the daughter of Bim and Bim is one of my gals. Ana is not an orphan, and more importantly, Ana is not one of my gals. … This house is not a good place for a thirteen-year-old without a parent here too. You aren’t a real orphan, if you father lives, though we don’t know where he is, you are almost an orphan. … While you are here, you are my responsibility. Your problem with Debbie is up to me to fix. I’ll try.

Thank you, Po.

Niana guides Dessa away and I’m left in thought. What is Debbie’s problem? Does she think Dessa will accuse her of acting badly for placing her here? Is she mortified about my comment, when she was here, about Debbie wanting sex with Dessa? She clearly heard that conversation. I’m just guessing. I have no idea why Debbie is acting as she is.

I wonder, which one of us should meet with Debbie? Clearly, I don’t want to, and it would not turn out well if I did. Jessa carries out a lot of the errands here, but this one is really above her paygrade. Bim would be a poor choice, for any number of reasons. I think this one falls on Cincer as the best option.

Are you sure she not imagining it?

No, I’m not sure. All I know is what she is saying.

What do you want me to do? How can I accuse her of something I am not sure really happening?

Sit down with her and say, ‘This is what Dessa thinks is happening. Do you think she has a reason to feel that way?’ If she says yes, find out why. If she says no, ask her if she might go out of her way to let Dessa know that she is not avoiding the kid.

You not really think she want sex with Dessa, right?

She probably doesn’t, but I can’t figure Debbie out at all, so no matter what I think, it hardly matters.

She says she want you, Ira. What so hard to figure out?

But she has always thought I have, and want, young girls here. She was still holding on to that belief when she came here. So what’s the real motivation?

You think?

I honestly don’t know. But if she thinks her desires have been exposed to Dessa, via that verbal exchange when she was here, I guess it’s possible.

Why she not just grab one of the kids in her school?

Hell, I don’t know CiCi, but maybe she doesn’t see that as a safe way to go about it. Maybe … if there are young kids here… oh hell, I don’t know, but if Debbie is here, then in her mind maybe the access to the young ones is sort of hidden. Of course, there were no young ones before she got Dessa placed here.

Why even bother with this? You are sending Dessa to live with her relatives, right? So, it will end then.

Well that was the plan. Unfortunately, Ann has been unable to find any relatives for the kid.

So, she staying?

I didn’t say that. But we don’t have a plan yet. So for now, Dessa is here.

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What was and what will be...19