The Ark

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

What was and what will be...27

Three weeks have passed and rather than Elena leaving, the news is of a major category 4 typhoon called Pedring that missed us and slammed into the northern island of Luzon. Now today, the 30^th, a twin of it, called Typhoon Quiel, is hammering them on Luzon again. It’s a real mess up there. We have been getting some rain, but it’s not a problem.

The TV has been filled with video of the devastation. Elena has been watching it, and commenting to me that the type of home she was envisioning would be flooded in such a typhoon.

We have had many serious typhoons here before, but maybe she wasn’t seeing the results on a TV like she is now.

I have been looking back at the history of typhoons that hit these islands and, while there were a couple of monster storms way back in history, most, until recently, weren’t that fierce for many decades. These recent ones seem to be getting stronger. Maybe it’s climate change, maybe not, but something is happening. We were just lucky this time.

In these three weeks, Ann has shown Elena a number of properties. Nothing is ‘just right’ for our Miss Goldilocks, but Ann tells me she knows what the problem is and, with any luck, they will find the answer soon.

Elena has bought a car, a Toyota Vios. I tease her that she can now be a taxi service. The Vios is used by many for just that purpose. As a way to do a little to pay back for our hospitality, she has been doing the chauffeuring of our two high school girls. Bim has appreciated the help, and Ten has been forced to be face to face with the results of her loose lips each day.

Ira, I meet a friend of yours today.

Oh? Who was that?

Debbie.

She maybe a lot of things, Elena, but the one thing she is not is a friend.

I’m teasing. Your two young ones told me how you all feel about her. But I did meet her.

How did that go?

She seems curious to know if you had added a new wife.

I bet she was. I also bet that she didn’t believe you when you told her you weren’t a wife to me.

I didn’t.

You didn’t, what?

I didn’t tell her I wasn’t a wife.

Why?

I wanted to see how jealous she would get.

Why would you want to know that? We all know she wanted to join me but not the other gals.

I think you are wrong.

In what way?

She will accept the others.

Elena, she has worked against me on a number of occasions. She harassed Ten and Bim. I really have nothing but dislike for the woman.

But you fucked her.

Yes, I did. It was an angry fuck.

She wants to know what it will take to get accepted.

She can try dying.

Ira!

Well, I told you. I don’t like her.

Make peace with her.

No. She is a bomb thrower, a sneak, dishonest, offensive, and simply not to be trusted.

You can’t think of a single good thing to say about her?

She’s good looking. There, happy?

Jessa, I know you are here somewhere. Come out and explain to him why he should get over his feelings about the woman.

Sure enough, Jessa is here. I just hadn’t seen her.

Elena, if Ira does not kill the witch, I will do it for him! She is evil.

Oh! Is this the general consensus in this house?

No. Bim will want to torture her first and then kill her.

So, all of you don’t like her?

Correct. … I not talk to Ira about this, but I think she just jealous that we have the land. She knows all the wives here own the land. Ira set it up that way. She wants the land. That all. She not want Ira, really. She think he a pervert. So she send him young girls. He not want that. Why she do that except she try to make herself important to him. That why she that way.

Ira, does that make sense to you?

I guess it does. From the very first time I met her, the land was the big part of the conversation… that and accusing me of being a monster with Reyna. She is not to be trusted.

You have explained quite enough. I not trust her again. She fooled me today, but no harm was done.

It’s Christmas time, 2011.

Elena has been true to her word about staying away from Debbie. She has possibly found some land close to ours. It’s landlocked, however, and, so while the price is attractive, it isn’t accessible right now.

Word is that the owners of the landlocked parcel and the parcel that’s blocking it have been at war which each other for a long time. The reasons for the dislike are not known, but the result is all too clear. The guy with the land who has the road access might sell if he thinks the buyer will continue the block on the other parcel.

Ann has an idea. First, she gets a commitment from the guy to sell the landlocked land in thirty days, with the buyer holding a right to refuse. In other words, he has to sell at a certain price a month from now, and can’t refuse to sell it at that price. But the buyer can back out. All this is to be a hidden agreement, but legally binding via a contract.

Next, she lets it be known to the guy with the parcel in the front that she has a buyer who hates the guy in the back. If he will sell it at a good price, the buyer will make sure that this other guy never gets access.

We will end up acquiring the front hectares, and Elena will get the back hectares. She will get access through our land. The agreement that the guy in the back will never get access will be fulfilled, as he will not be the owner anymore.

This is pure Ann. She will use a straw broker, and our shell company as the buyer of the front hectares. No one will see her hands on that transaction.

CiCi and I approve the deal on our side. Elena is willing on her side. So the question is, will these two boneheads each individually agree to the terms each is offered? Each is being offered below market value because of the two issues. The land being locked and the guy requiring the new buyer to continue with that policy.

The guy at the back has to agree to the thirty day deal first. The deal is a good forty percent off market value. He does, and the papers are notarized with an attorney.

The broker for our shell company offers for his client a ten day offer with a contract, twenty-five percent off market value, specifying the name of the man who will never be given access. The contract carefully omits the possibility of the sale of the back lot to another buyer. The seller agrees, evidently with some real joy.

The back parcel is still in the ownership of the guy who is blocked.

We conclude the sale of the front-facing parcel first. The paperwork is signed. The title transfer paperwork is completed and the money is in the guy’s hands. We start the processing of the papers and, because of Ann’s connections, things that normally take eons are at least processed quickly enough that the first seller can’t back out.

On the twenty-ninth day of the contract for the landlocked parcel, the sale is made and the papers processed. Elena has a good ten hectares; we gain only four hectares, but the land is usable and we will farm it.

Her land is more than enough to support her with income, if the farm is properly managed.

Ann’s part is complete.

It would have been nice if Elena could have afforded to buy our four hectares from us at the price we paid, but she doesn’t have the capital to do that and get on with the rest of her plan. It’s OK. Like I said, we can use the land.

In the middle of all this excitement, we have a different type. Lorie has given me another daughter, Princess Honey Cruz Courtwright. Baby and mother are doing fine and, yes, Lillian is here, a happy lola.

I now have thirteen children.

As a happy coincidence, Lillian is here just long enough to know that Elena is not mine and that I have clearly said, No more!

We have another wrinkle. CiCi and Ann think that, until Elena gets her house built, she should stay here. It isn’t causing us any problems; she is the daily driver for the high school run.

I point out that, as her house gets built, she will not be the daily driver. And, once her farm is in operation, she will likely also be busy.

OK, they say, so she will be busy. That means she will really only be here to sleep and shower, so what’s the problem. I relent.

Another wrinkle. This time it’s CiCi, Bim and Elena.

The conversation is stilted and a bit circuitous but it boils down to… ‘Why don’t we run her farm for her and provide her a share of the profits the crops generate after expenses. CiCi is running the books, so we would not be having to trust Elena. She would be trusting us.’ As part of it, Elena informs me she has complete faith in CiCi.

Bim says that she has spoken to our two foremen whose crews will be affected. It’ll require more men and equipment, but should actually make us more productive.

Why do I get the feeling that this was the plan all along?

How that? Bim is indignant. Until we know this the land that is so close, no plan like this would have worked.

That’s true, but was it the plan since then? Oh, well, no fighting it now. I agree.

Good, says Bim, now let’s talk about where she lives. Why she need to build a house? She can live here.

No.

Why not?

You know damned well why not, Bim. No.

Ira, maybe Bim knows why, but I do not. And since you are talking about me, don’t I deserve to know?

You are not a wife to me, Elena. Let’s start with that. There are other things, but that is probably top of the list.

I could be. Debbie still thinks I am. You could call me Eleven.

No, Eleven is too much of a mouthful. I already have too many wives. And of all people, Bim knows how I feel about that, don’t you, Bim? And you do too, CiCi, or do you have Alzheimer’s?

Excuse me?

She’s never far from me. Jessa, good that you are here. What do you think?

I think we can handle one more wife and it means no pair this time. See?

I have to laugh. CiCi does as well, offering, It’s a good point, Ira.

Well, I don’t know what you are all talking about.

Elena, offers CiCi, we will explain it later. It’s just a silly thing, but if we can end it, it would be nice.

Sure it would, but there are other issues. Such as the Ri and Lillian test.

Bim tells me, She knows about that. She OK with us. We do that already.

Oh. … With all?

Not yet. Bim giggles, She not count to Ten yet!

Look, my sweet loves, even if all those things are OK, we have equity issues. There is no balance. None of you came with anything and you are all vested in the land we own. Elena comes with her own money and owns her own land. If she becomes a wife, she gets a portion of the family holdings plus her own holdings. She will be earning a far larger amount of income every year. How does that work? I can’t say she is a wife but not entitled to what a wife gets. And I’m not going to make her give up what she has to join us.

CiCi has a brain on her head, even if it seems to have been in neutral on this until now. Ira is right. We need to think about this more.

But Jessa is disagreeing. Why?

CiCi is stumped. She thinks it’s clear. I think it’s clear. What does Jessa see?

We are all looking at her, and waiting. Is there something more?

Yes, her land is hers. So what? She comes and joins us. She is one of us. She has what she had. Why that not fair? Why that not right? I not care she has more money. No one here goes hungry. No one here worries how we pay for the school. No one here work in the sun all day, or wash the clothing of others for pesos. No one here worry about the future. Why I care if Elena has her own money? She have that money now. She not throw it around and say, look what I have and you not. She not do that.

CiCi looks at me and only suggests, She is correct.

Well there’s one more thing but it’s between Elena and me. It needs to be in private. CiCi and Bim leave. Private from you too, Jessa. If you need to know, I’ll tell you, but I doubt that you will. Jessa decamps. I have known for seven years you had a secret and that you ushered Tom out of the Philippines before he could learn it. But I’m sure you know, I do not know what that secret really is. … I’m happy to have you as a friend and not ask you for the truth. … I’m not willing to have a wife who has secrets from me.

Uncle, your new wife eats my pussy very good.

She’s not my wife yet. Has she been with Ten?

Maybe no. I think soon. ... Uncle, maybe she will show you how she do me. You do good, but she eat me better. … You angry with me for telling you?

No. I’m not angry, and I’m really not surprised by what you said. I’ll make sure we three are in bed together soon.

I never thought, that first day we met in the café, that you would be in my bed.

I never think this too. I think I live my life in Kennewick. Not what I want, but I escape my life and that is a blessing. Tom makes that happen and I think, OK, he will be better. This just the beginning. Yes, this what I think. We meet you that night. I not think you ever wonder about the Philippines. Maybe I will help another girl, but you not interested.

You are right. I had never even considered the Philippines. You were sure pretty, but you were maybe a little too ready to have me meet someone. I decided to check it out myself. And that created some real problems. It’s why I have eleven wives!

You not have me yet.

True enough.

She was twenty-three when I first met her. She’s thirty-one now and not the improbably young gal that she was then. Still, she’s not hard to look at.

I know this is nuts but, when my cock enters her, I’ll feel like I’m taking something away from Tom. Yes, I know they are divorced, and I did not cause that divorce. Still, that stupid thought keeps on popping up in my brain.

I surely haven’t pursued her. I’m not sure she pursued me, at least not consciously. If her land had been a distance away, surely this would not be happening now.

She is in my arms and we kiss. We fondle. Skin touches skin. We are both naked. She has been with all my wives. All of them. I’m told she was even with Lillian, while the woman was here enjoying her grandchild.

Elena is a very smart woman, and she is smart about the bed. She slides down on me and does what no one has ever in my life done to me. Good God. How does that even work?

All my adult life, when it comes to the bedroom I felt it was my role to make sure my partner was OK and satisfied. I’m pretty sure that the tables have been turned.

Maybe tomorrow we will have a conversation about making sure she is satisfied. Right now is not the time.

I can’t think. All I can do is respond and allow. Elena is touching places I didn’t know existed. Oh, fuck. What? How? … Oh oh oh oh shit! …

Nah, I’m not even going to try to explain this, but it’s like I’m on a loop and she’s keeping me going. Oh God… how long? …. She has me cumming! Damn.

What the fuck happened?

Ok, I’ve got one thing and only one thing to say, but maybe not to Elena. I don’t care how much she might be as crazy as a pet coon, this is one woman you do not abuse, berate or walk away from. No way, no how. God almighty.

OK so this is totally inappropriate, but you did that with Tom and he was still rude and unpleasant to you? How is that even possible?

I’m glad you like me, Ira, but how can I explain to a man who never rude or unpleasant to me? You would think it being rude. He not know he rude. Maybe you see?

Maybe I do. Maybe I do. But…

But what?

How can I do good for you when you do that to me?

Say that again please, and say it slowly.

Well, it was wonderful. Maybe the most intense I have ever felt, but I didn’t get a chance to please you. That’s just not right. I feel like things are not in balance.

You really feel that? I mean it bothering you? Yes! I can see it. … OK, you can start by just holding me and maybe kissing me.

And I do. We kiss for a long time. I cradle her breasts, kiss her shoulders, her neck, her ears, her eyelids. I kiss her breasts and then suck a nipple. And we kiss again. I gently rub her clit and there’s a little shudder. We kiss yet again and then more rubbing and another shudder.

She sighs. Ira, I make the right decision. It is good to be your wife. And now I know what they know. I am a lucky girl. Tonight my love, it is all in balance. I promise you.

It’s another June and the start of another school year. This year we have nine of my children in school. Three in Kinder 1, four in Kinder 2, and two in Grade 1. Dessa and Ten are still in high school. We have a photo of my nine children in the school uniforms as they are dressed for their first day this year.

Life is good. My children are growing up happy and healthy. The farm makes money. My gals, who I now call my wives, are busy and happy. And I’m happy in all ways. I’m a lucky man. I look out from these glass window walls onto my domain, and just can’t figure out how I got so blessed in this life.

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Gone in a matter of minutes...1