Ann

No, I did not know. Who else knows?

All.

All? ... Moon, Noime?

Maybe not the little ones.

Maricris, you know?

Opo.

Do Belen and Joy2x know?

Opo.

Maricris, why the fuck didn't anyone tell me?

We think you know. We think Angeli tell you.

How long has she known?

At least a month, Sir.

So when Angeli was going crazy about you Lyla, Angeli knew she was pregnant?

Yes, Sir.

When did you find out?

When you make me live with her. In morning she quick out of bed and throw up. So I say, 'Ate, are you pregnant?' She say she is. I ask her how long. She say she miss three months so far.

Maricris, when did you find out?

Day before she return, Sir.

And the others, they learn at the same time as you?

I not sure, but maybe.

Lyla, why do you want to have my child?

Because such a child will be an American Citizen and have many good things in life. To have a child from you is a gift from God, Sir.

She is unaware that I may not be an American Citizen for long. Will that make any difference for her?

Don't you want to wait until you are older to have a child?

Sir, I do not mean to speak incorrectly, but you are not young. I wish to have a child before you are unable.

I see. Thank you for speaking truthfully.

You are welcome, Sir.

What you don't know it that am filing to become a citizen of the Philippines.

Ah! Really? You will ne a Dual?

No. it is not allowed. I will lose my US citizenship. Does that make you want to change your mind about getting pregnant?

No!

And you, Maricris, do you really want another child?

No, Sir, but if you give me one, I be a good mother.

Another good answer.

OK, what do we do about Angeli? She still did wrong, but I am beginning to understand things better now.

You feel sorry for her, Sir?

No. Not sorry. I begin to see why she was acting crazy. If she had told me she was pregnant, I would have acted differently with her. It was her choice to not tell me.

You want her back and me in the old way?

No, I do not. I am pleased with you Maricris and do not want you out of my bed now.

Neither Lyla nor Maricris have anything to add, and I am stumped, for the moment. I give up and try to sleep.

§ § §

My sleep is troubled and when morning comes I am both tired and needing to get up, and going, early. I want to talk to Joy2x before she goes to work.

When did you know about the pregnancy?

When you kicked Angeli out. Why?

Because I only learned about it last night, quite by accident from Lyla.

You didn't know?

No.

How can that be?

Angeli never told me. That's how.

So when you kick her out, you do not know?

That is correct, Joy2x. I had no idea.

Now I am angry.

Why?

She say you kick her out because you do not want a baby from her! That why!

And you believed her?

Well, I am sorry, but yes we did. If she not pregnant now, I would tell you to kick her out again!

We need a meeting tonight, with everyone there.

Yes. As soon as school is over. OK?

OK. Joy2x, do not tell Belen now. She must work with Angeli all day.

Yes, Boss. OK.

§ § §

The next eleven hours are the longest hours I can remember spending in a very long time. I decide to visit friends and then realize that it's probably not a good idea. I can't spend that much time at a mall. Even going to the Cinema only burns two of those hours. I want to chew through the clock, but find it's a tough chew. I read news, I watch TV. I try reading a book, but can't concentrate. I try looking at porn, but that disinterests me. Eventually, I ask Maricris to join me in the bedroom and decide to see how much foreplay she can stand before demanding a good fucking. My now official answer is forty-seven minutes. After that, if she isn't getting fucked, I am in deep trouble. But I find the afterglow can last for well over an hour. I get some cards out and play solitaire for two hours. Finally, the time arrives. Joy2x and the small ones all arrive. Joy2x and Maricris call a family meeting in the Sala. But as per Joy2x's texted request to me a bit earlier, I am in the extension and not part of the meeting yet.

So the following is a reconstruction from what Joy2x, Noime and Maricris tell me was said.

The meeting starts with Joy2x speaking.

Angeli, I am confused. When did you tell Boss that you are pregnant?

Why you ask?

Please just tell us.

No.

No what, Angeli?

I not tell you.

OK, Lyla, when you were with Boss last night, did he know Angeli was pregnant?

No Ate. He do not.

Belen shouts out, What?

Maricris, is Lyla telling the truth?

Yes, he very surprised. He shocked. He ask us many questions about how it is, how many months, how we know.

Rez, looks at her mother. She is stunned and scared.

Joy2x tries again, Angeli, did you ever tell Boss that you are pregnant?

No answer.

Mother! Tell them when you tell Sir. Tell them!

No answer.

She can't Rez, because she never do that.

Angeli, we all protect you because of the bad thing you accuse Boss of doing. Why you do that?

No answer.

Belen breaks in. Angeli, I am with you every day. We have been friends all our lives. I work with you. We help each other and we depend on each other. Now you will not be silent or I cannot be with you. We will, all of us throw you out. You will tell the truth now. What you do? Do you tell Sir Lewis?

I not tell him. He should know!

You lie to me Angeli, you lie to all here.

He should know I pregnant!

Fool! You are stupid! You ruin things here. I vote you should go! Never come back.

No! NO! This is Maricris. She has decided things are out of control. Belen you not have right to do that. We do not vote. This is decision for Sir Lewis. He will decide what happen to woman carrying his baby. Not you!

Oh! Now that you are in his bed, you think you can tell us what to do!

And at this point the most unexpected speaker raises her voice. Noime has heard enough. Maricris is right. She is right because it is Uncle's decision. She is right because, yes, Uncle put her in his room for this! So he would have someone older who can speak for him, not me. I tell you who also know this. Ask Angeli if Maricris has this right! She knows.

Maricris turns to Angeli, Well, do you want to tell them if I have this right?

Yes, you have the right. Lewis give you it. But Belen also right, I cannot live here. But if Lewis say I live here, what I do? Why Lewis not here?

Before I come back from school, I ask Boss to stay away while we talk. He is in other Sala. Analyn, please get him.

Analyn's eyebrows flash up briefly and she is gone. And that's where I come in. Analyn comes and tells me that I am needed.

There is nothing as scary as a room full of pissed off females. I am about to speak when this happens...

Boss, we...

No, I speak!

Now that was the second clue that there was a mess here. Joy2x and Maricris had been cooperating but not now. Joy2x, if Maricris wants to speak, she does go first here.

Thank you, Sir. Sir, we have problem. Angeli lie to us, is bad and Belen want her to go. Leave here. Angeli is pregnant with your child. I say, only you decide what happen to Angeli.

OK, that I understand. Does anyone else have anything else to say? Joy2x? Belen? Angeli? No? Huh... OK. Well, I have some information I need. Angeli, exactly how far along are you?

Maybe three.

How do you feel? Are you OK?

I am sick every morning. Why you think I up so early every morning?

Because you were always up before me. I don't know when you get up. Have you been to the doctor to check on your health and get prenatal care?

No. Not need.

Well, I need you to do that. Maricris and you will go as soon as tomorrow.

I won't.

Yes, you damned well will. You are still mine and you will always be mine God Damn It! Now stop being stupid.

You not throw me out?

No. You are a fool, Angeli. Now stop this craziness. I threw you and Lyla out so that all could see that no one could ask to throw someone else out, without it coming back on themselves. Obviously, that backfired on me. None of you learned that lesson. Certainly not you, Belen! No one leaves here. We will adjust. First, Angeli you have lied to them and failed to tell me something important. I will assume that the pregnancy is the cause of your stupid and bad behavior. Still you need to apologize to everyone here for that. You also need to stop hiding information from me. The rest of you... I am frustrated that no one came to me and told me about Angeli's claim that I threw her out because she is pregnant. I would never do that and I thought all of you would know that! Maricris, rearrange the rooms so that Angeli has a private room in the extension. I want her close to you and me. She will have the child in that room when the baby arrives. Iay, you have been alone up to now, but child, that has to change. You will need to room with someone else.

This was the second set of room changes. When Maricris moved in with me, Angeli had swapped rooms with her. Angeli had ended up with Laarni in the larger of the main building regular bedrooms. Now I would move Rez and Lyla to that room, as I needed the room they are in for Angeli. I also have to move Laarni and so she goes across the hall to Iay's room.

I see that Belen is fuming and do not want to end the meeting like that. Belen, say what you must, but keep in mind that when a female gets pregnant, as you should well know, her hormones can cause her to act in unpredictable ways.

Sir, this girl and me grow up together. We know each other as children. She not right to lie to me. She know I do anything to protect her. She fool me and make me act against you. Why you nice to her and mean to me?

Belen, do I understand that from now on you will not act against me to help a friend?

Yes. I not do that again!

Then, we have achieved a good result! I am pleased. Belen, Angeli's behavior I do not like but understand. Yours, I did not, but do now. I am glad you will stop acting against me.

What!? This is Belen, not liking what I have just said. The sound I can't include is the slap from Joy2x across Belen's face, and the looks, the two exchanged. It is Joy2x who speaks next.

Boss, my wife is also stupid this evening. She and I will talk in private and I will explain her why she is very lucky you not throw her out. I also do have something to say. Your trust and faith in both Maricris and Noime was proven tonight to be deserved. These two and only these two, not me, not anyone else, understood what was right to do. These two do right for you. I sorry rest of us fail you.

Thank you Joy2x, your words are appreciated. Tonight I wish to also rearrange the seating at the supper table. Angeli, you will sit next to Maricris. … One more thing. Angeli, you have been difficult, a liar, and far more of a problem than I ever want in this house. But you are also the mother of a child inside you that is half you and half me. I love you and you may never leave me. Do you hear that?

Really? You love me? Even I do all these bad things?

Yes.

OK, OK, now I know. I really stupid.

Noime, you are with Maricris and me tonight.

I am emotionally exhausted. I want a quiet life and I have anything but that. Females! You can't live without them and you just can't shoot them.

§ § §

Angeli has seen an obstetrician. The doctor put Angeli on a strict diet and prescribed some vitamins. All seems OK. It's a bit early to be confident about the outcome, but Angeli has carried to term before, so with any luck, I am about to become a father. That will be a big change.

Maricris tells me that Angeli and she are getting along well. The fact that Maricris did not go along with the others, but did as Angeli knew was the right thing, has elevated Maricris in Angeli's esteem. Meanwhile Belen remains royally pissed with Angeli. I am told, she feels like she was sold a bill of goods and took the heat for trusting a friend. Trust and loyalty are important here. Belen is not mollified by the fact that pregnant females can be very stupid at times. Joy2x tells me she has her hands full with her love these days.

I have not bedded Angeli since the events, but her place close to my bedroom and her place at the table allow her a level of personal dignity and that seems to be sufficient.

At Noime and Moon's request, I have added an extra day for Lyla. They think that it will be a problem if only Angeli has a child of mine. Maricris agrees, but then Lyla is her daughter and she has been pushing Lyla on me since the beginning. At the moment I am driving around the roundbowl¹ via the Diversion road to the airport. I have a friend flying in on Cebu Pacific flight 5J 995 this afternoon and I am his ride back into town. It never fails that my cellphone will chime a text message just when I can't deal with it. As it is, Lyla is riding with me and I hand her the phone and ask her to read the message.

Sir, it is your wife!

What does she say?

She wants to know if true Angeli pregnant.

Type the word 'Yes' and send it.

A minute later the phone chimes again.

She say, “You marry her now?”

Text back one word, “No.”

Almost immediately another message, She say, '“why not?”

OK, Lyla, send this exactly, “because you are my wife.”

Lyla does this and in return she gets and reads, “OK we get annulment so you marry her.”

Lyla, please text her back, “I do not want an annulment. If you get one I will still not marry her.”

The message in return reads, “why you so makulit Lewis?” What you want to tell her, Sir?

Tell her this, “I love my wife. Come home Ann.”

This true, Sir? You really want me to send this.

Yes, please send it.

Yes, Sir. Sir?

Yes?

You have all of us. We want to marry you. She does not. Why you do this?

Lyla, Ann is my wife and I do not walk away from my wife, ever. I do not walk away, even if she is difficult. Just like I do not walk away from the mother of my child.

But Ann wants an annulment! She wants out of marriage, Sir.

Maybe she does. Maybe she thinks I don't really love her. I do not know. I can't know.

If she gets an annulment, you really marry Noime?

Yes.

Noime is very lucky.

You think?

Lyla just looks at me. I don't think she has a clue about how to respond. At that moment the phone chimes again. It is Ann. 'You still have bahay kubo?'

OK, Lyla, just answer, 'yes.'

Who staying there?

Answer, “no one.”

Who Angeli room with?

Answer, “no one.”

OK, be there tomorrow. I stay with her or kubo. Do not tell the girls.

Text back, “too late, I am driving and one of them is typing for me.”

A final text is received, “grrrrr”

We pull up at the airport.

§ § §

The supper table, this Friday night, is animated by endless questions about Ann's anticipated arrival tomorrow. Four at my table have never met Ann. They are scared and fascinated by this development. Belen having been Ann's lover, is on edge, as is Joy2x for similar reasons. Questions fly and I have no answers. After five questions, are all launched at me, at the very same time, I turn to Lyla, and tell her to answer the questions as she knows what was said in the text messages. She in turn asks for my cellphone. Clicking through to the text session, she lays the phone down on the table and tells all of them, 'read!'

After reading it herself, Angeli turns to me and says, Does she stay with me, Lewis?

That is up to you and Ann.

What you want, Lewis?

I want you and Ann to decide. whatever you decide, I will accept.

I am scared, Lewis.

Yes, and I think Ann is scared too. You want to be friends with her again?

Yes, very much, yes.

Then make sure you tell her. Do not make her read your mind. None of us reads minds here.

OK, OK. Lewis, why you think she coming back.

She is coming back because you are pregnant. At least, that's my best guess.

But I bad to her.

Yes you were, but like I said, you are with my child. That is more important.

This night, every female is engaged in making the house spotless. Every crevice will be cleaned. All laundry washed. All things, folded, dusted, put away, washed, swept, waxed, cleaned out, organized and made perfect. As much as Ann engendered dissension at the time of her departure, her return will be on different terms.

§ § §

A tricycle arrives at the gate about 4PM. Out of it climbs someone, but I do not recognize her.

§ § §

§ § §

Chapter 38