went everyone's bonus.
Marlyn moved in to say that the rest of the day, she wanted to show everyone the rest of her country. Jack and Mike looked interested, Ted looked pleased, and Gus didn't seem to care.
Back at the hotel later that afternoon, Marlyn indicated that she wanted to talk to me for a moment. When we were by ourselves, she told me 'Bhoy told me this morning that all of them went drinking last night. The other three were nice, but the tall one – Gus? – picked up a bar girl and left the bar for a little while.' I could see that she was bothered, and I told her 'I don't like it either, Marlyn – but if it's any help, Gus has already lost any chance of coming here to run the factory.
Between the way he acted on the way over here, and last night, and today, I know that I wouldn't send him anywhere without an adult to take care of him.'
She just smiled at my description of Gus, and nodded her understanding.
I told her 'Thank you for telling me, though – and thank Bhoy for me, too.' She assured me that she would, and we headed up to our respective rooms.
The rest of the week was spent showing the four of them around Dagupan.
Since I wanted to know what they'd be like when they were essentially alone in the Philippines, I didn't go along – it was just them and Marlyn, with Bhoy driving. I spent my time working on some of the designs for the new plant – I knew I was going to be busy enough with all the other things I'd be involved with, and wanted to take maximum advantage of every bit of time I could get. Marlyn would let me know how she thought they were doing – with the exception of Gus, who we'd both written off as a lost cause.
After a couple days, I got together with the lawyers, just to find out how things were going. They knew I didn't have any involvement with their work, so they just let me know that things were going well – that they thought they might be finished in another week. I thanked them, and they even let me buy them each a beer.*A* beer – they didn't want any more to drink than that while they were still working, not wanting to risk a hangover or anything else that would impair them.
It wasn't but a few days before Ted adopted to local conditions, and started wearing a Barong Tagalog. A couple days later, Mike and Jack had followed his example. Gus, on the other hand, stuck to the sports shirts he'd brought. The lawyers, of course, never varied from their three-piece suits.
There finally came the day that the lawyers told me that the next day would be the end of their part – they expected to sign all the necessary forms and documents to get things moving.
I broke the news to the others, and with Marlyn's help, we made arrangements to head home.
Kelly was there to meet me as we got off the plane; Bill had made separate arrangements for the others – all of them looking relieved to be back.
As we were waiting for my luggage, Kelly asked 'So, what did you bring me?', with a grin.
I just looked at her and said 'Me?'
She smiled brightly, and said 'Great! Just what I wanted!' before planting a kiss on me that let me know – in no uncertain terms – what was waiting for me when we had some privacy. The other folks in the baggage claim just looked on in a mixture of amusement and jealousy.
As she drove us home, Kelly asked me 'So what about Marlyn and Marilyn?
When will they be here?'
'Anything from a couple months with luck, to six months or more. Depends on how cooperative our respective governments are about processing their paperwork.'
She didn't look pleased at the answer, but let it go – she knew that there wasn't anything she could do about it.
As I'd expected, I got one helluva welcome when we got home. It
Bill was grateful for the verbal report I gave him about his people.
My recommendation had been to send Ted for the job – he'd been the most interested and adaptable of the bunch. Bill was considerably less than impressed with Gus, telling me 'I was kinda worried about sending him – he just hasn't done much to impress me with anything he's done. Well, I guess I'll just start easing him out, then. Only reason I've been keeping him around was to see if he'd pick up some with time, but I can see that isn't going to happen. Mike and Jack were long shots – not real go-getters, neither one. Both of them are hard workers, but not much in the way of initiative or imagination. I kinda figured Ted had the best shot, but wanted to make sure; the rest went along just to make sure they got their chance.'
He was also appreciative of the letter he got from the orphanage, telling me 'I called them, and they said it was you that suggested the letter. Yeah, I can use it to prove that it was a charitable contribution for taxes, but I wasn't worried about it, either way. I'm just glad they're going to put it to good use.'
The next several weeks, I was busy as the proverbial one-armed paperhanger. Just over a couple months after my return, I got a call from Bill one day.
'Good news, Dan. Marlyn just called to let me know that she'd got her paperwork in hand. She's ready to come here as soon as we can get her on a plane. It seems that our lawyers there were able to get the government to issue her a new passport in close to record time. I kinda beat up on our Senator to nudge the State Department into doing the same at this end. She'll be here the end of next week – along with her niece.'
'That is good news, Bill. Thanks for moving things along, and covering the niece's fare, too.'
'Glad to do it, Dan. You know I take care of my people, and this one's definitely a keeper. I'm not going to have her here worrying about the only family she's got left.'
'Well, thanks again. I'll give her a call and see if there's anything she needs.'
'Yeah, she said she wanted to talk to you. Well, I gotta get back at it.
I'll talk to you later.'
When he hung up, I immediately called the number Marlyn had given me in an email. She answered after only a couple of rings, and sounded pleased when she heard my voice.
'So, I hear you and Marilyn are getting ready for an adventure', I teased.
'Yes, we are, thanks to you. You were right, they have been making me work hard – and I love it!'
'Bill said that you wanted to talk to me?'
'Yes, I wanted to ask if you would be MY guide when I get there. I don't know what would be a good hotel, or anything like that.'
'Marlyn, you are not staying in a hotel. You and Marilyn are more than welcome to stay with me and Kelly. In fact, if you don't, both of us are going to be in a lot of trouble!'
I heard her hesitate before she answered 'Are you sure? It won't be a problem?'
'Only if you don't stay with us. You know that Kelly loves Marilyn and you, and I can promise you that you would be most welcome. We have a second bedroom with its own bathroom, so you will have as much privacy as you want – or you are welcome to spend as much time with us as you want, too. Kelly and I would both be happy to spend time with Marilyn while you're at work, and if Marilyn gets tired of us, we have plenty of female friends that would be delighted to spend time with her – all of them just fell in love with her when they saw her picture.'
I could hear the relief in her voice when she told me 'If you are sure that we won't be a bother. I was worried that we would have to stay someplace where she wouldn't have anything to do while I was working.'
I laughed, and said 'Marlyn, that is something you don't have to worry about.'
Reassured, Marlyn told me 'Thank you, Dan – and Kelly, too. Marilyn is*so* excited about this. And I was so happy when Bill told me that she could come with me before I could even ask him first!'
'I told you, Bill is a good person to work for. You've been doing a good job for him, and he appreciates it. He takes good care of the people that work for him.'
'He does! When he found out that I was living in Manila, he sent me some extra money, telling me that it was for relocation expenses, so I could move from Manila to Dagupan. It was enough that I found a place big enough for Marilyn and me while I try to find a house.'
We spent a few more minutes talking about her trip and what she'd need here. I also got her promise that she would tell me what her flights were. She said that she would, and that ended the conversation.
Marlyn was surprised, and Marilyn delighted, to find Kelly and I waiting for them when they cleared customs in Los Angeles. Neither one hesitated to give Kelly or me a hug and kiss with their greeting. When we went to get our seat assignments for the last leg of the flight, Marilyn insisted that Kelly and I sit on either side of her, leaving Marlyn to sit on the other side of the aisle.
