she was ecstatic. We met again at the valley and it was a longer and wilder session of passionate love.
Felita said that she loves Hindu gods and goddesses and took me to the bottom of a hillock and removing some stones took out a metallic statue from a wooden box saying, ‘This is a lucky Hindu god. I worship Him secretly.’
It was a silver colored metallic Ganesh statue abut four inches long. She went on, ‘One of my relatives who worked in India brought this for me when he had returned two years ago.’ I examined the box. It was of Oak wood and engraved on it in Devanagari script was, ’Ganapati Namo.’
The afternoon again was enchanting with the birds and now I ecstatic to ponder over a completely new married life in an unknown land. The thinking enthralled me and I forgot all the sufferings for being away from by place and parents.
We are to wait one week to meet the registrar at his office and finalize our marriage. The next three days passed in charm and excitement and the birds now started singing in tune with my songs. Felita promised that in three days she would bring the forms for my signature.
Part-VII
A pleasant surprise was waiting for me at the hotel. The receptionist handed me a note. It was from the Lady. She had asked me to call her after my return to hotel. I called her in no time and her soft and cordial voice made me ecstatic. She said in a coaxing tone, ‘I have important talks with you, please meet me immediately at my office.’
‘But I have to take lunch at first.’
‘Well let us have lunch together. You better come to the Majestic Restaurant close to my office.’
I cancelled my program with Castillo and hastened to take a tri-cycle for the hotel. The lady was waiting for me at the approach of the hotel. She received me cordially with smiling face. She looked beautiful and enticing in brown jeans and tight fitted pink shirt. She looked so different today and I was almost in a spell in course of the lunch and felt uneasy because of over eating. She drove me right to her office and asked me to take rest in an inner room of the office.
I got reclined on a sofa and fantasies drove me through heaven.
Part-VIII
Neither Felita nor the other girls turned up on the appointed day. I waited for a long time for them and then had my lunch. I thought that she might be busy collecting the marriage application form. Delay in government offices is natural and at times forms in the local office might be exhausted and arrival of new forms from head office may take time. So the applicants may have to wait a few days. But the other girls should have come. I got a bit worried. Have her parents objected to the marriage or there any other complications had cropped up? I fell asleep and when my sleep broke I realized I was late and the birds must be waiting for me. I hastened to the lagoon without delay and was relieved to see the birds from distance; but when I got closer, suddenly all the birds fluttered away as though in panic. I looked back and chill coursed through my spine as I saw not at much distance a few uniformed policemen. I started running recklessly but stumbled down on the projected root of a tree. A strong hand pulled me up by my right arm, ‘Don’t worry boy’ the police man said in soft voice in English, ‘We won’t do you any harm. We would hand you over to your embassy at Manila and they would send you back to your parents.’
I saw Felita at some distance crying profusely and two civilian persons trying to console her.
Later on I learned from the police that Felita’s father and uncle had collected all information about me from her with the false promise of marriage and had informed the police.
Part-IX
An attendant alerted me that the lady was ready in office to have talks with me and I was ushered into a larger room. She lifted her eyes from papers and her eyes brightened. It was a different lady even in office. She looked up and said in an ecstatic tone, ‘Thank you so much for your article that gives every detail of business prospects in India and I think Indian business would open up new avenues for my company. I never thought of this before. What do you think of the prices of my products as quoted in the brochure? Are they competitive in the Indian market or I’m to lower them?’
I forced a dry smile and said, ‘Your prices are far below the good quality similar products, indigenous and imported, available in Indian markets.’
‘Now I like to open a sales office in your country immediately and you are to be my agent in India. You’ll get lucrative money for helping me prepare all paraphernalia from the Indian part. I also propose you to be my sole agent in India. Without your help it is not possible for me to open sales offices in India right now. I hope you would agree.’
‘But I work in a journal.’
‘I’ll offer you much higher pay than you receive from your current company and also you’ll get lucrative commissions.’
‘I’m to think over it.’
‘Think over it tonight and I hope you would agree tomorrow. Think of the bright prospects and also freedom. Come tomorrow early and I’ll accompany you to my factory.’
I dredged a smile and said, ‘May I ask you one think madam?’
‘Of course. Without any hesitation tell me your terms and conditions and demands if you join my company.’
I smiled, ‘I want to ask you something personal.’
She smiled affably and said, ‘Feel free to ask anything you like, I won’t mind’
‘Is this business your family inheritance?
‘Not at all. My father was very poor and I had to discontinue studies at college while he was retrenched from job. Then both my parents took up odd jobs and I helped them to run the family. But all of a sudden the blessings of a mysterious Hindu god changed our fate completely.’
I almost jumped up in excitement, ‘Hindu god! How did the god change your fate?’
She leaned forward resting her palms on the table and the dividing line between her enticing boobs bulged out. She smiled observing my eyes and continued,
‘The image of the Hindu elephant god was presented to me by a relative who happened to be posted in the Bombay branch of a Japanese bank. He told the god was lucky and I kept it in hiding in an island from where I with my friends used to collect herbs and sea weeds. My parents are devout Catholics and so they might not like me worshipping a Hindu god. I remained in the island under some ruse even after the other girls returned here and going to the secret place used to pray to the god sitting by a small shallow water body which was detached from the sea. One day while worshipping, the statue suddenly slipped into water. I immediately got down to water which was only knee deep. I searched frantically in the muddy bed and could get it and I also picked up a large live oyster which looked different from ones I was accustomed to. I opened it out of curiosity and lo, there was a beautiful white pearl. Searching in the mud again I found a few more such pearly oysters and expected there would be more. Returning home I informed my father and in a few days we could collect most of the pearly oysters from the pond. These pearls helped to change our fate. We started from small businesses and with the experience took the risk in manufacturing food products. My parents and my son live now at Metro Manila and run our stalls at the Asia Mall.’
‘And your hubby?’
She started laughing loudly, ‘No hubby my friend and never had any. The boy is the gift of my boyfriend who had cheated me when I was only sixteen and thereafter I decided never to marry.’
‘Where’s the island that gave you the pearls?’
‘Not far from my factory, only fifteen minutes’ boating. I’ll take you there tomorrow after visit of my factory. It is called Birds House?’
I suppressed excitement, ‘Are there blue birds?’
‘How do you know?’ she looked curious.
‘Read in travel books.’
‘Oh my god, your travel books still advertise about blue birds. They were there but after the Japanese had cleared the forests, the birds are no longer visible. What the hell should we do with birds and forests? The Japanese electronics complex is providing employment to a large number of Filipino peo
ple and also adding to income of our country. These forests, birds and animals are worthless and do not help us in anyway. I don’t understand why the government is now giving indulgence to the crazy environmentalists and imposing restrictions on clearing of forests for industries in recent years.’
She continued enthusiastically, ‘I had to cut off trees and drive out animals and birds to construct my factory building and set up orchards of pineapples and other fruits to be processed. Many persons are employed now including my four herb collecting poor friends in my factory.’
‘So I hope you could have gossiping sessions with your friends even now.’
She started laughing. ‘How funny! Can a boss hobnob with the subordinates? I hope this protocol is also followed by Indian businessmen.’
‘You are right madam.’ I said with sarcasm in my voice but she could hardly decipher it as she was absorbed in the dreams of capturing the vast and lucrative Indian market.
‘Anyway, take decisions by tonight and I’m sure you’ll agree’. She leaned forward with her boobs bulging out enticingly and held my hand warmly. In a coaxing voice she went on
‘Please accept my proposal. You’ll be rich very soon. I cannot miss such a wonderful business opportunity and your assistance is essential for it. Let me now show you the statue.’ She got up and took me to the inside room which was smaller. She closed