Chapter 7: Making Mila Moan

The last girl we are to meet is Mila. She is twenty-three, unmarried, living at home with her mother. She normally stays home and cares for her grandparents while everyone is out working. We have advanced her money to pay for a maid for a week. It was cheap enough ... a thousand Philippine Pesos. We meet her in front of Gerry's Grill again. We all like to eat there and so why not!

Mila is tall! Wow, she is five foot five! But that's because her mother is full Chinese. We can tell just by looking at her that she is mestiza (mixed race). Jakes thinks she's ganda (beautiful), Gel and I don't think so. She has a pango (flat or stub) nose, just like us and she is brown, just like us. We had this argument with Jake. He says we are racists and that we don't like our own race. Gel and I think he is wrong, how could we not like our own race? Oh well, Jake gets a woody just thinking about her.

When I meet her, she is nice. We chat about how things have gone. She knows we have met other girls. She asks about them and I do my best to say nothing, but she is good and she gets some information from me. She wants to know what Jake is really like. That one is easy. He is the best, but no one can own him. He will not allow it. The funny thing is that we don't have to own him, as in limit him to us, because the more we push in the other direction the more he seems to want us. I tell that to Mila and she gets a real confused look on her face. It makes no sense to her. I also tell her that while he likes to look at all pretty women, he is pretty picky about who he will spend any time with in the bedroom. If the girl is not right, she is gone almost immediately. She wants to know what makes a girl right. I tell her it seems to be a combination of things. She has to be bright, he must think she is ganda, by his standards, she must be honest, she must like to smile and laugh a lot, she has to be a team player, she has to really love sex. She has to really 'like' girls. Most girls fail at least one of those categories.

Mila asks about Gel. I answer her questions as best I can, but I tell her Gel should answer questions for herself. Then Mila asks about me. Do I really enjoy girl-girl sex stuff. I tell her I do. She asks if I really have sex with Jake, and I tell her I do. She asks me what I want from her. I tell her if she is going to impress me, she will give me her heart, body and soul. That set her back a bit. And then I tell her that it is the same that Gel and Jake will want.

Oh, wala na (nothing else)

Cin you are not telling me something I need to know.

It's just that if it doesn't work out you might only stay until the morning.

I text Jake, 'come bail me out.'

She just looks at me. She's not buying it and I am stuck. Luckily Gel and Jake are close by and that changes everything. There are greetings. I have to pull Jake's tongue off the floor! I can't get over it! He says Gel is the prettiest and yet he has first prize wood in his shorts right now. I bet he has blue balls before we get back to the house. If you think I am noticing, Gel's having a fit. Son-of-a-bitch.

At Gerry's, things settle down and we have a nice noon meal. After lunch, we three girls go shopping and Jake goes to a Starbucks for real coffee which he can't get at Gerry's. The Starbucks has a sixteen-ounce French Press that they will bring to your table. Jake has another book with him. He said it is a gem that has been out of print for many years. He found it in the house. The title makes no sense, Been Down so Long It Looks Like Up To Me. I remember the author, because it isn't oatmeal, it's Farina. Jake says the copy is the first paperback edition. Anyway, he is going to be reading it at the Starbucks while we look for shoes and dresses.

Mila is asking Gel some of the same questions she asked me and Gel is getting flustered. Finally, Gel just explodes with: Mila, stop asking! Jake forbids us to tell you. I can't and will not go against my husband's instructions. If you ask him, he will tell you to stop asking. If you persist asking him, you will be asked to leave. Do I make that clear enough?

Mila looks at Gel and at me, and nods. We continue shopping but it is quiet in that noisy mall.

The car ride back to the house is too quiet, and Jake, who may on occasion miss some things, doesn't miss that there is a problem. Mila and I are in the back seat. Gel and Jake are in the front. Jake looks at Gel, who gives him a look that I learned long ago means, 'we need to talk in private.' I am not imagining that because as soon as Jake sees it he nods his head, his way of saying yes.

Immediately Mila turns to me and says what just happened? But she says it loud enough for all to hear. I give up and answer in a way all can hear.

Jake asked Gel what the problem was. Gel said I will tell you later in private and Jake said OK. Did I get that right?

Gel and Jake through laughter both say yes.

Mila spoke: Jake I will tell you what the problem is. I asked both Cin and Gel what this is a tryout for. It is clear that you are evaluating some of us. I asked them for what and they refused to tell me. Then Gel said that if I asked you – you would send me home. I do not want to be sent home. So I am not asking. But I do know something is happening and that you are not telling me what it is.

Jake did not say another word. It was silent in the car as we pulled into our compound.

When we get to the house, Jake whispers in Gel's ear. Gel immediately grabs Mila's arm and takes her into the master bedroom. I go to Jake and ask him what is happening.

Your mom is telling Mila to get undressed and then she will leave the room. You go in and see if you like her in bed. If not we send her home tonight. If you find her good, then you tell your mom that Mila is hers for the night. You and I will sleep in the other room. If your mom says no, for any reason, Mila goes back in the morning. If you both say OK we will have a quiet morning and then the fashion show tomorrow afternoon. OK?

OK.

Gel returns from the bedroom and gives me a kiss on the lips that is worth savoring. I ask her what she thinks.

Cin, her problem is she is smart and not used to being out of control. It scares her. She was acting in a natural way to protect herself. I feel for her. She meant no harm, but she didn't help herself with Jake. If she can't learn to obey Jake's instructions, even if they come from you or me, then she has no future with us.

Gel, Jake has never ordered us around. Why do you say obey.

Because we do! If Jake says something, we do it. We never fight him. We might ask for reconsideration and he will listen, but you know that when the answer is final, it has always been final for us. He gave you all the time you needed to do what he wanted because you were a child. He does not give adults the same time he gave you. When I first met Jake in Cebu, in the first twenty-four hours we were together, he told me there had to be two women in his bed or the marriage would fail. If I didn't want that, it was OK and he would say goodbye. I wanted him. First we tried another woman, but that caused problems. And then another woman offered him herself and her thirteen year old. I thought I would lose him. He never said he was going but I think he would have. I promised him, OK another female. And then he saw you and he was happy with you. But you were so young. He never said when he had to have you, but he did say, if we were to marry and come to the USA, that you have to come and it was a package deal. I said he must not rape you and he laughed saying he had never raped anyone in his life and he wasn't going to rape you. So then I said, it had to be your idea. I figured you would never want it. But every time he said it was a package deal and that he loved you just as much as me ... well I had to agree with him. I was obeying. We always obey Jake. Jake has been good to us. He has taken good care of us. He has never broken a single promise he has ever made to us. He has been a wonderful husband. And now he is a wonderful husband for both of us. I know you love him as much as I do. You obey him out of love and his requests are always – in our eyes – reasonable. So there is no reason not to obey. But Mila does not have our experience with Jake and she is fighting for control.