Chapter 6

This is Christmas time. Christmas in a tropical clime is a different experience. Firecrackers are an integral part of this one, as are roaming groups of carolers. Two of the suitcases we have brought are filled with nothing but presents and we have a fun time giving them out. Coins are also big for the kids and by only dumb luck, my random choice to empty my pockets of coins on Christmas night is a big hit with the small kids.

With all the food being pushed on me, I am not losing any weight, but Ganda is refusing food except in the most meager portions and she has dropped another kilo. She is on a mission and I let her know I appreciate her for her choices.

We have the engagement party between Christmas and New Years at a pleasant place about 25 kilometers north of Gensan. I pay for two lechon, whole roasted pigs, and the works for the party – including Red Horse beer. The party is a big success. The pigs are devoured, and everyone is happy.

Through it all Krissell, Ann and Ninay are welcome as part of my family and treated with warmth and dignity. I let Ganda's mother know I appreciate it. Krissell and her sisters learn that as far as I am concerned, they are an essential part of my family and they don't have to worry.

The Muriel and Venus issue is a wonder and a concern. Muriel will be coming to live with Ganda at of the end of the school year in March and I am including her as a dependant for a K-2 visa. She will be with me. She is young now but she is already being groomed for something – I just am not sure. Venus is pretty clear that I should call her "girlfriend." That sounds ominous to me; but nothing has happened on this trip. I should note that both girls are at the very top of the school classes. These are smart kids.

New Years comes just days after the engagement party and the fireworks are incredible. It is an event in the round, that is independent of where you stand. We have a nice celebration and the next day fly back to Manila with four suitcases, two of which are completely empty!

Three of the girls are now in some type of school or training and not at the condo during the day. Ganda and I have lots of extra time together and while not all of it is sexual, there are many late mornings and early afternoons of sexual congress.

Ganda and I work on all the forms I need to fill out for the K-1 visa. We collect forms and official papers, both from Mindanao while we are there and from Quezon City. An NBI report, a police clearance, the birth certificates for both Ganda and Muriel, the annotated marriage agreement which notes the official annulment, a copy of the passport pages for Ganda and Muriel ... it all had to be right.

Through it all Ganda cooks my meals and I must confess amazement – Ganda is a world class cook. She has a deft hand and everything she makes is beyond good. I am going to marry a beautiful, sexy, compliant, fun, woman who also is happy to wash and iron my clothes and clean the house. She even required that I let her clip my finger and toe nails. That last thing became an issue one day when we were in Mindanao and her mother decided that Ganda had failed to keep my nails in good shape. Ganda's mother had then instructed Ganda's sisters to correct the matter. That had produced the only dust up I saw among the family members.

When I talk about ironing – that includes my briefs! I told Ganda there is no reason to do that and, man alive, that girl just about blows a gasket telling me to mind my own business. My clothes are her business, not mine. Now I am seeing the assertive side of Ganda. I also see that it is done with love and commitment. So far so good.

Ganda continues to lose weight. She has lost almost four kilos and is looking good again. I have lost six kilos and Ganda was now feeling like she can joke about just taking a knife and cutting off my belly. But she lets me know that if I lose too much she will not like it because she wants a soft shoulder to sleep on. She is worried I will get too bony.

At night I am always in bed with three girls. Which one I am having sex with is often not my choice. Between their three individual and dissimilar menstrual cycles and their horny times between those – who is really ripe changes almost daily. All I know is that I never have to go to sleep horny and that is something that is new to me in my life. Even with a wonderful and accommodating female, there will be times that she has cramps or is flowing too heavy or really doesn't feel well or just doesn't want to have sex. That's life. With three females, even if two don't, one does. Normally at least two do and there were plenty of times when all three are ready to go. That's when the girl on girl stuff really is useful. So every night I sleep well and satisfied. I have no need for anyone else. But I am going to go back to the USA without any of them. And then, I will have only one for a while. It might be years before I have all three of these girls in the USA.

I enjoy my two months with my girls. I do remote work while there but over all I am enjoying life and living a life I have never known before.

And then it is time to go. It is the end of January and I need to return to the USA. I say goodbye to my girls and fly back from Manila NAIA Terminal #1, as I had flown in to Manila on the last hop on Philippine Airlines. I am on PAL again to HongKong and United back to San Francisco and then to Denver. Then finally on the PropJet of Great Lakes Airlines back home and alone.

Within days I have filed my I-129F, three sets of I-325A's, an I-134 and all supporting documents and a postal money order for $445.00 to the USCIS in San Francisco. Seventeen days after that I get the 797 acknowledgment form with my case number.

Ganda and Muriel's K-1 and K-2 visa request is in process. Two weeks later I have a copy of the Cisco Network Security certification for Krissell. With the help of a consultant, I file for an H1-B visa for Krissell and an H-4 for her sisters, as she is their legal guardian. H1-B visa's if approved tend to take between 3 and 6 months.

In the meantime, there is a prenuptial agreement to have prepared by an attorney. I contact the local school system to prepare for Muriel's arrival. Find someone to marry Ganda and me when she gets her visa. I buy a car with which Ganda will learn to drive. I am not going to have her learning with my Hummer.

Since I have been advertising for the job far in excess of the number of times required, and for longer than required, and because the person I was trying to bring in under the H1-B fit the description entirely, Krissell has her Visa and the H-4 Visas in four months! At about the same time Krissell gets her Visa and I am about to arrange air travel for her, I get word that Ganda will within a very short time have her interview in Manila. We put off Krissell, Ann and Ninay's travel.

I fly out to be with Ganda for her Interview. This time coming in via NAIA #2 as my ticket is on Delta. Arriving just two days before the Interview, I also have with me, the one-way tickets for Krissell, Ann, Ninay, Ganda and Muriel to return with me in twelve days.

We have filed all the documents needed other than the I-156, I-156K and the I-157, which we have just now filled out as needed. We pay the fees of $131 each, in pesos, at the Banco de Oro, for the two I-157s. We get the receipt. As a result, the interview at the Embassy with Ganda, Muriel and me is somewhat pro forma. Possibly the fact that I am there mitigates any question about if she has really met me or if I have really come to the Philippines. In any case, the visas arrive five days later via Air21 – a private courier service.

We still have a few days before we fly out, but there are a number details not cleaned up yet. The big one is the condo. We speak with the building manager and buy our way out of the year's lease. Ninay and Ann will continue their schooling in the USA.

We have five visas! Never in my wildest imagining did I see this happening.

We board a Delta 747-400 flight NAIA Terminal #2. We don't all get to sit exactly together but with some horse trading we are all close. It is a long trip but we survive and I return to my home with five new residents.