A SUITABLE GIRL (M/F, rainwear, some sex descriptions)
Posted: December 4th, 2024, 9:29 am
A Suitable Girl
This is a re-write of the original version of 'A Suitable Girl' which I posted on Tied and True Tales many years ago. I tightened up everything, with a better ending. I hope you enjoy reading everything.
A SUITABLE GIRL
“Grandpa, if you could nominate the one most memorable experience of your life what would it be?” the young boy curiously asked.
The old man peered downwards before smiling. So many memories…
But how could he ever explain the one single most precious memory which would remain with him all his life? The best day of his life took place sixty years ago now. Yet every detail of this wondrous, unforgettable moment was still etched as clearly in his mind as if it was yesterday.
Scott treasured his memories as if they were diamonds. However, this particular memory was the most precious jewel of them all.
“It began with a dream,” he eventually said.
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If there’s one word guaranteed to send a shiver of dread down any man’s spine, it’s impotence. ‘I can’t get it up…’ They’re simple but deadly words. It destroys egos, relationships and marriages more easily than pouring hot oil on a log fire. Our relationship was reasonably solid but… it was the last thing I needed on top of my other worries.
My small online travel goods business (which I operate through Amazon) hadn’t been going well thanks to the triple whammy of the covid, supply chain issues and high inflation sending the cost of living through the roof. Everyone was cutting overseas trips from their itineraries and holidaying closer to home. Planes were out and long car trips in, all of which was hardly conducive for business, or my level of stress.
Therefore, I hadn’t been a happy camper lately. My girlfriend, Mekaila (Kaila for short) wasn’t happy either. Normally as bright, happy, effervescent and bubbly as a bottle of spring water, Kaila’s famous megawatt smile had been conspicuously absent since our problems began (hey, bad things always happen in three’s right?).
The issue of my almost total impotence was threatening to drive us apart. Beautiful Mekaila Marasigan couldn’t understand why, with her luscious body, mouth, pussy and even her deliciously tight ass, she couldn’t generate any excitement. She took it very personally. I couldn’t wholly blame her for wondering what was wrong with me.
Mekaila is a tiny, slim sloe-eyed little sexpot with lush brown skin, perfect tits and even darker eyes drawing you in like moths to a flame. Little Kaila weighs 32 kilos soaking wet. A magnificent silky-smooth lion’s mane of glossy jet-black hair rounds off the most gorgeous package I’ve ever met.
The first couple of times, we’d shrugged off with a cheerful, ‘Oh well, not even Casanova could get it up every time!’ but when it began occurring with increasing frequency, we both knew something was seriously wrong. At first Mekaila was philosophical but it wasn’t long before her unspoken disappointment and increasing frustration began to take its toll on both of us, with all too predictable results. The greater my performance anxiety became, the more it suffered and so on.
She even asked me if I was gay more than once. Now that hurt.
‘Why don’t you go and see a doctor about it?’ she said.
So I went.
He prescribed that modern cure-it-all – Viagra.
Mekaila was thrilled, when that same evening, I not only rose to the occasion but stayed hard throughout that tempestuous evening of lovemaking when her cries of, “Baby, don’t stop!” shook the walls of our Manila city apartment. When our neighbours began banging on the walls, it was then I knew I was back in town. Perhaps though of course, it was the way she’d shrugged herself out of her dripping plastic rainwear after arriving home from work and jumping me…
The next day… well, I’d rather not go into what happened.
It was a disaster.
Mekaila’s sad face was like a dagger to my heart. I hated hurting her.
Our relationship began to free-fall from that point until, one evening, Mekaila had had enough. She walked out on me after one vicious, screaming fight when we both called each other names I won’t repeat here.
Eventually, she returned – after an evening of pure agony when I thought I’d lost her forever.
The writing was on the wall. I had to do something about the situation and quickly.
**********************************************************************
“Come on, we’re going away for a week,” I insisted before kissing her. “I know this beautiful resort where we can go. Let’s get away from it all for a while, as the old saying goes.”
For the first time in weeks, Mekaila smiled.
**********************************************************************
Our rescue mission, for that’s what our trip really was, got off to the worst possible start. I could see our relationship sinking beneath the tumultuous waves in the horrific storm which struck after leaving Manila.
The weather was unusually bad for this time of year. Apparently, some typhoon or other was bearing down on the Philippines. It was also the earliest such storm in decades. With infuriating, precise timing, the tempest began just after leaving. It rained all the way down to Batangas where we would rendezvous with the ferry. It wasn’t the kind of gentle precipitation one might in see London or Melbourne. The rain (if one could call it that) was a fully-fledged tropical downpour blurring the windscreen with a translucent sheen of water the flogging wipers couldn’t clear properly. Therefore, what should’ve been a quite scenic and pleasant, three-hour drive took something like double that time.
My gloom deepened like the tropical depression hovering over the Philippines like a dark cloud when we finally made it to the ferry terminal. It wasn’t the grey, scudding clouds – or teeming rain which sent my heart plummeting. It was the sea.
A stiff, almost gale force wind was blowing, kicking up a short, sharp – and steep chop which was battering the ferry terminal. Several boats were tied up, dancing and pirouetting around like drunken ballerinas. I’m used to being out on boats but Mekaila was no sailor and I could see her paling while she watched our transport being thrown into the side of the pier by the big waves.
The smart thing to do would have been to postpone – or even cancel – this afternoon’s sailing. Not in the Philippines. Nothing short of a Category 5 typhoon would prevent our departure. Our tickets weren’t refundable either.
If our fellow passengers were holding out hope that it might not be too bad a passage, the arrival of a big banca (a trimaran type boat featuring a narrow hull with bamboo outriggers) evaporated any remaining hope. While our horrified fellow travelers nervously gazed outside the plate-glass windows of the terminal, what should’ve been a simple disembarking operation quickly became a military style operation with the staff hustling each terrified, saturated passenger up the narrow, swaying gangplank one by one before wrestling their bags off their bobbing boat. Their discarded orange lifejackets were actually being blown sideways by the howling wind. One lifejacket fell in the water before being washed back on the concrete jetty by a particularly large wave. The roiling water caught up with the scurrying passengers and soaked their ankles.
We still had another hour or so to kill before departing. I wasn’t optimistic about our chances of leaving on time. Schedules are somewhat elastic around here, and the bad weather wasn’t helping matters. Our chances of arriving before nightfall were vanishing by the minute. I gloomily gazed around the big departure hall. It was a sea of plastic. Although we were seated under cover, it appeared that every man and his dog were dressing for the weather.
Normally the Philippines is best known for its hot, or very hot weather, especially during the dog days of summer when the equatorial sun bakes the island archipelago to a crisp. It’s also a wet country, and rainwear is an essential commodity during the rainy season when one typhoon after another strikes the islands. Most do very little damage, other than dumping torrents of rain upon the green rice paddies and coconut palms which depends on the water for survival. It’s a natural cycle which has been occurring for millennia. More powerful typhoons drop so much rain that even the wide rivers can’t cope with the immense volumes of water and very severe flooding inundates often heavily populated floodplains. The number of houses and badly built concrete roads paired with completely inadequate, trash-clogged drains, means there’s nowhere for the water to go, so the devastation is usually immense in those areas.
Unsurprisingly, umbrellas are worse than useless in this kind of weather. The rain was sheeting down in great torrents, lashing the concrete and the boiling sea to a white, hissing foam. Almost everybody was pulling on their rainwear before making a dash across the slippery windswept tarmac. Boarding would be a slow, drawn-out process today. There was no cover whatsoever out there.
Although most ferries contained totally enclosed passenger accommodation, some also offered cheap, economy-class open-deck seating. These seats were more or less, completely exposed to the elements. Guess which ones we’d picked on the booking website a week ago! It would be a rough and wet ride. Anticipating a leisurely, sunny two-hour or so cruise across the normally calm and scenic channel, Mekaila had unwisely booked a pair of seats near the stern. Well, it’d seemed like a good idea at the time.
A lucky few individuals were wearing heavy-duty PVC knee-length raincoats and one couple was even suiting up in a luscious, shiny deep yellow jacket and pants combination, but they were the exception rather than the rule. The Philippines is not a wealthy country and the vast majority of people simply don’t have the money to buy such expensive (and little used) rainwear because it was rarely cold enough to justify wearing everything in anything other than very heavy rain.
Therefore, the majority of commuters and holiday makers had to make do with colourful, translucent plastic raincoats easily available at every market in the Philippines and I smiled. Their slick, smooth rainwear glistened and coruscated under the brightly lit lamps illuminating the big hall.
***************************************************************
Outside the terminal, I’d noticed half a dozen or so mostly jerry-built, ramshackable stalls selling everything travelers might require for their journey. Like every transport terminal found across the globe they sold a small range of hot snacks, the usual junk food and other snacks, coffee, cold drinks, cheap gifts and other tacky souvenirs which I knew were called “pasalubong”. It’s the very Filipino term for gifts which you are expected to give your family and relatives after returning from any kind of holiday. Because these shops, if one could call them that, were located so close to the water, their enterprising proprietors cannily guessed that rainwear would be indispensable in this weather.
As usual, their intuition was spot-on. Every one of them were doing a roaring trade today. Crowds of saturated travellers were buying everything on display. As usual, few people had the foresight to plan or pack appropriately for their travels. I almost felt sorry for them being forced to pay triple or even quadruple the price for rainwear they could have bought in the great Manila markets of Baclaran or Divisoria for peanuts. The old economic maxim that the higher the demand for a product or service is, the higher the price people will pay for it still holds true, I thought.
Rain streamed down the window while I watched yet another garishly painted jeepney disgorge its load of passengers. The wind ripped a flimsy umbrella out of its young owner’s hand and promptly blew it into the dark sky. Only a few people had thought to bring any weather protection and they promptly made their way to the hucksters waiting for them. I could hardly tear my eyes away from the brightly coloured rainwear hanging from the blue tarpaulin doubling as a roof and the flimsy walls of the shanty-like structures facing me across the wide concourse.
The shiny, smooth and very colourful plastic rainwear they were selling was a perfect antidote to the gloom of the day. Almost every hue and shade of the rainbow were visible; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and glass clear. They also hadn’t forgotten the kids either with the usual shiny vinyl Walt Disney or Looney tunes knock-off copyright rip-offs. I was surprised with the variety of styles that they were offering. The vast majority of their rainwear appeared to consist of the traditional long, knee-length plastic raincoats which I knew would offer adequate protection in all but the worst of storms. Every store was also offering really nice-looking plastic and heavier PVC rainsuits as well. They were even more useful for keeping rain out. The only downside was the price. These jacket /pants combinations cost a lot more. For less-well off travelers, unable to afford the more expensive styles, short hip-length jackets were available, but they would not protect the wearer’s legs. Perhaps best of all was the absolutely gorgeous branded ‘Spartan’ jackets which the more fashion-conscious younger generation were snapping up. They came in red, green and blue with three wide vertical silver bands in the middle. I really wanted to buy one of them, but it was too late to do anything about it.
Misunderstanding my interest in the activity outside, Mekaila looked up and smiled. “Are you hungry again?” she asked. “I’ve got some food in our bags, you know.”
“I’m fine,” I replied. “I’m just hoping the weather will clear but it doesn’t look like improving at all.”
A loud sigh told me how Mekaila felt about the weather. “Yeah,” she grumpily replied. “I’m not looking forwards to going on the boat at all.”
“We’ll be fine.” I took her hand and squeezed it. “It’s a big boat. We won’t sink or anything like that.”
“I hope so.” Mekaila glanced around again before returning to her phone, irritably stabbing the screen with her finger as if it might miraculously restore the Internet which died not long after the rain struck the Philippines. No Facebook, no Tik Tok. Did I tell you that TikTok is their life-support system? While Mekaila crossly attempted to restore her Internet connection, I returned to the interesting activity outside. The rain had not let up in the slightest. If anything, it was heavier than anything.
Half a dozen people or so were hurriedly putting their new rainwear on straight after paying for everything. A very attractive young woman was clambering into a pair of transparent yellow rainpants, before doing up the matching jacket. The slick, smooth vinyl instantly beaded with moisture while she hurriedly pulled the hood tight around her lovely face and carefully tying the attached drawstring with a tight double-knot beneath her pert chin. Completely unaware of my interest in her private dressing ritual, her glorious, ruby lips creased with a radiant smile as she caressed the great dome plastic protecting her hair. While I incredulously looked on, she lowered her wet hands and ran them down the folds of her rain jacket. I shook my head disbelievingly and covertly studied Mekaila who was still engrossed in the blank screen facing her.
I bit my lip guiltily and tore my attention away from the young woman outside. The last thing I wanted was for Mekaila to catch me looking at anyone else. Like most Filipinas, Mekaila is the jealous type. If she even suspected I was anything less than besotted with her, I would be in the doghouse in less time than it takes to stand up. The infamous Filipina ‘tampo’ (sulking for hours and hours) is a real thing here. I’ve been on the wrong side of this silent treatment more than once.
The loudspeakers blared into life as someone apologized for the delay before informing the waiting passengers that they hoped boarding would commence within half an hour or so, from now. Please have your boarding passes ready, bla blah. Already some of the more impatient passengers were queuing at the gate, heedless of the fact that their reserved seats would still be waiting for them, regardless who boarded first or last. It seemed that gate lice weren’t just confined to airports, after all. At least I could look around more freely inside the cavernous terminal building while we awaited our final boarding call. I was no longer bored now. God only knows, waiting is tedious enough at the best of times but watching everyone dressing for the rain was so diverting I almost forgot Mekaila seated alongside me. She was tucking into a packet of crisps and I happily gazed around while she inelegantly wolfed everything down before chasing each mouthful with a large swallow from her bottle of Coke.
A young couple (honeymooners perhaps?) were helping each other pull everything on. It was obvious that they were enjoying the process of helping each other dress for the rain. The girl was buttoning her partner’s translucent blue plastic rain jacket all the up to his neck before flipping the attached hood upwards and tying it as tightly as it would go around his face. He sat down so she could slide his rain pants up his legs. She was caressing his thighs through the soft plastic and I uncomfortably bit my lip. It was an intimacy I wished we could share together. Her smile was a sun while he tenderly returned the favour, clothing her in shiny plastic from head to ankle.
Several young children were tearing around while their weary parents looked on. They looked like Popsicles in their vividly coloured raincoats. The bright, bold primary colours of red, yellow or blue that they were wearing really stood out as they darted around the aisles, shrieking with unconcealed excitement. They were so excited that nothing else mattered, not even the bad weather.
It was fascinating to see how everyone was dressing for the rain. Although some people simply opted for umbrellas and the dubious shelter they provided, the majority of people had sensibly decided to cover up for the day in rainwear. The majority of women were wearing long, knee-length plastic raincoats while the guys almost universally preferred shorter jackets similar to the beautiful stripey ones I’d seen earlier. However, a number of more practical couples (and some families), obviously realising the necessity of total protection on a day like today, had taken care to kit themselves out in plastic from head to toe.
Suddenly, Mekaila glanced up before smiling and I squirmed in my seat. Her sly grin was a little too knowing for my liking. Surely she didn’t? Of course not. There was no way she could possibly know. Kaila wasn’t a mind reader.
“It’s almost time to go now,” she said. “I think we should put our raincoats on.”
“Ummm… yes,” I replied.
Puzzled with my somewhat unenthusiastic reply, Mekaila’s eyebrows furrowed. She looked so cute when she did that, I thought, but I dared not say anything. “Are you OK?” she asked after a horrible silence.
I hesitantly nodded, acutely conscious of my aching boner. Why did it have to show up now, of all times? Oh my God, the irony.
“Oh.” Unconvinced. A warm smile quickly followed her quizzical stare. “Well, it’s not a very nice day,” she mused. “So we should put our raincoats on now.”
“Welcome to the sunny Philippines.”
Mekaila laughed. “Yes, it’s real raincoat weather, diba?”
“Yeah…” Was she teasing me?
Mekaila smiled again before delving into our bags. “Ok, come on. Put your raincoat on.” Although our relationship was on anything but an even keel at the moment, my highly conscientious and organized partner had gone out shopping after booking our accommodation a week ago and bought everything we’d need for our short holiday in Puerto Galera. She dived in her commodious bag and handed me my shiny yellow vinyl rainsuit. The unopened pack sat heavily on my lap and I wonderingly inhaled the unique scent of brand-new plastic as if I was savouring the aroma of a Penfolds Grange. It shone beneath the light and I nervously spun the pack around in my hands. My boner was bigger than ever and it wasn’t going away. Why did it have to show up now?
I glanced sideways. Mekaila was already slipping her amazingly shiny yellow rain pants all the way up her lithe legs, stopping only to adjust the hem halfway up her stomach, just below her breasts. What? Where on Earth did she find something like this?
Noticing the look of astonishment on my face, Mekaila grinned cheekily before eagerly pulling her matching buttercup rain jacket over her shoulders. I had absolutely no idea where she’d found it, because her beautiful slicker was like no other raincoat I’d ever seen. The solid, deep buttercup yellow vinyl gleamed and sparkled like freshly minted gold. The heavy, thick vinyl was impossibly slick and smooth to the touch. Mekaila’s raincoat even came with proper buttons, wide round plastic units which actually had to be pushed through a slot opposite and I silently rejoiced. The final finishing touch was its accompanying rainhat, a great bowl-shaped sou’wester with a deep, wide brim and a pair of attached laces. It was a beautiful raincoat, a real raincoat. Why didn’t they make them like this anymore?
“Aren’t you going to be a good boy and help me put my raincoat on?” Mekaila suddenly giggled and I blushed.
“Uh… yeah, of course!” I could not help her fast enough.
“You’re a real gentleman,” Mekaila purred while I set about completing my task. My traitorous dick was so hard I thought it might explode while I helped button my girlfriend into her raincoat. I could only hope and pray that Mekaila wouldn’t see the tentpole I was pitching inside my shorts. Despite the bad weather, it wasn’t actually cold and I was wearing little more than a T-shirt and a light pair of khaki shorts. Kaila was equally lightly dressed, opting for a light cream crop-top over a very short denim skirt. I’d spotted Mekaila’s lacy panties when she sat down earlier and I’m sure it was deliberate on her part. I could feel my hands shaking while I nervously did up every button. It was the most ‘kilig’ (the word basically means to share a thrilling romantic moment with someone) experience I’d shared with Mekaila ever since the exhilarating first months of our romance. Her glorious smile was more than worth the embarrassment of doing up her shiny yellow mac. I was sure everyone was staring while I carefully pushed each button through its allotted slot. Whoever designed Mekaila’s beautiful raincoat knew a thing or two about keeping water out. They’d included a reinforced double flap which I had to button on alternate sides, which made the dressing process that much more complicated, but I didn’t mind at all.
After the longest – yet shortest – few minutes of my life that I could remember, I somehow managed to fasten everything up to the collar, enclosing Mekaila from neck to knee in shiny, rippling yellow. I pulled the attached belt as tight as it would go and buckled it for her. The beautiful deep yellow vinyl was a beacon while she happily posed for me. Her smile was back, and just for a moment or two, I forgot all about our worries. When Mekaila is happy, she’s the best company in the world. I was so pleased that Kaila was in such a good mood, that I never stopped to think about why she was so keen on putting her rainwear on today. I was just glad to be with Mekaila. If only I could hold her in my arms and… but very public displays of affection are frowned upon in this rather conservative country.
“My rainhat. Could you put it on for me?” Mekaila’s smile was a bright, beautiful thing.
Concealing my excitement was almost impossible as I picked up Mekaila’s shiny yellow sou’wester. The slick, slippery vinyl was very smooth and cool beneath my trembling fingers. The brim had been stitched with a thin yellow thread, one parallel line after another following each other all the way around in an elongated oval. Narrow in front, the brim widened until it measured something like six inches from the base of the bowl set in the middle. I liked the way they’d stitched the bowl with four vertical lines in each direction of the compass. It was so sexy, I thought.
I couldn’t meet Mekaila’s dancing eyes as I tenderly positioned my girlfriend’s sou’wester atop her mane of shiny raven hair as if it was a crown. Mekaila was a statue while I carefully adjusted everything so the wide brim would protect her exposed neck. Wordlessly, she looked upwards, subtly indicating I should tie the laces underneath her chin. I almost lost it then and there while I firmly tied Kaila’s sou’wester in place. My traitorous dick was so hard that I thought it would explode while I tugged on the laces, drawing the last knot tight so nothing would slip. Thank God Mekaila couldn’t see how much this was affecting me.
“Good boy,” Mekaila giggled. “Now I will not get wet.”
“Yeah… thanks. You’re welcome.” I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the heavenly, dreamlike vision in vinyl facing me. Mekaila was positively resplendent in her gleaming yellow rainwear and I felt my breath catch as the glistening vinyl rippled with a brilliant sheen beneath the glow of the lights set high above us. The cheap, barely adequate lighting was by no means bright but Mekaila’s raincoat still shone as brightly as if we were out in the sun. Mekaila was so beautiful and I couldn’t help smiling despite my lingering embarrassment. My wicked willie wasn’t going anywhere either. Perversely, the harder I tried to ignore it, the longer it insisted on hanging around.
Why did it have to behave like this? I inwardly raged. The other day I’d been unable to get it up.
“C’mon baby, put your raincoat on now.” Mekaila’s voice was sweeter than sugar but the underlying firmness in it was unmistakable. I swallowed as she ripped the pack open, releasing a pungent aroma of brand new plastic into the atmosphere. The coming ordeal would be anything but easy.
Mekaila was already standing, shaking out my folded plastic rainwear with an ab-so-lutely intoxicating crackle of freshly minted vinyl until they hung limply in front of me. I gazed with utter disbelief and growing delight as Mekaila happily displayed my incredible one-piece rain overalls for me. I’d never seen anything remotely like this incredible outfit before. Where did she find them? Questions swirled through my mind, but I knew better than to ask.
“You want me to… wear this?” I weakly said while I incredulously studied the gleaming rainsuit. It was easy to see how thick and heavy that the pliable yellow PVC was. My rain overalls came with four attached pockets covered with flaps held in place by press-studs. An elasticized waistband sat around stomach height. Whoever came up with this creation clearly wanted it to stay put, no matter what Mother Nature threw at its wearer. I could see an attached hood dangling behind everything.
“Of course I do.” Mekaila frowned and I squirmed uncomfortably. She was certainly not going to let me out of this.
“I want you to wear them.” An edge of steel had entered her voice. “I bought them for you and you’re going to wear them whether you like it or not.”
“Yes… Mekaila,” I meekly replied. I was more confused than ever. What was going on here? One look at her face told me that discretion really was the better part of valour right now.
Impatiently, “Come on… now.”
“Ok, ok.” I nodded.
Mekaila’s beautiful smile was back now. “Here,” she said. “Put your rainsuit on now, my darling,” Mekaila cooed.
Ignoring the conflagration raging within the confines of my shorts was excruciatingly difficult while I pulled the impossibly smooth PVC pants all the way up my legs. The stiff, yet soft and pliable vinyl was stunningly smooth against my tingling skin. Aware of her fascinated gaze, I hurriedly stood so I could pull everything past my hips. Mekaila stepped forward and helped me easy my arms down each sleeve. The tight elasticized cuffs gripped my wrists as she gently turned me around until I was facing her.
I was harder than ever while she pulled the zipper all the way up to the neck.
“I’m glad to see you’re getting into the holiday mood already,” Mekaila dryly commented while she continued doing up everything. She gave my genitals a very quick squeeze and I groaned with an equal mixture of pleasure and embarrassment. Mekaila’s hand lingered a moment longer before retreating as quickly as it’d come. Pointedly, “Save some for me tonight please.”
All I could do was mutely nod. I had no idea what to say.
Mekaila giggled loudly. “Good boy.” Her eyes were unusually bright and I nervously shifted position. I couldn’t help receiving an awfully uncomfortable feeling that Mekaila knew more than she was letting on. I sighed inwardly. Mekaila’s always telling me that I overthink everything and she’s probably right too.
Mekaila’s grin was all too knowing as she set about fastening me into my rainwear with each press stud she pushed into place, covering the zipper along the way.
My dick pulsated with excitement while the magnificent girl in the gleaming shiny yellow slicker and sou’wester casually continued preparing me for the elements outside. Mekaila’s elfin face peeked out cheekily below the brim of her sou’wester while she snapped each press stud shut. I just could not believe this was happening while she gently drew the hood closed around my face. Her eyes never left mine as she drew the laces as tight as they would go with a few deft twists of her dancing fingers. I was now sealed inside a cocoon of smooth, rippling shinier than shiny yellow plastic from head to ankles.
“You’re not properly dressed for the rain,” Mekaila suddenly announced.
“Huh?” What do you mean?” I expostulated. “You’ve just kitted me out for a Category 5 typhoon.”
Mekaila just smiled before handing me a very large bag which I hadn’t really noticed earlier. “Here,” she said. “They’re just for you.”
“Oh…!” I exclaimed as a gleaming yellow pair of rainboots appeared in front of my eyes as I slowly opened the rather large box inside. “Oh my God…”
“Put them on,” Mekaila ordered. “I want to see you properly dressed for the rain.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I facetiously replied. I hear and obey.”
‘What’s going on here?’ I puzzled whilst pulling them on. This was so far out that it didn’t compute. Curiouser and curiouser, I silently mused while incredulously watched Mekaila slipping an absolutely identical pair of shiny yellow rainboots on, neatly tucking the hem of her rainpants inside them.
Mekaila’s smile was brighter than a supernova as she knelt on the floor before carefully pulling each leg up and easing the elasticated ends over my boots. “Now you will not get wet,” she said.
“I don’t think so,” I agreed. I was painfully aware of the amused glances from some several people who’d observed our very public dressing show. “I think neither of us will get wet now.”
“Oh baby, you look so guapo,” Mekaila happily murmured before pulling me close for a quick cuddle. I sighed with pleasure before reciprocating the gesture with interest. Her beautiful brown features glowed with happiness as she hugged me. The cool slick vinyl of Mekaila’s rainwear was impossibly smooth to the touch and my fingers glided down her back without meeting any resistance.
“Dearest darling,” I murmured.
“Your titi is big so much already,” Mekaila beamed. Her eyes bored into mine. “Remember what I said, ok? Baby, I want you to fuck my brains out tonight…”
“Oh yessss…” I breathed, hoping that I wouldn’t disappoint. Oh yes, I was stimulated all right. Just not in the way Mekaila thought.
Suddenly a harsh, disembodied electronic voice announced that our ferry was boarding.
“Come on,” Mekaila urged. “Let’s go.”
***
The wind and rain struck us as soon as we left the shelter of the terminal, whipping Mekaila’s raincoat up past her hips. “Wowwww..!” Mekaila gasped. “I had no idea it was that bad out here.”
“That storm is getting worse, I think,” I quietly observed. The rain was beating a very rapid military tattoo on our rainwear. Water splashed and bounced everywhere. It was so heavy that we could barely see our moored transport just fifty metres away from us. Thank God Mekaila had the foresight to equip us for the bad weather, I thought as rain ineffectually pummeled our slick, smooth rainwear. At least it wasn’t really cold though. That’s one advantage of living in the tropics.
Little scares me nowadays but boarding our sleek ‘fast’ ferry was actually quite petrifying. Although our hundred or so foot long vessel was much bigger than the largest of bamboo bancas, it was lurching about so savagely that it took forever for everybody to board before departing a couple of hours later than expected. The experienced crew had their hands full assisting the terrified passengers and their luggage on board. Miraculously, nobody fell overboard. It would have been almost impossible to rescue them. Already some of the passengers were yanking the orange lifejackets out of their storage pockets beneath the seats and putting them on. One young woman pulled the attached crotchstrap so tight I thought it would split her in half.
Clearly nervous, Mekaila pulled a pair of bright orange PVC lifejackets from a nearby locker. “We wear,” she said, whilst tearing the thin paper packaging apart. Our lifejackets were clearly brand new and I couldn’t resist a smile while I caressed the slick, smooth bright orange PVC coating with my fingers. Mekaila raised her eyebrows thoughtfully, but she didn’t say anything although her lips creased in a slight smile. Her eyes crinkled with amusement and I squirmed uncomfortably. She’s a pretty good mind reader. The front section was surprisingly thick and bulky, although one side was somewhat thinner than the other. The back panel was much narrower. It was maybe only an inch thick or so. I knew that this was meant to aid in rolling an unconscious wearer over in the event real disaster struck. It fastened in front with a heavy-duty zipper and a pair of heavy-duty straps buckling in front added that much more security. However, it was the pair of straps dangling downwards from the back which I was much more interested in. I knew exactly where they would go and I grinned again before taking Mekaila’s lifejacket from her. She had no idea what the purpose of those strategically placed straps were.
“Here, let me help you put it on.”
“Thanks,” Mekaila said while she nervously watched the growing queue of passengers waiting to board in the driving rain.
She held her arms out so I could slip the lifejacket over her shoulders. After seating it over her shoulders, I zipped up everything before buckling each strap which I pulled tight. Now for the fun bit. Mekaila was a statue as I lent downwards before retrieving each strap and passing them between her legs. “You won’t have to worry about drowning now,” I facetiously commented while I carefully attached each end of the side-release buckles to the other.
“What do you mean?” Mekaila curiously asked before peering downwards. “Isn’t that a bit loose?” she asked while I adjusted everything.
I grinned, and pulled the first and second crotchstrap tight in quick succession.
“Ooh!” Mekaila gasped as each strap dramatically tightened, all but cleaving her crotch in half along the way. “That’s too tight,” she complained.
“Nonsense,” I replied and gave each strap another couple of tugs or so. “My darling,” I smiled, “It needs to be tight so your lifejacket will not come off if the worst does happen.”
“Yeah…” Mekaila reluctantly agreed.
“You wanted to wear it,” I pointed out. “Now you are.”
Mekaila just smiled. “Your turn now.”
As usual, Mekaila didn’t disappoint, pulling and tugging on every strap so hard that I thought I’d been welded inside my lifejacket by the time she was done.
Smirking, “I think already you won’t drown either.”
I guess not.” I had to agree with her there. The combination of my slick smooth rainwear and shiny orange lifejacket was so overwhelming that I almost creamed myself then and there.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Mekaila caressed the bulge in my crotch (which ironically the crotchstraps she’d pulled so tight only served to highlight my excitement. Somewhat caustically, “Are you enjoying your vacay so far?”
“Oh yes…” I carefully nodded. “Very much.”
“Of course you are,” Mekaila giggled. “I know you so well.”
“Uhmmm…” I hesitantly replied. Mekaila was behaving very strangely today, and I didn’t wholly like the change in my partner.
She just giggled before commenting, “You know, I kinda like wearing my lifejacket. I like the way it hugs me all over. I feel very safe in it.”
Relieved that I was on safer ground at last,” I replied, “Yeah. Same here.”
The boat was beginning to fill up now, and Mekaila retrieved our tickets from the pocket of her raincoat. “Let’s find our seats and put our bags away.”
“Oh no…” we groaned in unison, as a crew member showed us to our seats. Her glass-clear plastic raincoat flapped noisily in the gusty wind while she politely indicated where we were to sit. I noticed that she’d also opted for matching clear plastic rainpants as well.
Any other day, we would have been thrilled with our normally-choice bench seats only a couple of rows back from the stern. Our seats were also on the far end of the row, with only a few centimetres or so of rusty steel separating us from the surging ocean. The deck was slick and wet with rainwater and no small amount of spray. The heaving waves were crashing into the broad stern of the ferry and spray rose lazily on the wind before being driven onto the top deck. At least the coating was non-slip. Thank God for very small mercies.
I’d really hoped that we would be seated undercover today but we were out of luck. Our boat was so full that we had no option except accept our assigned seats. The crew had deployed the heavy plastic ‘clears’ to protect the exposed passengers from the wind and rain but the dirty, salt encrusted curtains only added to the claustrophobic atmosphere on board.
Guessing that we might be in for a very wet run, nobody made any move to take off their glistening, dripping rainwear. The top deck was (if you will excuse the pun) a sea of shiny, rippling plastic and glossy PVC rainwear.
The idling diesels, which had clearly seen better days, burst into life with a loud roar and stinking black oily smoke, some of which penetrated the gap between the curtains and partially exposed railings. Already some of our fellow passengers were looking somewhat green around the gills. We hadn’t even left Batangas port yet.
Eventually, the last passengers filed on board and the dockhands wasted no time casting off the mooring lines.
In order to leave, the captain had to maneuver our vessel so he could take it out to sea. Smoke filled the aft deck as the diesels roared again. A short, steep chop was buffeting the stern and the unseen helmsman increased the revs. Inch by agonizing inch, they brought the ferry around until it was lying broadside to the waves. It rolled, and several passengers began reaching for their sick bags, which the crew had handed out to everyone earlier.
Mekaila swore as the bow struck a huge wave upon reaching the breakwater. The little ferry shuddered from the impact and plowed on. Almost immediately the boat began to yo-yo from one side to another in the vertiginous waves attacking us from seemingly every angle. We were more or less broadside to the howling, gusting wind and waves and the corkscrewing rapidly became worse and worse. It was increasingly apparent that our slabby transport had been constructed with maximizing the number of passengers aboard, rather than its seakeeping qualities.
The journey across the Verde Island Passage was a nightmare.
Seated right up back, every massive bump was instantly transmitted to our bilious green PVC covered coach seats while rain and spray whipped across everyone, smearing everything with a thin layer of salt. One of the worn ropes lashing the curtain nearest us, broke in half and it began to flap up and down with every gust of wind. Of course, the wind eagerly exploited the sudden weakness and tore another section away, partially exposing everyone in the back to the elements.
I was very glad that Mekaila had made me wear my embarrassing shiny yellow rain overalls. That wind had teeth. There was nothing in the least warm or tropical about the growing gale. After leaving Batangas Bay, the wind gathered strength and really pummeled our vessel. The Verde Island Passage is more or less totally exposed to the South China Sea, and the big waves had nothing to impede them during their passage here. Already wave heights were approaching ten and even fifteen feet high. I cursed as the ferry rose across one enormous roller, only to reveal an endless conga line of giant grey swells. It was hard to decide which was darker, the uniformly low cloud or the angry waves. The shrieking wind was ripping the top off the waves. The nearby islands were completely invisible in the rain and spray. We might as well have been in the middle of the ocean and I tried not to think about what would happen if our transport foundered for any reason.
Staying dry was the least of our problems though. Mekaila wasn’t a good sailor and she couldn’t face the giant spumous waves, or the flying spray so I had to shelter her as best as I could. Half the passengers were throwing up into their seasick bags by now. Not everyone’s aim was accurate though and the pungent miasma gradually began to fill the partially enclosed aft deck, despite the wind whipping through it.
With Mekaila leaning forwards into her bag, our trip couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start.
She was a quivering green-faced wreck by the time we arrived in Mindoro.
***************************************************************
Gradually, the horrible corkscrewing motion began to lessen once we reached the shelter of Medio Island before sailing serenely through the narrow channel separating it from the small peninsula which is home to Sabang and the dozens of resorts calling it home. Although it was still raining heavily, the sea was thankfully calm. Only the pockmarked dimples of billions of raindrops disturbed the stillness of the water.
As resilient as ever, it wasn’t long before Mekaila quickly regained her composure. The heavenly scenery was so spectacular that it simply took our breath away. Towering green hills debouched into any number of golden beaches guarded by numerous rocky promontories. The sight was so beautiful that Mekaila completely forgot about how sick she’d been along the way.
Miraculously, the storm more or less began to dissipate by the time we edged into the small port town of Puerto Galera itself. Here, the majority of passengers would catch one of the small pump boats or jeepneys taking visitors to the many dozens of resorts, big and small, dotted around the convoluted peninsula and islands sprouting from the top tip of Mindoro. Our resort was sending a boat to pick us up before transporting us in the opposite direction to our home of the next week or so, Coco Beach Island Resort.
Mindoro is famous for its caves, hiking, pristine coral reefs and diving. Although the majority of people visit Puerto Galera to enjoy the natural beauty of the region, many of them visit Sabang solely for the nightlife that it offers. Numerous garish girlie bars happily cater for the single element in town.
By the time we tied up to the concrete jetty masquerading as a seaport, the rain had more or less stopped. Incredibly, the sun was shyly peeking through the dissipating clouds by the time we set foot on the steaming concrete. Already, the rainwater was evaporating under the heat of the tropical sun.
During the confusion and hullabaloo of disembarkation, Mekaila and I completely forgot that we were still wearing our tightly-secured lifejackets after lugging our bags to the tender waiting for us. It wasn’t until we were chugging down the wide, sheltered embayment that we realized we hadn’t handed our safety apparel back to the ferry people.
Only a few fluffy cumulus clouds pockmarked the cerulean sky, and I decided that it was time to take off my rainsuit. By now, everyone else (some ten passengers in all) had dispensed with their rainwear. We were the only ones still dressed for a typhoon.
“Mekaila, I just realized that we forgot to give our lifejackets back to the boat,” I sighed.
“Shit… you’re right,” Mekaila giggled. “So, what we do na?”
I glanced backwards. Our transport was already several hundred metres astern. It was too late to do anything now.
“I don’t know,” I replied while I began undoing everything. “Just hand them back later, I guess.”
“Yeah, Ok…” Mekaila said. “Hey, what you’re doing?”
“What do you think?” I chuckled. “It’s not raining anymore, so I’m going to take my rainsuit off.”
“No.” Mekaila shook her head firmly. “Raincoat stay. Lifejacket stay. You not allow to take off. OK?”
“Yeah… Ok, Mekaila.” I gazed into her earnest face. What had come over her? Mekaila was not normally like this. It was rare to see her this assertive or bossy. Normally, like the majority of Filipinas I’ve met, they’re quite submissive. “I hear and obey.”
“Good,” Mekaila giggled. “You cannot take raincoat or lifejacket off until I say so.”
“It’s getting hot,” I pointed out.
Mekaila pointedly shook her head. No. “What did I just say? No, no and no.”
Does Mekaila know? I wondered while she gazed into my eyes. Better to let sleeping dogs lie, I thought before replying. “I hear you loud and clear.”
“Good.” Mekaila smiled brilliantly before squeezing my hand hard. “Are you enjoying so much?”
“Is the Pope a Catholic?” I chuckled.
“Mmmm…” Mekaila sighed softly. “Salamat for take me here. I’m so happy.”
“Walang anuman.” You’re welcome.
“I love you, my darling…” Mekaila whispered.
“I love you too,” I softly replied while studying the girl whom I absolutely adored. Despite the growing heat and humidity, Mekaila hadn’t bothered undo anything. She’d even had left her gleaming yellow rainhat firmly tied in place atop her head. Her unusually happy face peered out beneath the wide brim of her sou’wester while she curiously gazed around the idyllic hills surrounding us. Our small transport was just entering the emerald green channel separating Medio Island on our left from the hilly promontory on the right. If anything, the lushly forested hills were even greener here. The deep water of the channel was as still as it’d been choppy during the trip here. Awed with the beauty of the bay and channels, Mekaila and I silently studied our home of the week to come.
The tide was low, and I could see slimy, oyster-encrusted rocks peeking out of the water just below the boats and other small marine craft tied up to conveniently positioned palm trees. The shoreline was punctuated with the concrete, tin or wood shacks of local fishermen and boat operators while, incredibly, a tiny elementary school straddled one sandy promontory. Its light-yellow walls and shuttered windows were shaded by swaying coconut-laden palm trees. It was just about the most beautiful place of learning I’d ever seen and I envied the lucky students learning the three “R’s” here. The nearest classrooms were only metres away from lapping water. How could anyone not enjoy the unique commute across the bay to join their classmates for the day? It must have been recess because any number of young children were playing on the grass or the beach. They spotted us passing them and waved an enthusiastic welcome.
The small, brightly painted outrigger boats of the lucky people who lived here were mostly all drawn up above the highwater mark. The smallest of these craft were a mere eight or so feet long from prow to stern, and I knew these would mainly be used for fishing or personal family transport. Other boats were anchored in deeper water and they ranged in length from twenty to fifty or so feet long. Most of them appeared to be employed by dive resorts or used as shuttles. Dozens of sailing yachts, flying the national flags of their owners, rode at anchor near the township of Puerto Galera. The biggest boats were over a hundred feet long. Although I’m no sailor, I knew that these superyachts would be worth millions. A long, sleek anthracite grey Wallypower boat was little more than a hull with a towering mast atop it. The amazing yacht was virtually all deck with only a minimally short coach house interrupting the lines of the boat. Nice, but not my thing.
Perhaps getting away from it all was just what the doctor ordered. I could feel our recent problems slipping away to the back of my mind while I covertly studied my raincoated partner. Catching my gaze, Mekaila smiled and squeezed my hand again before wrapping her warm arm around my shoulders and leaning her head against me. I’d undone the hood of my rainwear, but Mekaila was still encased in gleaming yellow vinyl from head to toe. I liked the cool smoothness of her sou’wester against my cheek a lot.
There was still hope. Maybe. As they say in the Philippines, “Pwede”. It’s possible
Mekaila’s hand never left mine while our boat chugged down the narrow, calm channel. The water must be quite deep here because I couldn’t see the bottom. I couldn’t believe that this was the same ocean which had just tossed a hundred-foot ferry around as if it was a Ping-Pong ball.
After a relaxing cruise through the still water of Verde Islands Passage, we rounded a rocky promontory and we both gasped as one upon spotting Coco Beach, our home of the next week. Nestling amidst verdant jungle, its traditionally designed nipa huts and other buildings shyly peeked outwards, as if afraid to reveal themselves, between towering palms, immense mango trees and dozens of other exotic jungle flora we couldn’t identify. Red, orange and yellow hibiscus provided bright splashes of colour here and there.
I was torn between studying the incredible coral reef hiding beneath the keel of our banca or our new home. A large green turtle glided beneath our boat amidst a great deal of screaming and yelling when our companions spotted it too. Mekaila’s eyes met mine and we both smiled. Well. The reef could wait for now. I curiously studied the nipa huts where we would be staying. We’d booked the super-deluxe suites and I was sure they were the ones perched half way up the short hill. The weathered brown thatched roofs were somewhat hard to see amidst the rainforest and I just couldn’t believe how lovely this place was, as our banca glided into to shore.
Mekaila’s grip was tighter than ever as we approached the wide, sandy beach.
***************************************************************************
There’s nothing more disappointing than arriving at a beautiful (and expensive) beach resort and discovering, too late, that the substance doesn’t go anywhere close to matching the reality. That clearly wasn’t going to happen today though. Mekaila and I instinctively realised that we would be happy here from the moment we set foot on the beach. I don’t know how we knew. One just knows these things. As if sanctifying our stay, the setting sun struck Mekaila’s raincoat, instantly transforming everything to gleaming, shiny gold. We were the only ones still clad in our rainwear and lifejackets, but no one seemed to mind, much less care. On holiday, almost anything goes in the Philippines.
Billions of tiny bleached coral shards, remnants of the reefs surrounding Puerto Galera, crunched beneath our feet while we happily gazed around. What Coco Beach lacked in the sophisticated grandeur of much more expensive resorts, it more than made up for with its sheer friendliness – and romance. Everything had been sourced locally before being built onsite. Most of the main buildings and guest nipa bungalows had all been constructed out of bamboo. Although this style of architecture sounds primitive, it’s actually anything but. There was nothing in the least uncomfortable or unsophisticated about Coco Beach, especially our rooms.
After checking in (not one of the front desk staff batted an eyelid at our slightly outlandish apparel) and admiring the large and beautiful freeform swimming pool, we were shown to our suite. Mekaila and I were instantly blown away by our accommodation. It was the most beautiful, romantic bungalow we’d ever seen. Melded out of stone, wood, bamboo, rattan furniture, everything merged together in an amazingly, natural, harmonious whole. Giant five-inch diameter bamboo poles helped support the heavily thatched roof while the woven walls shimmered beneath the glow of the lamps illuminating our room. A wide balcony, complete with two easy chairs, a table and a hammock overlooked a garden ablaze with a billion bright, beautiful tropical blooms. The ocean was bluer than ever between the tall trees partially obscuring the view.
It was a romantic dream.
Because it was already early evening, our bungalow was shrouded in shade, but the thoughtful staff had already switched the lamps on in anticipation of our arrival. The lights bathed the thatched walls and bamboo furniture in an effulgent golden glow. Green pot plants softened every corner. The thin, wide light brown bamboo strips nailed to the floor were stunningly cool and smooth to the touch of my feet. A giant white clamshell did duty as a basin in the adjacent bathroom.
But most of all, it was the stunning bedroom, dominated by a massive, dark bamboo bed partially hidden within a billowing white cloud, which took our breath away.
If there was ever a room made for loving, this was it.
The moment the door closed behind us, Mekaila floated into my arms with an intoxicating swish and rustle of plastic. Somehow, every happened so quickly, I can’t really remember what we said or did next. She wrapped her arms around my neck and clung to me like a limpet whilst showering kisses upon my lips and cheeks. I couldn’t believe this was happening while we held each other.
Our eyes met before we flew into each other’s arms as one and collapsing in a happy, laughing, untidy heap on the bed, our lifejackets and rain clothes scattered all around us like confetti, Mekaila’s raincoat somehow ending up on the bedside table where I could see its gleaming folds.
The perfection of our lovemaking was something I just can’t articulate in words. Never before we’d come as quickly or simultaneously, so great was our mutual need for each other. Mekaila almost lifted the roof with her cries. “Please fuck me now! Oh, ohhh, I want you so much baby! Don’t stop! Please don’t stopppp!”
Her beautiful Filipino features were bright with joy as we changed for dinner. It was the first time I’d heard her singing in the shower. My heart was light while we strolled down the winding path leading to the main cluster of buildings.
Perhaps all our problems were over.
Pwede.
This is a re-write of the original version of 'A Suitable Girl' which I posted on Tied and True Tales many years ago. I tightened up everything, with a better ending. I hope you enjoy reading everything.
A SUITABLE GIRL
“Grandpa, if you could nominate the one most memorable experience of your life what would it be?” the young boy curiously asked.
The old man peered downwards before smiling. So many memories…
But how could he ever explain the one single most precious memory which would remain with him all his life? The best day of his life took place sixty years ago now. Yet every detail of this wondrous, unforgettable moment was still etched as clearly in his mind as if it was yesterday.
Scott treasured his memories as if they were diamonds. However, this particular memory was the most precious jewel of them all.
“It began with a dream,” he eventually said.
*************************************************************
If there’s one word guaranteed to send a shiver of dread down any man’s spine, it’s impotence. ‘I can’t get it up…’ They’re simple but deadly words. It destroys egos, relationships and marriages more easily than pouring hot oil on a log fire. Our relationship was reasonably solid but… it was the last thing I needed on top of my other worries.
My small online travel goods business (which I operate through Amazon) hadn’t been going well thanks to the triple whammy of the covid, supply chain issues and high inflation sending the cost of living through the roof. Everyone was cutting overseas trips from their itineraries and holidaying closer to home. Planes were out and long car trips in, all of which was hardly conducive for business, or my level of stress.
Therefore, I hadn’t been a happy camper lately. My girlfriend, Mekaila (Kaila for short) wasn’t happy either. Normally as bright, happy, effervescent and bubbly as a bottle of spring water, Kaila’s famous megawatt smile had been conspicuously absent since our problems began (hey, bad things always happen in three’s right?).
The issue of my almost total impotence was threatening to drive us apart. Beautiful Mekaila Marasigan couldn’t understand why, with her luscious body, mouth, pussy and even her deliciously tight ass, she couldn’t generate any excitement. She took it very personally. I couldn’t wholly blame her for wondering what was wrong with me.
Mekaila is a tiny, slim sloe-eyed little sexpot with lush brown skin, perfect tits and even darker eyes drawing you in like moths to a flame. Little Kaila weighs 32 kilos soaking wet. A magnificent silky-smooth lion’s mane of glossy jet-black hair rounds off the most gorgeous package I’ve ever met.
The first couple of times, we’d shrugged off with a cheerful, ‘Oh well, not even Casanova could get it up every time!’ but when it began occurring with increasing frequency, we both knew something was seriously wrong. At first Mekaila was philosophical but it wasn’t long before her unspoken disappointment and increasing frustration began to take its toll on both of us, with all too predictable results. The greater my performance anxiety became, the more it suffered and so on.
She even asked me if I was gay more than once. Now that hurt.
‘Why don’t you go and see a doctor about it?’ she said.
So I went.
He prescribed that modern cure-it-all – Viagra.
Mekaila was thrilled, when that same evening, I not only rose to the occasion but stayed hard throughout that tempestuous evening of lovemaking when her cries of, “Baby, don’t stop!” shook the walls of our Manila city apartment. When our neighbours began banging on the walls, it was then I knew I was back in town. Perhaps though of course, it was the way she’d shrugged herself out of her dripping plastic rainwear after arriving home from work and jumping me…
The next day… well, I’d rather not go into what happened.
It was a disaster.
Mekaila’s sad face was like a dagger to my heart. I hated hurting her.
Our relationship began to free-fall from that point until, one evening, Mekaila had had enough. She walked out on me after one vicious, screaming fight when we both called each other names I won’t repeat here.
Eventually, she returned – after an evening of pure agony when I thought I’d lost her forever.
The writing was on the wall. I had to do something about the situation and quickly.
**********************************************************************
“Come on, we’re going away for a week,” I insisted before kissing her. “I know this beautiful resort where we can go. Let’s get away from it all for a while, as the old saying goes.”
For the first time in weeks, Mekaila smiled.
**********************************************************************
Our rescue mission, for that’s what our trip really was, got off to the worst possible start. I could see our relationship sinking beneath the tumultuous waves in the horrific storm which struck after leaving Manila.
The weather was unusually bad for this time of year. Apparently, some typhoon or other was bearing down on the Philippines. It was also the earliest such storm in decades. With infuriating, precise timing, the tempest began just after leaving. It rained all the way down to Batangas where we would rendezvous with the ferry. It wasn’t the kind of gentle precipitation one might in see London or Melbourne. The rain (if one could call it that) was a fully-fledged tropical downpour blurring the windscreen with a translucent sheen of water the flogging wipers couldn’t clear properly. Therefore, what should’ve been a quite scenic and pleasant, three-hour drive took something like double that time.
My gloom deepened like the tropical depression hovering over the Philippines like a dark cloud when we finally made it to the ferry terminal. It wasn’t the grey, scudding clouds – or teeming rain which sent my heart plummeting. It was the sea.
A stiff, almost gale force wind was blowing, kicking up a short, sharp – and steep chop which was battering the ferry terminal. Several boats were tied up, dancing and pirouetting around like drunken ballerinas. I’m used to being out on boats but Mekaila was no sailor and I could see her paling while she watched our transport being thrown into the side of the pier by the big waves.
The smart thing to do would have been to postpone – or even cancel – this afternoon’s sailing. Not in the Philippines. Nothing short of a Category 5 typhoon would prevent our departure. Our tickets weren’t refundable either.
If our fellow passengers were holding out hope that it might not be too bad a passage, the arrival of a big banca (a trimaran type boat featuring a narrow hull with bamboo outriggers) evaporated any remaining hope. While our horrified fellow travelers nervously gazed outside the plate-glass windows of the terminal, what should’ve been a simple disembarking operation quickly became a military style operation with the staff hustling each terrified, saturated passenger up the narrow, swaying gangplank one by one before wrestling their bags off their bobbing boat. Their discarded orange lifejackets were actually being blown sideways by the howling wind. One lifejacket fell in the water before being washed back on the concrete jetty by a particularly large wave. The roiling water caught up with the scurrying passengers and soaked their ankles.
We still had another hour or so to kill before departing. I wasn’t optimistic about our chances of leaving on time. Schedules are somewhat elastic around here, and the bad weather wasn’t helping matters. Our chances of arriving before nightfall were vanishing by the minute. I gloomily gazed around the big departure hall. It was a sea of plastic. Although we were seated under cover, it appeared that every man and his dog were dressing for the weather.
Normally the Philippines is best known for its hot, or very hot weather, especially during the dog days of summer when the equatorial sun bakes the island archipelago to a crisp. It’s also a wet country, and rainwear is an essential commodity during the rainy season when one typhoon after another strikes the islands. Most do very little damage, other than dumping torrents of rain upon the green rice paddies and coconut palms which depends on the water for survival. It’s a natural cycle which has been occurring for millennia. More powerful typhoons drop so much rain that even the wide rivers can’t cope with the immense volumes of water and very severe flooding inundates often heavily populated floodplains. The number of houses and badly built concrete roads paired with completely inadequate, trash-clogged drains, means there’s nowhere for the water to go, so the devastation is usually immense in those areas.
Unsurprisingly, umbrellas are worse than useless in this kind of weather. The rain was sheeting down in great torrents, lashing the concrete and the boiling sea to a white, hissing foam. Almost everybody was pulling on their rainwear before making a dash across the slippery windswept tarmac. Boarding would be a slow, drawn-out process today. There was no cover whatsoever out there.
Although most ferries contained totally enclosed passenger accommodation, some also offered cheap, economy-class open-deck seating. These seats were more or less, completely exposed to the elements. Guess which ones we’d picked on the booking website a week ago! It would be a rough and wet ride. Anticipating a leisurely, sunny two-hour or so cruise across the normally calm and scenic channel, Mekaila had unwisely booked a pair of seats near the stern. Well, it’d seemed like a good idea at the time.
A lucky few individuals were wearing heavy-duty PVC knee-length raincoats and one couple was even suiting up in a luscious, shiny deep yellow jacket and pants combination, but they were the exception rather than the rule. The Philippines is not a wealthy country and the vast majority of people simply don’t have the money to buy such expensive (and little used) rainwear because it was rarely cold enough to justify wearing everything in anything other than very heavy rain.
Therefore, the majority of commuters and holiday makers had to make do with colourful, translucent plastic raincoats easily available at every market in the Philippines and I smiled. Their slick, smooth rainwear glistened and coruscated under the brightly lit lamps illuminating the big hall.
***************************************************************
Outside the terminal, I’d noticed half a dozen or so mostly jerry-built, ramshackable stalls selling everything travelers might require for their journey. Like every transport terminal found across the globe they sold a small range of hot snacks, the usual junk food and other snacks, coffee, cold drinks, cheap gifts and other tacky souvenirs which I knew were called “pasalubong”. It’s the very Filipino term for gifts which you are expected to give your family and relatives after returning from any kind of holiday. Because these shops, if one could call them that, were located so close to the water, their enterprising proprietors cannily guessed that rainwear would be indispensable in this weather.
As usual, their intuition was spot-on. Every one of them were doing a roaring trade today. Crowds of saturated travellers were buying everything on display. As usual, few people had the foresight to plan or pack appropriately for their travels. I almost felt sorry for them being forced to pay triple or even quadruple the price for rainwear they could have bought in the great Manila markets of Baclaran or Divisoria for peanuts. The old economic maxim that the higher the demand for a product or service is, the higher the price people will pay for it still holds true, I thought.
Rain streamed down the window while I watched yet another garishly painted jeepney disgorge its load of passengers. The wind ripped a flimsy umbrella out of its young owner’s hand and promptly blew it into the dark sky. Only a few people had thought to bring any weather protection and they promptly made their way to the hucksters waiting for them. I could hardly tear my eyes away from the brightly coloured rainwear hanging from the blue tarpaulin doubling as a roof and the flimsy walls of the shanty-like structures facing me across the wide concourse.
The shiny, smooth and very colourful plastic rainwear they were selling was a perfect antidote to the gloom of the day. Almost every hue and shade of the rainbow were visible; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and glass clear. They also hadn’t forgotten the kids either with the usual shiny vinyl Walt Disney or Looney tunes knock-off copyright rip-offs. I was surprised with the variety of styles that they were offering. The vast majority of their rainwear appeared to consist of the traditional long, knee-length plastic raincoats which I knew would offer adequate protection in all but the worst of storms. Every store was also offering really nice-looking plastic and heavier PVC rainsuits as well. They were even more useful for keeping rain out. The only downside was the price. These jacket /pants combinations cost a lot more. For less-well off travelers, unable to afford the more expensive styles, short hip-length jackets were available, but they would not protect the wearer’s legs. Perhaps best of all was the absolutely gorgeous branded ‘Spartan’ jackets which the more fashion-conscious younger generation were snapping up. They came in red, green and blue with three wide vertical silver bands in the middle. I really wanted to buy one of them, but it was too late to do anything about it.
Misunderstanding my interest in the activity outside, Mekaila looked up and smiled. “Are you hungry again?” she asked. “I’ve got some food in our bags, you know.”
“I’m fine,” I replied. “I’m just hoping the weather will clear but it doesn’t look like improving at all.”
A loud sigh told me how Mekaila felt about the weather. “Yeah,” she grumpily replied. “I’m not looking forwards to going on the boat at all.”
“We’ll be fine.” I took her hand and squeezed it. “It’s a big boat. We won’t sink or anything like that.”
“I hope so.” Mekaila glanced around again before returning to her phone, irritably stabbing the screen with her finger as if it might miraculously restore the Internet which died not long after the rain struck the Philippines. No Facebook, no Tik Tok. Did I tell you that TikTok is their life-support system? While Mekaila crossly attempted to restore her Internet connection, I returned to the interesting activity outside. The rain had not let up in the slightest. If anything, it was heavier than anything.
Half a dozen people or so were hurriedly putting their new rainwear on straight after paying for everything. A very attractive young woman was clambering into a pair of transparent yellow rainpants, before doing up the matching jacket. The slick, smooth vinyl instantly beaded with moisture while she hurriedly pulled the hood tight around her lovely face and carefully tying the attached drawstring with a tight double-knot beneath her pert chin. Completely unaware of my interest in her private dressing ritual, her glorious, ruby lips creased with a radiant smile as she caressed the great dome plastic protecting her hair. While I incredulously looked on, she lowered her wet hands and ran them down the folds of her rain jacket. I shook my head disbelievingly and covertly studied Mekaila who was still engrossed in the blank screen facing her.
I bit my lip guiltily and tore my attention away from the young woman outside. The last thing I wanted was for Mekaila to catch me looking at anyone else. Like most Filipinas, Mekaila is the jealous type. If she even suspected I was anything less than besotted with her, I would be in the doghouse in less time than it takes to stand up. The infamous Filipina ‘tampo’ (sulking for hours and hours) is a real thing here. I’ve been on the wrong side of this silent treatment more than once.
The loudspeakers blared into life as someone apologized for the delay before informing the waiting passengers that they hoped boarding would commence within half an hour or so, from now. Please have your boarding passes ready, bla blah. Already some of the more impatient passengers were queuing at the gate, heedless of the fact that their reserved seats would still be waiting for them, regardless who boarded first or last. It seemed that gate lice weren’t just confined to airports, after all. At least I could look around more freely inside the cavernous terminal building while we awaited our final boarding call. I was no longer bored now. God only knows, waiting is tedious enough at the best of times but watching everyone dressing for the rain was so diverting I almost forgot Mekaila seated alongside me. She was tucking into a packet of crisps and I happily gazed around while she inelegantly wolfed everything down before chasing each mouthful with a large swallow from her bottle of Coke.
A young couple (honeymooners perhaps?) were helping each other pull everything on. It was obvious that they were enjoying the process of helping each other dress for the rain. The girl was buttoning her partner’s translucent blue plastic rain jacket all the up to his neck before flipping the attached hood upwards and tying it as tightly as it would go around his face. He sat down so she could slide his rain pants up his legs. She was caressing his thighs through the soft plastic and I uncomfortably bit my lip. It was an intimacy I wished we could share together. Her smile was a sun while he tenderly returned the favour, clothing her in shiny plastic from head to ankle.
Several young children were tearing around while their weary parents looked on. They looked like Popsicles in their vividly coloured raincoats. The bright, bold primary colours of red, yellow or blue that they were wearing really stood out as they darted around the aisles, shrieking with unconcealed excitement. They were so excited that nothing else mattered, not even the bad weather.
It was fascinating to see how everyone was dressing for the rain. Although some people simply opted for umbrellas and the dubious shelter they provided, the majority of people had sensibly decided to cover up for the day in rainwear. The majority of women were wearing long, knee-length plastic raincoats while the guys almost universally preferred shorter jackets similar to the beautiful stripey ones I’d seen earlier. However, a number of more practical couples (and some families), obviously realising the necessity of total protection on a day like today, had taken care to kit themselves out in plastic from head to toe.
Suddenly, Mekaila glanced up before smiling and I squirmed in my seat. Her sly grin was a little too knowing for my liking. Surely she didn’t? Of course not. There was no way she could possibly know. Kaila wasn’t a mind reader.
“It’s almost time to go now,” she said. “I think we should put our raincoats on.”
“Ummm… yes,” I replied.
Puzzled with my somewhat unenthusiastic reply, Mekaila’s eyebrows furrowed. She looked so cute when she did that, I thought, but I dared not say anything. “Are you OK?” she asked after a horrible silence.
I hesitantly nodded, acutely conscious of my aching boner. Why did it have to show up now, of all times? Oh my God, the irony.
“Oh.” Unconvinced. A warm smile quickly followed her quizzical stare. “Well, it’s not a very nice day,” she mused. “So we should put our raincoats on now.”
“Welcome to the sunny Philippines.”
Mekaila laughed. “Yes, it’s real raincoat weather, diba?”
“Yeah…” Was she teasing me?
Mekaila smiled again before delving into our bags. “Ok, come on. Put your raincoat on.” Although our relationship was on anything but an even keel at the moment, my highly conscientious and organized partner had gone out shopping after booking our accommodation a week ago and bought everything we’d need for our short holiday in Puerto Galera. She dived in her commodious bag and handed me my shiny yellow vinyl rainsuit. The unopened pack sat heavily on my lap and I wonderingly inhaled the unique scent of brand-new plastic as if I was savouring the aroma of a Penfolds Grange. It shone beneath the light and I nervously spun the pack around in my hands. My boner was bigger than ever and it wasn’t going away. Why did it have to show up now?
I glanced sideways. Mekaila was already slipping her amazingly shiny yellow rain pants all the way up her lithe legs, stopping only to adjust the hem halfway up her stomach, just below her breasts. What? Where on Earth did she find something like this?
Noticing the look of astonishment on my face, Mekaila grinned cheekily before eagerly pulling her matching buttercup rain jacket over her shoulders. I had absolutely no idea where she’d found it, because her beautiful slicker was like no other raincoat I’d ever seen. The solid, deep buttercup yellow vinyl gleamed and sparkled like freshly minted gold. The heavy, thick vinyl was impossibly slick and smooth to the touch. Mekaila’s raincoat even came with proper buttons, wide round plastic units which actually had to be pushed through a slot opposite and I silently rejoiced. The final finishing touch was its accompanying rainhat, a great bowl-shaped sou’wester with a deep, wide brim and a pair of attached laces. It was a beautiful raincoat, a real raincoat. Why didn’t they make them like this anymore?
“Aren’t you going to be a good boy and help me put my raincoat on?” Mekaila suddenly giggled and I blushed.
“Uh… yeah, of course!” I could not help her fast enough.
“You’re a real gentleman,” Mekaila purred while I set about completing my task. My traitorous dick was so hard I thought it might explode while I helped button my girlfriend into her raincoat. I could only hope and pray that Mekaila wouldn’t see the tentpole I was pitching inside my shorts. Despite the bad weather, it wasn’t actually cold and I was wearing little more than a T-shirt and a light pair of khaki shorts. Kaila was equally lightly dressed, opting for a light cream crop-top over a very short denim skirt. I’d spotted Mekaila’s lacy panties when she sat down earlier and I’m sure it was deliberate on her part. I could feel my hands shaking while I nervously did up every button. It was the most ‘kilig’ (the word basically means to share a thrilling romantic moment with someone) experience I’d shared with Mekaila ever since the exhilarating first months of our romance. Her glorious smile was more than worth the embarrassment of doing up her shiny yellow mac. I was sure everyone was staring while I carefully pushed each button through its allotted slot. Whoever designed Mekaila’s beautiful raincoat knew a thing or two about keeping water out. They’d included a reinforced double flap which I had to button on alternate sides, which made the dressing process that much more complicated, but I didn’t mind at all.
After the longest – yet shortest – few minutes of my life that I could remember, I somehow managed to fasten everything up to the collar, enclosing Mekaila from neck to knee in shiny, rippling yellow. I pulled the attached belt as tight as it would go and buckled it for her. The beautiful deep yellow vinyl was a beacon while she happily posed for me. Her smile was back, and just for a moment or two, I forgot all about our worries. When Mekaila is happy, she’s the best company in the world. I was so pleased that Kaila was in such a good mood, that I never stopped to think about why she was so keen on putting her rainwear on today. I was just glad to be with Mekaila. If only I could hold her in my arms and… but very public displays of affection are frowned upon in this rather conservative country.
“My rainhat. Could you put it on for me?” Mekaila’s smile was a bright, beautiful thing.
Concealing my excitement was almost impossible as I picked up Mekaila’s shiny yellow sou’wester. The slick, slippery vinyl was very smooth and cool beneath my trembling fingers. The brim had been stitched with a thin yellow thread, one parallel line after another following each other all the way around in an elongated oval. Narrow in front, the brim widened until it measured something like six inches from the base of the bowl set in the middle. I liked the way they’d stitched the bowl with four vertical lines in each direction of the compass. It was so sexy, I thought.
I couldn’t meet Mekaila’s dancing eyes as I tenderly positioned my girlfriend’s sou’wester atop her mane of shiny raven hair as if it was a crown. Mekaila was a statue while I carefully adjusted everything so the wide brim would protect her exposed neck. Wordlessly, she looked upwards, subtly indicating I should tie the laces underneath her chin. I almost lost it then and there while I firmly tied Kaila’s sou’wester in place. My traitorous dick was so hard that I thought it would explode while I tugged on the laces, drawing the last knot tight so nothing would slip. Thank God Mekaila couldn’t see how much this was affecting me.
“Good boy,” Mekaila giggled. “Now I will not get wet.”
“Yeah… thanks. You’re welcome.” I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the heavenly, dreamlike vision in vinyl facing me. Mekaila was positively resplendent in her gleaming yellow rainwear and I felt my breath catch as the glistening vinyl rippled with a brilliant sheen beneath the glow of the lights set high above us. The cheap, barely adequate lighting was by no means bright but Mekaila’s raincoat still shone as brightly as if we were out in the sun. Mekaila was so beautiful and I couldn’t help smiling despite my lingering embarrassment. My wicked willie wasn’t going anywhere either. Perversely, the harder I tried to ignore it, the longer it insisted on hanging around.
Why did it have to behave like this? I inwardly raged. The other day I’d been unable to get it up.
“C’mon baby, put your raincoat on now.” Mekaila’s voice was sweeter than sugar but the underlying firmness in it was unmistakable. I swallowed as she ripped the pack open, releasing a pungent aroma of brand new plastic into the atmosphere. The coming ordeal would be anything but easy.
Mekaila was already standing, shaking out my folded plastic rainwear with an ab-so-lutely intoxicating crackle of freshly minted vinyl until they hung limply in front of me. I gazed with utter disbelief and growing delight as Mekaila happily displayed my incredible one-piece rain overalls for me. I’d never seen anything remotely like this incredible outfit before. Where did she find them? Questions swirled through my mind, but I knew better than to ask.
“You want me to… wear this?” I weakly said while I incredulously studied the gleaming rainsuit. It was easy to see how thick and heavy that the pliable yellow PVC was. My rain overalls came with four attached pockets covered with flaps held in place by press-studs. An elasticized waistband sat around stomach height. Whoever came up with this creation clearly wanted it to stay put, no matter what Mother Nature threw at its wearer. I could see an attached hood dangling behind everything.
“Of course I do.” Mekaila frowned and I squirmed uncomfortably. She was certainly not going to let me out of this.
“I want you to wear them.” An edge of steel had entered her voice. “I bought them for you and you’re going to wear them whether you like it or not.”
“Yes… Mekaila,” I meekly replied. I was more confused than ever. What was going on here? One look at her face told me that discretion really was the better part of valour right now.
Impatiently, “Come on… now.”
“Ok, ok.” I nodded.
Mekaila’s beautiful smile was back now. “Here,” she said. “Put your rainsuit on now, my darling,” Mekaila cooed.
Ignoring the conflagration raging within the confines of my shorts was excruciatingly difficult while I pulled the impossibly smooth PVC pants all the way up my legs. The stiff, yet soft and pliable vinyl was stunningly smooth against my tingling skin. Aware of her fascinated gaze, I hurriedly stood so I could pull everything past my hips. Mekaila stepped forward and helped me easy my arms down each sleeve. The tight elasticized cuffs gripped my wrists as she gently turned me around until I was facing her.
I was harder than ever while she pulled the zipper all the way up to the neck.
“I’m glad to see you’re getting into the holiday mood already,” Mekaila dryly commented while she continued doing up everything. She gave my genitals a very quick squeeze and I groaned with an equal mixture of pleasure and embarrassment. Mekaila’s hand lingered a moment longer before retreating as quickly as it’d come. Pointedly, “Save some for me tonight please.”
All I could do was mutely nod. I had no idea what to say.
Mekaila giggled loudly. “Good boy.” Her eyes were unusually bright and I nervously shifted position. I couldn’t help receiving an awfully uncomfortable feeling that Mekaila knew more than she was letting on. I sighed inwardly. Mekaila’s always telling me that I overthink everything and she’s probably right too.
Mekaila’s grin was all too knowing as she set about fastening me into my rainwear with each press stud she pushed into place, covering the zipper along the way.
My dick pulsated with excitement while the magnificent girl in the gleaming shiny yellow slicker and sou’wester casually continued preparing me for the elements outside. Mekaila’s elfin face peeked out cheekily below the brim of her sou’wester while she snapped each press stud shut. I just could not believe this was happening while she gently drew the hood closed around my face. Her eyes never left mine as she drew the laces as tight as they would go with a few deft twists of her dancing fingers. I was now sealed inside a cocoon of smooth, rippling shinier than shiny yellow plastic from head to ankles.
“You’re not properly dressed for the rain,” Mekaila suddenly announced.
“Huh?” What do you mean?” I expostulated. “You’ve just kitted me out for a Category 5 typhoon.”
Mekaila just smiled before handing me a very large bag which I hadn’t really noticed earlier. “Here,” she said. “They’re just for you.”
“Oh…!” I exclaimed as a gleaming yellow pair of rainboots appeared in front of my eyes as I slowly opened the rather large box inside. “Oh my God…”
“Put them on,” Mekaila ordered. “I want to see you properly dressed for the rain.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I facetiously replied. I hear and obey.”
‘What’s going on here?’ I puzzled whilst pulling them on. This was so far out that it didn’t compute. Curiouser and curiouser, I silently mused while incredulously watched Mekaila slipping an absolutely identical pair of shiny yellow rainboots on, neatly tucking the hem of her rainpants inside them.
Mekaila’s smile was brighter than a supernova as she knelt on the floor before carefully pulling each leg up and easing the elasticated ends over my boots. “Now you will not get wet,” she said.
“I don’t think so,” I agreed. I was painfully aware of the amused glances from some several people who’d observed our very public dressing show. “I think neither of us will get wet now.”
“Oh baby, you look so guapo,” Mekaila happily murmured before pulling me close for a quick cuddle. I sighed with pleasure before reciprocating the gesture with interest. Her beautiful brown features glowed with happiness as she hugged me. The cool slick vinyl of Mekaila’s rainwear was impossibly smooth to the touch and my fingers glided down her back without meeting any resistance.
“Dearest darling,” I murmured.
“Your titi is big so much already,” Mekaila beamed. Her eyes bored into mine. “Remember what I said, ok? Baby, I want you to fuck my brains out tonight…”
“Oh yessss…” I breathed, hoping that I wouldn’t disappoint. Oh yes, I was stimulated all right. Just not in the way Mekaila thought.
Suddenly a harsh, disembodied electronic voice announced that our ferry was boarding.
“Come on,” Mekaila urged. “Let’s go.”
***
The wind and rain struck us as soon as we left the shelter of the terminal, whipping Mekaila’s raincoat up past her hips. “Wowwww..!” Mekaila gasped. “I had no idea it was that bad out here.”
“That storm is getting worse, I think,” I quietly observed. The rain was beating a very rapid military tattoo on our rainwear. Water splashed and bounced everywhere. It was so heavy that we could barely see our moored transport just fifty metres away from us. Thank God Mekaila had the foresight to equip us for the bad weather, I thought as rain ineffectually pummeled our slick, smooth rainwear. At least it wasn’t really cold though. That’s one advantage of living in the tropics.
Little scares me nowadays but boarding our sleek ‘fast’ ferry was actually quite petrifying. Although our hundred or so foot long vessel was much bigger than the largest of bamboo bancas, it was lurching about so savagely that it took forever for everybody to board before departing a couple of hours later than expected. The experienced crew had their hands full assisting the terrified passengers and their luggage on board. Miraculously, nobody fell overboard. It would have been almost impossible to rescue them. Already some of the passengers were yanking the orange lifejackets out of their storage pockets beneath the seats and putting them on. One young woman pulled the attached crotchstrap so tight I thought it would split her in half.
Clearly nervous, Mekaila pulled a pair of bright orange PVC lifejackets from a nearby locker. “We wear,” she said, whilst tearing the thin paper packaging apart. Our lifejackets were clearly brand new and I couldn’t resist a smile while I caressed the slick, smooth bright orange PVC coating with my fingers. Mekaila raised her eyebrows thoughtfully, but she didn’t say anything although her lips creased in a slight smile. Her eyes crinkled with amusement and I squirmed uncomfortably. She’s a pretty good mind reader. The front section was surprisingly thick and bulky, although one side was somewhat thinner than the other. The back panel was much narrower. It was maybe only an inch thick or so. I knew that this was meant to aid in rolling an unconscious wearer over in the event real disaster struck. It fastened in front with a heavy-duty zipper and a pair of heavy-duty straps buckling in front added that much more security. However, it was the pair of straps dangling downwards from the back which I was much more interested in. I knew exactly where they would go and I grinned again before taking Mekaila’s lifejacket from her. She had no idea what the purpose of those strategically placed straps were.
“Here, let me help you put it on.”
“Thanks,” Mekaila said while she nervously watched the growing queue of passengers waiting to board in the driving rain.
She held her arms out so I could slip the lifejacket over her shoulders. After seating it over her shoulders, I zipped up everything before buckling each strap which I pulled tight. Now for the fun bit. Mekaila was a statue as I lent downwards before retrieving each strap and passing them between her legs. “You won’t have to worry about drowning now,” I facetiously commented while I carefully attached each end of the side-release buckles to the other.
“What do you mean?” Mekaila curiously asked before peering downwards. “Isn’t that a bit loose?” she asked while I adjusted everything.
I grinned, and pulled the first and second crotchstrap tight in quick succession.
“Ooh!” Mekaila gasped as each strap dramatically tightened, all but cleaving her crotch in half along the way. “That’s too tight,” she complained.
“Nonsense,” I replied and gave each strap another couple of tugs or so. “My darling,” I smiled, “It needs to be tight so your lifejacket will not come off if the worst does happen.”
“Yeah…” Mekaila reluctantly agreed.
“You wanted to wear it,” I pointed out. “Now you are.”
Mekaila just smiled. “Your turn now.”
As usual, Mekaila didn’t disappoint, pulling and tugging on every strap so hard that I thought I’d been welded inside my lifejacket by the time she was done.
Smirking, “I think already you won’t drown either.”
I guess not.” I had to agree with her there. The combination of my slick smooth rainwear and shiny orange lifejacket was so overwhelming that I almost creamed myself then and there.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Mekaila caressed the bulge in my crotch (which ironically the crotchstraps she’d pulled so tight only served to highlight my excitement. Somewhat caustically, “Are you enjoying your vacay so far?”
“Oh yes…” I carefully nodded. “Very much.”
“Of course you are,” Mekaila giggled. “I know you so well.”
“Uhmmm…” I hesitantly replied. Mekaila was behaving very strangely today, and I didn’t wholly like the change in my partner.
She just giggled before commenting, “You know, I kinda like wearing my lifejacket. I like the way it hugs me all over. I feel very safe in it.”
Relieved that I was on safer ground at last,” I replied, “Yeah. Same here.”
The boat was beginning to fill up now, and Mekaila retrieved our tickets from the pocket of her raincoat. “Let’s find our seats and put our bags away.”
“Oh no…” we groaned in unison, as a crew member showed us to our seats. Her glass-clear plastic raincoat flapped noisily in the gusty wind while she politely indicated where we were to sit. I noticed that she’d also opted for matching clear plastic rainpants as well.
Any other day, we would have been thrilled with our normally-choice bench seats only a couple of rows back from the stern. Our seats were also on the far end of the row, with only a few centimetres or so of rusty steel separating us from the surging ocean. The deck was slick and wet with rainwater and no small amount of spray. The heaving waves were crashing into the broad stern of the ferry and spray rose lazily on the wind before being driven onto the top deck. At least the coating was non-slip. Thank God for very small mercies.
I’d really hoped that we would be seated undercover today but we were out of luck. Our boat was so full that we had no option except accept our assigned seats. The crew had deployed the heavy plastic ‘clears’ to protect the exposed passengers from the wind and rain but the dirty, salt encrusted curtains only added to the claustrophobic atmosphere on board.
Guessing that we might be in for a very wet run, nobody made any move to take off their glistening, dripping rainwear. The top deck was (if you will excuse the pun) a sea of shiny, rippling plastic and glossy PVC rainwear.
The idling diesels, which had clearly seen better days, burst into life with a loud roar and stinking black oily smoke, some of which penetrated the gap between the curtains and partially exposed railings. Already some of our fellow passengers were looking somewhat green around the gills. We hadn’t even left Batangas port yet.
Eventually, the last passengers filed on board and the dockhands wasted no time casting off the mooring lines.
In order to leave, the captain had to maneuver our vessel so he could take it out to sea. Smoke filled the aft deck as the diesels roared again. A short, steep chop was buffeting the stern and the unseen helmsman increased the revs. Inch by agonizing inch, they brought the ferry around until it was lying broadside to the waves. It rolled, and several passengers began reaching for their sick bags, which the crew had handed out to everyone earlier.
Mekaila swore as the bow struck a huge wave upon reaching the breakwater. The little ferry shuddered from the impact and plowed on. Almost immediately the boat began to yo-yo from one side to another in the vertiginous waves attacking us from seemingly every angle. We were more or less broadside to the howling, gusting wind and waves and the corkscrewing rapidly became worse and worse. It was increasingly apparent that our slabby transport had been constructed with maximizing the number of passengers aboard, rather than its seakeeping qualities.
The journey across the Verde Island Passage was a nightmare.
Seated right up back, every massive bump was instantly transmitted to our bilious green PVC covered coach seats while rain and spray whipped across everyone, smearing everything with a thin layer of salt. One of the worn ropes lashing the curtain nearest us, broke in half and it began to flap up and down with every gust of wind. Of course, the wind eagerly exploited the sudden weakness and tore another section away, partially exposing everyone in the back to the elements.
I was very glad that Mekaila had made me wear my embarrassing shiny yellow rain overalls. That wind had teeth. There was nothing in the least warm or tropical about the growing gale. After leaving Batangas Bay, the wind gathered strength and really pummeled our vessel. The Verde Island Passage is more or less totally exposed to the South China Sea, and the big waves had nothing to impede them during their passage here. Already wave heights were approaching ten and even fifteen feet high. I cursed as the ferry rose across one enormous roller, only to reveal an endless conga line of giant grey swells. It was hard to decide which was darker, the uniformly low cloud or the angry waves. The shrieking wind was ripping the top off the waves. The nearby islands were completely invisible in the rain and spray. We might as well have been in the middle of the ocean and I tried not to think about what would happen if our transport foundered for any reason.
Staying dry was the least of our problems though. Mekaila wasn’t a good sailor and she couldn’t face the giant spumous waves, or the flying spray so I had to shelter her as best as I could. Half the passengers were throwing up into their seasick bags by now. Not everyone’s aim was accurate though and the pungent miasma gradually began to fill the partially enclosed aft deck, despite the wind whipping through it.
With Mekaila leaning forwards into her bag, our trip couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start.
She was a quivering green-faced wreck by the time we arrived in Mindoro.
***************************************************************
Gradually, the horrible corkscrewing motion began to lessen once we reached the shelter of Medio Island before sailing serenely through the narrow channel separating it from the small peninsula which is home to Sabang and the dozens of resorts calling it home. Although it was still raining heavily, the sea was thankfully calm. Only the pockmarked dimples of billions of raindrops disturbed the stillness of the water.
As resilient as ever, it wasn’t long before Mekaila quickly regained her composure. The heavenly scenery was so spectacular that it simply took our breath away. Towering green hills debouched into any number of golden beaches guarded by numerous rocky promontories. The sight was so beautiful that Mekaila completely forgot about how sick she’d been along the way.
Miraculously, the storm more or less began to dissipate by the time we edged into the small port town of Puerto Galera itself. Here, the majority of passengers would catch one of the small pump boats or jeepneys taking visitors to the many dozens of resorts, big and small, dotted around the convoluted peninsula and islands sprouting from the top tip of Mindoro. Our resort was sending a boat to pick us up before transporting us in the opposite direction to our home of the next week or so, Coco Beach Island Resort.
Mindoro is famous for its caves, hiking, pristine coral reefs and diving. Although the majority of people visit Puerto Galera to enjoy the natural beauty of the region, many of them visit Sabang solely for the nightlife that it offers. Numerous garish girlie bars happily cater for the single element in town.
By the time we tied up to the concrete jetty masquerading as a seaport, the rain had more or less stopped. Incredibly, the sun was shyly peeking through the dissipating clouds by the time we set foot on the steaming concrete. Already, the rainwater was evaporating under the heat of the tropical sun.
During the confusion and hullabaloo of disembarkation, Mekaila and I completely forgot that we were still wearing our tightly-secured lifejackets after lugging our bags to the tender waiting for us. It wasn’t until we were chugging down the wide, sheltered embayment that we realized we hadn’t handed our safety apparel back to the ferry people.
Only a few fluffy cumulus clouds pockmarked the cerulean sky, and I decided that it was time to take off my rainsuit. By now, everyone else (some ten passengers in all) had dispensed with their rainwear. We were the only ones still dressed for a typhoon.
“Mekaila, I just realized that we forgot to give our lifejackets back to the boat,” I sighed.
“Shit… you’re right,” Mekaila giggled. “So, what we do na?”
I glanced backwards. Our transport was already several hundred metres astern. It was too late to do anything now.
“I don’t know,” I replied while I began undoing everything. “Just hand them back later, I guess.”
“Yeah, Ok…” Mekaila said. “Hey, what you’re doing?”
“What do you think?” I chuckled. “It’s not raining anymore, so I’m going to take my rainsuit off.”
“No.” Mekaila shook her head firmly. “Raincoat stay. Lifejacket stay. You not allow to take off. OK?”
“Yeah… Ok, Mekaila.” I gazed into her earnest face. What had come over her? Mekaila was not normally like this. It was rare to see her this assertive or bossy. Normally, like the majority of Filipinas I’ve met, they’re quite submissive. “I hear and obey.”
“Good,” Mekaila giggled. “You cannot take raincoat or lifejacket off until I say so.”
“It’s getting hot,” I pointed out.
Mekaila pointedly shook her head. No. “What did I just say? No, no and no.”
Does Mekaila know? I wondered while she gazed into my eyes. Better to let sleeping dogs lie, I thought before replying. “I hear you loud and clear.”
“Good.” Mekaila smiled brilliantly before squeezing my hand hard. “Are you enjoying so much?”
“Is the Pope a Catholic?” I chuckled.
“Mmmm…” Mekaila sighed softly. “Salamat for take me here. I’m so happy.”
“Walang anuman.” You’re welcome.
“I love you, my darling…” Mekaila whispered.
“I love you too,” I softly replied while studying the girl whom I absolutely adored. Despite the growing heat and humidity, Mekaila hadn’t bothered undo anything. She’d even had left her gleaming yellow rainhat firmly tied in place atop her head. Her unusually happy face peered out beneath the wide brim of her sou’wester while she curiously gazed around the idyllic hills surrounding us. Our small transport was just entering the emerald green channel separating Medio Island on our left from the hilly promontory on the right. If anything, the lushly forested hills were even greener here. The deep water of the channel was as still as it’d been choppy during the trip here. Awed with the beauty of the bay and channels, Mekaila and I silently studied our home of the week to come.
The tide was low, and I could see slimy, oyster-encrusted rocks peeking out of the water just below the boats and other small marine craft tied up to conveniently positioned palm trees. The shoreline was punctuated with the concrete, tin or wood shacks of local fishermen and boat operators while, incredibly, a tiny elementary school straddled one sandy promontory. Its light-yellow walls and shuttered windows were shaded by swaying coconut-laden palm trees. It was just about the most beautiful place of learning I’d ever seen and I envied the lucky students learning the three “R’s” here. The nearest classrooms were only metres away from lapping water. How could anyone not enjoy the unique commute across the bay to join their classmates for the day? It must have been recess because any number of young children were playing on the grass or the beach. They spotted us passing them and waved an enthusiastic welcome.
The small, brightly painted outrigger boats of the lucky people who lived here were mostly all drawn up above the highwater mark. The smallest of these craft were a mere eight or so feet long from prow to stern, and I knew these would mainly be used for fishing or personal family transport. Other boats were anchored in deeper water and they ranged in length from twenty to fifty or so feet long. Most of them appeared to be employed by dive resorts or used as shuttles. Dozens of sailing yachts, flying the national flags of their owners, rode at anchor near the township of Puerto Galera. The biggest boats were over a hundred feet long. Although I’m no sailor, I knew that these superyachts would be worth millions. A long, sleek anthracite grey Wallypower boat was little more than a hull with a towering mast atop it. The amazing yacht was virtually all deck with only a minimally short coach house interrupting the lines of the boat. Nice, but not my thing.
Perhaps getting away from it all was just what the doctor ordered. I could feel our recent problems slipping away to the back of my mind while I covertly studied my raincoated partner. Catching my gaze, Mekaila smiled and squeezed my hand again before wrapping her warm arm around my shoulders and leaning her head against me. I’d undone the hood of my rainwear, but Mekaila was still encased in gleaming yellow vinyl from head to toe. I liked the cool smoothness of her sou’wester against my cheek a lot.
There was still hope. Maybe. As they say in the Philippines, “Pwede”. It’s possible
Mekaila’s hand never left mine while our boat chugged down the narrow, calm channel. The water must be quite deep here because I couldn’t see the bottom. I couldn’t believe that this was the same ocean which had just tossed a hundred-foot ferry around as if it was a Ping-Pong ball.
After a relaxing cruise through the still water of Verde Islands Passage, we rounded a rocky promontory and we both gasped as one upon spotting Coco Beach, our home of the next week. Nestling amidst verdant jungle, its traditionally designed nipa huts and other buildings shyly peeked outwards, as if afraid to reveal themselves, between towering palms, immense mango trees and dozens of other exotic jungle flora we couldn’t identify. Red, orange and yellow hibiscus provided bright splashes of colour here and there.
I was torn between studying the incredible coral reef hiding beneath the keel of our banca or our new home. A large green turtle glided beneath our boat amidst a great deal of screaming and yelling when our companions spotted it too. Mekaila’s eyes met mine and we both smiled. Well. The reef could wait for now. I curiously studied the nipa huts where we would be staying. We’d booked the super-deluxe suites and I was sure they were the ones perched half way up the short hill. The weathered brown thatched roofs were somewhat hard to see amidst the rainforest and I just couldn’t believe how lovely this place was, as our banca glided into to shore.
Mekaila’s grip was tighter than ever as we approached the wide, sandy beach.
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There’s nothing more disappointing than arriving at a beautiful (and expensive) beach resort and discovering, too late, that the substance doesn’t go anywhere close to matching the reality. That clearly wasn’t going to happen today though. Mekaila and I instinctively realised that we would be happy here from the moment we set foot on the beach. I don’t know how we knew. One just knows these things. As if sanctifying our stay, the setting sun struck Mekaila’s raincoat, instantly transforming everything to gleaming, shiny gold. We were the only ones still clad in our rainwear and lifejackets, but no one seemed to mind, much less care. On holiday, almost anything goes in the Philippines.
Billions of tiny bleached coral shards, remnants of the reefs surrounding Puerto Galera, crunched beneath our feet while we happily gazed around. What Coco Beach lacked in the sophisticated grandeur of much more expensive resorts, it more than made up for with its sheer friendliness – and romance. Everything had been sourced locally before being built onsite. Most of the main buildings and guest nipa bungalows had all been constructed out of bamboo. Although this style of architecture sounds primitive, it’s actually anything but. There was nothing in the least uncomfortable or unsophisticated about Coco Beach, especially our rooms.
After checking in (not one of the front desk staff batted an eyelid at our slightly outlandish apparel) and admiring the large and beautiful freeform swimming pool, we were shown to our suite. Mekaila and I were instantly blown away by our accommodation. It was the most beautiful, romantic bungalow we’d ever seen. Melded out of stone, wood, bamboo, rattan furniture, everything merged together in an amazingly, natural, harmonious whole. Giant five-inch diameter bamboo poles helped support the heavily thatched roof while the woven walls shimmered beneath the glow of the lamps illuminating our room. A wide balcony, complete with two easy chairs, a table and a hammock overlooked a garden ablaze with a billion bright, beautiful tropical blooms. The ocean was bluer than ever between the tall trees partially obscuring the view.
It was a romantic dream.
Because it was already early evening, our bungalow was shrouded in shade, but the thoughtful staff had already switched the lamps on in anticipation of our arrival. The lights bathed the thatched walls and bamboo furniture in an effulgent golden glow. Green pot plants softened every corner. The thin, wide light brown bamboo strips nailed to the floor were stunningly cool and smooth to the touch of my feet. A giant white clamshell did duty as a basin in the adjacent bathroom.
But most of all, it was the stunning bedroom, dominated by a massive, dark bamboo bed partially hidden within a billowing white cloud, which took our breath away.
If there was ever a room made for loving, this was it.
The moment the door closed behind us, Mekaila floated into my arms with an intoxicating swish and rustle of plastic. Somehow, every happened so quickly, I can’t really remember what we said or did next. She wrapped her arms around my neck and clung to me like a limpet whilst showering kisses upon my lips and cheeks. I couldn’t believe this was happening while we held each other.
Our eyes met before we flew into each other’s arms as one and collapsing in a happy, laughing, untidy heap on the bed, our lifejackets and rain clothes scattered all around us like confetti, Mekaila’s raincoat somehow ending up on the bedside table where I could see its gleaming folds.
The perfection of our lovemaking was something I just can’t articulate in words. Never before we’d come as quickly or simultaneously, so great was our mutual need for each other. Mekaila almost lifted the roof with her cries. “Please fuck me now! Oh, ohhh, I want you so much baby! Don’t stop! Please don’t stopppp!”
Her beautiful Filipino features were bright with joy as we changed for dinner. It was the first time I’d heard her singing in the shower. My heart was light while we strolled down the winding path leading to the main cluster of buildings.
Perhaps all our problems were over.
Pwede.