The First Love Of Alipang Havens

On Monday morning, December first, Brendan Hyland went by prior arrangement to meet with Deputy Kramer in the school offices during Brendan's study hall. Flora Lewiston winced at the sight of a student meeting with a _military_ man; but even she was not skillful enough in self-deception to be able to succeed in making herself not remember that one girl at Smoky Lake East--Callie Shore the art lover--owed her very life to "Deputy Dawg," and so possibly did a second girl--Summer Heron the semi-tomboy. So she could not easily object to Wilson Kramer, in his capacity as a Navy SEALS veteran, giving guidance to the would-be Marine.

Anyway, the Principal could comfort herself with the unshakeable certainty that all war and hatred in the world would soon be ceasing, because a President had been elected who liked to say the word "change." What else was needed?

"Gunnery Sergeant Trivizas and I had a conversation about you before Thanksgiving," Kramer told Brendan. "You don't need me to tell you, now, that you're a good man coming in at a bad point in history. By the time you actually put on a Marine Corps uniform, odds are that America will have _apologized_ to our mortal enemies for _our_ crime of being so 'hateful and intolerant' as to fight back against them. But bad times are when we have the _most_ need for good men. I refuse to say 'good persons'--because, without saying we _don't_ need good women, we very much DO need good men. Tell me, son, do you know about the 'Living Ring' in Moscow in 1991?"

"Sir, that was when the Communists made their last attempt, before the Soviet Union collapsed, to restore the old system by armed force. The leaders of the pro-Communist coup tried to intimidate the people into giving up thoughts of liberty. So a crowd of pro-democracy protestors surrounded a government building with a ring of warm bodies, _daring_ the soldiers to kill them and take the building."

Kramer nodded. "But the soldiers....refused to fire on the protestors. This is the fact you must hold on to. There's evidence that much more was going on at that time than was obvious to us; and one glance at the record of the Putin government shows that the authoritarian spirit _never_ died in Russia. But the common Russian soldiers of whom I am speaking were not privy to any deeper and subtler schemes that may have been in the works. As far as Private Mikhailov and Private Kaminskiy knew, it really _was_ a plain either-or choice between committing mass murder to uphold Communism, or committing mutiny to uphold humanity. And their action in siding with the protestors is to be understood in that light."

"It was a brave and honorable action, sir," said Brendan.

"So it was. And it is an example I hope you will carry with you into your service career. A time could come when the very demagogues who have accused our armed forces of loving to kill innocent people on purpose--a charge which THEY KNOW to be false--will do a one-eighty, and _order_ you to commit exactly such wanton murder in _reality,_ when it furthers _their_ agenda. If that day comes, it will be your sacred duty to God, to human life, and to the United States Constitution, to _disobey_ their unlawful orders."

"I hope it won't come to that, sir; but I'll remember what you've said."

"Good, son; you give me hope for this country. Now, let's talk about the pro's and con's of trying to get you into the Academy at Annapolis...."

Brendan told Alipang about this conversation at his first opportunity.
 
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Lunchtime brought a glimmer of hope that the Wonder Twins would not have to break up entirely--that they could be incorporated into the Fantastic Four. Alipang and Kim sat together with Chilena and Dan, and each one in this quartet spoke with all of the others, which among four persons makes six pairings, though direct conversation between Dan and Kim was less extensive than the other combinations.

KIM: "Dan, did you ever visit the Equalinfinity Forum?"--referring to the website where Kim and her Goth pal Peggy had indulged in text-based roleplaying for years.

DAN: "Several times, actually. But after the fourth instance of reading about a five-year-old girl overpowering six grown men in seven seconds, bench-pressing eight hundred pounds, and then spending nine pages complaining that she was being bullied by male chauvinists, I got the oddest feeling that it wasn't the place for me."

Soon enough, talk was made more serious by Kim deciding to tell the others a hint of what was troubling her favorite sister Betsy: "Her boyfriend got into some difficulty at his workplace...."


That afternoon and evening, the Pansit not being open, and Dan having his own schoolwork to do, Alipang and Chilena had a few more hours alone together at home. Remembering that they had not visited the treehouse, they climbed up into it while the last of daylight lingered, having to wear coats now. "Activate Wonder Twin powers," Alipang told his sister, "but don't ask me to change into anything made of ice now--I'm already there."

They did just enough kissing and cuddling here to justify the climb, then retreated into a house which DID have heat. Inside, they ate a casual supper; dining is definitely informal when one of the diners is sitting on the other one's lap while they eat off a single shared plate. Afterwards they brushed their teeth, during which they tried out the shared flavor of kisses filled with toothpaste foam, and realized again why they hadn't often done this in their years of downstairs meetings. All in all, it was better NOT to be foaming at the mouth--even while kissing as part of a supposedly angry play-fight on a staircase.

The conclusion of the battle, with roles of victor and vanquished disputed as usual, brought them to the stack of schoolbooks awaiting them on the table in front of "their" sofa in the living room. Resignedly, though not without some defiant snuggling at intervals, they actually did homework for the next two hours.

Then came the phone call from their mother. Dad had just now turned the SUV off of Interstate 95, onto the state highway which led into Smoky Lake. They and the little sisters would be home in about half an hour.

There was only one thing for the Wonder Twins to do now, and no word was needed. Alipang stretched himself out on the couch, letting Chilena lie on top of him, and they embraced as tightly and closely as they could. There was no conversation anymore, and not even very much kissing; but they held each other continuously. More true to say that they held ONTO each other: held on fiercely to youth, innocence, fun, closeness, memories, dreams, jokes, and a love which really did merit the overused adjective "unconditional."

Only when headlights illuminated the drapes of the bay window did the siblings reach the height of their forced-out-of-the-swimming-pool tension, kissing urgently at the last instant. Then they let go of each other and went to greet the rest of the Havens family.
 
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Yay! I finally found some time to really sit down and read what I had missed.

"...But after the fourth instance of reading about a five-year-old girl overpowering six grown men in seven seconds, bench-pressing eight hundred pounds, and then spending nine pages complaining that she was being bullied by male chauvinists, I got the oddest feeling that it wasn't the place for me."

^Okay that's just funny!

And I love how this part is written.--> "More true to say that they held ONTO each other: held on fiercely to youth, innocence, fun, closeness, memories, dreams, jokes, and a love which really did merit the overused adjective "unconditional."

Great stuff.
 
Pearl Harbor Day of 2008, like the one in 1941, fell on a Sunday.

Several noteworthy things happened in Alipang's life that day. One was that he and Kim had....a date. Their being _able_ to go on their second actual date was due to another noteworthy thing: Al's Filipina friend Emelinda Pascasio, wanting to earn money to buy Christmas gifts, had wheedled a part-time waitressing job at the Pansit Paradise. Emelinda's presence was just enough extra help that Rafael could comfortably let Al and Kim have that Sunday off.

Another noteworthy thing happened earlier than the date, but its importance was not to be grasped until hours into the young pair's time together. At Redemption Free Church, Al was volunteering as a greeter along with his friend Lucinda Rockwell, when a beautiful but unfamiliar woman came in, looking to be in her late thirties, and asked an odd question of Lucinda:

"Excuse me, miss, but is this one of those churches where they're always demanding that you raise your hand if you're a believer, so everyone can look around to find someone whose hand _isn't_ up, and glare at them?"

Taken aback, Lucinda simply dropped her jaw at a question so odd and so impolite. So Alipang made the save. "No, ma'am, I've never known Pastor Stetzer, nor Elder Richardson the times he's filled in preaching, to put people on the spot like that."

"In that case," the woman said, "I'll come in. Thank you." And she sat near the back.

When he was free to rejoin his parents (Chilena was with Dan and Mrs. Salisbury again), Al whispered to his mother what had occurred, and told her where the peculiar woman was. Cecilia stole a glance back at her, but did not recognize her. As became known to Alipang later, the stranger gave nothing in the offering, and filled no visitor card; there was nothing to identify her. When people were leaving, Eric Havens caught a sidelong glimpse of her at a distance as she made for her car; he thought he might have seen her sometime, but couldn't be certain.

The small mystery nagged at a corner of Al's brain even when he and Kim went, in Chilena's car with Al at the wheel, to pick up Domino's pizza for the whole Tisdale household as phase one of their date....
 
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Kim happened to have made the call to Domino's, reflexively giving the Tisdale name even though Alipang was buying. Thus the young man at the counter did not at first know in whose company she was coming. A cold Virginia-winter rain made the windows unclear as someone on the outside opened the door for Kim and she came in wearing a dripping slicker....

....and Kevin Purdue, the arrogant basketball player from the Labor Day picnic, had just enough time to gibe at her, "Hey, you can't stay away from me, can you, babe?" before the second raincoated figure entered.

Kim suddenly realized that she had almost never had the experience of two young men, in her immediate presence, exchanging stares of mutual dislike entirely on HER account. It was unsettling, but also a guilty pleasure. It reminded her of the scene in New Moon when Jacob and Mike were at the movie theater with Bella. This thought, in turn, set Kim wondering whether she would be promoting Alipang from Jacob to Edward. "The Tisdale order, four large," was all she said to the boy who had not respected her boundaries; then, to spite him, she conspicuously gave a kiss on the right cheek to the boy who DID respect her boundaries.

Alipang succeeded in accepting this landmark event casually, for Kevin's perception, as if it were nothing new for Kim to kiss him. He smoothly paid for the pizzas exactly as if he were NOT in high orbit with delighted amazement; no darn way was he going to let the snotty senior boy know that he had not been expecting even a slight kiss from Kim anytime this calendar year.

Back in the car, bound for the house at the edge of town, Alipang quietly told Kim, "Yes, I know why. No, I won't read more into it than you intended. But it was very nice all the same; thank you." He was smiling in earnest.

At his words, Kim felt a tiny regret that her first time ever kissing Al should have been only to put a creep down. But she realized that Al still was regarding it as a net gain, so all was well. And a follow-up gesture occurred to her active mind, something which, albeit in a joking way, would still demonstrate her appreciating Al on his own merits, not merely as a boot to kick basketball jocks in the shins.

At the house, Kim got to the front door first, because her date was undertaking to carry in the stacked pizza boxes. This gave her the several seconds she needed to pass a word to her three sisters; then she held the door for Al, and told Dumpy the basset to wait before greeting the gentleman caller.

As soon as Al was safely inside, and while Mrs. Tisdale was getting plates, Kim struck a pose, hip to the side and one arm pointing, and sang:

"My boyfriend's back and we're gonna eat some pizza--"

Susan, Sharon and Betsy were right on cue, with Sharon providing harmony:

"Hey la, hey la, your boyfriend's back!"

It was thanks to times with Summer that Al recognized the tune; and his grin was big enough to go around for all four sisters. As for Elizabeth Tisdale, it warmed her heart that her first three daughters could be happy for Kimmy to have a decent boyfriend though all of them had lost theirs.
 
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One serious thing was mentioned while they were eating: Betsy's ex-boyfriend Garth was to have his first day in front of a grand jury on Wednesday. Everyone else was anxious to turn Betsy, or Baeline, away from this grievous topic, hers being by far the most traumatic of the Tisdale girls' breakups. Thus, Alipang soon had pretext to mention the mystery woman at church--that is, the _other_ mystery woman besides Kim.

"Mrs. Tisdale, did you happen to see a lady in church today, wearing a burnt-orange colored outfit, hair about the same length as yours but lighter?"

"Why, yes, Al. I wanted to speak to her, but she came in late and left in a hurry at the end, even though I know she saw me."

Al raised an eyebrow. "Do you mean you had met her before?"

"Yes, a few days before Thanksgiving, while I was the only one home, she came by and asked some questions about our animal boarding. Said she might at some time be wanting to board a pet with us. But she gave no contact information, and only a first name, Lori."

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

The second phase of Al and Kim's second date would have been dog-walking, if not for the rain. As it was, they skipped ahead to phase three, a movie. They saw a comedy; but what Al was experiencing was more like suspense--being almost afraid to move, lest at any moment he might accidentally touch some part of Kim's person, causing her to believe that he had let her kissing him one time give him overbold ideas.

On her side, Kim was wondering how she would feel about it if he DID get overbold ideas. Or any ideas, as far as anything physical was concerned. In her eighteen years and change, Kim had never once had a romantic relationship worth getting excited over. Mostly, the excitement had been for them to BE over. Of course, none of those other boys had been gentlemen like Al; they were scarcely even from the same planet as Al. She knew she liked the Filipino Fireball, she liked him a lot; but when it came to any real relationship with him, she was still making it up as she went along. At least Al had sisters, whose very existence had helped him learn how to behave with females, whereas Kim had no brothers to provide a similar benefit.

The movie played to the end with still no action in the seats. As the very tentative young couple strolled out through the lobby, fastening up their raincoats, they both found it a safely neutral subject to speculate idly about the possible reasons why the mysterious "Lori" would have come to Redemption Church yet spoken to no one after the encounter with Alipang and Lucinda, on top of the cryptic earlier visit to the Tisdale home. This chatter brought them all the way to Chilena's car, which Alipang let Kim into. When he got in his side, Kim touched him for the very first time since the impromptu kiss at Domino's. This time, it was only her fingertips on his shoulder, as preamble to a joke.

"Hey, Al, maybe she owns a Rottweiler, but wants to keep it hidden till she has a chance to ask Mr. Kramer not to kill it, like he killed the one that attacked Callie."

Alipang froze rigidly when he heard this.

Thinking that Al was taking offense at her so flippantly referring to an incident in which a schoolmate of theirs could have been maimed, Kim hastily backpedalled. "Look, I'm sorry if that was in bad taste. C'mon, lighten up, or I might have to do something scary like kiss you again."

Al shook his head, his gaze away in space somewhere. "I wasn't offended by the joke; you made me think of something." Obviously, it was not the part about kissing that he was thinking of, so Kim allowed that part to fade out of sight.

"Think of what, Al?"

"Mr. Kramer. I'm getting this awful hunch. His wife who left him....her name was LORRAINE."
 
Oooh very nice. I kind of suspected it might be her. Anyway, I love how your writing is so easy to relate to. The part where Al and Kim were at the movies really made me realize it. It brought me back to my first date with my boyfriend. Lol
 
PART TWENTY: A VERY SCARY CHRISTMAS​


The second Saturday in December was to see Chilena actually joining her brother's Escrima class as had previously been discussed. The proximity of this pleasing event gave occasion on Friday night for the siblings to stage their first new downstairs meeting since their unique weekend alone together. This was done in the basement, where Alipang could teach some basic Escrima movements to his sister in much more earnest than their former playing with the plastic batons. The teaching actually continued with straight faces for more than ten minutes before their first kiss of the night was exchanged...and lasted another three or four minutes before kissing and hugging entirely displaced Escrima.

But Chilena's first day in the class was to be far indeed from kissing.

Attendance was high that morning, everyone being interested in hearing about the instructor's recent experience judging at a tournament. Master Pitik, and almost everyone else, greeted Chilena warmly; but Alipang's delusional friend Tyrone only glowered at both Havens siblings. He was, indeed, also glowering at the few white persons present besides Chilena. Aware of how Tyrone had been propagandized into seeing evil white supremacists behind every tree, Master Pitik did not allow the surly boy to spar with any of his white classmates that morning. But even facing Gilberto, the Hispanic son of Police Chief Costamesa--thus, an "establishment" figure--the anger-intoxicated young African-American showed a disturbing aggressiveness that suggested a real desire to hurt someone.

Finally, Pitik Imada played his hole card, saying in everyone's hearing, "Tyrone, you are not short on determination and energy; but you need to work on discipline and self-control. I'll give you an opportunity right now." The next words were for the class at large. "Everyone, we're going to demonstrate unarmed defense against armed attack. First Student, come here, please"--which was a summons to Alipang. "You, Al, will defend. Please choose what weapon Tyrone will use to _simulate_ trying to hurt you."

Chilena had not failed to observe Tyrone's hostile mood; his eleven-year-old sister Lacey had already whispered apologies for him to Chilena. Both girls assumed that Al would give Tyrone one of the totally harmless rubber knives or plastic batons...but instead, Al gave his opponent a real rattan Escrima stick. Lacey and Chilena unconsciously clutched each other's hands in uneasiness at this. "To give you the real feel of the moves while you're simulating," Alipang said, meaning his words purely at face value.

But Tyrone, who had been listening to the salesmen of inflated grievances for many months, chose to _make_ himself believe that Al's words were somehow a taunt, a belittling of the younger boy's skill. He chose this...because resentment and self-pity are extremely addictive. And choosing, he acted on his choice.

The first blow aimed at Alipang's head was not held back at all, it was aimed purposely to connect and to injure. Adding to Tyrone's blind rage was long-held pain over something not related to race: the way other kids had mocked his speech impediment. But the delicious enjoyment of the drug of anger allowed him to forget, willfully forget, that Alipang had often _defended_ him against such mockery. Tyrone, eager to accuse others of "hate," was himself revelling in a hate which he was choosing to feel by his own free will. And the hate fed on itself as Alipang easily fended off every attack, his hand somehow getting past the baton each time to parry the attacking arm and wrist. "Take it easy, Tyrone," Al hissed at one point; but the fact that Al was not bothering to retaliate against the failed attacks only led the attacker's ego to choose to believe that even this non-retaliation was an insult. He added kicks to his baton attacks--also intended to strike and inflict harm--but with no better success. Against Alipang, he might as well have been trying to capture water with tweezers.

"Halt!" Pitik suddenly exclaimed, moving in and taking the stick away from Tyrone. "Thank you, Al, that was well done. Tyrone, I will warn you just once: when you are told to perform non-contact sparring, that _means_ non-contact sparring. Strength without self-control has no place in any martial arts school."

But the emotional state which Tyrone had intentionally chosen to be in, was now taking over his intentions. Because he had knowingly preferred to be unreasonable, his own preference now took him over the line, talking back to Master Pitik in his own training room. With an obscenity as preamble, he spouted, "He, he, he don't, he don't, don't want CHANGE! He, he AGAINST change! He like, like, like them, them racist __________s!"

Tyrone's cursing turned into a squawk as his thumb was caught and bent close to, but not actually to, the breaking point. "You have gone too far," said Master Pitik in a deadly-cold voice. Hauling the now-whimpering Tyrone after him, Pitik went to a telephone placed in one corner of the basement, dialed with his free hand, and spoke to Tyrone's mother. "Mrs. Paulson? This is Pitik Imada. I regret to tell you that your son has repeatedly disobeyed orders to behave like a civilized person, even trying to hurt a fellow student on purpose, and he is now expelled from my Escrima school. Please come at once and take Tyrone home. Lacey has done nothing wrong, and is welcome to stay; but I cannot have a student whose rebellion makes him dangerous to others."

Lacey wept in Chilena's arms. Knowing that their parents were among Tyrone's leading teachers in the arts of race-card playing and all-around self-pity, she knew she would now be withdrawn from the class against her will. But not being willfully delusional like her brother, Lacey realized that Master Pitik could not have done otherwise than to expel him.

Alipang also wept, something he almost never did.





 
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Over an early lunch, before going to work at the Pansit Paradise, Alipang had the chance to tell his father about the incident with Tyrone. Eric Havens listened sadly, then told his son, "I wish I could say I was surprised. I never told you this, Al, but in the many times I've given dental service to the Paulson family at the Free Clinic, the parents have behaved _worse_ than that illegal-immigrant woman you saw that time you were at the clinic with me, the one whose little daughter had broken teeth. Mr. and Mrs. Paulson showed even _more_ of that strutting sense of entitlement, as if everything I was giving them for free not only was _rightfully_ theirs, but was barely even good enough.

"And we're going to see still more of that in America now, son."


Later, when work allowed, Alipang also told Kim about the one-sided ending of his friendship with Tyrone. "He did you a favor by showing you what he is, Al," said Kim sympathetically. "That's _better_ than if he had gone on _claiming_ to be your friend, but started increasingly pressuring you to side with him in conflicts where he was in the wrong. I lost half of my few female friends in my junior year, because they nagged me and nagged me to agree with them openly and loudly in their arguing FOR abortion. You know that abortion is against my conscience, but _they_ were the ones who forced the issue. Yet they also claimed to be the 'tolerant' ones; only tolerant if you were on their side. Guess what, though? Peggy, that's right, I mean my Goth friend, came over to the pro-life side, and _that's _why she and I have stayed friends.

"Al, if Tyrone had stuck with you, and had continued to be a walking stack of race cards, sooner or later he would have demanded that you be with him against 'Whitey.' Against your parents; against Chilena; against me. Even against someone like Sammy Ashford; he would be calling Sammy an Oreo cookie."

Alipang was more wilted than Kim could remember seeing him. "You're right, Kim. At least Tyrone can't stop me from praying for him."

"Can't stop US," Kim corrected. "WE will pray for him. After all, you joined in praying for Betsy. But I must say, Al, this is all terribly devious of you." Her tone was changing to a lighter one.

"Devious?" Al dully echoed, barely finding the energy to add the question mark. He definitely was depressed about Tyrone; Kim saw that her impulsively-conceived cheer-up gesture was timely indeed.

"Yes, devious. It was a cunning plan of yours, getting Tyrone to behave so badly just hours before the next time you would see me, so your pain over it would still be fresh and moving....so that I would feel sorry for you...and then I would do THIS." Kim's hands entrapped Al's head, left and right, and at once she leaned into him. In the full view of the Imadas, Maria Ramos, and the one currently-occupied booth... Kim Tisdale kissed Alipang Havens directly on the mouth.

The mouth thus kissed was left hanging open like a pickup truck's tailgate, as Alipang stared in astonishment, but a much more cheerful astonishment.

"Now, Al, we have an overdue Shakespeare quote coming," Kim told him brightly, as her mind happily noted that yes, a kiss from her _could_ affect a male. "You were the ideal gentleman when we went to the movies, but you never claimed your Shakespeare-quoting rights at the time. So how about it, Alipang of Avon?"

Recovering himself, Alipang nodded. "Okay, then. This is from The Twelfth Night:

"Lady, you are the cruellest she alive,
If you will lead these graces to the grave,
And leave the world no copy."

This was turnabout, and fair play. Kim was as profoundly affected by the implications of this excerpt as if it had been Al who had kissed her by surprise. But newly arriving customers rescued them both.
 
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*Big grin!* That was great. I wish I had read that part sooner. Like Al, you made me change from one strong emotion to another opposite emotion in the most powerful snap of a finger I've heard. Lol. Very good, Mister.
 
Among the Saturday evening diners at the Filipino restaurant was Erin Conrad, the snake enthusiast, on a date with none other than Alipang's church buddy Pete Gordon. Waiting on them, Kim had questions for both.

"Erin, has your Mom started on a new novel yet?"

Erin's voice was lowered. " Yes....I'm embarrassed to say it, I swear it's just coincidence....but the plot is kind of close to your sister's situation. I mean, as much as you could see in the papers." It was no secret from the public that Baeline Tisdale's boyfriend Garth Bollinger had been arrested for his part in theft and insurance fraud in the freight business. "Honest, Mom had already begun the book before Mr. Bollinger was arrested."

Kim shrugged. "So is the heroine of the new book the girlfriend of a businessman who gets arrested?"

"Wife, now; Mom changed that just this week, and also made her older, to _lessen_ the resemblance to your sister."

"Tell your mother I thank her on Betsy's behalf."

"I will. At least the heroine herself is shown in a good light: conducts herself bravely and intelligently when the top crooks kidnap her to prevent her husband from turning state's evidence against them."

Not until after performing more server duties did Kim get her chance to question Pete. "I listen to your sister on WVVV from time to time. I haven't heard her saying anything lately about the attacks being made by public broadcasting against Christian radio. Is that blowing over?"

Pete frowned at the thought of what his admired big sister Amy was facing. "Not really; it's more like the eye of the hurricane is _passing_ over. The storm will hit again after the new administration takes office. Amy's boss, Mr. Grundzig, says we can expect to see phony 'hate crime' legislation rammed through Congress next year, precisely tailored to shut up Christians."

Kim told Alipang about her conversation with Erin and Pete before they parted company after closing. This, plus the marvel of Kim's kiss, gave Alipang plenty to tell Chilena about when he saw her at home--not quite a formal downstairs meeting, but still good sibling talk.

Chilena was delighted for Alipang that Kim had finally one time given him what Dan Salisbury had by now given many times to Chilena. At least, 51 percent of Chilena was delighted. It was the other 49 percent of Chilena which clung especially hard to her brother at their goodnight on the landing.
 
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Early on Sunday morning, Quinn Kramer was checking his e-mail when one surprising message came in. Its subject line read:

PLEASE PLEASE QUINN READ THIS DON'T DELETE UNREAD

The sender's address was unfamiliar; but the first sentence in the body of the message made things clear....

Dear Son,

I'm using my husband's e-mail account to write to you, because your father seems to have blocked me from your Inbox. But I'm not saying this to attack your father. I'm sorry I tried to turn you against him, that was a mistake. It's just that I miss you so much.

Craig has been away on business, and in that time I've come closer to you than you realized. I've been in Smoky Lake, several times in fact! I've had a few chances to talk with people who know your father. So I know how popular he is with teenagers now. "Deputy Dawg"--who would have expected it? But still without attacking your father, what is he trying to prove, going into law enforcement? What if he died? Well, if he died, I would be here for you; but he should think about your happiness.

Quinn darling, if I promise not to criticize your father anymore, couldn't you try to persuade him to let me see you? Just see you, even for a short visit?

Love, Mom

The boy gave some thought and prayer to a reply...then began typing, with no salutation or signature.

Maybe something has changed since the days you left me unwatched so you could go party. Dad says people can change. So I'll offer you a deal, and it's the best offer you're going to get from me.

Our Baptist church has a ministry to divorced persons. They teach that, although sometimes restoration is impossible, salvation remains possible. Even though you are married to Craig now and you can't turn back time, Jesus offers His forgiveness to you, too. The day you convince me that you have received Jesus as your Lord, I will ask Dad to allow you to see me, under conditions of his choosing. Until then, the only words from you that I will give any answer to are if you ask me questions about how to receive Jesus.

It wasn't Dad who blocked you. I did it myself. But I'll remove your own address from my blocked list, so you can write to me with your own account again. Only for the good of your eternal soul.
 
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At Redemption Free Church, Melody and Harmony Havens enjoyed a moment in the spotlight, as together they sang "Amazing Grace" in Mandarin Chinese. After this, Alipang was startled to hear Pastor Stetzer preaching about God's use of dreams: for example, when Joseph in the Gospel of Matthew was warned in a dream to get the baby Jesus out of Israel.

When church was letting out, Alipang asked his family to wait while he raised a question to the pastor.

"Sir, did you ever get a specific warning in a dream? Like of danger?"

Tom Stetzer nodded. "Once. About fourteen years ago. I dreamed about being in a car that skidded on ice and crashed. It was so vivid, that I postponed a trip Isobel and I were going to take. Later we heard that there had been bad freezing rain in the area we would have driven through; so acting upon the dream and postponing the drive _possibly_ saved us from an accident. Why do you ask?"

"Because I have intense dreams all the time; but usually they're crazy fantasy scenes, like with me being a comicbook superhero. But last night, I dreamed an unusually plain and realistic situation--about Kim's sister Betsy."

"What, something related to her boyfriend being arrested for theft and fraud?"

"Yes, sir. And what was unusual, for MY dreaming, was that there _weren't_ any monsters or spaceships or other mixed images. I dreamed a straight dramatic situation, in which criminals involved with the freight-company scam came to the Pansit Paradise when the Tisdales were eating there, and kidnapped Betsy as a way to pressure Garth Bollinger into not turning state's evidence against them."

Tom smiled. "No offense, Al, but that sounds as if it only came from you hearing about Mrs. Conrad's new suspense novel that has a similar situation in it."

The Filipino boy was unconvinced. "Honestly, sir, I've thought about that already. But in the normal pattern of my dreams, there still should have been some far-out element added, like everything happening inside a circus tent, with the kidnappers disguised as clowns. As it was, everything stood out by being realistic."

"Have you mentioned the dream to Kim?"

"No, because her mother _already_ has the same worry for Betsy. She spoke to the police; they said they're keeping an eye on all potential suspects who might have a motive to threaten Garth Bollinger through Betsy."

"In that case, Al, the only thing I can add is not terribly original: keep on covering the Tisdales with prayer, and keep your eyes open for anything that might be worth reporting to the police."

"Yes, sir; thank you, sir;" and Alipang rejoined his family.
 
No immediate peril to Baeline Tisdale reared its head in the next few days; but Alipang never quit praying for his potential sister-in-law. (He didn't know if Kim had thought so far ahead as that possibility, but he certainly had.)

Christmas week of 2008 was quite mild in Virginia, which suited Alipang. On Monday night, with no work at the Pansit Paradise, he and the whole Havens family joined a carolling troupe, which also included Kim and the other Tisdales, Dan and his mother, Summer Heron and her boyfriend Evan, Wilson Kramer and his son, Brendan and Jennifer, Suri and Gilberto, Sammy Ashford, and Harry and Kwai Richardson. They gathered in General Longstreet Park and planned their walking route.

Finding her boyfriend (for she was at least growing accustomed to thinking of Alipang thus, though as yet no kissing between them had originated on his side, because she had not encouraged it) in a pensive mood, Kim threw her arms around him and playfully shook him. "Where's your Christmas cheer, Al? In case you haven't noticed, I'm here with you."

Alipang made so bold as to hug her back. "I'm sorry for being down, Kim. I'm still feeling bad about Tyrone."

"Careful how you say that, Al; I might have to drag you under the mistletoe. But for now, don't you have a Shakespeare quote to vent your feelings?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. From The Winter's Tale:

" '.....But thus: if powers divine
Behold our human actions, as they do,
I doubt not then but innocence shall make
False accusation blush and tyranny
Tremble at patience.'

"I recite that in the hope that someday Tyrone will have the sense to be embarrassed at his idiotic accusations against me, not to mention his actions."

"Try to believe that he will someday, Al." They were still standing with their arms around each other, neither of them noticing that an increasing number of their companions were looking at them.

"You're right, Kim." Alipang still looked thoughtful. "All things are possible with God....Maybe something here and now can help my faith." Without any more warning than Kim had given him the last time they had been discussing Tyrone, Alipang swiftly but softly captured Kim's dark-chocolate hair and oval face between his hands--

And Alipang Havens kissed Kim Tisdale directly on the mouth.

As Kim in turn dropped _her_ jaw, Alipang said, "Now I _know_ all things are possible!"

Those words had hardly left his mouth before a roar of applause and cheering burst forth from the whole crowd of carollers around them. Reminded of the onlookers, Alipang and Kim stepped sheepishly apart, the fairer-skinned Kim blushing desperately.

"We could hardly start on any happier note than that!" laughed Kim's mother.
 
Never having developed a singing voice worth mentioning, Alipang made his contribution by beating a tambourine borrowed from the church on the livelier songs--for he did at least have a sense of rhythm, cultivated in part through Chilena teaching him to dance.

The group was large enough that Mr. Kramer could stay on the opposite side from Elizabeth Tisdale without being obvious about it. During the transition from one block to another, Quinn Kramer left his father's side to speak with Alipang. "Al, you'll never guess what's been happening!"

"In that case, tell me."

"My mother has been asking me questions by e-mail, about how to believe in Jesus and have Him as her Savior. She might be only pretending to be interested, but the Holy Spirit can still cultivate her heart even if she _was_ only faking at first."

"So He can, Quinn, and that's what we'll pray for."

Later in the evening, Harmony, by far the youngest child on the outing, grew tired; so Alipang carried her in his arms for the rest of the time they were walking outdoors, yielding the tambourine to Sammy Ashford.

When the carollers returned to Longstreet Park to disperse, Alipang--still holding his drowsy little sister--said quietly to Kim, "Don't worry: I won't automatically expect to be allowed to do that every time we're together."

"You're a good man, Shakespeare," Kim replied with a twinkle in her eyes; "but that one didn't do any harm. I don't expect I'll keep you waiting for the next one any longer than, oh, Valentine's Day..."

"Of 2011, right?" Alipang teased back.

She laughed....suddenly kissed his cheek....and said goodnight.
 
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Although Alipang and Chilena were no longer having nightly downstairs meetings, neither had they formally abolished the meetings. During an interval while Chilena was at the Salisbury house with Dan, Alipang finished wrapping the last of the Christmas presents he was giving to other members of the household. Then, when Chilena came home, she and her brother waited, without the need of a spoken suggestion, for everyone else to go to bed.

Then, as if there had never been any interruption in the old routine of nightly meetings, Alipang sat down on "their" couch, and Chilena sat once more on his lap with her arms around his neck and his arms around her waist. They simply sat thus, immersed in a love which did not need to be restated, until Chilena finally whispered:

"Wonder Twin powers, activate!"

Their mouths came together for about four seconds, after which they leaned forehead to forehead.

"The kiss you gave to Kim was shorter than that. So was it the very first one with her that you started?"

"Afraid so." Alipang rubbed noses with his sister, then dropped his gaze from hers. "I imagine....I guess by now, you've allowed Dan to give you _longer_ kisses than what you and I ever do."

"A few times, yeah." Chilena dropped her eyes also. "The oranges are coming into their own. But the apples will never be forgotten. May I listen to your heartbeat?"

"At your service."

Chilena kept her ear at her brother's firm, scarred chest for half a minute before saying, "Even though Kim's going slow, I really think she's liking you more all the time. I'm glad for you, honestly I am; but still, well, you know..." They both tightened their arms around each other, trading several kisses to cheeks or noses. Then: "But Al, what _will_ you and Kim do after she graduates from East?"

"I don't know yet, Chil; but with the Tisdales' finances, Kim won't be able to go to any live-in college, let alone one far away. She'll probably just enroll at Doverwood Community College, which will mean she and I can still see each other, assuming she still wants to. And if my homeschooling credits do enough for me, I might be able to graduate East myself the school year after this one, instead of two years after. That will reduce the age-gap effect."

"And how about the dentist effect? What happens when you finish regular college, and have to go someplace for dental school?"

"Then everything I've already learned from Dad should enable me to graduate early from there, too."

Chilena gave him a fake-angry smacking kiss on the lips. "Stop it! You know that's not what I'm talking about! I mean, what'll happen between you and Kim then?"

"How do I know? Jesus told us not to be anxious about tomorrow. If Kim and I are meant to be married eventually, God will provide a way to work things out. Just as He'll make a way in any similar problems for you and Dan, if he's the man God planned for you."

Chilena blushed prettily. "I think he is, Al....though of course I still pray for God's will about it."

The remainder of this downstairs meeting, right through the multiple goodnight kisses on the landing, was no more emotional than had been typical for them; and there was no stairway fight. But their having had another downstairs meeting at all mattered to them both.
 
On the afternoon before Christmas Eve, the former Lorraine Kramer left her computer logged into her e-mail while mixing drinks for the return of her current husband Craig Verble from his office.

This resulted in Craig seeing what Lorraine had just received from her son Quinn.

Which in turn resulted in a lively discussion.

"Lorraine, darling, do you feel satisfied with me?"

"Of course I do; why do you even ask?"

"Because when you made your escape from G.I. Joe, you said you were grateful to be free from all his religious ________ ; but now you're letting his son write more of the same ________ to you!"

Lorraine didn't bother protesting against Craig having read her e-mail; she knew that he spied on his underlings at work, so much so that he regarded it as his royal prerogative. Instead, she replied, "Quinn is MY son too, not only Wilson's; I have to be interested in what matters to him."

Craig frowned. "What happened to self-fulfillment first? I left old ties behind for you, because we could be partners in self-fulfillment. Isn't it a bit late to be looking over your shoulder?"

"I'm not looking over my shoulder, sweetheart; I'm looking over Quinn's shoulder, taking a peek into his life. You shouldn't feel threatened by that."

"What I'm afraid of is a threat to YOU, Lorraine. Afraid that all those ugga-bugga tribal superstitions might get a foothold in your mind after all. Christmas season is a prime time for those religious guilt trips; I'm glad that my office prohibits the word 'Christmas.' "

The further course of the conversation continued to be uneasy, but never escalated into an angry quarrel. Still, Craig emerged from it feeling a little more justified in the pleasure he was deriving lately from being around that fake-blonde software designer Winona at the office....
 
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The Pansit Paradise was open on Christmas Eve--largely because Pitik Imada, Rafael's brother and Alipang's Escrima instructor, had chosen it as the scene for a Christmas Eve dinner for his employees at his tax-accounting business with their families. When this was over, at about 7:00 p.m., Rafael dismissed the hard-working Maria Ramos for the night, along with the part-time servers and the cooks. He and Carmen would perform any cooking still to be done that night, while Kim and Alipang waited on any last customers.

The scene became a family scene, as the otherwise empty tables were gradually reoccupied by the Ashford family, including Al's buddy Sammy and Sammy's kid sister Vonetta...then Al's sister Chilena with Dan...Al's quasi-sister Summer with Evan....and last to arrive, Kim's mother Elizabeth...with Baeline, alias Betsy. This assemblage having mostly been on the recent carolling excursion, they ended up singing a few carols again between placing orders.

Alipang was serving the Ashfords their entrees when the two additional Tisdale women entered. A steely chill ran through him. As soon as he had his hands free, and while Kim was handing menus to her mother and sister (who mentioned that Susan and Sharon were minding the animals and making preparations for that family's Christmas Day dinner), he went straight to the front door and stepped outside.

His eyes ran all over the strip mall, its parking lot, and the adjoining street. Nothing seemed to be amiss; but his jungle-slum instincts would not quit shouting at him.

Back inside: "Mrs. Tisdale, forgive my asking, but as you drove here from your house, did you see anyone appearing to follow you?"

"No..." Suddenly Elizabeth registered what he must be thinking. She grabbed his arm in a way that reminded him of Kim. "Oh, Al, don't fret yourself over that suspense novel of Mrs. Conrad's! If any crooks were going to try to shut Garth up with a threat against Betsy, they would have needed to get started sooner."

Alipang was not reassured. "Not necessarily. Trials can drag on for ages. They might not even have gotten to the testimonies yet, and the crooks would know that..."

Kim had not frowned at Alipang for a long time, but she frowned now, though Betsy showed no sign of being upset. "Stop it, Al, you're going to scare my sister!"

"Kim, I'm scared. Mrs. Tisdale, would you please humor me this far?--call your house and make sure Susan and Sharon are all right there."

Elizabeth nodded. "You mean well, Al, so I will." She dialled her house, and soon was able to report to him, "They're perfectly safe."

Alipang went back to waiting on the Ashfords and on Dan and Chilena; but he couldn't keep his eyes away from the door and windows. Not much later, Summer Heron beheld her friend lifting something from a corner: a dry-chemical fire extinguisher. "Is it a fire hazard that Al's worried about?" she asked Kim, who was serving her and Evan.

"I hope that he's worried about nothing," Kim replied.

Alipang asked his sister's boyfriend, "Dan, what would you do if I shouted, 'Everyone down on the floor'?"

Dan stared at him for an instant, then answered, "I would know that you wouldn't do that as a joke...and I would pull Chilena down on the floor with me."

"Good answer," muttered Al, while breaking the restraining band off the squeeze-handle of the fire extinguisher. He then set the object in an easily reachable spot, and checked on the Ashfords again....
 
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