Johnny and Kim Ch. 02

It sometime seemed a little too good to be true. A pretty woman was cooking a lot of his meals and sleeping with him often. He had met a few locals that were looking for a meal ticket; Kim sure didn't seem like one of them. Her beauty was natural; she didn't use a lot of makeup to doll herself up. Her talk of marriage was very matter of fact. She just believed it would happen. And he had come to believe it himself.

But today was weird. A couple of weeks ago, he put in the paperwork to get permission to marry Kim. He had not really made up his mind about marriage but getting permission wasn't an obligation. But he expected it to take time. So he got it out of the way.

As he entered his bungalow, the smell of dinner was wonderful! Kim was such a fantastic cook.

"I'm home!"

"I'm home too!"

He crossed to the kitchen area and kissed Kim. Then he went to shower before they ate. This did not take long and the meal was on the table as he sat with Kim.

"How was your day?" He asked innocently enough.

"Good. Something came up with Papa yesterday."

Kim was feeling a bit squirmish. She never lied to Johnny and did not want to get caught now. While she told no lies, she had not told him things he did not need to know. But now she knew something that he did not want her to know. It was not her fault.

When she did not continue, he asked "So what happened."

She had told him that she translated for Papa in his business but she had been vague about what his business. She didn't want to tell him but she could see no way to avoid it.

"If I tell you then you will know things you may not want to know."

Now Johnny was puzzled! "What kind of things?"

Definitely no way out of it!

"Nothing bad. But there are things about my family I have not told you. I would ask you to trust me but trust is not needed. I am happy. You are happy. We stay happy is you not know but you are too smart not to want to know. So I must tell you now. I wish we could marry and move away and you not know. We stay happy."

Tears were forming in Kim's eyes as she talked. She really was happy. But now things would probably change.

Johnny was concerned when he saw the tears.

"Kim, you don't have to tell me. I am happy. I can't imagine what you could tell me that would change that."

Kim was certain that now was the time to tell all. "How was your day?"

"A little weird. I didn't tell you this but a couple of weeks ago, I put in the paperwork to get permission to marry you. It's a requirement before we can marry. But it doesn't mean I have to marry you. Or that I've decided. But it takes time so I just got that started."

Johnny continued. "Except it didn't. Didn't take time. It's done. And the CO called me to his office for the approval. That does not happen! The base CO does not get personally involved in these things."

Kim answered. "I know. He call Papa. I was translating. At least at start! I stopped when I realized it was about me - or us, I stopped."

Now Johnny was really puzzled! "Why would the CO call your papa about this?"

"Papa is important government official. Navy saw his name on paperwork and it got extra attention."

"Your papa is important. But your house is not..."

"Papa says we live humble. Not be stuck up."

Johnny was a bit stunned and at a loss for words.

"I not important. Don't want to be. I only want to be important to you and our children. I am just Kim. Not like to date men that know about Papa. They not want me; they want to be important."

Johnny had to think on that. Finally, he asked, "What did your papa have to say about it."

"Not very happy. He think I plan to marry you and leave. I'm only child; hard for him. Hard for Mama. I already talk to Mama. She understands. She'll make it okay with Papa."

"How?"

"She understands that I cannot be who I want to be here. You saw what happened today. You got attention because of me. You want attention?"

"No!"

"That why I love you. You not want attention or be important. You be important to me. Good enough!"

"I see."

"One thing. If Mama cannot fix, you may be transferred away. If you and I marry, you will never be transferred away."

"I don't care how important your Papa is, he does not carry that kind of weight in the U.S. Navy!"

"Does not require importance. Requires knowing right people. Having right people owe favor. Or right person wanting favor owed. If person like you needed somewhere, you will be at top of list. Or not on it at all."

"You believe this?"

"I'm his interpreter. It is fact. You like it here?"

Johnny gave that some thought. It was true that his superiors made decisions based on lists. And he was certain that lists could be manipulated. Like it here? It was tropical. As bases go, very small and lacking any kind of big city you could spend the day at. But a 3 day pass and an open seat on a plane could get you a day in the big city. The beach was great. Being stuck here was probably one of the better bases to be stuck at.

"I like it here!"

"If you transferred, you take me with you?"

"That may be expensive!"

"I pay my way. I have money."

"I may not be able to take you. There are immigration laws. We could marry and then I could. But we discussed that. I am not going to marry you so I can help you run away from home."

"All true. It will not come to that. Momma won't allow it. But..."

"Sorry. NO buts!"

Kim could see he was firm on that. He was probably right; threatening Papa would not go well.

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Kim asked Papa not to do anything against Johnny. She told him that she loved him and if he hurt him then he would hurt her. Papa did insist they not live together until married. It was small thing.

Eventually, Johnny proposed and they planned their wedding. Okay, she planned their wedding. Johnny insisted that weddings were a bride thing; he would do whatever she wanted. He said that but refused when she asked him to do silly things. They laughed!

She thought of moving but bungalow was good location. Eventually, the would have baby and they would move. Only problem was that she thought of it as Johnny's place and not theirs. But she decided that was on her. It would be their home. To small for all her things but many things were not needed often.

She was bothered that Johnny refused to tell his family about wedding until just before. He said that too many would insist on coming to wedding. That would be way too expensive for them. They would have ceremony with his family in the states.

Eventually, all the paperwork was done and they were married. After that, their marriage was recognized by U.S. embassy and they were on their way.