The Black Rose Legacy Ch. 05

Then that same roar that came out on the ship issued from deep inside me again -- something fueled by my fury, so raw and savage that I couldn't control it, more suited for the wilderness than this small space. Dr. Nguyen's complexion became pale with fear. Good!

My blood was now pounding in my ears; I was breathing hard, my fists clenching and unclenching. All my life I'd been easy-going and good natured; I'd never felt this way until I rescued Tuyen, and had to admit I really liked it. I was ready to fight! If my fury hadn't been dormant while I was in the Coast Guard and I'd lost control like this, I could have faced a court-martial.

Dr. Nguyen held his now-shaking hands up in surrender, his voice calm trying to soothe my rage, and he apologized. "I'm very sorry if I upset you, Mr. Heller, please take a seat and allow me to explain."

My fury dialed back to simmering, I sat as requested, but blurted out, "You have 5 minutes."

"The Little Saigon district is, for all intents and purposes, a small village," he began, "filled with many people who fled Vietnam to escape the Communists but miss their homes terribly. By bringing a live Batutut here, you've brought a small piece of their former home to them, and a rare one at that. Once word gets out, our community will feel a responsibility for Tuyen's well-being. As their ombudsman, my purpose in questioning you was to ascertain your intentions. You've certainly proven beyond any doubt that her happiness is your top priority."

I could feel the fury slowly draining out of me. Cooling down, I nodded at Dr. Nguyen and told him, "I get what you were trying to do, but provoking me into a rage was a really stupid way to go about it. Living with Tuyen has brought out primal and dangerous emotions in me that even I didn't know I had; I'm still getting used to controlling them."

For the first time, the old man smiled. "Call it a calculated risk, Mr. Heller, but I knew the odds were in my favor. A man does not typically live to be my age without becoming a good judge of character, and the way you've treated Tuyen was immediate evidence of the goodness in you. Nonetheless, for the sake of the girl's well-being, it was necessary to test you. As you say, she's endured too much suffering already."

Now that the rage was leaving and my adrenaline dropped, I found myself bone-weary. Suddenly, I distinctly felt Tuyen's absence and wanted -- no, needed - her with me again. Impatient to get this over with, I asked, "OK, now what, Doctor?"

"While Tuyen's identification documents that you requested are being drawn up, I would like to take her to the clinic and give her a full physical. I'm told she looks a bit undernourished; her complexion color seems a little washed out. We want to get any deficiencies corrected, to avoid serious health problems in the future. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Of course, but..." before I could get any further, the phone on Dr. Nguyen's desk rang. He immediately picked it up.

"Yes. Yes. I see. We'll be right there." He hung up, then stood quickly. "That was my sister, Mrs. Troung. Come, Mr. Heller. We're needed at the dress shop."

We quickly ran next door to Golden Day Fashions, and as soon as we got inside, a taller and older woman -- presumably Mrs. Troung, since she resembled Dr. Nguyen -- and Bian ran over. Bian quickly filled us in. "I told Tuyen while you met with Dr. Nguyen, she and I would go get pretty clothes for her. She hesitated at first, so I insisted it would make you happy to see her wearing them. She seemed a little nervous being away from you, but I assured her you were close by and would come back when you were finished."

"So what happened?"

"We picked out a few nice things together, but after about a half-hour, Tuyen began to panic, questioning if you'd abandoned her. I told her that you wouldn't do that, but when a TV news traffic helicopter flew overhead, she became hysterical. From what I gather, during the war she'd have to hide when the American helicopter gunships came to attack North Vietnamese military forces."

I shook my head, sighing at the possibility my jungle-born clingy girlfriend might also have PTSD issues. Life with Tuyen seemed to get more complex every day.

Bian pointed towards the fitting rooms in the back. "She was so terrified that she went into the fitting room to hide, refusing to come out. The door's not locked, but Tuyen's crying and holding onto the doorknob; she's so strong we can't pull it open."

I walked back to the fitting rooms, Bien and Dr. Nguyen following close behind. All the doors stood open, save one. I walked up to the door and tapped on it, softly calling, "Tuyen, it's Manny. I'm here, please come out."

Bian translated, "Tôi đây. Xin hãy ra ngoài."

I heard her sob, then call out, "Tại sao mày bỏ rơi tao?"

Bian quickly translated, "She wants to know why you left her."

I shook my head and sighed. "Tell her I was speaking to a doctor about checking her health. Tell her I love her, and will never abandon her."

Bian explained, "Anh ấy đang nói chuyện với bác sĩ về sức khỏe của bạn. Anh ấy yêu bạn, và sẽ không bao giờ bỏ rơi bạn!"

The door burst open, and suddenly my arms were filled with a crying Batutut. Tuyen was clinging to me so tightly that for a moment I couldn't breathe. Stroking her hair, I kissed the top of her head until her sobbing subsided. Once she stopped crying, she kissed me and said in a soft voice, "Xin đừng bao giờ rời xa tôi!"

Bian leaned in and quietly told me, "This should hardly be a surprise to you, Romeo, but your girl just begged you never to leave her again."

Without thinking I stroked Tuyen's face, hoping the gesture meant the same thing in Batutut as it did in Sasquatch. My girl's powerful (and loud!) emotions were all new to me, as the Sasquatch women in my family were much more subdued about their feelings. If they felt love, they'd touch your face. If they felt sadness, they'd just get very quiet, or isolate themselves. Tuyen was just the opposite. Her pain was more intense, her passions ran deeper, her joy more explosive, and her devotion to me was off the charts.

Her separation anxiety now addressed, I took Tuyen's hand and followed Dr. Nguyen into the Medical Facility. We held hands through every exam as the medical team checked her out: the blood draw, the dental exam, the physical exam, and even the gynecological exam. I was really surprised that Tuyen allowed her feet to be placed in stirrups, but the female OB-GYN spoke to her calmly, explaining in Vietnamese everything that was being done; for my part, I stroked her forehead with my free hand and kept telling her how wonderful and brave she was in English, but I did it in a soothing voice, so I hoped it helped.

While the medical team compiled their results, Tuyen and I went back to Mrs. Truong's shop so the tailor could get her measurements. That done, I took her back to Dr. Nguyen's office the test results. Everything looked great, overall, although her blood tests showed she was low in vitamin D and iron. They provided some multi-vitamins and made some dietary recommendations, and we were done.

On the drive back, we stopped at a pizza place and ordered two extra-large supreme combo pizzas; Greg, Bian and I split one, while Tuyen had the other. It had been a big day for Tuyen, and I sensed she needed some extra attention, so I had Greg drive my van while I curled up on the bed in the back and held her. After venting my fury at Dr. Nguyen, my natural instincts were now demanding I couple with my mate, but it would have to wait until we got home.

++++++++++

Tuesday night when Tuyen and I had gotten back from dinner, the notification light was blinking on my Radio Shack DuoFone Tad-26 answering machine. Since few people ever called me, I assumed it was my mother. Sure enough, there was a message from her: "Hi, Manny, I'll be arriving at the Salinas Amtrak station Thursday at 11:30, so please pick me up." OK, I'd do that.

But there was also another message, one I didn't expect. "Mr. Heller, this is Dr. Nguyen in San Jose. The documentation you requested is ready for pickup. When you come, I'll need a few minutes with you to discuss a business proposition. Please be here Friday by 1pm."

This was lining up to be an interesting week.

Thursday morning, Tuyen and I had breakfast, which somehow led to post-breakfast coupling. Despite the carnal distraction, we managed to get showered and dressed in time to arrive in the parking lot just as the Coast Starlight pulled into the station. Tuyen clung to my waist, seemingly a little overwhelmed by the massive train and the horde of people getting on and off. I put my arm around her shoulders as we waited, assuring her she was safe with me. "Mọi thứ đều tốt, bạn an toàn với tôi."

As she stepped off the train, there was no mistaking my mother. At 6'7", she stuck out in a crowd. She spotted me at the same time. Shouting, "MANNY," she broke into a grin, and ran towards me, her wheeled suitcase trailing behind her. Her embrace was more akin to being tackled by a linebacker, and I wondered how my father survived their years together without having his ribs broken.

She let me go, and calmer now, she turned to Tuyen and said warmly, "You must be Tuyen!" Taking both of Tuyen's hands, she stepped back and looked my girl up and down. "LOOK at you," she gushed as she lovingly caressing my girls' face. "You're so beautiful! No wonder Manny is crazy about you!" Even though Mom was speaking rapidly and in English, the look on Tuyen's face told me she was flattered by this older woman's praise.

I was thrown a little off-balance by my mother's out-of-character reaction. Mom could be happy, sure, but it was always quietly happy. She seldom raised her voice, even when scolding me. Now here she was on the loading platform, loudly displaying affection for my Batutut beauty, almost as if I'd been displaced from my 'favorite child' status!

Far from being intimidated, Tuyen appeared very comfortable with my mother's fawning over her. When my Mom stopped to take a breath, she told Mom "Bạn thật đẹp!"

I knew that phrase because it was one I'd been practicing! "She says you're beautiful, Mom."

Mom embraced Tuyen, and surprised the hell out of me by replying, "Bạn là một cô gái tuyệt vời!" Then she winked at me and said, "You're not the only one who has a Vietnamese phrase book, son. I just told her she's a wonderful girl!"

We stopped at a chicken fast food place and picked up a couple of 20-piece buckets on the way back home. Tuyen had finished one bucket off by the time we got back to my apartment which I thought might shock Mom; instead, she pulled some wet wipes out of her purse and lovingly wiped the grease off Tuyen's fingers and face, commenting "She certainly has a healthy appetite."

I was further shocked when we walked into the apartment; instead of holding my hand, Tuyen held Mom's. Then I reasoned it through. Tuyen lost her mother when she was young, had been alone in the jungle for years, now my 6'7" Mom shows up and treats her like a daughter. Of course Tuyen would bond with her. I loved both women, and they were both happy; a definite win for me all around.

Once we got inside, Mom got her suitcase unpacked in the guest bedroom while I got made some iced tea to go with our chicken. After we finished our lunch, Mom brought out a photo album and showed Tuyen pictures of our extended family. My sweetheart was fascinated by pictures of Grandma Tulip, Great Aunt Marigold, Great Aunt Daffodil, and second Cousin Gaius (9 years older, but physically could have been my twin).

But when she saw pictures of Great Uncle Julius (at 10' and 700 pounds, every inch a Sasquatch) and his son Augustus (a more svelte 8'6" and 585 pounds), she could barely look away. She kept whispering "Batutut", touching Mom's face, then mine repeatedly, and I could see her eyes welling up with tears. That's when it hit me: Tuyen was coming to grips with the fact that her life had changed significantly. From now on, she wouldn't be alone. She had a whole Sasquatch family now.

After we went to bed that night, Tuyen seemed more emotional than usual. Sensing this, as we kissed I entered her slowly, making love to her gently. Instead of her usual fireworks, she just made soft happy sounds as I pleasured her, and when she climaxed, she surprised me by crying softly afterwards. My strong girl was dealing with some equally strong feelings, so all I could think to do was sing the family love song to her until we both fell asleep.

Friday morning I managed to wake up before Tuyen, so I was able to make breakfast without my 250 pound helper hanging on me. Mom came out and sat at the table; I poured her a cup of coffee.

"You were awfully quiet last night," she teased, "although I heard your singing. That was sweet."

I felt my face flush. "I hope we didn't disturb you. I'd feel a little self-conscious if you'd overheard us coupling.

Mom laughed, "Oh, honey, I heard your Grandma Tulip and Grandpa Declan going at it so many times, overhearing you would hardly be disturbing. It was nice hearing you sing though, it reminded me of Ezra."

I confessed, "Usually Tuyen is quite loud when we couple, but last night she was very emotional, so we took it easy and were quiet. I think meeting you brought back memories of her mother, who died when she was very young."

"Oh, no, I wasn't aware. Poor thing. I suppose by now you've guessed that I absolutely adore her. I think she'll be a wonderful daughter-in-law." Mom thought for a second. "You are going to marry her, right?"

"I hadn't thought about it, but it makes sense." Mom scowled at that answer. Oops! I was in for it now.

Mom's voice got stern. "Hadn't thought about it? Germanicus Heller, this isn't the Pacific Northwest Wilderness in 1895! You've protected her, touched her face, and sung to her, so you'd damned well better marry her!" I felt about two inches tall by this point; it had been a very long time since my mother had scolded me, and frankly, I hadn't missed it.

She looked like she was just getting warmed up, but before she could get started, Tuyen rushed in and plopped herself into my lap. Even though I'd let her sleep in, she hated waking up alone and scolded me in Vietnamese before giving me a good morning kiss. I was getting laid into from both sides by my two favorite females. I hoped this wasn't a harbinger of the meeting with Dr. Nguyen this afternoon.

The first time I'd visited Little Saigon, people kept their distance, as if in fear of an actual Batutut walking in their midst. Now that it was Mom and I here with Tuyen, everybody was in the street, and they were not afraid. They surrounded the three of us, clearing a path through the crowd as we made our way down the sidewalk; several people offered us fresh fruit. I explained that giving gifts to a Batutut was thought to bring good fortune to the giver, which amused my mother no end. "I've never been a good-luck charm before," she said, laughing.

When I knocked, we were ushered in the same elderly Asian butler that had greeted me before. Directing Tuyen and my mother to have a seat in the penthouse foyer, he led me into a conference room with floor-to-ceiling windows that provided a panoramic view of the San Jose skyline.

There were five young Vietnamese men standing at the periphery of the room. They wore leather jackets and vests adorned with spikes and lengths of chain, some were dressed in t-shirts with leather pants, others wore torn jeans, and all were wearing black combat boots. Based on their apparel, I figured they were either a bunch of gay men stopping by on their way to a leatherman meet-up, or street gang members. (I leaned towards the latter, as they were a little too menacing for the former.)

Dr. Nguyen was seated on one side of the table, so I sat down in the leather chair across from him. He began by sliding an 18" by 23" brown envelope towards me. "The documents you requested for Tuyen are all in there," he said.

I took it, but didn't open it. It would be an insult to the man if I acted like I didn't trust him. "Thank you, Doctor. Your message mentioned you had a business proposition that you wanted to discuss. What's that about, exactly?"

"Mr. Heller, when we first met, you'd mentioned Tuyen was being delivered to some high-roller for his menagerie. It turns out this so-called titan of industry and I have some mutual business associates, and the word I got was he was extremely disappointed when he received word that the Panja Bhum had gone down, since his investment was lost. Then someone in our midst managed to leak word to the fellow that Tuyen is alive and well, and under my protection. He got word to me through one of our mutual associates that he is willing to pay handsomely to recover his investment."

Losing control, I bolted to my feet. "If you think..." But before I could get any further, the Doctor cut me off.

"Please, Mr. Heller, before you unleash your unpleasant inner savage, allow me to finish."

Since Dr. Nguyen had been decent enough thus far, I held my protective anger in check and sat back down as he continued. "I sent back word to the fellow -- his name is Donald Chapin, by the way - that while the Batutut he wanted was indeed alive and living in my territory, she was not mine to sell. However, I gave my assurances I would present his offer to the correct person on his behalf. That would be you."

The fury in me was simmering now. I stood up again, slowly this time, my heart beating faster. Once I stood, I heard the shuffling feet of the five punks around the room, as if preparing to move on me. More importantly, my Sasquatch nose now smelled their anxiety. They outnumbered me, but at the same time were very wary of what I could do. Good. Slowly sitting down again, I growled, "Go on, then, Dr. Nguyen, present your proposal."

"Mr. Chapin is offering $10 million cash in exchange for Tuyen, the money to be placed at your immediate disposal in an offshore bank account."

"So if I agree, I walk away with $10 million, leaving Tuyen to spend the rest of her life in a cage, is that it?"

Doctor Nguyen nodded his head ever-so-slightly. "Precisely."

"What if I don't agree?" I gestured at the leather-clad men. "Are your Village People here seriously stupid enough to try and take her from me?"

Dr. Nguyen chuckled. "Mr. Heller, please understand that I am merely acting as an ombudsman here, it's a mere professional courtesy to Mr. Chapin. I was asked to present the offer, which I have. If you do not accept it, then I will convey this back to its originator, and my part in this little drama ends." He wiped his palms together for emphasis, then continued, gesturing at his leathered up companions.

"Believe me, these young men have no intention of taking Tuyen from you, far from it; they are simply here at my behest. Knowing your reactions can be quite, shall we say, visceral, when it comes to Tuyen, I thought it prudent to have them with me to ensure my own protection. In the past, I've helped the families of every one of them. While it's true they are members of the San Jose Viet Boys social club, despite their rough appearance they are quite loyal to me." Spreading his hands out on the table, he asked, "So what is your answer, Mr. Heller?"

Shaking my head, I sighed. "If you brought the Vietnamese boy band version of New Edition to protect you, Doctor Nguyen, then you already know what my answer is."

"What I may think is irrelevant, Mr. Heller. I must hear the answer from your lips."

The heat of my fury was now cold, "You may convey to that son of a bitch Chapin that I decline to acquiesce to his unwelcome request. You may further convey that he can shove his $10 million up his ass with a red-hot poker. Tuyen is now and always will be mine, and I will not hesitate to kill anyone who lays a hand on her." I looked Dr. Nguyen in the eyes and asked, "Is my answer sufficiently clear, Doctor?"