Forever Charmed: Book One Forever Loved

by L. J. Hawke

  Into the dead silence, Sanur said, “Surrogate.” Then they were surrounded by clapping, cheering, and many smiles. Everyone promised to have a baby shower when they got back from their honeymoon and told them not to worry about a thing concerning the babies.

  Htet carefully took away the crowns and locked them up somewhere. Tania signed the rest of her stack of papers. Htet came back and slid the paperwork into fat envelopes. A motorcycle courier rode up the drive, took the envelopes, locked them in a briefcase, put the briefcase in a lockbox at his feet, and rode away.

  Then, they all went to change. Tania went back to their bedroom, and mysteriously found all of her things from her apartment in their room and put away in a brand-new golden wardrobe. And, her fake Stratocaster was in a corner with the little amps. She covered her eyes, and tried not to cry and ruin her makeup. A comfortable pair of tan pants and a soft blue shirt were laid out on the bed for her. She put them on and put on silver sandals.

  Then, the party started. Thai chefs made extraordinary food, both clear and coconut-based soups, fragrant jasmine saffron rice, crab meat dip with vegetables, pork salad, pan-fried fish, and several curries. The food was amazing and flavorful, with many bright colors.

  Tania ate until she thought she would pop like a balloon. Everyone kept passing Tania more food. Kannika made a joke. “Remember, you're eating for three now!” There was a lot of discussion about cribs and baby clothes, teasing and laughter. The boys put their fingers in their ears and made noises when the girls started talking about baby blankets. All except for Aat, who said that, as a gay man, he would be the one making the selections, and the girls would just have to wait in line. They threw napkins at him, making him laugh. Sanur handed out the number for his black credit card again and rattled off the address of an online registry.

  Finally, after the lychee with syrup was served for dessert, it was time for the presents. Htet brought out chests for each new adoptee. They each received keys to put around their necks, then each one knelt and opened their chests. Inside there were new cell phones, already pre-programmed. “The phones are loaded with all of the documents and books you need to study to learn how to run your lands,” said Sanur in Thai.

  “Great, homework,” said Aat. They all laughed. Inside were the court clothes they had worn, black credit cards for travel with the Thai Airlines logo, manila envelopes with descriptions of their lands, their managers, and all who worked there, along with a list of codes that were changed weekly for each office, cards with access to personal bank accounts, both checking and savings, in their names, and information about brokerage accounts, including passcodes.

  Sanur explained, and said, “Each one of you starts with five hundred American dollars. The one that has the most money in their brokerage account in one year will receive double.” The adoptees looked at each other, then squealed, screamed, and hugged each other.

  They also had luggage like the one that Tania now owned, one of her engagement gifts, along with her new wardrobe, new clothes, and her guitar, amp, and picks. They had toiletry kits inside all of them that popped open to display more things than it would look like they could get in there. The rest of the case was empty. “Someday, each one of you will have to travel the world. There are passport appointments for you on the blue cards inside your suitcases.”

  They all fished out the cards and held them up over their heads. “I expect you to get passport pictures. There are places in the mall to do that. The paperwork is already filled out, and you just have to go with the pictures. Htet will go with each of you while I'm gone. Listen to him as you would listen to me. We will run your affairs until you are able to run your own. Do that as quickly as possible, because I've got too much to do and too little time in which to do it.” They all nodded gravely.

  Tania took a little box out of her pocket. She handed it to Sanur. He took out a tiny golden key. Tania took out a locket on a golden chain, held it up to the light. She flipped it over to show the keyhole. “Sanur always has the key to my heart,” said Tania. Sanur kissed her gently, tears in his eyes. There were some groans and catcalls, and hugs and Thai bows all around.

  Their children stood in line to watch them leave. Sanur gave a blessing and said a prayer in Thai, and asked them to please stay, listen to music, dance, sing, eat and drink, and enjoy themselves. “We have a plane to catch. This is Supayalat. She will be running the business where you are working while we are gone. She will report to us directly, and I expect you to do the same jobs you're doing currently.” Supayalat bowed her head. Their children bowed back.

  Tania spoke up. “I expect everything will still be there when we get back.” They all laughed. Tania and Sanur took off their garlands and handed them off to the eldest boy and girl, Aat and Kannika respectively, who took them reverently.

  Tania cracked jokes about this being the third time she went to the airport in the same day. She made sure she had her passport, and so did Sanur, along with both their rolling bags. A tuk tuk arrived to take them to the airport, and they waved goodbye to their family.

  Honeymoon

  They took a first-class flight to Bali. They held hands and talked about their new life together. They drank champagne, unable to eat after the huge feast they just had. They slept, holding hands, then landed in Bali.

  “I hope you don't mind, I do have a house here, but I think we would do better in a small villa with a pool for the first few days. We will have a maid, and a cook three times a day. We could stay at a hotel, but I think you'd rather have the privacy,” said Sanur.

  “I think that's lovely.”

  The taxi driver took them past the rice fields. Their villa was gorgeous, with a king-size bed, a huge rain shower in the bathroom, the sitting room and kitchen open to the outside, and lounge chairs by the pool..

  The chef was there with chilled fruit with a chocolate dipping sauce, croissants with little pats of cold butter, and lime water. She was a beautiful woman in a white apron, black hair pulled back, a chef's cap on her head. “My name is Putu, and I will be your chef. I know that you are looking forward to your time together, but please take a few minutes and press a few buttons for me.”

  Tania grinned and took the proffered iPad. “I would be happy to do so.” She sipped lime water while she chose the foods she loved the most and the ones she hated from a list, and went through a few breakfast, lunch, and dinner proposals. She made her selections and handed back the iPad. “That was quick and painless,” Tania grinned. “We had a huge feast back at home, so we don't need more to be full tonight.”

  Putu smiled beautifully. “I have left drinks and snacks inside the small refrigerator in case you should become hungry in the night. Please, enjoy your food, and I will clean up for you.” She disappeared into the house, and Tania and Sanur took turns feeding each other bread and fruit dipped in chocolate. Putu took away the dishes, and they went inside to change into their swimsuits.

  They floated in the pool, kissing languidly. They got out, laid out on the sun beds to dry themselves, then went inside. They took a hot shower together and washed each other. Sanur reach down, slid his fingers down her back, kissed her. Tania turned off the water and surprised him by climbing Sanur and wrapping her legs around him. “What about a condom?” he asked in her ear.

  “I am covered. I get a shot once every three months, remember?” Tania asked him in response. Sanur smiled widely at her, gripped her hips in his hands, and let her set the pace. He kissed away her pants and screams as she came again and again. He let himself go inside her.

  They spent three days in bed, the pool, the shower, or being fed morsels by their celebrity chef. “You're expending a lot of energy, so I expect you to eat heartily, or more often,” Putu said, with a huge smile.

  Tania laughed. “Can we steal you away and move you to Thailand?” she asked, seriously.

  Putu laughed. “I am already on retainer. As long as Sanur is not here, I can work in any way that I so choose, but as soon as the plan
e lands, I'm at his beck and call. And yes, I have been to Thailand quite a few times.”

  Putu lay down the tray of chicken satay, peanut butter dipping sauce, and little bowls of fruit, and put it on the little table in front of the reclining poolside chairs. She adjusted the umbrella and lit another citronella candle to keep away the mosquitoes. “Would you like more guava juice?” Putu asked Tania.

  “I had no idea I love guava juice. Learn something new every day. Yes, please.” Putu bowed and withdrew.

  Tania snagged a chicken stick and turned towards her husband. “Normally, on vacation, people enjoy light reading, or in my case, science fiction space battles. I had no idea I would be reading Baby's First Year and Twin Surprise! and panicking. Hyperventilating, really.” Tania put the chicken stick down. “And how the hell am I supposed to explain two kids to my friends?” She breathed in deeply through her nose.

  Sanur held her hand. “They set up the online registry. And they will be here to help.”

  Tania’s jaw dropped. “No one told me!”

  “To be fair, you were on planes most of the last twenty-four hours. And twins tend to come early.”

  Tania started hyperventilating again. “They do? And do you care that it's one boy and one girl? Two different eggs. I guess snakes lay lots of eggs!”

  Sanur reached over and rubbed her shoulder. “I am delighted. We get one boy and one girl, which is absolutely perfect. The problem is, they're probably going to be fighting a lot. They are snakes, always looking for dominance, being sneaky, trying to determine the best way to get what they want.”

  Tania laughed through the tears that spilled out of her eyes. “That sounds like me and the girls back home. I kind of think being a holler girl set me up for being a mom to baby snakes.” She wiped her eyes, and then attacked her food with gusto, making Sanur laugh.

  They finally figured out where the beach was and took a long walk in the surf, holding hands. They ate tandoori chicken pizza at a beachside restaurant, then Tania dragged him to a club for dancing. After that, they went back and forth between mornings in the bed, breakfast and lunch by the pool, and sunsets on the beach, with dancing followed by midnight swims.

  On the fourth day, they took a blue taxi to the other side of the island to meet Sanur’s heart-brothers. Their hotel was small, beautiful, by the sea. They met his brothers at the poolside bar. Ketuk was tall, with a wide smile. He embraced Sanur readily. “Brother!” he said. “You did not say she was so pretty!” Ketuk embraced Tania.

  Desak was wide, meaty, with huge hands and a kind smile. “Brother!” He enveloped Sanur in a hug. “Tania, you are more beautiful than my brother has said. Surely, this marriage is wonderful!” He enveloped Tania in a hug. Tania felt tiny with bird bones compared to his huge arms.

  They sat at a table, and a server in a beautiful blue dress rushed to bring them cool lime tea. Guests looked like parrots in their brightly colored swimsuits as they splashed in the pool, reggae music playing in the background. The beach had couches, tables, umbrellas, awnings, and servers bustling about with drinks and platters of food. “You have a beautiful hotel,” Tania observed.

  Desak belly-laughed. “We are full even in the rainy season!”

  Ketuk grinned. “It is so crowded that your new husband chose his own place. It is much quieter. And, he did not want to throw a guest out of their room!”

  Sanur shrugged. “I would not displace another honeymooning couple. My brothers, we have family matters to discuss. When Tanya and I married, young people my wife brought into our business, they were orphans. We adopted them. You now have many nephews and nieces!”

  They were halfway through the appetizers when Desak and Ketuk were satisfied with all the pictures and stories of their new nephews and nieces. They finished their seafood on sticks, then they all dined on shrimp, lobster, crab, and stuffed fish.

  They were dining on cheesecake when Sanur informed them of the coming twins. Ketuk spit out his drink, and Desak helpfully pounded him on the back. Desak got up and pulled each of them into a happy hug. “Brother! We need to discuss the gifts!”

  Sanur waved the thought away. “You have helped me with my crown jewel. There is never any debt between us. You know that.”

  “Crown jewel?” asked Tania.

  “Later, my love.” Sanur kissed her.

  Tania let him get away with not telling her. What need did she have of beads and baubles? She had Sanur! And his very huggy brothers. Her stomach dropped again as she thought of being a mother. But now she was excited, too. The brothers’ joy had rubbed off on her. She thought of Miss Amelia, and realized she had the best example of motherhood there was.

  Sanur’s friends told tales of late-night sneaking out. Ketuk said, “Our boy is what he is. We got him out, first in the orphanage, then the boarding school.”

  Desak laughed. “We told the dean he had an anxiety disorder, and he needed to be alone to clear his head. He did get jittery if he couldn’t spend time as a python, so they believed us!”

  “Speaking of that…,” Sanur stood. “Love, I’ll be back in the morning.” He kissed her cheek.

  Tania swallowed. Desak patted her shoulder. “We’ve got a real mean, old rooster, stringy. Attacked another male.” Tania could only nod as Sanur strode away.”

  Ketuk said, “Are you wearing a swimming suit under your sarong?”

  “Of course,” Tania said, confused.

  “Look over there.” Sanur was talking to two women in sarongs. They hugged him. She stood, took a step forward, then realized who the ladies were. She started to run and crashed into a group hug. The women started to scream, cry, and talk over each other. Sanur slipped away and walked out to the beach.

  “Our work here is done,” said Ketuk. “Sanur’s crown jewel is happy.”

  “Yes, Brother,” said Desak. “Come, let us greet the pretty women.”

  Ketuk shook his head. “We won’t be able to talk to them.”

  Desak held up a visitor comp card to all the hotel’s amenities. “This will speak for us.”

  “Good idea, brother.” They stood and walked over to the women, who kept hugging each other, tears streaming down their faces..

  On the sixth morning, Sanur said, “There's something I want to show you.” They ate a leisurely breakfast, then Sanur called for a four-wheel drive. The driver took them up the mountain road above a tea plantation, surrounded by rice terraces. The Jeep parked at the base of the hill. People crawled like ants all over a giant petal-like structure made of blonde and dark wood, entire floors open to the sky.

  The driver hopped out, gave them hard hats, and put a hard hat on himself. “This is Nyoman. He speaks mostly Bahasa. That’s Indonesian. He designed the most beautiful house in the world for myself and my bride. That would be you.” Tania grinned. “We will be working hard, be under pressure. With so many children, we will be pulled in many different directions. We need a retreat, a special place.” Nyoman pulled up the plans and rolled them out on the hood of the Jeep, then handed Tania an iPad.

  Tania stared, then took her fingers and started moving the 3D rendering around. The whole thing was on stilts, made out of wood treated with wood stain, polyurethane, and fire retardant materials. There were Balinese petal roofs that rose above three stories. It had five bedrooms all with attached baths, a beautiful kitchen for Putu to cook in, a huge dining room, and a beautiful lounge. There were hammocks, cushioned lounge chairs, and even a small pool at ground level. There were gentle ramps in between the stories, rather than stairs.

  Tania looked at it from every angle she could, then looked over at Sanur perusing the blueprints. “This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen,” she said, in a breathy voice.

  “This home is for the Burning Season, when the rice farmers put the post-harvest crops on fire to add charcoal to the soil,” Sanur said. Tania remembered having to wear a mask and carry asthma medication. A burning season is common in rice-growing areas around the world when farmers bur
n the stubble after harvest to add carbon to the soil. However, Chiang Mai’s burning season could last for three months when people wore masks and were unable to see the sun during the day because of the smoke.

  Tania looked at all the plans again. “I realize that we're going to have to be in Thailand for a while. Our kids won't turn eighteen quite yet. But this, this is magical. Beautiful. Understand that at some point, I'm going to come here and not leave.”

  Sanur smiled so widely that he felt like his face would split, and then held her close. “I am so glad you like it. Come, Rani, let me show you your kingdom.” He took her past where the pour had already gone in for the little pool and up the first ramp. The floors, ramps, and roofs were already in, and the workers were building walls, installing pipes, electricity, and cables, and the kitchen counters were being built.

  Tania was careful not to interrupt the laborers during their work while she walked around, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, stunned by the sinuous beauty of their new home. She went all the way up to the third floor, then walked back down the ramps.

  Tania took Sanur’s hand and led him back out under the trees. “You are going to love these trees,” she said, quietly. “And I think our children will, too. All of them.” She kissed him, and he held her close.

  Epilogue

  Kandace held Aye in a baby pouch on her belly while reclining on one of the sinuous couches and patted the little girl’s back. The baby yawned, stretched, and fell asleep. Putu came, took the bottle, and switched it out for a can of Coke. She popped the top and put it in Kandace's hand. “Thank you very kindly.” Kandace spoke quietly, and Putu was wearing silent shoes. Aye did not like to sleep, and she had a hell of a set of lungs.