FEED MY HEART TO THE HAWKS IN SIERRA MADRE (Abridged)

Chapter 2

"What would you like me to have?" Amelita slightly lowered the velour-covered menu.

"Anything that pleases you, so long as you don't over indulge." Ben whispered, moving closer to her.

She had two grilled prawns, slathered with garlic, shallot and parsley butter. He was full with butterfield prawns stuffed and cooked with cream, mushrooms, squash and Parmesan cheese.

The lunch was leisurely but short.

Amelita phoned her chauffer and told him to bring the car home, after transferring her baggage into Ben's vehicle.

They were on their way.

Ben Alsons was exultant at having the fascinating woman seated beside him. "Isn't it good to have a nice and easy drive on this expressway every once in a while?" He interrupted Dr. Amelita Castaneda's stillness. They were cruising the NLEX, a good three hours away from the Makati restaurant where they had lunch.

Amelita smiled at Ben. She reached down, took off her shoes and threw them into the backseat of the Hummer H3. She leaned obliquely on the headrest. "Are we driving straight to Pangasinan? It's two more hours getting there."

She was surprised when Ben turned left, just after driving past the front gate of Hacienda Luisita. It only took a few minutes to arrive at a sprawling three-star hotel, well hidden from the national road. "This hotel, in San Sebastian, another town of Tarlac is managed by a physician's wife." Ben disclosed. Amelita raised an eyebrow.

It was a two-storey building, surrounding a cemented parking lot. At the center of the parking lot were two large and shady Acacia trees.

After handing back Amelita's shoes, Ben registered themselves at the hotel's reservation counter.

Except for Ben's clutch bag, the porter carried the two overnight and hanger bags. The couple was led into one of the suites. The room was too large for two occupants. It had massive hardwood furniture except for the oversized matrimonial bed.

After the uniformed porter was given the usual tip, a young woman wearing a patadyong came carrying a wicker tray of two large empty glasses and a crystal pitcher filled with cold lemonade.

"Could you bring in two bottles of Redbull, please?" Ben handed the woman all the contents of his coin purse. He untied his shoes and took them off.

Amelita went busy in the bathroom. After a few minutes she came out wearing a white bathrobe.