The girls were now becoming accustomed to having money, yet to feel the same thrill as they felt six weeks ago when, for the first time in their lives, they had held cash in their hands, required cash in ever-increasing quantities. Then, to hold 3000 pesos was ecstasy, now, when 10,000 pesos could be earned in a day, and disappear in a day, the anxiety that what they earned would not be enough crept back into their minds. When they spoke to their families in Desbilla they received requests for larger and more frequent remittances, there was always an urgent item of expenditure required somewhere in the family; the needs of the family seemed to expand to absorb the girl's income, and then always grow a little more. The pressure on the girls to earn increased with each call.
This time, Girlie, as short-time girl, had earned the highest salary, taking home 11,150 pesos. Precious, with her magnetic bar-fines received 10,560. Blen received 8,850. Bruno's advance bar-fine did not cover the whole period. She was no longer the short-time girl, and she could still not go bar-fine. Amor earned 6,250, but this without the aid of shabu. Blen felt disappointed to see her salary continue to fall. Amor, though she earned the lowest salary was content. She had turned the corner. She had paid off her credit and she was earning a good salary for the time of year. She earned much more in tips than in salary, and as Miss Ass-Fuck, she provided a service which was in demand, but for which there was limited availability.
When Blen collected her salary, Mama told her, "Hu-Fan and Mr Chew arrived today. Mr Chew is anxious to meet you. I will collect you tomorrow at midday. Be presentable. Dress like a cherry-girl."
"Tomorrow is my day off, I go with Nick," protested Blen.
"I will give you 1000 pesos for your time, you can then treat Nick," said Mama, "but, now, we must be quick, everyone is here and it is time to sell your cherry."
"How long?"
"By the end of the week, probably."
"It is one week now, until Mama sell my cherry," were the first words Blen said to Nick. "Is your plan ready?"
"I shall get all my cash together. I've got together a little more than I thought, and I've arranged a few loans."
"Will there be enough?"
"I hope so," said Nick, but both believed in their hearts that it would not be enough, not by a long way.
"Tomorrow I will see Mr Chew, Mama will collect me," Blen told him.
"It'll get you out of the house," quipped Nick.
Outside the rain lashed down as Typhoon Queenie approached.
On Saturday, by the time Mama collected Blen from the lady-house, the typhoon was passing several hundred kilometres to the north. The wind was gusting strongly, and the rain was heavy and continuous. On Mama's arrival, the door was unsealed and opened briefly to allow her to enter, then immediately pushed closed.
"Let me see how you look," said Mama, "Mr Chew will like to see a virgin."
She then set about presenting Blen as virginal.
Blen's hair was pulled back from her face and knotted with a handkerchief. She was dressed in a loose, spotlessly white T-shirt and baggy shorts that hung to her knees, with flip-flops on her feet. When Mama was satisfied that she looked like a fresh-faced sixteen-year-old, they embarked in the trike. Nick made his way back to his hotel to await events.
On the way, Blen called to Mama over the roar of the motorbike engine and the howl of the wind, "Mama, today I am Miss Cherry-Pie."
As they battled through the remote effects of the typhoon, Blen recognised the route. They were heading for the Mimosa Estate; she had been here at the beginning of the last typhoon. Eventually they halted. To Blen's surprise, she was again at the Raphael Hotel complex. Blen had been impressed by the sumptuous exterior, but the splendour of the interior took her breath away. Clean and elegant, spacious and beautifully decorated, this was a standard of luxury Blen had not previously experienced. Even Mama seemed uncomfortable and out of place. She spoke nervously with the receptionist, and sat on the edge of the sofa, awaiting Hu-Fan.
Hu-Fan arrived ten minutes later, and greeted Mama and Blen. He was a well-groomed and suited Chinese man, who smiled ingratiatingly and spoke in good English. His pleasant manner put Blen at ease. He invited Blen and Mama to come with him.
After they had walked a few paces out of hearing of the persons in reception, he stopped and spoke quietly. "I shall take you to meet Mr Chew now. He is in the restaurant. We will lunch together. We cannot take you to our rooms, we do not want to be seen taking young girls to our room for obvious reasons, but we can discuss matters over lunch with Mr Chew. His nurse will be present as a chaperone. She knows the purpose of our visit, so we can speak freely."
He looked at Blen. "I am sure you will please him, you look just the girl we require."
"But, I do not understand about the unicorn," said Blen.
"I will explain all that later, but first, just meet Mr Chew, I am sure he will approve you. It is best not to speak too much. If Mr Chew asks a question, answer, but do not ask questions, I will answer your questions and talk about money later. Just look at him and smile. He does not speak English, I will translate, but look at Mr Chew, he is your customer. You must charm him."
He led them into the restaurant, where Mr Chew sat with his nurse by his side, at a table for six. As Mr Chew looked up, he caught Blen's eyes, and his face brightened with a satisfied smile. Blen grinned shyly back. Their eyes remained locked as Hu-Fan seated them, Blen opposite Mr Chew, Mama opposite the nurse, and himself on the short side between Mr Chew and Blen.
To Blen, Mr Chew seemed like an older version of Mr Hirohito, with his hair a little whiter and thinner, his skin paler, more wrinkled and blotched, his body more hunched, and his smile more gummy. He looked at her, and spoke for some time, nodding his head.
When he finished, Hu-Fan spoke. "Mr Chew is very pleased. You exceed his expectations. He believes you are the girl who will catch his unicorn. He has seen your photos, and he believes you are a perfect virgin with a perfect hymen. He wishes only to confirm that you remain so. He would like you to go with his nurse, to confirm."
"I am the same," said Blen, "I will go."
Hu-Fan passed a file to the nurse, who rose, and indicated to Blen to follow. As Blen caught up with her, she took her by the arm, and guided her. It was apparent that the nurse and Blen did not share a common language.
In her room, the nurse took the witness shots from the file, and studied them. She placed them on the bed, and indicated to Blen that she should take off her shorts and briefs, and lie down. As Blen did this, the nurse took some latex gloves from a bag, and pulled them on, then bent up Blen's knees, and parted them. Leaning forward, she drew open Blen's labia, and inspected her hymen. Looking up at Blen, she spoke in a language she did not understand, but the tone was positive. The nurse then leaned forward, and for several seconds sniffed deeply at Blen's hymen. Again, she spoke; again, the tone was positive. Finally, she took a borescope, a digital camera with a micro lens on a long, flexible, optical microfiber neck, and using a USB cable, connected it to her cell phone. When she switched it on, a light shone from the lens, which she then inserted through the hole in the centre of Blen's hymen. It was cold and hard, and Blen could feel it being moved around inside her vagina as the nurse manipulated it, making her incomprehensible observations and recording them on her cell phone.
The nurse withdrew the camera and stood. Her manner was now more relaxed, and her chatter animated. As Blen made to rise, she held up her hand to indicate she should remain as she was. From her bag, she took two hook retractors and offered them to Blen, one to each hand, moving Blen's hands to indicate what she required. Blen understood, and with the nurse guiding her, she used the retractors to draw and hold open her vagina. The nurse raised her mobile phone, and held it close to Blen's vulva to frame her hymen, then took several shots. She smiled, and indicating she was finished, waved Blen up.
When they arrived back at the table, the nurse nodded assuringly to Mr Chew, producing her cell phone, and showing him her photos of Blen's hymen, and the video of the interior of her vagina. Mr Chew looked intently at the screen, and appeared to ask several questions of the nurse, who answered them shortly. The conversation continued briefly after the phone was replaced, but, eventually, Mr Chew turned again to Blen and beamed his toothy smile on her, and began to speak.
Hu-Fan translated. "I am very grateful to you for offering to help me," he began, "and I shall reward you well, because I am wealthy and you can save my life. I am an old man of eighty-five years, and I have lived long and seen many things, and now I am ready to die. I have a disease, which my doctor tells me can carry me off at any moment; he does not expect me to live three months. In many ways I welcome death, I have struggled and I have succeeded, I have amassed great wealth, I have supported charities and I support my family. I have many children by many women, but I married late in life, a marriage of love. By my beloved wife, now deceased, I had only one child, a daughter. Almost as my doctor pronounced my death sentence, my daughter announced the glorious news, that she was pregnant. The child is to be a boy. He will be my legitimate heir, and it is to him I will pass the joys and the responsibilities of my wealth. Before I die, I wish to hold him in my arms. My wu-po," he opened his hand toward his nurse, "tells me that the only sure way I can live to hold my grandson, is if I consume the life spirit of a unicorn.
