The tale of Alan

[IainBusby]

We both walked into the bedroom.

Come on Alan, please don't leave us like this, Louella and I are off to Phils in a couple of hours and we'll be in suspense the whole way there. We will have to rush out of the airport in Manila and find the nearest internet cafe.

Louella & Iain.

[gracia143]

Typhoon is gone and my internet connection is back...now Alan where are you? You're a rotten tease, you know.

[Alan]

Next episode coming in a couple of hours. Been at work today. Ain't life a b***h?

Al

[Alan]

Went to Uni - Hatfield - did a B.Ed. Did lots of things whilst I was there. Played music professionally - joined a few bands. Got my golf handicap down to single figures (not any more.) Jumped out of an aeroplane for charity (change of underpants.) Met C. - who was to be my partner for the next 16 years.

Graduated - went to teach English in France - brilliant job. C. was with me - we had 3 children - the middle one we sadly lost at birth - I have never cried so much in my life - and don't suppose I ever will again.

1999 - I was a deputy head teacher in South Essex - I was driving home after a particularly heavy day. Next thing I know I am at the roadside - shaking like a leaf - couldn't drive any more.
Police took me home - couldn't go to work - like a helpless baby!!!
I had been hit by stress-related depression. I have never felt so STUPID in all my life. I thought I was strong - if I had a broken leg or the big C. I could understand it - but why should I be laid low by a stupid mental illness (my thoughts BTW - not my beliefs - I know now that depression can be even worse than physical illnesses.)

C. did not support me very much through this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hanna said - are you awake? One of those questions that cannot have the answer 'No.'
My neck was aching from sleeping on the settee in the ante room. I soon forgot my neck ache - I looked at Hanna - she was really beautiful. I had now slept - for the first time in a couple of days - see my thread on not being able to sleep in a plane - and I felt 'normal' again.

We had spent the night together - but not together. I really wanted her to believe I was genuine and - well - I wanted her for love...........
Is this beginning to sound too 'yucky?'

It was 6 in the morning and already 28 degrees!!!!!!!!!!!
We went downstrairs - I had a coffee and Hanna had - remember I told you she could eat for the Philippines? - pork and rice

Later that day - I asked her if she would marry me - she said 'yes!'

[Alan]

Only 2 episodes left.

[Shamrockdave2003]

Your a fast mover

[gracia143]

Wow! What more can I say? Oh well, please don't keep us waiting too long for the next episode.

[KeithD]

You have a lot to learn Alan......Woman want equal rights.....they sleep on the couch

[Alan]

Got over my illness eventually. But I don't think one ever gets over depression. C. started messing around with another man - I suspected it - and I knew it. (It gets really difficult to speak here.)

We were only ever apart for one week a year - she went to her mother's cottage in Devon - I went on my golfing holiday in Scotland.

2002 - Thursday - just finished playing at The Hirsel in Coldstream - came back to a text message from my son - 'Dad, mum has left.' That was all it was.

Drove from Scotland to Essex in about 6 hours - was doing a frightening 100+ MPH all the way down. Got home - house empty - dear John letter. Depression set in again.



Made it to HeadTeacher - despite my illness - was REALLY chuffed - I wanted to make it to the top in my profession. But hey, hang on, this is not what I want!!!!!
I am now just an 'office boy.' Can't get out to see my children in the school. Too busy seeing parents - governors - salespeople - Inspectors - ad infinitum..........

I thought that being a Headteacher - I would be THE BOSS - my school - I dictate what happens. WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!

Headteacher is the worst job in a school.

After 18 months I resigned.



We flew to Cebu - stayed at the Waterfront hotel for a couple of days - then got the bloody awful bus from the terminal - 4 hours to Ginatilan.
Met Hanna's mum - lovely lady who runs a vegetable stall and makes pennies a day!!!!!! These are the poorest of the poor!!!!

Hanna's mum's house is - well - small!!!!! - lounge and kitchen combined - 1 bedroom - and the attic space!!!

It did not matter to me - EVERYONE in Ginatilan made me SOOOO welcome.

Hanna's mum gave us her bedroom - even though we were not married. So now Hanna and I would HAVE to stay together!!!!!!!!!!!

Help!!!!!!!!!!

I wanted to remain a gentleman!!!!

We slept together that night.

Barriers were broken.

Now we had to arrange everything for the wedding.

[aromulus]

I wanted to remain a gentleman!!!!

We slept together that night.

Barriers were broken.

Now we had to arrange everything for the wedding.

"Barriers were broken"... Very subtle... teach...........

Alea iacta est

[KeithD]

"Barriers were broken

Hell of a night if you managed to break the hotels barrier outside

[Pepe n Pilar]

This is interesting! I will be looking forward to the next chapter..

[Pepe n Pilar]

waiting for the next chapter of your love story

[gracia143]

Time flies quickly...two days gone by and not heard a thing from Alan

[Alan]

You remember when you had your very first 'crush' on a girl/boy? If you were anything like me - you couldn't think about anything else but her/him all the time.

That is EXACTLY how I felt about Hanna. Even though I am now fast approaching 700 years old - she made me feel like a little kid again.

She had had one brief relationship when she was 19. Unfortunately, (or, fortunately for me) her boyfriend wanted several relationships at the same time. He quickly became history. Hanna moved to Manila and got a job. She worked 10 hours a day for 250 pesos a day (and WE moan at our salaries!!! Don't get me wrong - I know that it is all relative. But - COME ON - £2.50 for 10 hours???? - I thought the Phils. was 3rd world DEVELOPING. (Please - nothing negative implied there.))

I could only stay for 10 days before I had to return to UK. It felt like 10 mins.Back at the airport in Manila - I have never seen so many tears. Hanna cried as well!!

I have never been so NOT glad to see the UK! Heathrow welcomed me with a grumpy, spotty young upstart at passport control - and London welcomed me with a free shower in the form of - shall we say 'pi**ing down!'
I arrived home - got on the Internet and told Hanna that I was coming back.



When my ex left me she decided to milk every advantage that she could as a mother. She took our 2 children with her - went to the CSA and forced the sale of our house - effectively turning me out into the street.
Hang on - let's think about things here!!! SHE decides to run off with another bloke and yet I lose everything!!! And the courts agree with HER!!!
Now - correct me if I am wrong but..........................well.......you know.

I took out a frighteningly large loan and opened my own school in South Oxfordshire - moving from Essex so that I could be near to Christopher and Samantha (the children.) Rented a house - where I still am now. Lost a small fortune in my first year of 'trading.' Went through depression again at the size of my debts.
Two things that kept me smiling through this..............

Working with kids is an honour - teaching is the BEST job in the world!!

Hanna.

In 5 weeks time I was back in the Phils. and on the 9th of June at 11.00a.m. Hanna became my wife.

Al

[gracia143]

Congratulations to you and Hanna...

I deeply moved by your story...

[gracia143]

sorry for the typo I am deeply moved is what i meant to say...

[robeth]

I was not speaking to hubby for 2 days bec of my "unreasonable reasons"...just got fed up, bored, tired and missing my families in Philly...

(Never underestimate a woman who can always make herself miserable)

Running late for work but still able to read this post, now I have the compulsion of phoning hubby and tell him that I care...

(We can always change our minds in anyway anytime )

Sometimes we're so involved in our own worries that we neglect the people we love...

Good luck Al...

[Alan]

Gracia - thank you deeply for your kind words - God bless you.

Robeth - Friendship and love are the things that money cannot buy. They are therefore worth holding on to with all one's heart and soul.
I am glad if I helped you to realise that you DO love your hubby.

In fact - I have one wish for EVERYONE on this site - quite simply - LOVE!

All the best to you all.

Al.

[bornatbirth]

tales of the unexpected...alan

i met brenda and bertha too,i was drowing my sorrows in my local when i saw those two cuties only time i ever i woke up with a sore....head?

[PeterB]

Hey, just come across this story ... similar, in some ways, to my own - but also different in many ways. Is everyone bored by now, would you like to hear my version?

[Alan]

I would for one Peter. Also, you're only up the road from me in Reading.

Al

[PeterB]

Okay, I'll have a think about writing my blog.

Yep, I'm not far away, and am very interested in your proposed meet .. especially sometime mid Sept - end Nov, when Ruby should be with me!

[gracia143]

Hi again Al, I love your story(i'm hooked as you can see)...and I do love happy endings too, 'though I know we all have pasts and sometimes or most of the times they've been painful but it contributes to making us the person that we are now. Stronger, more mature and capable of giving love and appreciating in return. This is what I like about this forum, people are real, mad or bonkers at times but real. We share one common goal I think, to love and be loved...
Oh by the way, I heard you're coming back to the Philippines? Correct me if I'm wrong but have a safe journey if you do.

And hey Peter! I'll look forward to reading your blog too. I might persuade Trev to write our story one day, his English is better than mine. God bless us all!

[fred]

Hi Al..

Great story.. I find your writing style very entertaining.
In a way it reminds me of a British film I saw in the 80`s starring Charlie Drake entitled "Filipino dream girls"..

I have only just received your PM as we have spent the last couple of days with relatives in Batangas..I spent all day yesterday trying out my new fishing rod suspended on a bamboo raft about a mile out..Didn't catch a bloody thing!! I`ll reply to PM when I have a minute..
Cheers,
Fred.

[singkit]

In 5 weeks time I was back in the Phils. and on the 9th of June at 11.00a.m. Hanna became my wife.

Al

Awwww...I always love a happy ending... Congratulations Alan and Hanna. Thank you for sharing this Fil-Brit love story.

[Alan]

You are more than welcome. It actually surprised me how many people read it and said nice things.

Thanks EVERYONE - God bless you all.

[uli43]

Alan, VERY moving, your story. With your ex-wife, and how you met with Hannah. Thanks for being so open! My story is different and similar at the same time. We struggle for having just a simple good life, but it's so hard. And when we met HER, it's suddenly so easy, because there is something that looks like real love. And we are blessed.

[Alan]

It was supposed to be a low key reception - 16 people at the most. After all - Hanna's mum's house could only fit 10 people in at a squeeze.

163 people turned up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hanna is SOOOOOO popular in her 'shanty.'

Plus - they all wanted to see the 'white guy.' As a foreign language teacher I felt so inferior at not being able to communicate with all these lovely people who were talking to me - mostly in English.

I used a lot of Spanish and found that I was understood quite a bit!!!!

We trundled off over the mountains back to Cebu City to get all the documentation certified/altered. This is where I begin to get really p****d off. I had decided to stay another month - and so it was off to immigration! Long queues and waits. We were the first there - 7.00 am. and STILL we got the 'Fixers.'

Then Hanna and I went for a few days on Bohol. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

Back in Cebu City and the NSO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Queues again!!!!!!!!!!!!
What is this country like?
#Then some other God forsaken Office to change her passport/ marriage certificate.

And we haven't even started to think about her visa yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Had a look at the visa requirements and I am thinking - Hmmmm - show that you can support her without recourse to public funds!!!!!!!!

I owe a PACKET here in the UK.

I have just married the most beautiful girl in the world and we shall probably never be together in the UK..................

What have I done to her?

[mhynne]

i just read this whole thread.. really really good writing. i wonder what had happend?