Went into the 6th form - 6R - affectionately called 6 Rejects. Anyway, decided to do a bit of work for a change and managed to pass 9 of the 10 I had failed the first time. (Dad 'ungrounded' me - after 3 months!!! - Yet I still love him - there's nowt so funny as folk!)
Took 5 A levels - with 4 As and a B. Amazing what you can do when you do a bit of reading - sadly though - no sciences (apart from Maths and Physics) so could not train in medicine!
Dad grounded me again - I STILL loved him.
Got my first job - thought I'd take a year out before Uni. Dad had to 'unground' me again so's I could go to work. Why the hell do I love him?
I do not think that anyone had EVER shaken my hand so warmly!!!
It was Hanna's cousin - Adie - who had driven Hanna to the airport and who was now driving us back to the hotel. He was SOOO kind and friendly - I looked at Hanna - she smiled at me. I still did not know what to say or do - bloody hell Al - you're a big boy now!!! I felt like a scared little kid!
She HELD my hand in the back of Adie's car - I squeezed hers and she smiled. I had 'made a move' and she had smiled - I felt better.
What's that? - It's a Jeepney she replied. What's a Jeepney? - It's a kind of bus. Hmmm - people don't hang from every part of a bus in Oxford!!! I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
Next, four people - two adults and two children - on a MOTOR BIKE!!!! No crash helmets. We were, by now, in the inevitable queue of Manila traffic!!!
Children walking in between the traffic selling water and fags and cloths - I think they were cloths.
I then noticed that I was dripping with sweat - even though Adie had the aircon on. Hanna reached into her bag and towelled me down. She performed this action and then KISSED my cheek!!!!
Little boy time again - what was happening to me?
We arrived at the hotel - a porter grabbed our bags before I knew it. The hotel lobbies were stark and not very clean - and dark - The Bates Motel - what was the shower room like?
Dropped the cases - had a beer - 24 pesos - 24 PESOS for a San Miguel?????? Multiply that by 10 for a bottle in England. I had 3!!!!!
The room had a double bed!!
Hanna went to her sister in law's house to 'get her things'
She arrived back - where are you staying Hanna? - Here, with you if that's all right...........................
