Chapter 32: The Signs of Gulf War

"Don't worry I'll remind him. Anything you want just ask Ayah about it, okay?"

"Yes Marco, thank you so much!"

"You visited your child?"

"Yes, Marc, he's fine."

I hugged Lina Luna and she cried in my arms. She's distraught with her husband, Mike Luna. "Don't worry, I'll talk to Mike about it....just enjoy tonight, okay?"

"I'm happy for you Marco....you developed your life for the past years, while for us...it's slowly breaking apart."

"I'll help you and Mike." I separated from Lina to offset the situation, and held the microphone for a toast, "Attention everyone, this occasion is for my newborn daughter, and for my son...who lost because.....okay, let's have a toast!" We drank our beverages and began to eat.

Everyone enjoyed the food while the music was on the air to remind us...reminded me that I was sold my soul to the devil.

Edward took the microphone and sang, "My Prayer" and after a while, Lina had the microphone and sang. "I Don't Know How To Love Him." They simultaneously sang their favorite songs where I sang, "My Way" just for them to know that I was doing my own way to get rich.

We celebrated this day with my family that needed my love and devotion. But those hours of my life away from them did not merely work...it's a continuation of my dreams!

I spent my emergency leave for two weeks with my family where I kept Danielle out of their view. We came back to Dubai together and go on our separate lives in the eyes of my friends. I visited them all including Mike Luna and he lied to me about his status with Lina Luna.

Arnold Castillano visited me in my room to tell me about his condition and that he cannot control his emotions.

"Marco, since that bad moment of my life; I cannot control my feelings towards Joel. I'm asking myself why....and how?"

"Are you serious Arnold?"

"Yes, Marco, I'm longing for that thing..."

"You mean to say, you love Joel Arevalo?"

"Yes...I told him about this, but until now, he's only playing with me."

"You have a relationship with other men....or only Joel?"

"Just for him....only once...and I gave him money when he needed it."

"One of these days I will visit him and talk to him about this...but you need to control your feelings and don't get entangle with other men especially other nationalities, okay Arnold."

"I'll try Marco."

"Do it...don't try."

"Yes, Marco."

He left me inside my room wondering the consequences of not helping him instantly on that night; that our cowardice to fight for him was showing on his personality, growing into another dimension of his soul. That was none of my business but I had the feeling that I contributed a mark on his destiny. The damage upon him was a fate intended for him alone, not for me. I had my own destiny to tackle but not the same for him.

I held a party in my room that all of them attended; Vivian Montoya, Joel Arevalo, Arnold Castillano, Mike Luna, Ronnie Ramirez, Susan Magtoto, and Roger Ferrer. I prepared and arranged the room for us to sit down on the floor, Japanese-style. Everybody was with me when I talked to them in a serious mode.

"I hold this party just for all of you to understand. I'm your friend here away from home. Whatever help I could extend to all of you, it's deep within my heart. Let's eat friends!"

Everybody ate the food but nowhere to be heard speak about their love affairs. I noticed Joel and Arnold were talking about something in one corner of my room while Mike Luna was chatting with Vivian Montoya all throughout the night.

Susan Magtoto was amazingly attracted to Roger Ferrer. But Ronnie Ramirez told me something about Roger Ferrer; he befriended Ryan Mallari and Glenda Teruel and he visited Danielle in a manpower agency. And I observed them all throughout the whole night.

The observations that I gathered that night were all confirmed after a month's time. I kept my knowledge to them and kept my private affairs out of their knowledge. I visited Danielle's place in Jumeirah when I want to be with her. Our relationship blossomed until she got pregnant.

She needed to be back in the Philippines for this purpose because of the government restrictions on pregnant women.

We separated our ways but our communication was open to each other. The thing that I completed before she left was transferring some of her assets to my name. I continued working with my company and at the same time, running the manpower agency in Dubai.

It was...

In the year 1990 February, when Dubai was visited by foreign navies, The Allies, including the Americans – The sign of the Gulf War.

I was assigned by our Area Manager, Mr. Gamal Abdulrahman to transact business with the Dubai Mercantile and Maritime Authority through the recommendation of the top management. I'd got a written permit from them to sell our products inside the Jebel Ali Free Zone where the American fleets were stationed. I organized my resources; manpower, transportation service, equipment, frozen items, fresh bread, vegetables, beverages, identification cards of employees, and other legalities. Our main objectives were the American fleets who docked in Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZ) for repairs. The JAFZ was located approximately three kilometers from the city center where it housed some products of the world's largest corporation. The warehouses were built according to the structural development of the management. It had multiple docks for easy loading and unloading of product items to and from Dubai, or the whole of the Emirates.

We constructed a temporary store along the canal where the gigantic ship was anchored for the navy personnel. Some of the famous international fast food companies were also there with the same purpose as ours.

Our makeshift store was connected to mobile equipment that supported our electricity needs. We had an upright chiller, big chest freezer, open fryer, bread warmer, salad chiller, and family-sized cola drinks. The ready-made packaging was prepared in advance to avoid delayed orders.

I was with my staff for the operation to run smoothly every day; to manage the stocks, and manpower and apply the QSC of our system; quality of products, fast service, and cleanliness.

Our first experience was with the American fleet, USS Nimitz when it docked around nine in the morning. I asked beforehand that the navy personnel were being scheduled for their rest hours by fifty personnel in one batch. We served them batches by batches for the whole day that I telephoned Mr. Gamal Abdulrahman for possible delivery of additional stocks at JAFZ.

As we continued selling our products, the Americans thanked us for our effort in supporting them with their snacks. Each of them usually bought a family-sized cola and two large beef burgers which they paid in US currency and did not get their chance. In this case, every day I calculated our sales and stocks, and the overage was distributed to my staff as tips.

Daily, we brought all the perishable stocks to the Al Fahidi branch for proper storage, and in the morning, we prepared the required stocks for our daily operation. It was hard for us to stay there in the makeshift store because of the high temperature. The employees cannot withstand the environment so I reported the matter to our area manager. He told me to re-assign some staff from the other stores with added remuneration.

I was managing this kind of setup for almost three months I only managed the manpower office in Al Maktoum Street through my mobile phone given by Danielle Gustilo.

It was in this situation that Danielle called me up that she gave birth to a baby girl which I was glad to hear. Another thing that she relayed to me was to go to Kuwait for business transactions of manpower by a large corporation stationed there. I answered her that I had to ask permission from our area manager if he will allow me when I was busy with the operation in JAFZ. He permitted me two days' time of my emergency leave.

It was in the year 1990 June, when I went to Kuwait for a business meeting with clients. I purchased a round-trip ticket going to Kuwait through Kuwait Airways. I arrived around eleven in the morning and I directly went to the office of my client in the city center. I brought my attaché case with some documents of the manpower I represented.

My client was an international fast-food chain of restaurants that was planning to put up their business in Kuwait, thus, they need Filipino workers for this endeavor. He was an American guy with a nice disposition about the spreading of the business.

We talked to each other personally during our lunch and he relayed a message about the rumor of Iraq invading Kuwait in the coming month.

I called up Danielle about the news and she told me to come back to Dubai for finalizing the remaining transactions. I hurriedly left Kuwait and back to Dubai where I personally copied all the data to my diskette. Also, I telephoned Danielle about purchasing an independent visa for me and she answered in a positive tone and held a meeting with the manpower staff about the rumors.

I was back with my usual job in JAFZ where different fleets and ships were being repaired. Rumors now were spreading like wildfire around Dubai; some expatriates were only disregarded while some were over-speculating. Other people were spreading about the possible chemical attacks by Saddam Hussein of Iraq.

There was no news about the rumors but I observed that more navy ships were coming from the Dubai seashore when I checked Danielle's house at Jumeirah Beach.

XXX

It was in the year 1990 of August 2 up to February 26, 1991, when Iraq occupied Kuwait.

Kuwait an oil-rich Arab sheikhdom in the northeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf became independent in 1961.

Kuwait is bordered in the north and west by Iraq, in the east by the Persian Gulf., and in the south by Saudi Arabia. It ranks fourth in proven oil reserves (after Saudi Arabia, the USSR, and Iraq) and was a founding member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC).

The Sabah dynasty was established in 1756 after Arab tribes settled the area. Kuwait was nominally a province in the Ottoman Empire, but the sheik received British protection in 1899. when the Turks threatened actual control. Kuwait achieved independence in 1961, but when Iraq claimed the area, it again received a British pledge of protection. Under the 1963 constitution, executive power is vested in the emir and exercised by a council of ministers. Sheik Jabir Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah became emir in 1977. The legislature was suspended from 1976 to 1981 and again in 1986; an interim council without legislative powers was elected in June 1990.

In the 1980s Kuwait was subject to terrorist attacks by Shiite Muslim Extremists, including the 1985 attempt to assassinate the Emir; it supported Iraq against Iran in the Iran-Iraq War (1980 – 1988).

XXX

On August 2, 1990, after a dispute over oil, money, and boundaries, Iraq occupied Kuwait, a move condemned by the world community.

In Dubai, we were panicked by the news that all of us feared for our lives. Gas masks and masking tapes were selling like hotcakes in the market. Panic buying was shown in some other areas, but we were still opening our stores around Dubai. I instructed my staff to minimize the selling of goods for our consumption in case of chemical attacks.

Also, we came to our knowledge that some owners and managers of the companies around Dubai City evacuated their families at the onset of the occupation. Our company issued a memorandum that nobody can leave Dubai because all possible route terminals were suspended.

We had no other choice but to stay with our jobs. We suspended our operation inside the JAFZ and we took our duty in our respective stores.

As the days passed without any chemical attacks happening, we enjoy serving foreign people of different nationalities. The brisk business of all sorts was increasing due to these developments. The fear inside of us became an enjoyable experienced wherein we intermingled with foreign people. We had lots of tips from them every day that we can use with our nightlife, together with them.

Our stores around Dubai got an increase in sales for the first month of the invasion. But the stocks were limited

from the main office in Sharjah because of the restrictions during the occupation.

American military men were very friendly and gave tips every time they purchased food. Disco houses, themed parks, and shopping malls were full-packed that each night when we came home from work, we can see foreign people sleeping outside our store and some on the roadside. Every day, we experienced this kind of operation that my friends were also tired of their daily operations.

In the manpower office, I instructed them to open daily to do their jobs. Danielle called me daily about the Dubai happenings and she in return gave the news that I needed in Dubai. Every week, I had a scheduled call to my wife in Bacoor, Cavite for their living conditions.

We received news about the atrocities done by the Iraqi people on other nationalities inside Kuwait. Different stories were spreading in Dubai about this news, other stories of heroism and escapade.

I visited Mike Luna in the coffee shop where he's working and found out that he had rented a room for both of them. He was living with his new partner. I talked to him about his wife Lina, but he ignored me. I felt sorry for him that his life centered only on one facet of living.

XXX