When I first started flying to Hong Kong I used “travel clubs” to save money on all the fights and lodging that I had to take two to four times each year. By joining these clubs it allowed me not only to save money to Hong Kong, but also these flights had continued on to the other countries I needed to visit. This was a good way to get through 14 hours of flying, and at the same time meet people who where traveling there to see and visit these different countries, all very excited and wanting to hear of the other places I had been that they would like to see on another trip. At the time, it was a new thing to join the “Mile High Club” and always on each trip I would be approached to join by one stewardess or another, or women traveling alone. Since it was the time I was no longer married, I had joined it many times, but never once being the instigator. Many times at the hotels that were part of the package, I would have knocks on my door with some woman wanting to “talk”, but never did I go that route.
One time while I was still married, sitting in the Hotel lounge at the end of a long day of work, I noticed a couple laughing with the man noticeably very drunk, and truly making a fool of himself. Knowing that I would be busy the next day visiting manufacturers for my business, I would always end the day with an Irish Coffee. Being almost done and ready to leave, I was approached by the woman who was with the guy who now was passed out with his head on the table. Wow, she was young and beautiful and she asked me if I could help her get her husband up to their room. I wondered if he really was her husband, but I said of course, and proceeded to do so. I got him to the elevator by almost having to carry him and once in the elevator, she pressed the button for 8 and up we went, with me leaning on him so he would not fall to the floor. When the elevator door opened on 8, I dragged and carried him out as he snored away. We got to their room and I put him on the bed as best that I could and the woman thanked me as I was leaving, but proceeded to follow me out, and closing the door. She was really very beautiful and more importantly charming and still following me. I turned and asked her if I could help her with anything else, and she smiled and said “Well could I come stay with you, as staying in that room with it’s smells and his snoring I don’t want to do, and I thought that you might like me to stay with you.”? Looking at her, I was surprised it wasn’t hard for me to explain that I was married and couldn’t have her stay with me. I truly had no problem saying this even though my marriage was not a happy one at that time. My religion was a very important part of my life and so I would never think of going that route. I told her so, and she actually understood and thanked me for my help and left for the lounge. I went to my room and thought to myself… Hey God! That’s One up for me! Yes, at that time I would talk to God and knew he was listening. Heck a few more points can’t hurt.
It was a few years later that my wife decided to go back to college and finish her finance major. As she did so, she now became belligerent to me and constantly compared me to her brilliant teachers, who were better and smarter men than I’ll ever be. Actually, that turned out to be the last straw, and I realized my life was worth more to me than sticking around when I wasn’t wanted. For years I had opportunities, but never even dreamed, or wanted anyone else, as I knew once you’re married, your actions were only towards your wife. That now changed. I had offices in 5 countries in Asia, and in each my employees couldn’t understand why I didn’t chase women that were easily available to me.
In Bangkok there was a family who handled my artificial flower business there, and they had a daughter who was an airline stewardess on Thai Airways. I would run into her many times as I traveled to my different offices, and we would have a meal together afterwards, never with any other intention and she was like family. On my next trip, I again ran into her, but now with a different attitude, and being I knew her so well, I told her of my problems and changes i needed to make and why. Surprisingly, she told me how she felt about me. I hadn’t even considered it, but that ended as I now saw myself in a different light. So, naturally we became lovers, but with no attachments. She still wanted to do her thing as I did as well. My life changed drastically after this, as now when women approached me I looked at them differently, and acted differently.
While in my Taiwan office, we had three young Chinese girls handling it, as they were the sister- in laws to my Ex-partner, Gene Schaffer. A man I loved as a brother, and who had terminal cancer, who lived mostly there in Taiwan, but maintained an apartment in a high rise building near the George Washington bridge. He was Jewish and a very strict one to boot, so He would meet me at the airport and we would walk back to my hotel, as my bags and samples would’ve brought by limo. He was very heavy and would plead with me for the candy I always had in my briefcase, because as yet you couldn’t by it locally, but I knew it would kill him, so I wouldn’t give him any. He would always steal some from my briefcase when I was doing other work with the girls for my customers. The girls converted for him and each loved him dearly. Each time I would arrive, I stayed at the best hotel in Taipei, had a suite by the pool and would eat there daily.
One time after my lifestyle change, a young man came to Gene’s office answering my ad in English, hoping for me to hire him. I needed someone in Taipei speaking English to oversee my business and find manufacturers in the south of Taiwan to make my products. He fit my need exactly so I hired him. thereafter, he would always bring his sister as we would always have dinner whilst discussing business. She was a young, beautiful lady, very respectful, but always wanting to dance with me and flirting constantly. American music was now very popular in all of Asia, and I loved to dance and was very good at it. Now with my new freedom in thinking, I found myself getting more and more involved, till eventually it happened. In Taiwan, it seemed that it was the way of life for business men, and when it happened again for me, I knew I was to old for her! But she insisted that we become lovers…So now I had two to worry about. Methta, from Thailand was always wanting to travel with me wherever I went, and she did, but luckily not to Taiwan. It’s a shame that I can’t remember the young ladies name, cause she really became attached to me. However, I knew it was not good for her to be involved with me, as she needed to get on with her life. Gene said that it was best for her, so I stopped any further relationship with her and asked her brother to lead her in a new direction.
Here I have to tell of a sad event that made me realize that it’s important to live my life in a special way. As it happened Gene and his wife returned home to get treatment for his cancer. after many attempts, the doctors said he would not last much longer. When he told me this, he asked me to watch over his family and I should arrange for his funeral, as he had no family except a partner who handled his business with J.C.Penney. He said his partner would handle is affairs, but he wanted me to arrange his funeral. He was very explicit on what was to be done, and I followed it exactly when he died. My father died a few years before and I felt almost as bad with this experience. so , I ordered a wooden coffin made to how he wanted it. It was made of 6 pcs of 8’x6” boards nailed edge to edge to form two sides 3’x8′ and 2 ends made the same way to form 3’x3′. All attached with 2×4 boards used on the corners and middle. No other inside finish was to be done. Gene was then put into it and we left for the Jewish elementary in Brooklyn in a hearse. When his family and I were at the grave sight, I thought there would be a rabbi who operated there, but that was not the case. Gene was explicit that prayers in Hebrew was to be said before he was lowered. I searched through out the cemetery until I found a man attending a grave. I asked him if he would help me, and he gladly came with his Thora and proceeded to finish the rites. I thanked him and asked if he would come to have dinner with the family. He declined and we left thereafter after saying Goodbye to Gene!
My life changed drastically after moving out from my home in Scarsdale, NY. I moves into a home in Mount Vernon, NY. It belonged to the local Catholic Church that has been using the land and it’s 4 homes for their nuns as a school for their novices, until one was too small and the novices headquartered in a larger building on the same property. My son Trey temporarily moved in with me, until another small home on the property became available, so He and his friend, Clay, moved there. I would get to see Christian only after I pleaded to see him, as my ex- wife was able to convince the family court that she wanted sole custody of him and being she was a close friend of the family court judge at family Court, she was able to get it. I had a fool lawyer who was just beginning and he was lost to help me, as he did have a chance. That same judge found against me throughout my life finding me always at fault every time my wife wanted something.
However, I would go to the door of my Scarsdale home and plead to have him stay with me for a weekend. As it was, I was paying her $3000.00/ month ($30,000 in today’s value) and she could do whatever she pleased, cause that judge would always find in her favor. I bought a small motorcycle for Chris so he could ride on the nuns property and he did so as much as possible. Meanwhile she would send him to her parents home whenever she could, allowing her to go to be free of him, going back to school to get her masters degree in Finance.
Eventually, I found an apartment close to my 14th St. office spending more time there running my company. I had to live with this situation till Chris turned 18, and only then could he live with me, but then he wanted to go to college in Denver, Colorado to be with my other son, Michael who had his home and business there. I found an apartment for him, paid all his bills and gave him $500.00 per month for expense money. His mother had brainwashed him into believing that that I was a bad father and didn’t want him to be with me. It seems to have worked, as even today he won’t even call me Dad.
I could tell him and show him documents where she wanted an abortion to be rid of having another child. I refused to even consider it, she couldn’t have it done without my approval, so she sent her Doctor to press me to sign release papers. I didn’t and that’s the only reason Chris is alive today. He doesn’t know this and I don’t want to tell him,as then he would lose his mother.
So my life from then on out was making my company grow, but at the same time find things that were adventurous to do. Yes, helping Villagers in the Philippines was great and watching these simple people live as they did and not want material things but had a faith in God that was beautiful and strong. So, I helped them, but didn’t want to spoil what they already had. Since my Religion was strong, I could understand how they could live life happily! While there one time, I met Metha and we made a special trip to a large Philippine Island called Guadalcanal. There had been a movie made there with John Wayne, called Guadalcanal Diary, and I wanted to have that same experience driving a boat straight into the shore, just like it was done in the movie only they used landing crafts. So I rented a Jet-ski and Metha sat in front of me both facing the shore and we went way out about a mile from shore. Both having seen the movie, we wanted to run right up onto the beach. If you’ve every ridden on a Jet ski, as it flies on the top of the water, it makes great jumping moves, flying out of the water and bouncing down to do it again and again. So, on the second run to the beach we tried something very different and wild! She faced me and put legs around my body and I entered her, so as we flew towards shore, we had the greatest sex you could imagine, so much so, we did it again, and again. There was a song by the Bee Gees out at that time called “ SOMEONE TO DREAM OF” and in it they sang “Again and Again”, and we were doing it! Never forget that experience!!! I have actually Done One Better, but it’s not part of this story, but another adventure in my life. I hope I’ve not been too graphic here, but there is no other way to simply explain it and still tell what actually happened, just as for the movie, it shows a much worse conclusion, a battle where thousands of humans died!
