Chapter 12: How Mai Met Merlin

The next morning I was up early. I poured a cup of Chai and sat in the courtyard watching the sun come up over the ocean. What a dichotomy, sitting here in paradise with a gentle sea breeze wafting over me, watching the light show put on by the rising sun; all the while thinking about the horrors that Mai described to us last night.

I knew we would be in for a long and involved planning session, even after Mai and Merlin finished relating their stories. We were all agreed that we were going to devote ourselves to the war against slavery. It would take all of the talents and effort we had to make any impact on this most horrible of mans perversions.

A thought occurred to me as I sat there. The only thing we had done since Mai and Merlin arrived was talk about their activities. The sessions were intense and exhausting. I knew Mai and Merlin could use a break and we needed some family time away from our problems.

"What to do for fun?" I thought. "I know; why don't we take the boat out?"

We had purchased a sailing yacht about six months ago and had only been out in her a few times since. She was a two year old Van De Stadt 67 foot aluminum hull sailboat, named Jewel. She was a beauty. She was a high performance sloop with teak decks and three helms, one inside, and two side by side in the cockpit. She could really fly to windward, and had a roomy interior with an owner's stateroom and two guest staterooms. There were also crews' quarters.

She had a holding garage in the stern for a 14 foot tender. We had purchased a 12 1⁄2 ft Dyer Dhow sailing tender and put that in the garage. They were asking 2.75 million for her, but we got them to accept 2.44 million, cash. She sailed beautifully and could do 11 knots under power with her Yanmar diesel. She was great just cruising the Intracoastal, or offshore sailing the ocean.

Mr. Pham had fallen in love with Jewel. Every minute he had when he wasn't busy at work or maintaining things around the property, he was fiddling with Jewel, or out sailing her, 'testing' something. He usually had his daughter, Ngoc, with him if she wasn't in school or at one or her many extra curricular activities.

Jewel was set up for easy short handed sailing with all power winches and with all lines led back to the cockpit. She was sloop rigged and had all powered roller furling. Mr. Pham had added items to make her even easier to sail, and with our blessing, equipped her with the latest electronic aids. Mr. Pham and Ngoc were so in tune with Jewel, they could have raced her successfully. She was a true lazy man's sailboat, with an amazing crew!

Heather and I had some experience with sailing, both in small boats and in cruisers over the years. We used to charter boats in the 36 foot range and sail them in Florida and Caribbean waters. Jewel was a little bit bigger than we had handled before, but we were learning. Mr. Pham was now experienced, both at operating and maintaining her, so he always came along as crew, usually accompanied by Ngoc.

I thought a day sail today on Jewel would get the cobwebs out and give all of us a new perspective. Maybe we could anchor up the Intracoastal and continue the stories and planning in a very pleasant environment.

As I was reaching this conclusion, my smidgen Mai, appeared. I could see she found the Chai, as she was cupping a mug in her hands as she came over to the lounge area where I was sitting.

"Good morning, Grandpa."

"Good morning to you, too, Smidgen."

She set her mug on the table next to my lounge, and wiggled in next to me, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"It's beautiful here, Grandpa," she said as she looked out over the ocean into the rising sun, and took a deep breath, letting it out in a long sigh.

"I wish we could just stay here and be with our family, forever. The mission in life we have committed ourselves to can really bring you down."

"It sure can, Smidgen. That's just what I was thinking, before you got here. I was going to suggest that we take a day, or at least part of a day off and just enjoy ourselves. How would you like to go for a day sail on our new sailboat?"

"You have a new sailboat?"

"We have a new sailboat, honey. Everything we have belongs to the family, and everyone is part of the family. That includes Merlin too. You know you don't need to ask for anything; it all belongs to all of us. To answer your question, yes we have a new sailboat."

I then proceeded to tell her all about Jewel. By the time I got done she was wide eyed and starting to quiver.

"Wow, Grandpa. That's just what we need. We can get out on the water and get fresh air and forget that the ugly things in the world even exist; at least for a short time. Let's wake the sleepyheads and get going!"

I laughed, "Finish your Chai and let's sit quietly and enjoy the view. It isn't even 6 AM yet. There will be plenty of time to get things going. Mrs. Pham always starts breakfast by around 6 AM so the aroma will get them all going pretty soon."

We lounged back, sipped Chai, and just soaked up the peaceful morning.

Shortly thereafter, I heard and smelled that breakfast was being constructed. Merlin came wandering out with a cup in his hand.

Mai got up and went to him, giving him a hug and a long kiss followed by laying her head on his chest. The look of love I saw in his eyes as he looked down at her dispelled any doubts I might have had about their feelings for each other.

They came over to the lounge chairs and snuggled together into the one next to me.

"Good morning, Merlin."

"Good morning, Sean. I must say I slept like a rock and woke up refreshed. I could sure get used to awakening to this view every morning also."

Mai wiggled against him, giggled and looked up at him saying, "You should have slept like a rock after the performance you put on last night."

I looked at her with a frown and said, "Too much information for an old grandpa, Smidgen!"

She just laughed, and got a smug look on her face. Merlin turned bright red like a stop sign. Nobody can blush like a blond, fair skinned Nordic individual. It was heart warming to see the love they shared.

Mai said, "Mer, Grandpa suggested we take a day off today and go sailing. He informs me we have a 67 foot sailboat just waiting for us to jump aboard and forget the cares of the world. We could sail up the Intracoastal Waterway where it is sheltered from the ocean trade winds, have lunch somewhere along the way, and just laze about. Maybe we could do some swimming or snorkeling. What do you think?"

Merlin took a deep breath and let out a sigh.

"I would be forever in your debt if we could escape from our cares for awhile. Besides, I haven't been sailing for about two years now."

I perked up, "Oh, you sail?"

"Yes, sailing is very popular in Sweden and the other Scandinavian countries and I took lessons from the time when I was a young child. The North Sea is a stern teacher. It would be wonderful to sail here, in gentle waters. I have really missed the feeling being on the water with a boat under me."

I said, "I am sure the others will be more than happy to go also. I'll go clean up, wake Grandma, and meet you at breakfast."

After a quick cleanup and check in with Heather, we all met for breakfast. Heather had been enthusiastic about taking time out for a day sail.

I brought the subject up at breakfast and everyone was in favor. An notified Mr. Pham, and he was excited to take us out and show what Jewel could do. Mrs. Pham said she would prepare us a lunch to take along. We had refrigeration and a galley aboard Jewel.

A little later, Mr. and Mrs. Pham's daughter, Ngoc, came into the dining room. She smiled shyly at Mai and Merlin, and went over and whispered in An's ear. I saw An smile, and look over at me and raise her eyebrows.

"Ngoc, would you like to accompany us on Jewel today?" I asked.

She blushed and nodded her head. As I mentioned earlier, Ngoc was a senior in high school, and planned to go to university to take marine biology. She was so at home, both on and in the water, I expected to see a fin growing out of her back.

I turned to Mai and Merlin, "I don't think we really introduced Ngoc to you before. She is a senior in high school, and is planning to attend university and study marine biology. She helps her dad on Jewel, and has become an expert sailor in her own right."

As Ngoc continued to blush and look at the floor, Mai spoke up, "It's an interesting coincidence. We are going out on Jewel for a sail today, and Ngoc is Vietnamese for Precious Gem. Is there a connection here?"

I laughed and said, "Actually, the boat was named before we bought her. It is fitting though that Ngoc shares her name, with the affinity she has for Jewel. Let's stop embarrassing Ngoc and get ready to go."

Mai motioned to Ngoc to come to her, and when she did, gave her a hug and whispered something to her. Ngoc made a little bow and nodded her head answering Mai quietly. They both smiled, and Ngoc skipped away looking mighty happy. I didn't make any comment.

Heather looked around the table, and seeing that everyone seemed to be done, said, "Well, should we all go get our things we want to bring along and meet down on the dock? You won't need towels or anything. Just swim suits, if you are going to use them."

I looked at her and chuckled, "Does that mean suits are optional?"

She looked right back and said, "Sure, whatever flips your switch."

Never challenge Heather.

We all adjourned to our suites and gathered what we wanted to bring with us. I headed down to the dock and found Mr. Pham and Ngoc just finishing up the pre-sail checks.

"She looks great, boss. I just went over her thoroughly last night, and this morning I loaded some refreshments and checked the refrigerator. My wife loaded a lunch for later, and it's in the galley."

"Would Mrs. Pham like to join us? She is welcome to come."

He laughed, "No, she will be happy to get some things done around the house. Chien is over at a friend's house today, and she isn't too crazy about sailing anyway. She will go out if she has to, but prefers dry land."

Chien and Ngoc have become quite Americanized, but happily still retain the respectful and family oriented attitude they started with.

We worked together and finished getting everything ship shape for our mini cruise. Jewel looked beautiful lying alongside the dock, like a race horse just waiting to run; she looked like she was moving, sitting still.

We finally got everyone on board and prepared to shove off. Ngoc and her dad made me lounge back in the cockpit and they did everything. Mr. Pham started the engine and Ngoc cast off all the lines but one. On signal from her dad, she cast off the last one and we were on our way.

We motored out into the Intracoastal and got clear of the shore. Mr. Pham left the engine at idle, and with Ngoc's help, raised the sails. Once they got them set and drawing us on our desired course, he shut down the engine. The silence, broken only by the lap of water against the boat and the occasional flutter and creak of the rigging, was mesmerizing. I looked around at our family and could see the tension literally melting off them as their shoulders relaxed and faces smoothed out. This was just what the doctor ordered!

We sailed north with Jupiter Island to our right, and the mainland to our left. It was a quiet day on the Intracoastal with a fair breeze coming across the island on our starboard beam. It was perfect for sailing.

The chatter among us was about mundane things. Someone would point out a landmark or feature, and we would discuss it. Ngoc was like a tour guide, with her knowledge of the area and the wildlife, including both aquatic and land based. She spent time naming the sea birds and describing their habits. She talked of the whole host of sea life we were sailing over and about their conservation.

She was actually quite interesting to listen to and everyone entered into the spirit of the discussion, with questions and comments. Gone was the shy Ngoc we saw this morning, and in her place was a confident young woman, who loved talking about her favorite subjects.

Ngoc told us about places we should stop at later when we had time, like the Blowing Rocks Preserve just up the beach from our home on the ocean side of Jupiter Island.

She said, "The preserve is made up of Anastasia Limestone rock formations. The water hitting the limestone formations, blasts fifty feet in the air during high winds and storms. There are beautiful rocks that can be seen at low tide, with shells imbedded in the limestone.

"There is an abundance of wildlife including birds, hermit crabs, and a butterfly garden on the Intracoastal side. We will go right by the west side of it today, as we sail north. On our starboard side, between us and highway A1A, we can see the nature paths.

"You have to go across on the ocean side of A1A to get to the Blowing Rocks themselves, but this side is beautiful too. You can see Florida's state tree, the Sabal Palm, or Palmetto and the gumbo limbo tree. The gumbo limbo tree is called the 'tourist tree' because it has peeling reddish brown bark and looks like you, Mai, and you, Merlin, will look if you don't get some sun block on you."

We all laughed, and Mai and Merlin applied sun block to each other. I think that would have led to something else, if we hadn't all been there.

Later in the morning, as we approached the area of Jonathan Dickinson State Park, we started looking for a place to anchor and have lunch. If we found a good spot, we could do some swimming and snorkeling.

We found a quiet spot just off the Jupiter Island side of the channel, and Ngoc and her dad bustled around in a choreographed dance, furling the sails and putting out the anchor. They dropped the anchor, and letting Jewel drift back to the right scope, locked the chain, setting the anchor. The only sound now was the breeze in the rigging and the water lapping against the hull. We all looked at each other and there were smiles all around.

Ngoc came into the cockpit smiling, with her eyes twinkling and said, "Does anyone want to go snorkeling with me? You won't believe how beautiful it is. There are many beautiful fish, and you can see sting rays and swim among them."

All the adults expressed interest. An reconsidered, and said she would stay with the twins and Kim. Knowing she had never experienced snorkeling among wildlife before, I interjected that I would watch the little ones, and everyone else could snorkel. Been there and done that. There was some argument, but in the end they all left in the Dyer, and rowed over into shallow water near the shore.

The twins and I stayed in the cockpit, and I put Kim down for her nap in the cabin. We had a built in crib that could be seen from the cockpit. I gave the twins some coloring books and crayons, and they were happy as clams, coloring and chattering with each other in a mixture of English and Vietnamese.

I watched from my comfortable seat as the rest of them had the time of their lives, snorkeling around in the shallow water. They would frequently stop and stand up gesturing to each other about the wonders they saw. It was a perfect break from the tensions we were under.

I chatted with Mr. Pham, and we both enjoyed the chance to talk about our families and our hopes for the future.

He asked that I call him by his first name, and I thanked him and said, "I wanted to wait until you were comfortable with us as family before I became too familiar."

He said, "I feel that we are part or your family with the way you have taken care of us and I would be honored if you would use my given name, Trang."

"Thank you, Trang. What does Trang signify for a meaning in English?"

Trang blushed and said, "It stands for honorable."

"You were given the most appropriate name I could think of. You have been more than honorable since you have been with us. I hope you will continue with us for a long time. Please call me Sean, also. It makes me feel too old when I'm called sir or boss."

He made a bowing motion with his upper body and changed the subject, "Do you think Ngoc will have any problem getting into a university program?"

I chuckled, "No, I gather that she is getting a 4.0 average now and has very high SAT scores. She won't have any problem. Besides, as part of our family, she will be taken care of as long as she performs well in school no matter what she decides on for a major. That goes for Chien too. We will pay for their schooling for as far as they want to go."

About then, I saw the group was on their way back in the Dyer. Looking at my watch, I discovered it had been almost two hours since they went in snorkeling. It was definitely lunch time, and my stomach told me my watch was correct.

We all sat and ate lunch in the cockpit, around a removable table setup we had. There was plenty of room and the chatter was mainly about the wonders they saw while snorkeling.

An was very excited about her first look at the underwater natural world. She went on and on about the things they saw and her eyes sparkled as she talked. Mai looked at her mom with love and I could see her thoughts. She was thinking about what a change this was for her mom, and how she deserved a good life. Tim sat with one arm around An, and smiled fondly as she went on about their adventure. We needed to do this more often.