Chapter 14: More Strays

I probably slept a little less than I normally do, contemplating what Mai and Merlin's surprise might be. I came to an early conclusion that we were probably going to be expanding our family once again.

I awoke at my usual time and headed for the courtyard with my Chai. It was just starting to glow, off to the east over the ocean. I loved this time of day. Everything was new and fresh. The air off the ocean smelled of ozone and life. I sat back and just enjoyed.

I heard a disturbance coming from the courtyard doors and looked over to see Mai and Merlin entering the courtyard together. Each had a mug in hand.

I said, "Good morning, kids. How did you sleep? Probably better than me, but of course you didn't have to lay there wondering what the surprise is, did you?"

Mai laughed, "Grandpa, I don't think you lost a lot of sleep over the surprise. You had it figured out long before you lost sleep."

"Yeah, I guess I did. Why did you wait until today to show us the 'surprise'?"

Merlin answered, "It wasn't because we wanted to drag out the suspense. The package was tied up until this morning our time, and we just didn't want everyone staying up until all hours speculating on what's next. We can produce our surprise anytime now."

I said, "Well, do you suppose we should wait for everyone to wake and have breakfast or bring the surprise here now and bring it up more gradually?"

Mai spoke up, "I think we should introduce you to the surprise now and introduce everyone else gradually. There will be a certain amount of culture shock and we'd like to keep it to a minimum."

"OK Mai, instead of skirting around the issue, which was fun, I have to assume you have convinced Sam Tao and Am Ka to join our family. Is that correct?"

"Yes, Grandpa. The reason we didn't just bring them here with us is because of multiple issues. For one, they have been staying with their family in Myanmar and dealing with the trauma the family has gone through. Also, after we introduced them to their powers and did their initial training in using the energy around us, they have been continuing their training and deepening their merge with each other.

"We have been in constant contact with them since we left Chiang Mai, and have helped them through the transitions involved in the maturing of their powers. They have come a long way in a very short time.

"One big advantage they have over us is that they were already together during the infancy of their talents. They were able to grow together and mature. We were also able to share our knowledge and experience with them.

"Essentially, they have merged with Merlin and I in a deep but more open relationship than either they or Merlin and I share together. We can instantly communicate with them and anticipate each other's feelings and thoughts but we do not share the intimacy that our bonded pairs have."

I said, "Wow! The possibilities of this type of mental environment are staggering. Do you foresee others joining you four in this expanded bonding? What will be the outcome of such a bonding over several people?"

Merlin spoke, "What we see happening, if we are able to find more of those like us, is an open and sharing community of individuals. Nothing in what is happening with this bonding is affecting our individuality. Mai and I are two separate people. Our love and caring for each other does more to bond us than just our talents.

"What I see with the addition of Sam and Am is a more efficient way to communicate between individuals and a way to pool power, knowledge, and resources between members of our team. That is what we are now, a team.

"This bonding increases our effectiveness exponentially. With the combination of talents and efficiency of communication, we are equal to many more than just the four of us as individuals. We hope we find others like us and are able to expand our team."

I asked, "What talents do Sam and Am bring to the team?"

Mai said, "They have similar talents to ours. Only in their case the type of talents are reversed. I have the more physical talents in our binary partnership and Merlin has the more mentally oriented talents.

"In the case of Sam and Am, it is just the opposite. Sam has the telekinetic and teleportation related abilities and Am has the mind scanning and control abilities. It doesn't seem to make any practical difference which gender has which abilities.

"The only odd thing among us is that I seem to be the only one with prescience. I still don't have much conscious control over it either. I hope that with time and training I can improve on that. Although, sometimes I think I would rather not know what is going to happen in the future.

"One of the difficulties I have with the power of prescience is that I believe the future is not written in stone. What I may see concerning a future event may be susceptible to change with foreknowledge. I can provide that foreknowledge in some cases. The question is; do I try to change a future event or use the knowledge of it to our advantage?"

I thought for a minute, "I have a feeling that you will do both. Having knowledge of an event allows us to take advantage of the scenario involved. On the other hand, if you had pre-knowledge of harm to one of us, what would you do?"

Mai smiled, "No contest, Grandpa. I would do everything in my power to change any event that would hurt us or our loved ones. In fact, after consideration, I don't think I could allow harm to innocents either if I had the power to stop it. Life is going to get complicated!"

We had been sipping our Chai while doing all this heavy lifting and were about empty.

I said, "Well, do we get a refill on Chai or summon your friends?"

Merlin laughed, "I think we better summon Sam and Am. They have been monitoring our conversation and are champing at the bit to get here and meet the family.

"I should make one thing clear first. The difficulty they will have in coming into the family won't be one of shyness and getting to know you. It will be just the opposite.

"When we merged with Sam and Am, we also gave them all of what we are. That included our knowledge of and feelings for our family. By the time the merge was over, they were, for all practical purposes, members of our family. The only problem is that it was a one way street. You didn't get the same in depth understanding of them.

"That is not without a solution. It is up to each of you, but I can transfer their whole past background and experiences to you, if you want to accept them as part of our family.

"The process is quick and upon completing it, I would give you time to assimilate what you have absorbed. The assimilation does not take long with me assisting."

I pondered upon what Merlin had said, "What you are telling me is that the family members can essentially merge with Sam and Am as you and Mai did, and come to a full understanding of them and their background almost instantly. They would also have a full understanding of us and our background and feelings. The only difference would be that we don't have the talents you four have."

Merlin nodded, "That's correct. This sharing of their essence does not control how you would feel about them, or how they would feel about you. It can only give you and them the information and background that would normally take years, if ever, to learn about someone. It is totally your choice. Each family member must decide."

After more pondering I looked at both Merlin and Mai in the eye and said, "I would be willing to do this, but it brings up another thought. You and Mai are family and I couldn't feel closer to you. But, have you ever thought about a deep sharing with us of yourselves? My perspective is that it also should go both ways. I know that you, Merlin, have been very careful to give all of us our mental privacy. Mai knows who I am in my core values but she doesn't know some of the life events that formed who I am.

"What would be your position on maybe all of us sharing all of who we are, starting with me of course? I am here and I am willing. I have nothing to hide from you."

I could see Mai and Merlin getting a distant look and assumed that communication was taking place. In just a minute I saw Mai smiling, followed by Merlin.

Mai turned to me, "We think you opened up something that we take for granted among ourselves but were reluctant to propose to the family. We would love to merge with our family, and I can tell you now that I think we can make it possible for all of us to connect and communicate mentally if we complete this process. That includes those members of the family that don't have our talents, communicating among themselves also. Do you want to become the number one guinea pig?"

I laughed, "Do your best with me. I am excited about it. The other family members will have to make up their own minds, but mine is made up."

Merlin told me to lie back on my lounge and relax. The next thing I knew, I was drifting in a cloud. Merlin and Mai were both there with me. They came closer and suddenly I was experiencing some kind of input that I interpreted as a high speed movie going by so fast you couldn't make out individual scenes.

I could feel Mai with me soothing and comforting me. I felt no anxiety as the process continued. I lost track of time. It seemed to go on forever. It seemed to be over instantly. I was disoriented.

I became aware of my surroundings. I was still on the lounge and Mai and Merlin were looking at me expectantly. Suddenly as I gazed at them, I knew. I knew everything about them. I could remember their earliest memories. I could feel the emotions they felt throughout their life.

It should have been overwhelming. Just when I felt it would overwhelm, a control kicked in that made the impact recede and the memories become more matter of fact, like they were my own. I have never felt so close to anyone in my life and I couldn't wait to feel this level of sharing, with Heather especially.

Mai spoke in my mind, "That sharing you will experience with Grandma will be as different from this as night is from day. In sharing with Grandma, you will have the addition of the love and intimacy that already exists between you. How do you feel, guinea pig?"

I laughed, "I feel great. I am surprised that with both of you sharing your total life experiences with me I am not totally overwhelmed. I started to be but it was like there was suddenly a governor put on a runaway motor. I can control it now."

"We put that trait into your mind so you can deal with what is an essentially a vast amount of emotion laden information without blowing a fuse. We also absorbed your life experiences, and believe me, we are glad we knew how to handle emotion laden information. You have been carrying a heavy burden for a good part of your life."

After saying this, Mai moved to my lounge and gave me a strong hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Well Grandpa, are you ready to meet Sam and Am or do you want a few minutes to absorb what has already happened?"

I took a deep breath, "You kids have done an excellent job of keeping me sane, so I think I'm ready to meet our new family members. One question though. I can feel the ability to communicate mentally with you now, both sending and receiving thoughts. Is this the way we should be communicating, or should we use verbal speech?"

Merlin spoke, "Sean, while mental communication is useful and very efficient, we stick mostly to verbal communication, even among ourselves. It gives our conversations a certain rhythm and individuality. It also underscores the fact that we value each other's mental privacy. We may broadcast occasionally to one another but we never enter another's mind without permission."

Mai interjected, "That excludes the enemy, of course!"

I shook myself and stood up.

"Well, lets get this show on the road. Conjure up Sam and Am and introduce them to me."

Mai and Merlin looked at each other and laughed. The next thing I knew, there were two more people with us in the courtyard. I assumed they were Sam and Am.

Both Sam and Am were Chinese in appearance and were dressed in T-shirts and jeans. They were a handsome couple and were smiling happily at us. I think I heard Am giggle.

I said, "Sam and Am, I want to welcome you here to our home on behalf of our family. You will always be welcome here. I know I speak for the rest of the family when I say that."

It dawned on me then that I wasn't sure if they spoke English.

Sam made a short bow toward me and said, "Thank you for your welcome. We have been looking forward to coming and are excited to meet the family. Yes, we do speak English along with several other languages that we assimilated from Merlin."

Am stepped forward and rather shyly approached me.

She said, "I too am very happy to be here. May I hug you? I feel I know you so well."

I held my arms out and she came into them and we hugged. She gave me a peck on the cheek and stepped back.

Sam stepped forward and shyly held his right hand out to me. I took it in mine and pulled him into a hug. We all stepped back and Mai asked if we wanted some Chai.

Everyone nodded affirmatively and the next thing I knew there were steaming cups of Chai on the side tables next to the lounges.

I turned to Mai, "You've been holding out on me. If I knew you could do that I wouldn't have had to keep running in to make more Chai."

Mai was giggling, "You get too much butt time as it is, Grandpa. You need to move around more."

"OK, enough. Why don't we all take a seat and get to know each other."

We all sat back on a lounge. Of course those four 'saved chairs' by each couple sharing one.

Merlin said, "Sean would you like to complete the merge with Sam and Am now? It would speed up our process with the family and you can then see how our team works together."

I looked at Sam and Am, "Do you both want to share yourselves with me now, and later with the rest of the family?"

They both smiled and Am said, "We look forward to it. We have learned so much from Merlin and Mai and we feel more complete every time we link together."

I looked at Merlin and nodded. I lay back on the lounge again and waited. It didn't take long and this time I was floating in a cloud with four people. They were all hovering around me.

The high speed show started again and I was assimilating Sam and Am's memories and feelings. I knew they were, in turn, assimilating my life and incorporating it into theirs.

This time, when it ended, the disorientation wasn't as great. It seemed that the controls Merlin gave me had worked and gave me the ability to handle the vast amounts of information flowing into me.

I sat up straighter on the lounge and looked around. Sam and Am were gazing at me with smiles and affection in their eyes. I looked at Merlin and Mai and they were smiling and nodding.

I said, "Wow, I hope you guys know how to keep all this stuff from overfilling my brain. I feel like I've lived several lifetimes. The feeling of closeness and confidence that this kind of sharing provides is mind boggling. Pardon the pun!

"I have all those questions one has about new friends answered, and feel closer than if we had known each other for years. You've even answered minor questions like my thing for understanding the derivation of given names."

They all laughed at that. I have an interest in understanding the meaning of people's names. I mentioned earlier that I had to know the meanings of Mai, An, Kim, and any other names I ran across.

Well, it turns out that Sam and Am are of Chinese origin. They are a part of the Wa people, many of which live in the southern Chinese area of Yunnan, China. They also live in parts of Wa Special Region 2 in Myanmar. This is where Sam and Am are from. They come from a village named Wan Umlong near the Salween River, not far over the border from Thailand. This is where slave raiders came and took them from their families.

The naming system for the Wa is both simple and complicated. It starts out simple with giving the first names to each child. On the tenth day after a Wa infant is born, the family invites the headman of the village into the home to give a name to the child. The name given to the child is generally in two parts. The first part, which is different for boys and girls, is similar to the custom of the Han nationality's use of a particular character to show the birth order of the child. In the case of male children, the eldest son is given the name "Ai", the second son is given the name "Nyi", the third son is given the name "Sam", and so on. From this it is apparent that Sam is the third son in his family. The same system works with the girls, and shows us that Am is the third girl in her family.