A Touching Of Lips (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 21. Pond's Past.

Pond surprised me by hugging me. "Acknowledging what you feel is the first step...., accepting it is something else. I know you will battle with it.... but Ming will be there to support you. I will be there too, that's if you want me to be. I am not sure how you feel about me after what has been said tonight."

He looked straight at me and I saw that sadness in his eyes again. A vulnerability that I hadn't seen before. "I'm beginning to read you much better now. I will always want your support, not just Ming's. The more time I spend with you, the more I understand you, and begin to understand myself. You said we would always be friends, and I really do believe that now."

"Are you angry with what was said tonight?" Pond asked as we all sat down on the beds. Pond on his and me with Ming on his.

"No, but I was peeved with Ming because I was jealous of the attention he was giving River."

Both Pond and Ming laughed.

"I've told him I was only doing as you ordered," Ming eventually explained, taking a hold of my arm and squeezing it, "but I'm not sure if he truly believes me yet. I am still finding him hard to read at times."

"That is the truth!" Pond said without any hesitation, "but I feel a tension still coming from you Earth. Something is troubling you."

"So much is going through my mind at the moment that I'm not sure what to think. You seem to know all about me but I hardly know anything about you."

"I have already told you anything you want to know to ask Ming, is this not so?"

"Yes, but I have seen and heard things that trouble me because I don't really know you. I asked Ming things tonight, but he either didn't know or couldn't answer."

"You can ask me anything. You know this."

"Yes, but if I am honest some of what I want to know is personal. Ming says Mermen get offended easily."

"Ming's right we do. It is because of our mistrust of humans. They ask questions not because it is important or necessary for them to know the answer, but because they just want to know. We say it the same as humans do..... being nosy. A need to know purely for pleasure."

I laughed out loud. "Yep! That's exactly it. That's one of my pet hates...., nosy people. That's why I'm glad I'm hard to read. I like to keep things private."

Pond leant forward. "What would you like to ask me then?"

"Ming told me just now some things about himself. I didn't have to ask many questions but what he told me has helped me to understand him more. If you could do the same, then I would not risk offending you and I can then just ask questions that you have not answered. Is this possible?"

"Ow!" Pond exclaimed and began to giggle. "Where to start! I am 144 years old in your years. It would take all night."

"Before you do," I asked, looking slyly at Ming, "Can you answer one question that Ming is too frightened to ask?"

Ming slapped me on the arm. "You are too forward, Earth. I can ask my question another time. It is not important enough to take up Pond's time with you."

Pond looked at Ming. "That is not true. If it's important to you, then it's important to me. I have been waiting for you to be brave enough to ask. When I first spoke to you, I saw that sudden movement of your eye, and heard that sharp intake of breath. I knew at once you remembered. It pleased me that you had not forgotten my voice, or what I had said to you that night. I have always wondered if that experience would haunt you and ruin your life, so when I saw a stronger and wiser boy in front of me, it confirmed that it was right that we rescued you. I had heard what a loyal and trustworthy worker you had become, and when others recommended you to be my human support, I knew at once you were the perfect choice."

Ming looked close to tears. He sat there just looking at Pond. His bottom lip quivering as if he was thinking about saying something, and then changing his mind.

He eventually managed to speak as he wai'd in respect. "Thank you Pond. I will never forget that day and it doesn't haunt me anymore. You honour me by allowing me to repay you with my service."

Pond returned Ming's wai and they both stood up, and slowly moved in towards each other and hugged. Ming saying 'thank you' over and over again and Pond continually answering 'okay'.

It moved me seeing Ming getting some closure on a bad point in his life, and I was impressed by Pond's gesture of support by hugging him. I knew that Ming was trusted but that one hug from Pond would seal Ming's loyalty to him forever.

"Okay Earth! You asked for me to tell you things about my past, not all 144 years of it, I hope?"

"Just relevant things, obviously," I answered wearily at his poor joke again. "River has told us some things about your father but I would like to know more about your family and your friendship with Khun Chiang."

I saw the eye widening look Pond gave Ming.

"River has disclosed nothing more to Earth tonight," Ming advised. "I made sure that River only spoke to me as you instructed. He was very talkative again tonight and I can tell you all he said later."

"Thank you Ming. I do not want to keep secrets from Earth. If it is relevant to what we discuss now then you must say."

"It was very personal, Pond. His indiscretion shocked me. I would rather tell you privately first."

Pond took a deep breath before looking at me and exhaling slowly. "River vexes me. What he told you and Ming about my father the other night was not entirely true. It is the story that many MerPeople now believe as River perpetuates this to hide his own inadequacies." He put his head in his hands. "Ow! Where do I start with this? I do not want to confuse your mind anymore."

"Tell me what you think I should know," I replied. "I can always ask questions another time."

Pond paused for a moment. "Our fathers are brothers. Rivers' father, Mongkut, is the eldest of the three offspring my grandparents had. My father, Tulay, was the youngest. There was a sister, Hai, in between. They were brought up in the South China Sea and I was told that life in their small community was good. Then there was a confrontation with another Mer community from the East China Sea area. They wanted Mermaids to mate with, to increase their declining numbers due to pollution from China and a hereditary inbred illness. They became a violent neighbour and began to savage my grandfather's area. Mongkut saw the rewards and benefits their successes bestowed on them, so he joined them, rising up in their ranks, proving to be a most fearsome warrior. My father was only 17 and was away on his first raid with most of the Mermen from his community when it self was attacked. My grandparents were killed and Hai, and many other young mermaids, were captured and taken away for breeding. My father always believed that the attackers had set up the decoy raiding party and knew the community would be undefended. The surviving Mer blamed my father for the attack because of my Uncle Mongkut's defection and he was banished from the area. He fled here, to the Gulf of Thailand, and helped the Mer here to defend itself from the many frequent attacks that they were now experiencing. The Emperor saw what a warrior my father had become and promoted him to his personal guard."

I could tell from the sound of his voice as he strained to hold back his emotions that he was proud of his father but anguished by the actions of his Uncle Mongkut.

For once I was left speechless.