Immortal Mortals

Tai and Meili

As predicted, their home was completed at the end of the following week along with the stable and a small hut for his future stable hand.  And to thank his hard working crew, Jie put on an enormous feast for his young men and their girlfriends which they all attended.  As usual, when his men and alcohol mixed, it quickly became boisterous, as their infectious laughter and raucous ribbing echoed about the hills as Jie and Ai sat apart from them, thoroughly enjoying their youthful exuberance.  They were going to miss their young friends, though Jie did inform them, that he would help each of them into employment once the day was done.

Meili and Tai, too were there, though they also chose to distance themselves from everyone including Jie and Ai.  Instead they spent the whole time in the stable playing and talking to the horse whom Jie had yet to name.  The stable brought back happy and sad memories of their earliest childhood memories, as their father had been a farrier, a horse shoe specialist, as well as a horse breaker, someone who specialized in breaking in wild horses.  So to find themselves back in a home that would in time hold horses, he suddenly saw a future he could possibly love though bittersweet, and that would depend on Meili, who was his number one concern.

Their first week with Jie and Ai was initially difficult to comprehend let alone accept.  Having been alone for so long without adult supervision or care, suddenly being bathed, clothed and given all the food they could possibly eat, saw Tai's initial reluctance and outward hostility lesson as the days passed, though Meili was the complete opposite.  She instantly fell madly in love with Jie and Ai, even allowing Jies soft pats on her head and Ais motherly embraces, though her brothers attitude was a mystery to her, in her eyes she saw safety.  Finally they were free from the severe poverty they had found themselves in and she couldn't be happier.

Their first night, they had talked long into the night of what accepting Jie and Ais offer of a home and love would mean to them both, and if Meili had not taken an instant like to them, they would not have stayed.  Over the months they had been alone, Tai had relied heavily on her uncanny intuition that could read anyone on first meeting, and that she had taken an instant liking to both Jie and Ai, he accepted their offer for the both of them, but more for her.  He was tired of hearing her cry from hunger, and food enough to fill her belly was always his first thought the second his eyes opened each morning.  Now, they would never have to worry again and for that he was grateful.

Even Jies crew were nice them, sensing the children needed a kind hand the second they met them and as they accompanied Ai everywhere she went, they became a normal part of the construction  site, even allowing the boy to learn a few small things to keep him busy, while Meili left with Ai to help prepare the lunch.

And now with the house fully finished and ready to decorate, Ai had decided another trip to the markets was in order for the children to pick out what they wanted for their rooms, the first time they would sleep apart, which was giving Tai stomach a good twisting, having held his sister while she slept for so long, the thought of not being there when she woke from her bad dreams unsettled him.  

They had both witnessed the death of their parents, but it was the last memory of his mothers screaming as she burned to death, that had Meili waking most nights screaming in terror, her body convulsing and writhing in fear as he held her tightly to comfort her,  but so far, she had not done so since since arriving at Ai's home, for some reason she slept soundlessly and without a care, and nor did she reach out for him in the night to whimper softly against him, he could only hope that their worst days were truly over, but always the pessimistic, he couldn't help but feel this was but the calm before the storm, never once forgetting the tragedy that had unfolded after that fateful day, or the harshness they were forced to endure because of it.

And nor would he forget the countless men who would look at Meili as something other than a child.  He might be only 8 years old, only 1 year older than his sister, but they learned very quickly how to disguise her beautiful features so as to look as unappealing as possible.  And now that she had been bathed and was wearing pretty dresses and looking very beautiful again, he couldn't help but fear for her safety whenever they left they house.