34 AWAKENING SENSES

Ivan had his own thoughts and was deep inside his head when he noticed a Gendarme near the boat and he stopped. They looked at each other and then the Gendarme asked him if the boat was his and why it docked in the area where ambulance boats need the space. Vai turned to him to assist with the language. She talked with the police officer and Gábor was able to follow the conversation but didn't get the whole picture. She appeared to be explaining to him that they'd brought Lundy here, and that person was in the hospital now and her mother was the attending physician. He could call her in the hospital if he wished, and the man did.

For a few minutes, he talked with someone and then handed the phone to Vai. She talked to someone in turn and mentioned the name "Lundy" and "Fabien" and then she handed the phone back to the Gendarme who talked for a few seconds and then closed the phone and smiled at the young woman, then looked at Gábor and Ivan and spoke in French to him.

"Pardon monsieur, je n'parle pas l'Anglais." He marched up the ramp and sat inside a shaded area where he was able to keep an eye on the boat.

Ivan and Gábor looked at each other and then Vai explained.

"The port authority had been looking after the boat for two hours because there were a lot of goods inside it and in this area theft had been a problem lately. The conversation on the phone was with Ma who said she was still in the hospital, giving her report to a doctor about Lundy. She expected to finish in about fifteen minutes and then we could pick her up. The port authority will assign a guard to keep an eye on the boat.

"How is Lundy doing?"

"Ma says it's not looking very good for him, something about a brain haemorrhage and they may have to do some surgery to release pressure on the brain. That coconut hit him hard. The doctor said Ma did a great job keeping him alive and taking care of him. It was good she brought him here. He was surprised Lundy had survived this long. He could have died on Niau without hospitalization."

"I'm sorry for him," said Gábor. "I don't want to see him dead, however, I must know if he is going to regain his memory loss or not so I can make preparations. I also need to take supplies to Helena and Leo and I want to leave today. I don't like the idea of leaving them alone for this long. Their "visitors" should be gone tomorrow and if I can arrive at night they won't see me, even if they are still around."

Vai looked at him inquisitively.

"How do you know she has visitors there, Gábor? Where is ‘there' and how do you know about any visitors? I didn't see you using a radio. You need a satellite phone to communicate with us, but you seem to have contact with Helena, so I think this Motu has no receiver station. I think you have some means to communicate with her. How do you do it? Why don't you tell me? Don't you think we will help you? There is no need for any secrecy anymore with us. We are on your side now." Vai was sharp in her observations and he looked at Ivan as if asking for advice.

Ivan looked at him with a ‘do as you wish' look and Gábor made up his mind to tell Vai about the mind connection when Leilani was with them too. This whole situation was already so incredible, what more would the information about the mind-link do?

"Vai, when your Mom is here we will tell you all, but you will have to wait till then, okay? Ivan will not tell her about you and I. I'm sure you can keep it in until after I talk with Helena. I do not want any secrets between us, but until I clear things up, it has to be that way. We have ways to communicate with Leo and I'll tell you all about it when Leilani is here," he repeated.

"It's telepathy, isn't it?"

Both men were surprised with Vai's intuitive senses.

"Wait until your mother is here."

At that moment, Vai's phone rang and it was Leilani. She was ready for pick up. They all walked up the ramp, saluted to the gendarme, piled into the swelteringly hot car, turned on the air conditioning and drove the car toward the hospital. It wasn't a long ride; near the archbishop's palace, but it was a huge relief to be in the car's air-conditioned interior and they took their time to get there. When they got there, Leilani was outside with two shoulder bags and a doctor's case that looked very new. Both men got out and opened the trunk while Ivan grabbed the two bags and put them into it and then kissed Leilani and some of the hospital staff clapped their hands. They waved and departed. Leilani turned back to Gábor.

"Lundy is in good hands and they will do the surgery tomorrow. The brain injury specialist Dr. Thibeau will be here and we have to see what happens. The gendarmerie will want to talk to you in a few days and have a report. I gave them the number of the hotel and mine also in case they want to contact you. Tell me, did you have a run-in with an Inspector Julian?"

"O-oh. What did you hear?"

"There is a report about you breaking some ribs."

Gábor looked at Vai and then back at Leilani.

"The inspector wanted to see a demonstration of how I was able to shove a big man like Lundy over the guardrail and a man named Gaston insisted I should demonstrate it on him and when I did, he hit and fell on Julian and that's how he got hurt. I've never touched Lenoir."

"Gaston? A Tahitian man? Big? Also known as Matahi?"

"You know him?"

"I once went out with him after Dominique died, a very strong man. He was treated for some bad bruises on his pectorals and wheezed when he got in. You're a hard hitter Gábor." She paused. "Everyone in the clinic is talking about it." Vai was looking at Gábor with admiration.

"If you hit that ox that hard, then we'd better pay your expenses here in Tahiti for the rest of our lives. He bruised Ma because she didn't want to sleep with him."

"How long ago was that?" asked Ivan with narrow eyes.

"About three years ago," answered Leilani. "But I got back at him, so that is no longer a topic."

"How did you get back at him?"

"With salad."

"With what?" Ivan's confused face expression was comical.

"Salad; made with mineral oil. He didn't get off the toilet for a week."

A round of laughter erased Ivan's frown and Gábor's mind eased a bit. Vai was happy to see him relax because partially it was she who'd put the load on Gábor. From the moment at the beach with the dolphins, she knew their destinies were the entwined. That he was married corresponded with her vision, and somehow she knew that his partner was part of a bigger picture. Actually, his partner and their child, with his appearance as that of a lion made the picture complete.

That was also the reason she insisted on him telling Helena everything. Helena was essential in this vision, including Leo. She had strange dreams when she was just a small child, her mother heard some of her stories, but put them down as children stories, however, she would have done better if she'd listened to them because there are things in the universe understood by children that remain behind closed doors to adults.

"So what is the story you want to tell us Gábor?"

"How about a cup of tea and I can sit facing you instead of talking to the back of your heads?"

Leilani turned forward and looked through the windshield.

"Okay, let's go."

"I need to unpack my stuff anyway and you, Ma, have got to call Hinanu and Jacques for dinner tonight. She looks skinny," suggested Vai, laughing with her mother.

"I knew there had to be a reason I brought you along," agreed Leilani. "You're good for something. I almost forgot. I wonder when you will find a good man for yourself. You could make him happy."

"You have no idea," Ivan chuckled.

"What's so funny Rasputin?" Vai asked rather sharp, a warning in her voice.

"Oh, I just agree with your Mom," he replied dryly.

Vai was not amused like Ivan. Her involvement with Gábor had to remain a secret for a little while or her mother would stop the delicate sprouting of love between Gábor and her. Her mother had the ability to find things out from the tiniest clues. It was a skill that helped her to make assessments of her patients during her work, and also to know what was going on around her. It gave her a safe, reassuring feeling in her environment and Ivan was a wildcard with his loose sense of humour. Leilani glanced from Vai to Ivan, but Ivan said nothing more. Vai had always been the one to surprise her out of her ‘safe' world like now. When Vai was four, Leilani began her studies to be a doctor and had to go to France for her medical education. Just before she was due to leave, she met a reputedly holy woman by the name of Herenui on the beach. She talked with little Vai like the two of them had known each other forever. The deep soul connection between them was obvious and Vai had asked to stay with the old woman until she came back from Europe. Herenui said Vai was to be her pupil. Heri, short for Herenui, asked Leilani to allow Vai to stay with her while she was away overseas.

It was as if they were all destined to meet. In fact, Vai stayed happily with Heri for five full years, until Leilani returned to put Vai into school. Vai's mystical tendencies had plenty of opportunity to unfold during this time and apparently did.

Herenui lived on Hiva Oa, one of the Marquesas Islands and lived alone high up on the mountain, near an ancient marae.^[1]

Often people came to talk with her or ask for advice, and rumour had it that she was some kind of a Seer or a crazy woman, depending on who was asked. Vai was too young to make judgments of that kind and loved her every moment in the presence of this "other-worldly" woman and learned a lot from her.

At the age of nine, Leilani put Vai into a catholic school on Niau. Vai was the oldest in her class and advanced very quickly, but the Fathers and Sisters all had a hard time with her. She questioned everything, pointed out every single contradiction, and questioned all their answers. She wanted to have everything explained fully and properly and took nothing at face value. The Fathers all complained. According to them, she lacked respect and faith. Vai's inquisitive mind and analytical ability, coupled with her highly sensitive and perceptive nature, did not mindlessly accept "teachings" or tolerate any humbug. The bible stories she thought to be fairy tales and a jumbled product of a vivid imagination and made no sense and she wanted to know why beliefs were more important than knowledge. If god didn't want people to have knowledge, why did he gave them a brain and planted a tree of knowledge in paradise? Her own Polynesian heritage was submerged in dark superstitions as well and Vai was too clear-headed to accept any of what she called children's tales. At best they were entertaining, but she loved esoteric and occult teachings, but at the same time remained a pragmatist. Now her mother looked at Vai and wondered why and how her daughter called Ivan ‘Rasputin' and silenced him with a question. What was that all about? Ivan drove the car back to the hotel and grabbed the bags and together with the others they marched into the lobby to have a table to sit at while they ate and talked. Gábor took the luggage to their rooms, while Ivan looked for a table. Returning to the lobby, Ivan had secured a secluded corner and studied the menu. Leilani had left with Vai to the washrooms, still pondering Vai's peculiar mental powers. How did she bend Ivan to her will to be quiet? Was that something she picked up from Herenui?

Earlier she had noticed how Vai had deterred and even stopped her husband from punishing Hinanu with just a look where she had not been able to stop him. Vai had a strong will, but it was also gentle and playful, like her friends, the dolphins. If she ever found a man to love, that man had better be something special. Vai was a warrior. When she swam with dolphins, she observed their behaviour and their playful attitudes and adopted many of their ways. With Heri, she looked after people's animals, pets and livestock, and she loved the animals more than the people. At her young age, she had confronted their owners when they claimed that animals only had instincts and no intelligence. She even questioned theirs and made Heri laugh. Vai had argued that animals showed more common sense than humans did and she still defended that point today. To her, it seemed that people impose human attributes on everything, animals being cruel, animals had vicious attitudes, animals were playing etc. Animals just had a different way of expressing themselves in the moment and they followed a different path of intelligence, stated Vai. It was a different intelligence, she said.

When Herenui talked with people they listened. It wasn't often because the old woman was known to follow the old traditions, but they had great respect for her. Some said she was a wizard or a witch, but no one talked back to her. Vai loved her. Now she was curious about what Gábor had to tell them. She was certain that Gábor had a way of communicating with Helena and if it was a kind of telepathy, why did he not tell her telepathically what happened?

Back at the table, they decided to have a snack and tea and when Gábor felt comfortable, Vai revived the topic by asking what he wanted to tell them a little while back. He asked them if they'd ever heard of mind-link.

"Are you referring to two minds thinking alike?" Leilani asked.

"Well, sort of; more precisely, telepathy. The ability to read minds, but not in the sense of science fiction stories, but in a way where you see, feel, smell hear and even experience another person's pain and pleasures almost physically as they experience it." Leilani's face was anything but that of someone who believed easily.

"It's a nice concept, but there is no evidence for it other than just stories. It does not exist in reality as so far, I think, at least no concrete evidence exists."

"What would you say, if you had a premonition of something happening to one of your daughters, something dreadful, and you had no idea about it, and then picking up the phone and your daughter tells you something dreadful just happened?"

Leilani had a furrow between her eyes and she looked at Gábor in a disturbed way. "Possible coincidence? Look, I'm a doctor and I deal with real injuries and situations, not imagined ones."

"Okay, let's go there then, shall we? What is psychosomatics? Is that not a disease that is imagined in the mind and then manifests in the body?"

"Gábor, what are you getting at?" Leilani asked irritated by his perturbing question. She had been brushed a few times with inexplicable events, but because they were random, she put them away as coincidences.

"Do you think the power of the mind is an illusion or real? Where is the evidence of your thoughts? What would you say if I told you it is possible to connect to other minds; see what they see, hear what they hear and all that without limitation to distance or any misunderstandings, and you can feel all that they feel too when they are connected to this link?"

"What proof could you show me Gábor?" Obviously, Leilani was reluctant to buy his story.

"None yet, but I can tell you that Leo is capable of contacting me, Ivan and Helena and we can ‘call' him and he can ‘hear' us and ‘see' where we are and what we are doing. It is a very new thing for all of us, in fact only a few days old, but we can possibly give you a demonstration of this right now."

"How?" Vai asked intrigued. She was far more open to this concept than her mother.

"I will contact Leo and show you to him, in fact, he has already a picture of you since we met. He knows you and will try to call you if you're open to his link. Would you want to give it a try?"

Vai immediately jumped on the offer, but her mother hesitated. First, she didn't really believe this to be possible and then she wondered what harm it could cause to have someone in her head if it was possible.

"What do I have to do to link?" Vai asked.

Because Gábor had the lead in this Ivan didn't interfere and also because Leo was his son even though he had a better understanding of this form of communication, he thought.

"Since you cannot see an image in your mind because you have not seen him, I imagine it would be like an unusual thought you will have in your mind that you may identify as not yours and then take it from there. I'm as new at this as you are and Ivan could tell you more since he is the one that found out about this, but I can assure you, Leo and Helena know you already and we are frequently in touch. That is how I know there are visitors on the island and we can only go there when they have left."

"So where are they? Do you want to tell us?"

"If you can keep it to yourself, and promise not to tell anybody, I will tell you." They nodded and Vai leaned toward Gábor and put a warm hand on his arm. The touch felt reassuring.

"You know you can trust Ma and me. We know your problem and who needs protection. Lundy is the only one who could possibly endanger your secret, and we will make sure that you will know the moment he becomes a danger, so you can do what you feel you must do, but murder is out of the question. Besides, I think Lundy could become your ally. In his core, he is a good man, Gábor. Moreover, I think this mind-link will help you to see Lundy as he is. Leo could see that for sure."

"Nothing is going to happen to Lundy and if he regains his memory, we will talk with him and see if he sees things the humanistic way," Leilani added to Vai's assurances. "And then there is money if nothing else works," Ivan put in and Gábor relented.

"Leo and Helena are on Mehetia." His disclosure caused a stir in Leilani. Her face reflected her disbelieve.

"On the "rock"? That is just east of here and not far. With your boat, you could be there in a few hours if you are in a hurry. But is there any place you can live? Sometimes people go there for shells and fishing, and some small scale copra harvest, but it is hard to land there unless you can take the boat ashore, and there is not a safe area anyone could anchor a boat with the exception of the southern end. But there is heavy surf."

"We've found a well-protected place and it is beautiful; with a beach. The problem is getting to it," announced Gábor. Ivan couldn't suppress his grin at the women's incredulous faces.

"Yes, believe it." He picked up the thread and told them about the place, but left out some important points so they would have a surprise.

"If we hurry we could be there in three hours which reminds me to buy two playpen swimming pools." Getting up he raced to the parking lot leaving the three people wearing confused faces. Vai asked Gábor first. "What does he need those pools for?"

"Beats me," Gábor said and returned to the topic of telepathy.

"I will try to contact Leo and Helena, so if you just remain open in your minds and try to feel another's presence, that would help you to feel Leo. It is a kind of like daydreaming with nothing to focus on and just letting thoughts come and go of their own accord. You may try to imagine a lion's face, and that might help." Both women closed their eyes and went silent. He focused on Leo and he had been waiting. When he sensed Gábor's presence he made contact.

"Leo, Lena," and he spoke his thoughts out loud, hoping the two women could follow his conversation and latch on to it. At the same time, it would help them to tune in when Leo's thoughts came into their heads, the words would coincide with the thoughts.

"Yes Dad, we were waiting for you. I can see you have company. Are you coming tomorrow? It looks though the visitors are packing up and maybe leaving tonight or in the morning."

"We're planning to come in the morning if they are leaving. Is Mom in the link? I would like you to link our communication to Vai and Leilani. Can you do that?"

"Of course only the things that are non-personal," he added without voice.

"I'll try, hang on a sec. She is working on a surprise for you, but I think she needs some help. She is getting frustrated. I think she is missing you and would like to see you."

"Yes, I want to see her too."

"Yes, I can feel it."

"You do?"

"You are not clear as Mom, and a little weak in imaging but you are more focused. You must have practiced quieting your mind. There are no fringe-thoughts. It is the way not to broadcast everything, but here ‘comes' Mom." A gentler thought linked in and it was the characteristic mind pattern of Helena, resilient and inquisitive with an underlying kind disposition as a base. Conveying a tired and exhausted physical condition, her image was nonetheless strong.  A longing for his return filtered through to him.

"Sweetheart, I have hoped you'd connect today. I need a massage badly. I worked all day and there is no one to give me a rubdown. Our guests are leaving and you could come. Will you? I miss you."

"You send the message and I'm flying. Vai and Leilani will try to ‘listen' in, so watch your transmission.”

Vai appeared to catch on to the telepathic conversation judging by her face. A smile was on her face and the inward look; eyes turned up unfocused and to the left, were the signs.

 "Did you practice mind control? Your mind is quiet and focused without all the other side thoughts, almost like speaking out loud. It seems this little vacation worked well for you. But by all means, let the ladies try to link-in with Leo. I can block thoughts I do not want others to know."

"You can? You have to tell me how. I'm speaking out loud so Vai and Leilani can follow our conversation. Perhaps that is the way to focus the thoughts. What do you do to have a clear thought pattern?"

"Well, imagine you are sitting in a room full of radios and they're all playing something different with the same volume. When you select the one you want to listen to, all the others seem to retreat and you will not hear them clearly, only the one you choose. It's the same as listening to one person talking at a party where others are talking as well. Only focus on the person you want to talk to and focus on what you want to say. It will exclude the others. Leo is only carrying the thought pattern as if here were sleepwalking in his mind. I sort of bypass his conscious mind and go through the unconscious. It's easy once you've got it. I'm doing that right now, so junior here does not really know what I'm talking with you about. And I am confident you don't know what I'm working on to surprise you, even though I cued you."

Gábor had to admit that was true. Her mind was crystal clear and he only ‘heard' what she wanted to tell him, but he felt her emotions. She continued.

"I imagine speaking only to you, not general to whomever. Of course, I need more practice."

"When we are meditating, we observe the mind without hanging on to any particular thought, just being a witness to whatever is going on. So this focusing is then the other end. I focus only on the thought I want to send. Is that right?"

"You got that clearly. Can you bring our new friends when you are coming?

"I will bring them and then we'll talk."

"Yes. Now, watch this." An image of both of them intimately embraced flashed before his mind's eye and he nearly lost his focus.

"Lena! You're shameless. Does Leo get all that?"

A mental laughter from Helena reverberated in his head.

"Nothing could be more fun, but don't worry. Only you and I know."

"How can you do that?"

"By not formulating a thought, only have the focus on the person it is intended to. It's simple."

"You must have had time to practice," he thought back after regaining his mental equilibrium.

"Don't kid yourself. We worked our ass off while you had been at a party. I want to have a massage, and you know what that means just don't reflect it, or junior will get it."

Gábor focused his mind and sent only what he wanted to send. Speaking out loud helped very much. “We will leave early morning about three or four and should be there around seven.”

"I'm waiting and I have just the right place for us." And another hot mind-package came through and Gábor nearly lost control. He stopped vocalizing.

"Honey, you are a sexually deprived person."

"Right you are. A week without a man does that to me."

"It was only three days."

"You're sure it's not been three months?"

"What if I die of a heart attack just before Solstice?"

"You will be the world's happiest looking corpse, I'd be off the hook to buy you New Years presents, and I'll join a moanastery."

"A monastery you mean? Surely you mean a nunnery."

"I mean a moanestery. They moan enough carrying that cross all day. If they can't handle that, they can't handle me, but it will remind me of you."

Helena's mind-message came privately and with a sharp focus that did not have a "fuzzy" character, as it was when Leo's consciousness was involved. It was a one-on-one conversation.

"Can you do a ‘test connection for Vai and Leilani?" Gábor vocalized again.

"How about scanning the area here, including me and Leo?"

"Perfect." Vai and Gábor saw the images Leo sent, but Leilani, being more sceptical and still too much of a doubter like Gábor used to be, had only a sensation of random images and thought them to be her own imaginations, but still, it felt strange. In her mind she saw a beautiful European woman she had never seen before or perhaps it was just her imagination, knowing how Gábor described her and an image of a peculiar looking lion with an almost humanoid face in a beach setting, then it faded.

"Okay Honey, I have these two women here to look after. I will link-up when we leave from here. Keep sweating. I love you."

"I love you too." She replied before she terminated the link. She nudged Leo and he smiled back at her. He loved her too. Gábor turned to the two women looking at him. Leilani seemed to have gotten some impression, and it was clear she did not link in deep enough, but Vai had a look of amazement on her face. She got up from her chair and hugged him impulsively.

"I knew it. I knew there was something special about you. I got some of the conversation and then you both dropped off at the point about privacy."

She pouted and Gábor was happy the mind block had worked. He needed privacy with his wife alone and before she found out about his affair with Vai some other way than through him personally. There was no need to drag Vai or anybody else into a drama of his making.

"Yes, sorry about that. I need some space talk to her about what happened since I left," he explained. "What was it like for you? Did you connect clearly or just like whispers?"

Trying to put into words how she connected wasn't easy and Vai recalled what she felt after some introspection.

"First there was this sense of someone trying to superimpose a picture over mine, similar to when a melody persists in the mind. I focused on it and allowed the picture to develop and it became clearer. Then next I had the sensation of listening to two radio stations, each playing a different program at the same time. I listened to the one that was persisting and I figured it was Leo or Helena. I could hear you talking and then there was a reply to what you said, about mind control, hard work, monastery, and a sensation of love and she missing you. It was almost like I sat in a class listening to a lecture about how to control my thoughts and prevent others from ‘reading' them, then things went blank like a TV screen. There was the face of a woman, dark, long and wavy hair in a ponytail, very pretty, I presume Helena. Then the face of a cat with the looks of a male lion, and a kind of a bowl-shaped grotto with an opening to the sky and a beach appeared in my thought. In fact, the whole experience was like watching a movie, not like when I think about someone or something. I usually see a still picture and then a story develops and I have something like a monolog with myself. This wasn't like that. This was "life-like", as I said; like a movie. When I looked at you, you looked like you were in a dream the whole time. I want to learn this. Is this real mind reading? Am I picking up other's thoughts or is it a fantasy? Can I get in touch with whoever I want?" Vai asked excitedly. Her face flushed, her eyes bright, she asked a lot of questions while Leilani listened. For her, it was like that too, but her mind battled with her intuition. In all her studies she had trained to see facts that pertained to pathological issues, manifestations of diseases and there was little space for paranormal phenomenon. She questioned her experience.

The waiter came to their table and interrupted their conversation, asking if they would like to make an order. A gentleman had pointed out that they might be ready for lunch. That had to be Ivan, Leilani concluded, they did order a light lunch while Gábor carried the conversation about telepathy with the two women until Ivan showed up again. Leilani seemed to have turned inward as if she were thinking about something. Ivan sat down at her side, taking her hand; she looked up and smiled at him. Because he had witnessed Vai and Gábor's sexual union and still thought about it, he didn't want to take a chance to leak his thoughts about them and declined to link and stayed clear and taking care of some things while his friend conducted the link-up. During lunch, the exchange came to a stop, but after the table had cleared up and they ordered a bottle of wine, Gábor picked up the dialogue with them again.

"You know, this form of communication is much better than with words. With a bit more practice, it will be crystal clear. When you had the party on the Island, Leo and Helena were there too," said Gábor.

"Yeah, you mentioned that before. Were they able to see it? And can you read my mind or I yours? Does it have to go through Leo?"

Vai was curious about something, her mother thought. Why did she want to know if Gábor could read her mind? She normally would not be worried if other people knew what she thought.

"No Vai. I can't read your thoughts without Leo. He is the one that reads your and our thoughts and then relays them to those he connects or links in with. Lena has found a way to use Leo as the carrier of the thought without involving him, kind of bypassing his conscious mind, she says, so it seems she and I or whoever Leo has linked can carry on a telepathic conversation without him being involved."

She noticed that Vai and Gábor seemed to be talking almost exclusively to each other and there seemed to be a bond between them that was getting stronger as they prattled on. It seemed these two would be at least very good friends and she hoped Vai could control her desire for him.

"All goes through Leo. When I'm talking to Leo and Helena, or Ivan, or all of us through the link, we all hear, see, or feel what all the others hear or see and experience, it's like at a big party. However, Leo can route the conversation to all or only the one he chooses. It means he can choose whom to talk or listen to. I can call him by focusing on him and he feels it, and establishes the connection and may ‘invite' Helena or Ivan too. To make clear what I've said, I can't read your mind, because normally Leo hears your mind and relays it to me, so Leo hears you too when you talk to me or I talk to you and whoever linked in. be it as it is, I am now learning how to send private messages, where Leo feels the emotion, but no details. Helena figured out how to do it." Leilani listened intensely but did not really understand half of it.

"This is all very confusing to me," said Leilani. I'll go and clean up our place. Want to give me a hand Ivan?"

Ivan got up without saying a word. He felt like the fifth wheel on a car while Gábor chatted with Vai and additionally he knew why Leilani asked him to give her a hand. Their place was clean.

"Okay Ma, I want to know more about this. This is cool."

Leilani left and Gábor and Vai continued their conversation. Gábor was happy to see Vai showing interest in the mind-link and explained every question as well as he knew how, and then Vai asked an important question.

"Can Helena or Leo link in when you and I are making love?"

"I think Leo has been able to get into the heads he has a connection with, like Helena and perhaps me, but he says it was fuzzy and not clear. We have to concentrate to send messages. But it appears with practice, one could ‘close-off' the mind and he can no longer look in. If I would link into Leo while we make love, he could potentially experience all that I experience. That would be the proverbial, forgive my language, mind-fuck. There are some things I would not want to make public because to me they are personal." Vai agreed.

"That's good to hear. "It would be a different thing when all are physically present and involved, but I do not like Peeping Toms, especially if they weren't invited."

"There is no such thing as an invited Peeping Tom, Vai."

She breezed over his correction.

"So when we go to see your family, you will talk to Helena about us?"

"Yes," he answered. "I want it to be one on one. I will tell her what I feel toward you and her so she can make a decision about what to do with the situation. It would help if you would tell me what your intentions are and now would be a good time." Vai looked in his eyes and saw true interest in knowing what her ideas were and what she intended. He really wanted to know and to make it work. He did not consider her to be just a fun affair. Her eyes misted over from happiness. Neither did she.

"I want to be part of your family Gábor. I love you like no other and the sex is wonderful too. But you must also understand, it is not obsession that I feel, but completeness, like two halves of a seashell. I know the difference between obsession and love. A friend of Hinanu had a close encounter with that and it nearly killed her. Real love knows when to let go, obsession never does. If your wife decides not to tolerate our love, I'll move on, but like you said to me, I will never stop loving you either. However, I feel that she will accept us. From the first moment I saw you, I knew we were more than lovers. It does make sense that you and Helena met first and had Leo. I was not ready then, but I am now. I want Helena to teach me what she knows and through Leo, I want to learn how I can help people to recognize intelligence regardless of shape or form. In a relationship with all of you, I hope to learn and teach others to be free from the tyranny of conformity and be a role model to at least the people I will be in touch with. I believe I was born for that purpose. I need you all for that. Does that sound crazy to you?" Gábor regarded her with a long glance.

"Not to me after all that happened so far, but I think to the rest of the world it would."

"You don't believe that this idea could work?"

"Look, Vai, it all starts with a spark like they say the Universe started and then things just got bigger. Anything is possible, but it will not be easy to move against established habits. Society and its members have always tried to control others and what you are proposing is a completely opposing idea. Conformity is easier than divergence because it is rooted in human laziness and the greed and need to control others. That conformity is fostered through any group activity, sports, wars, religions etc. and we will encounter huge resistances. Are you willing to face that? Am I or any of us? How do you suppose to change that?"

Gábor had a steep crease between his brows as he spoke. It indicated his concern. Vai answered and sounded like someone ready to face the challenge. She'd had bouts with teachers, the catholic priests in school and with others during school festivities, especially of the religious kind, and she was not afraid of conflict or controversy.

"We really don't have a choice if we want society to accept Leo or any other form of intelligence. I only have to recall the hunt for whales, dolphins and for humans to serve as slaves and I see the need for change. I have noticed how society upholds traditional values like a standard and continue even when those values are outdated and detrimental to growth. Orthodoxy, obedience, compliance, and agreements are the methods to subjugate others to a few who want to lead, to indulge in luxury without putting their own effort into it, I see all that. Those few don't work hard but make others work harder for them and then take the earning of the workers for themselves, leaving the workers enough so that they stay alive enough to keep working. I would love to see changes towards a higher level of consciousness, wouldn't you?"

"I'm on your side on this and let's see where it leads. You're talking about the Capitalistic system and I have seen and experienced the Socialist and tend to favour a social Democracy. However, the education of the masses is very important. Intelligent people don't need leaders. Only the uneducated need laws and leaders. We must have a better education.”

“But let me ask you; with your ideas to affect society to adopt a benign way of being, what role do you see for me, Helena and Leo? Of course, we all would support you if you were willing to start something like that. After all, it is in our own interest and would benefit Leo as it would benefit all people. You are the one that wants to start this. What can we do?"

Vai scanned his face and a wide smile lit up her face, then she turned more serious. "I'm not the one to change the world Gábor, but together we could make a difference in the way it works now. To speak in metaphors, Helena is the woman who is your anchor to hold you when things get rough. She is the harbour you need when you are out on the sea in a cyclone. She is more important than me because I am the cyclone, a messenger, I could do great harm and destroys the ship that you are, and all would be lost. Leo is the motivation, the reason and you are the carrier of all."

Vai spoke with passion and convincingly and Gábor listened. What she said sounded like a mission, but it made sense to him.

 "Without Helena, we would be only pieces drifting aimlessly in a chaotic sea. Altogether, we could be the force to initiate changes and if we can be together in harmony and love, we would be irresistible.”

“Can you imagine what would happen if the entire world could let go of their ego-driven obsessions to uphold this self-destructive culture that we created on a false presumption that this world was made for men to own and rule over?”

“And if we all would work together and aim for peace and a symbiotic, harmonious and supportive cohabitation with all of life on this planet instead of fighting for dominance over others what it would be? Can you imagine?" searching his eyes she saw understanding in them.

"Imagine a world without greed, racism, prejudice and judgment. For my part, I would love to see individuals working together on a common idea.  Where a vision is more important than the person who had it, where what is right takes precedence over who is right. What do you think? Do I make any sense?"

Vai's excitement affected Gábor and he felt swept away with her passion and could see it happening. She had the strength of conviction that affected everybody who listened to her. Her vision seemed possible and he listened with great interest. He looked at her and wondered how old of a soul she had to be. What she suggested made a lot of sense, the way she saw their roles in this, and he, for the life of him, couldn't see how a young, extremely sexy woman, a vibrant avatar in form and shape of a female human being, could love him. Why did she choose him to be involved with? She could find far more influential people or go into politics to campaign for her ideas. Why him and his family?

"Vai, I can't argue with you about any of your points because I'm on the same page as far as your views are concerned. I love what you're proposing and if Helena could hear you right now, she would join you. I've heard her many times expressing similar views. Be that as it may, I don't know how she would feel about us being together. What do you see in me? Why do you love me? What do you want to achieve?"

Hating politics he never liked to engage in debates that consisted of blah, blah, and more blah blah. He was a man of action rather than empty rhetoric that led nowhere, but wanting to know her plans he asked.

"A better world. More peace and love. Because I love you and I see a huge potential for all of us to make a difference in the world if we are together. I don't think you realize the potential that you are."

"You only met me two days ago and don't know me, I don't really know you. Let me ask you again; what makes you love me?"

"Gábor, if I could answer that, it really wouldn't be love. It would be like; because you're good looking because you're a good lover, you're a good cook etc., and those are all conditions you would love, not "me", but the conditions. That is conditional love. I love you unconditionally and hope you feel the same or at least are willing to give it a chance. I see you are taking the risk by talking with Helena and I'm very happy about that. It tells me you're ready to love unconditionally or at least you're willing to learn.”

“I'm on that path and if we could journey on that path together, we could make a huge impact on humanity. And about us not knowing each other, would you believe I've known and dreamed about you since I was seven? I recognized you when I saw you at the beach when the dolphins rescued you, but you were closed and you would have never believed it if I would have told you then… and we had better continue later, Ma and Ivan are back.”

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[1] The courtyard of a Maori meeting house, especially as a social or ceremonial forum, also a sacred enclosure.