Miyel and I rode into town for lunch. I told her about myself, about Corwin, and Mhelene. I told her about my husband. She told me a bit about her Shadow, but I got confused when she talked about computers and such.
"What is it like to make a Trump call? I've never done it."
"It's sort of like a phone...."
"What's a phone?"
"Forget it. It sort of like a gateway...." (and so on)
She told me about the family. What they had done, who they were, what they were like, what she thought of them. She has the opinion that the older you get, the more reserved and selfish you become. (Duncan was an example of this.) I also got the impression that many of these Elders are loyal to Amber and will defend it to the end. Same with Ash and Kendrick. They seem like a boring lot, these Elders. But their heads are full of wisdom if you can just get it out of them. My experience in dealing with older people that have stories to tell is to just ask them about their stories. Many people will be glad to have someone think that their lives had meaning and were interested in hearing about them. Then they get off in their storytelling and you learn a lot about the person, though their stories. Flattery goes a long way too.
I explained a little bit about my family. I was told as a child that both of my parents died when I was young. I was raised by friends of my mother. I call them "Mother" and "Father" even though they aren't my real parents. Father knew that I was going to be trouble as soon as I reached 12. I was a hellion, just like my real mother. A bit like him too, and Father gave me extra attention that my brothers and sisters did not share. Father liked me best, and he opened me up to his unique philosophy, which I share. I love Father immensely and I share almost everything with him. I would have given him my maidenhead with a word, but he wouldn't even let me sit on his lap after I was 10.
This is a flashback from my childhood which I did not share with Miyel:
Father told me that I was going to have a lot of trouble with men. I said: "Father, you're crazy. I'm not pretty. The boys don't even throw snowballs at me."
"A little respect, please. No, you aren't pretty. It's the way you smell, my darling. You are going to have to bathe oftener . . . or some warm night you will wind up raped and murdered."
"Why, I bathe every week! You know I do."
(end of flashback.)
Miyel is not married, and doesn't plan on it any time soon. (Why would she?) I also asked her if she had ever tried for any children. I explained that I had been trying for a child for years, with no success. She informed me that Amberites are notoriously infertile.
Then she shared with me that she has kept her virginity.
"And you are what? Twenty? I could never have endured so long." I said.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I know that some women are different from others, but haven't you ever just felt a *desire* to go out and do it?"
"You mean sex?"
"Well, yes." (slight embarrassment.)
"Of course I have felt the desire. I just haven't found the right man."
"Yes, the right man is important, but I know I could not have lasted until twenty."
"How long DID you wait?"
"Well Father explained to me the dangers at an early age. He knew he couldn't stop me if I wanted to, so he just educated me the best I could. I wanted to hold off as much as I could. But I couldn't stop thinking about it. It was driving me crazy!"
"So how old WERE you?"
"I managed to resist until I was 14."
She wouldn't let me go about the sex thing. She kept wanting to know what it was like:
"So, can you tell me about the physical sensations?" Miyel asked.
"Um, well, it sort of something you have to experience for yourself."
"But can you tell me what it's like?"
"Well, let's see. It feels a little like it does when you do it by yourself..."
"Oh, I don't do that, either."
"Well, if there's one bit of advice that I can give you, it's that you NEED to do that before you find the right man."
"Why?"
"Well, you need to be familiar with yourself. Father said that was absolutely nothing wrong with it, as long as you were clean. But most importantly you have to learn what pleases you. You can't show him what pleases you most until you've found it. Besides, it might be a lot better than your first few times. I know I was very disappointed several times. I was able to get those 'fireworks' by myself but not with the boys. It will let you know how good it will feel when you get better."
"Well what techniques do you use on yourself?" Miyel asked.
"Um, er, I've never really talked about this to a woman before....."
"Well neither have I!"
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