Jack was just as much overcome at hearing the story as was its teller. Amazing as some of the incidents were, Jack had no reason to doubt the facts as they were told to him. Even down to the fact that he and the boy were related so distantly and across many generations. For some time, no words passed between them. For the moment, no words were necessary. Their thoughts, their feelings and their emotions seemed to join together without the use of words. At last, Jack stood up.
“My son” he addressed the boy “let me embrace you. Let me take you in my arms to complete your story.”
“My name is “YONG NIAN” which in your language means “Eternal Years”. It is like your Jackson Dexter. My mother named me so.”
“She named you well” Jack replied. “It is a beautiful name.”
They embraced. As a father who loved his son and as a son who loved his father. Tears were now streaming down their faces; tears of joy and tears of untold happiness.
It was Yong Nian who broke the silence.
“I must now take you to the great river where I grew as a tree for so long. There, I will say my farewell to you. You must not be upset and sorrowful at this my father of generations. My time here is nearly spent and I soon shall join my father, my mother and my people in the realm of spirit. Your chinese name is “NIAN ZU”. This was the name of my father. You must always be thinking of your ancestors. They are happy for saving me from the clutches of the very bad men.”
Somehow, Jack knew that his chinese name was his correct name. No wonder he had hated the name his foster-parents had given him.
“Walk with me” said Yong Nian “we must go to the great river and there, I shall say my farewell to you.”
Jack had a heavy heart that they were to part, but happy that he had been priviledged to have met his distant ancestor and saved him from the bad men. As they walked, barely a word passed between them. Nian Zu held on to Yong Nian's hand tightly. This after all was his relative. His distant relative. The time which they spent together now was precious to them both. Soon the distant roar of the great river became loud and distinctive. Turning a corner in the pathway, the river became visible; the torrent of water in the great river was in flood.
“Here” said Yong Nian, pointing to a shallow depression in the forest floor “was where I was a tree. It was there where I plunged into the great river to escape the bad men. Here is where the power saved me and brought me to you. Here is where I pass on the power which I guarded for so long into your hands. Here is where I join my family and people and enter the world of spirit. Here is where say “Farewell””.
Yong Nian let go of Nian Zu's hand then opened his own hand. At first, Nian Zu could see nothing. But as he looked into the palm of his hand, a faint, clear glow began to form which coalesced into the shape of a small lump of pure quartz crystal.
“Take it and place it in the palm of your hand” Yong Nian said “this is the power which I guarded. This was my father's birthright, my birthright and now it is yours.”
Nian Zu took it and placed it in the palm of his hand. As he watched, the crystal began to glow with an intense white light then, after a few moments, it darkened. The crystal disappeared.
“The power is now part of your being Nian Zu my father. I am ready to enter the realms of spirit.”
As they embraced for a final time, Yong Nian began to fade away and become like a column of mist. In the distance, Nian Zu could see several columns of mist coming towards him.
“See, my father, my mother and my people come to greet me. My people thank you for this moment. Farewell my father. We will meet again. To return to your own time and place, you must throw yourself into the great river. Close your eyes and no harm will come to you. Be brave as I was.”
The columns of mist joined together then they were no more to be seen. Without hesitation, Nian Zu, trusting in the words of Yong Nian and in the power which he'd been given closed his eyes and threw himself into the great river. In an instant all became dark. The aeons of time ran forward in a moment. He found himself sitting on the piece of driftwood on the beach once more. He felt the cold wind, he heard the crashing of the waves. He heard the crying of the gulls and saw the movement of people. Life was going on as normal, time was unfrozen and all was as it had been to begin with just as Yong Nian had said.