Try and Catch Me

The Note (1)
Eldric turned back and with a signal they left, not giving another look at Lia who stood in her place until they disappeared into the horizon. She never expected to be sad or empty when they left but she did anyway. She was not a fan of mobile phones and emails, they were too costly to have. But she wished to have them now.

‘Wow. I’m being so sentimental lately.’

Yolly grunted in the background as she shuffled around which caused Lia to jolt back from her reverie.

“Going out?” Lia raised an eyebrow. Yolly was wearing her cleaner and more formal dress, at least compared to the usual rugged one she had.

Yolly grunted again in response. Lia learned that she answered like this when she was in a bad mood. What soured her mood, Lia could not tell and she knew better than to ask. Instead, she shrugged it off and turned back to her work, grouping together what needs to be chopped or ground and what needed further studying.

Lia flipped her notebook, listing and drawing the newer plants she discovered. She was ecstatic to find hemlock — something she only read from her history book before. Thumbing through the poisonous plant section of her notebook, she included her new discoveries. With the tragedy that fell on them, the town had to start anew. For Lia, it meant taking up the mantle of her mother, supplying medicine for Yolly’s store. She was not able to save her mother’s recipe but she committed them all in her memory. Armed with her old knowledge and new discoveries, she started her own recipe book listing down the recipes she remembered from her mother and making up new ones. She included the plants she discovered and currently studying.

“Gon’ take a look at his new mayor they are talking about. It’s the one recommended by your general after all.” Yolly said.

Lia stopped herself from rolling her eyes. “He’s not my anything.” Today was the inauguration of the new mayor who was hailed from the capital by Eldric’s advise. “Let’s cross our fingers that he won’t be a conniving bastard like the old one.”

Yolly smirked at her as she put on her boots. “You’ve got some mouth girly.”

“You’ve been nothing but a good influence on me.” Lia returned Yolly’s smirk. “I’ll cook while you celebrate out there.”

Yolly went out and Lia continued with her medicine. And then, began preparing their food. Ever since she imposed herself on Yolly and Frankie’s lives, she took it upon herself to do the household chores. They let her stay without fee and instead, Yolly was paying Lia as her employer. Helping them around the house and the store was the least she could do.

“At least, let Frankie wash the dishes. We can’t let a lad slack off with the chores,” Yolly had said.

Lia had just finished cooking when the back door opened and revealed a very pale Yolly. She rushed forward and helped the older woman to the nearest couch. As she turned to get something to drink, Yolly grabbed her hand.

“No, don’t go yet. You need to read this first.”