Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Days dragged on by. Halmeoni had been visiting the residence every single day since Lady Hae had collapsed. Due to the circumstances, the two young girls were tasked with minding the Apothecary in her absence. But only one of them was able to follow the request. A sigh escaped her lips as the customer in front of her, began to tap their feet impatiently. The petite girl sent to retrieve their medication was taking far longer than she should have.

“Nandita,” Seung Hee called out a second time.

A moment of silence passed, before the sound of shuffling came rushing to her side. With a little pant, Nandita handed over the medicine. The man frowned at her, before grunting his thanks and leaving. 

A headache crept at Seung Hee’s temples. That was the third customer Nandita had failed to serve properly today. She too shared the forlorn expression Nandita was displaying, but she couldn’t let it hinder their work. They had other lives to save. 

She reached out to Nandita’s shoulder, hoping it would ground her enough to continue her work. But she could already see her eyes glazed over with worry. She shook her head at the plight of her friend. “Hey,” she said, snapping her out of her trance, “Take a break.”

Blinking back into reality, Nandita stared at Seung Hee, who left her to attend another clientele. How could she be so calm? She continued to watch her, as a frail old woman perched herself on one of the stools. Her chest struggled to rise, as she spoke with Seung Hee. As the conversation continued, tears began to form at the corners of her wrinkled eyes. Sharing a disheartened look, Seung Hee held the old woman’s hand, who quietly wept in their shop. 

Nandita had seen that expression before. The woman wasn’t going to make it past winter. Her mind wandered back to the hospital. Her brother-in-law, Eunhyuk, crumbled to the floor, as the doctor gave the diagnosis on Jeevita’s condition. She couldn’t help but think about how composed the doctor was, as he told them that her sister was dying. Just like Seung Hee was with the old woman. How many times had she had to tell someone that they weren’t going to make it? That despite their best efforts, they were going to die. How did she numb herself to such a task? 

Will I have to do this for Lady Hae?

Her heart weighed heavily in her chest, as she trudged around the shop. Her thoughts were entirely preoccupied with the notion of mortality. It wasn’t until a loud crash and a throbbing sensation, that she returned to the shop space. Rubbing her leg, her eyes traced down to the tray that had fallen under her carelessness. Muttering a curse under her breath, she began to pick up and replace the herbs she had scattered along the floor. But her breathing hitched and her vision blurred. Her hands were frozen in place, as she held the medicine.

Hearing the commotion, Seung Hee rushed to Nandita's side. Kneeling beside her, she too began to help with restocking the tray. It wasn’t until she had noticed the girl hadn’t moved, that the scowl that had formed from Nandita’s actions (or lack thereof), had begun to melt away. Her eyes followed the item held tightly in her grasp; a cluster of small yellow flowers. The same type that was used to treat Lady Hae.

The same flowers that Nandita begged Seung Hee to teach her the name of. They called it agrimony. It was a slender plant, with small flowers, which mimicked yellow cherry blossoms all along its stem. If it wasn’t associated with such a grim memory, Nandita would have thought of it as something pretty.  

Seung Hee reached out to Nandita, holding her hands as her friend stared at the herb; tears streaming down her cheeks. “Hey,” she said, “I know this is tough, but everything will be alright.” 

As soon as the words left her mouth, they tasted bitter. Seung Hee knew that with the events that had transpired over the last several days, that she could only offer a hollow form of comfort. Lady Hae had not woken after collapsing. And despite her lack of experience with medicine, Nandita knew that this was not a good sign. 

Nandita closed her eyes tightly; a silent prayer leaving her lips. If only she could control fate. If only she could do something about the future—have a presence that brought joy, rather than be the epicentre of suffering. If only I was never cursed…

Arms wrapped themselves around Nandita’s torso, snapping her out of her thoughts. Her eyes widened, as her body stiffened in her friend’s embrace. 

“Seung...Hee?” 

The girl did not release Nandita. Instead, she tightened her hug, burying her face into her shoulder. But that was all that was needed to ground Nandita. Her body relaxed, as a gentle warmth flooded her being. Something, which Nandita had not realised she was missing. She slowly raised her arms to reciprocate the hug. The scent of flowers and spices, mixed with the musk of earth comforted her. 

How could she have forgotten she wasn’t alone with this? She had Seung Hee and Halmeoni by her side, who were both working tiresomely to treat their patients. Both, who were regularly worried about the declining health of the people left in their care, but could not allow it to affect their work. 

A pang of guilt rang through Nandita’s chest. She was so consumed with losing Lady Hae, she had been neglecting her duty towards the community that relied on the medication provided by the Apothecary. How foolish she was. Maybe she was not fit to work within this profession...

Almost as if she was reading her mind, Seung Hee spoke. “It’s not your fault,” she said, “We did everything we could.” 

Seung Hee loosened her grip, before breaking the embrace. A thought crossed her mind, as her eyes examined Nandita’s tear stained face. Had she been like this when she first lost a patient? She almost shook her head. She can’t assume the worst just yet. Lady Hae may have not woken up, but there was no sign of it never happening. If there was no hope, Halmeoni would have confirmed her case as a lost cause days ago. But that was yet to be established.

Using her sleeve, Seung Hee began to wipe Nandita’s cheeks. She couldn’t help but think about how sincere and young Nandita was. Working with her these past few weeks, she had noticed the petite girl’s work ethic and the high level of maturity she possessed. But despite that, she still was lacking in some ways. A smile surfaced on Seung Hee’s face. It was nice to see her act her age for once. Although, her exact age remained a mystery. 

Stature-wise, Nandita could only reach Seung Hee’s nose, if they were standing side by side. Despite this, the way she acted most of the time highlighted the fact that she may be older than Seung Hee. She made a mental note to ask her directly. Although age plays a part when dealing with formalities, Nandita was still a new apprentice at the Apothecary, making Seung Hee her senior regardless. However, the relationship could change as time moved on. Seung Hee almost scoffed at the notion. Now, that would be interesting. 

With her cheeks ablaze from being treated as a child, Nandita quickly rose from her position and tidied the mess she had made; a newfound determination fuelling her every step. Returning to the past had given her another chance at life. Not only that, but her living situation was also ideal. She could help people and ease some of their problems, and in turn, counter her curse. Yes, that’s right. With this, Nandita will do her best to go beyond and treat all her patients, just like Seung Hee and Halmeoni. She shouldn’t let her fears risk the well-being of others. 

As the realisation set in, Nandita clenched her fist. I should not make any more mistakes. She puffed her chest and rolled her shoulders back. Her eyes, scanning like a hawk for their prey, as she searched for another customer. 

Seung Hee almost laughed aloud, as she witnessed her friend’s change in demeanour. The woman was on a mission. A pursuit that Seung Hee would always help her with. A chuckle escaped her lips. Even if her words didn't reach Nandita, she was grateful that a simple act of compassion was able to break through. 

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With that, the both of them began to complete their task; treating several patients as the day continued. It didn’t take long for the labour to tire their bones. But they couldn’t stop now. They have a responsibility to the townsfolk nearby. Fighting the fatigue, the sun began setting and the shop began to quieten down. The last few stragglers finally made their way out. Seung Hee almost collapsed onto a chair, before a voice at the door brought her attention. 

A wide smile greeted them, as a familiar girl with her classic pigtails stood by the doorframe. Clasping her arm was Halmeoni, who looked exhausted, but also shared a happy demeanour. Chae Ryung guided the elder woman towards a nearby chair, before turning and grabbing the other two into a hug.

“She woke up! Lady Hae has awoken!” Chae Ryung said, as she released the two of them. 

Relief flooded Seung Hee. She quickly turned to Nandita, hoping somehow the words reached her. But the small girl stood there; a blank expression on her face. Chae Ryung’s excitement made her words travel too fast for Nandita to decipher. Seung Hee and Chae Ryung’s smiles faltered, as realisation dawned between the two of them. “She doesn’t understand,” Chae Ryung said. 

Seung Hee furrowed her brows. How can we translate for Nandita? She began to tap her chin, making her way across the shop space. Her eyes drifted over the herbs and medicine that decorated the walls and shelves of her home. Her answer was right before her. She hurried towards the tray that had fallen earlier and grabbed the small yellow flowers. Turning, she showed the cluster to Nandita, who shared a puzzled expression, alongside Chae Ryung. She placed the agrimony into Nandita's hands, sharing her biggest grin. 

“Everything is ok,” she spoke slowly to ensure the message came across this time.

The words rang an echo of recognition within Nandita. As she glanced down to the makeshift bouquet, she knew what Seung Hee was implying. Her eyes shifted to Chae Ryung, who shared an anticipative gleam in her eyes, before finally facing Halmeoni. The older woman just smiled and nodded. 

The floor swayed softly beneath her feet, as her knees began to buckle. But Nandita did her best to stand her ground. A smile fought its way, as her heart welled within her chest. Lady Hae is alright. A shaky laugh escaped her lips, as Nandita repeated those words over and over again. 

“Thank you,” she said. “Thank you so much.” 

She swiftly made her way to Halmeoni’s side, embracing her tightly. The elder chuckled before reciprocating. Soon, the other two girls began to join in. A weight finally leaving their shoulders.

“We need to celebrate!” Seung Hee exclaimed.

“Absolutely!” Chae Ryung chimed.

With that, Halmeoni stood up, breaking the group hug. The old woman scurried towards the kitchen, clashing utensils, before returning and setting down a tray between the girls. Chae Ryung and Seung Hee's eyes lit up as they noticed the plate of sweets displayed in front of them. Picking up one of the small balls of syrup-covered seeds, Seung Hee presented it to Nandita. 

“Yeot—”

“—Gangjeong.” 

The three Korean ladies stared in awe, as Nandita spoke. The same thought crossed their minds. She already knows? Nandita shared a sheepish smile as she popped the snack into her mouth, the sound of its crunching, filling the awkward space around her. 

“Nandita,” Chae Ryung blinked, pointing at the tray, “You knew?”

The smaller girl nodded, mumbling as she continued to chew on the confection. It tasted a little different from what she remembered, but it was probably due to the different types of seeds that were used. Swallowing, she pointed at her ears. “Market,” she simply said and the other three groaned in recognition. Chae Ryung clapped her hands together, “Ah, you heard about it from the market?”

Seung Hee ruffled Nandita’s hair, bringing forth a frown onto her face. “You’re learning so quickly!” she said, before shoving another piece of sugared seeds into Nandita’s mouth. She yelped at her gesture, making the other two laugh. Nandita shared a small smile at them. 

Watching the two converse, she made a small promise. They didn’t need to know it was a complete and utter lie. That the reason why she already knew about yeot-gangjeong, was due to her time in Modern Korea. But there was no need for them to know her true past. It was not like they would believe her anyway. Her knowledge of the future could be deemed as dangerous and the last thing she wanted was to endanger the people who gave her a home. 

Clenching her fist, Nandita’s vow resonated with her whole body. Her mind travelled back to the day she met Lady Hae. How she swore she will do her best to counter this curse. Now she will ensure that her actions will not cause people around her to suffer. She may not be able to cease all pain and misery, but she could do her damn best to fight whatever the Gods’ plan for her and the people around her. That was the true beauty of free will. Shaking off the broken resolve from this morning, laughter filled the evening air, as the trio celebrated with candy-filled stomachs. Tomorrow’s problems, seeming so distant to worry about. 

But Nandita knew that this small victory would not last.

~~~

End of Chapter 9.

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