Cultivating Plants

“Sister Aloe!” The small child rushed towards Aloe in a mad sprint and then enveloped her in a hug. Though small child wasn’t exactly the right term as Aya was only a head shorter than Aloe.

What’s with hugs in this family? Aloe pondered as the overenthusiastic girl constricted her in a snake embrace. Thankfully, the youngster didn’t possess the strength of her parents. Yet.

“Hello, little Aya!” Aloe forced a smile as she patted Aya’s head. That gesture, though, was completely genuine. “Are you doing well?”

“Yes!” Aya separated her face from Aloe’s chest and looked up at her. The girl seemed a bit disappointed by the lack of padding, making Aloe’s eye twitch slightly. “The teachers say that I’m advanced for my age and that we’ll go straight to multiplication and division!”

“Oh, that’s nice to hear!” Aloe put more speed to the head pat, turning Aya’s smile ever-brighter.

“By the way,” Aya started after she undid the hug, “what are you doing here, sister Aloe?”

“What? Can’t I visit my favorite child?” Aloe joked.

“No,” Aya responded with childlike ruthless truth. “Sister Aloe does not do things without expecting something in exchange.”

This girl... Aloe gritted her teeth slightly.

“She’s a smart kid, isn’t she?” Aunty Mirah’s smile shone with the radiance of a thousand suns as she rested her head on her open palm.

“Yes... yes, she is.” Aloe added with annoyance and then directed to the small girl. “I’m here because your father promised me to take me to see someone.”

“Father always says that promises are to be held!” Aya jumped on the spot. “I’m going to bring him!” And she dashed away into the house, cutely swaying from side to side.

“My little girl is so energetic.” Mirah’s visage held the happiness only a mother could have.

“Too much for my liking.” Aloe’s smile disappeared the instant Aya went away. She felt the corners of her mouth were beginning to hurt.

“I see that.” The housewife laughed. “Oh, Aloe, you should try happiness sometime.”

“I heard it’s an addictive drug, so I’ll pass,” Aloe replied to her with a shit-eating grin.

“So it’s your mood too.” Mirah’s smile felt void for the first time, which made Aloe impossibly happy.

“Yes, yes, I’m going. Stop pulling.” The voice of Jafar could be heard from the corridor, and before he and Aya appeared, Mirah’s expression recovered her warmness. “I didn’t expect you to be this soon here, little plant.”

“Today I have a busy day, and besides, it’s not that soon if Aya is already awake.”

“Sorry for not having the energy of a young child at my age.” Jafar sighed and patted the overexcited girl on his legs. “Shall we get going then?”

“Lead the way.” Aloe pointed at the main door.

As Jafar opened the door, Aya shouted at them. “Bye Dad, remember to bring sweets!”

Mirah stood behind Aya and gave her husband a gaze telling him “Don’t you dare.” Jafar smiled at his family.

“I don’t promise anything, sweetling.” That answer pacified both women. “Follow me, Aloe.”

Instead of using the main bazaar, a road far too open where the sun always hit, Jafar guided Aloe through the many labyrinthic alleyways of Sadina. Those, whilst far more claustrophobic, were always covered in the shade provided by the houses or the canopies that connected them.

Aloe could only be thankful for Jafar’s foresight; she detested the sun. Quite ironic as her name was based on a plant. Though the plenty turns along the corners of the alleys got Aloe worried.

“Uncle... are we going to some sort of... underground apothecary?” She wasn’t a blissfully ignorant youngster, she knew the world wasn’t golden like the sun, but indagating in that world made her nervous, nevertheless.

“I wouldn’t call it that...” Jafar responded, but even he wasn’t sure. “It’s a legitimate business, I can tell you that much. But it’s true he’s open to more options than other apothecaries.”

“I’ll trust your instincts then.” The conversation died out until they reached their destination.

The façade of the store was like any other house or shop. Though the doorway was free, only a red curtain blocking the view from the inside, and at the top of where the door should be hung a wooden signboard with a nondescript leaf.

“Women first.” Jafar opened the curtains for Aloe.

She didn’t respond, instead wordlessly entering the apothecary. The place was poorly lit, light only entering from a window placed high on the wall that faced the street. Some plants grew in plots, but even to Aloe’s unexpert eye, she could tell they were purely decorative.

“Ah, clients. That is an uncommon sight.” An old man appeared from the back shop, rubbing his hands against a dirty piece of cloth. “What brings you here youn... Jafar?”

“The one and only.” The tall man shrugged. “How are you doing, Umar? Is business good?”

“Can’t say it’s going swiftly, but I’ll survive whatever of my life is remaining.” Umar, the apothecary, responded. “And what’s this young girl you brought with you? Aiming for youngling even when you are married?”

“Please don’t make that type of jokes, I love my Mirah too much for that. And I like them with more meat.” Jafar and Umar chuckled together, making Aloe’s mood sour. “And no, in any case, she made me bring her here. She’s Aloe, Karaim’s granddaughter.”

A brief flash of darkness was exchanged between the men’s eyes. But it was too fleeting for Aloe to make sense of it. I guess I’ve just imagined it.

“Oh,” Umar gesticulated in surprise. “You have my condolences, Aloe. Karaim was one of the best if not my best customer.”

“First time I hear about his,” Aloe commented.

“Well, your grandfather was of the secretive kind,” Umar said. “But let’s leave the dead to their rest, tell me about you. What are you doing here, Aloe?”

“I intend to sell some of the seeds that my grandfather left behind that I have no use for.” Aloe took the backpack out of her back on dropped it carefully unto the ground.

“All seeds are useful, that is my opinion as an apothecary.” The old man said.

“Will you have a look at them, or should I get out now?” Aloe responded nonchalantly.

“You have brought a tough nut here, Jafar. But yes, young one, please let me have a look at your wares.”

Aloe slowly took the jars out of the backpack, the first ones being seeds of common flowers.

“Hmm, I see.” Umar read the labels and opened the jars to inspect the seeds. “I now understand why you said you had no use for them. Neither have I. Though others will certainly do.”

“How much can you offer for them?” Aloe’s eyelids were half-opened, her expression shrewd.

“Ah, I said some will be opened to offers, but I fear my business doesn’t deal exactly with flowers. To sell this I should go to other intermediaries.”

“Price.” Aloe stated cuttingly.

“Twenty drupnars per jar,” Umar replied in kind.

“With twenty drupnars I can only have a fancy dinner.” The woman’s face was devoid of emotion.

“Some people can’t even afford a fancy dinner.” The old man smiled at her.

“I’m a fancy girl, what can I say.” Aloe slightly upended the corners of her mouth. “Forty drupnars per jar and some cheap medicinal plant seeds.”

“I think you overestimate how many people will even consider buying you these seeds.” Umar sighed. “Though I liked the medicinal seeds part. Per five jars, I’ll add a pot of my own with a mix of basic herbs.”

“No change in price?” Aloe rose her brows.

Umar shrugged.

“Thirty-eight drupnars per jar.”

“Twenty-five.”

“Thirty-five.”

“Thirty, and I won’t go higher than that.” Umar lay his hands on the counter.

“Those herbs better be good.” Aloe offered her hand.

“Only the best.” The apothecary smiled at her and accepted the handshake, closing the deal.

Aloe pushed ten pots of simple flowers, only vaguely wanted for their pretty colors and nothing else. Umar replied in kind by pushing sixty fajats to her. The copper coins were slightly bigger than drupnars and had inscribed on each face the flag of Ydaz, a sun shining over two dunes. Aloe pushed the fajats into her coin purse, making it extremely heavy. He could have paid in drupnari. The banker’s apprentice sighed mentally.

“As for the seed mix, I’ll need a minute to gather them.” 

“Wait.” As the old man proceeded to go to the back shop, Aloe stopped him. “Who said our business had concluded with just that transaction.”

Aloe rummaged through her backpack, looking for the main dish of her sale. She took out a little inconspicuous pot and slammed it on the counter. She slowly rotated it for Umar to read the label. The old man took a few seconds to read the text.

“Oh.” The sound coming from his mouth was of genuine surprise.