It was Christmas market in our little town. We cherished the little snow that had fallen and everyone had done their best to decorate our one central shopping street.
Mr Kendrick was there with his pickles, as always. Every jar decorated with its very own santa-hat or scarf and small bowls for everyone to taste the different flavours. Ginger-flavoured pickles, dill, black pepper, vodka, lemon-coriander or the fermented version. Mrs Mason was selling her knitted socks and chrocheted bible covers. For a small place as Sunny Hills there was an abundance of stands. Muffins, sausages, hand-made Christmas cards, spices, homemade cranberry liqueur, cotton candy, smoked fish. A lovely mess, like our town.
I was helping Mu set up her tea stand. I was nervous. Mom had a new boyfriend, again. I had a bad feeling about this one, I just hoped she wouldn’t get any crazy ideas again. About moving or something like that.
Mumu had made small sign for the jars she had brought, ‘heart’, ‘lungs’, ‘sleep’, ‘blood pressure’, ‘calm’, ‘eyes’, ‘sunshine’, ‘love’, ‘joints’ and the very general ‘health booster’. She always sold all of her tea at the market. Some people quickly left a note and then left. Those were mostly people from church who didn’t want to be spotted buying tea from what I guess they might have seen as a godless lady. The tiny notes with orders were prepared and then I mostly delivered them later that evening. Put a small packet next to the door with a little mistletoe branch attached to it. It worked for everyone. Mumu made some money to buy more ingredients for tea making and people got help with their ailments without having to confess putting their faith in tea (or Mumu) to get better.
Christmas music was streaming out of the speakers very elegantly hung with shoe laces next to the drug store. Mr Alberts must have asked his son to do something for a change.
I was preparing an order of heart tea when mom and her new friend suddenly stood in front of the stand. She was wearing a pink beret, looking radiant and happy. The guy next to her looked a bit more normal than her usual boyfriends. He had a dark blue winter coat, baseball cap, dark hair with a few grey streaks running through it. Calm, kind eyes.
- Chrysalis! Hi honey, I really want you to meet Bob. I thought I might as well stop by here, since you’re almost never home anymore.
- Hi mom. Hi Bob. Nice to meet you.
I shook the man’s hand and then continued putting tea leaves into a brown paper bag for Miss Mabel.
Mom looked at Bob, then at me, then back at Bob.
- Well, we would love if you came home and had dinner with us you know.
Right. There was a man around so I guess mom had filled the fridge for once. I was not playing this game one more time.
- I can’t mom, gotta work. I’ll come by some other day. Have to run.
I kissed her on the cheek and left. Stopped by at the diner to tell Mu I was making a delivery so she had to get back to the stand. I was done with this crap.
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