"Who the hell wears one glove under another glove?" she thought irritably. The strange gardener had led her to the cabin behind the tree where the fountain was.
He entered, asked her to sit on one of the couches, and then went to the kitchen to make some tea while humming.
The melody was familiar, and the fact that she couldn't remember made her feel scared.
The gardener leaned against the counter, waiting for the water to boil. Akane was clearly irritated about something. Her body was tense, and she wouldn't stop staring at him. If looks could kill, he'd already be dead.
"How was your day, darling?" the gardener asked in his calm voice.
"..." Akane didn't feel like talking, but she did want to know more about her forgotten life. "Some... stones got in my way."
"And did you manage to avoid them?"
"..." Akane didn't know how to answer that. Would it be wrong to say she did or didn't? The flies hadn't bothered her today, but it was probably just a matter of time before they found her. Her scumbag of a husband must have already given them new orders.
Somehow, the gardener seemed to understand what her silence was saying and noticed she was acting oddly. But he chose to go with the flow as the water began to boil.
Sighing softly, he spoke while grabbing some herbs from a cabinet to finish the tea. "You know, once my older brother told me something about the stones on the path."
The gardener glanced at Akane's reaction. Would she take the bait for another conversation?
Well, the slight tilt of her head already gave him the answer.
"My brother... I only met him later in life. I used to feel angry and indignant with all the stones thrown at me when I didn't have the foundation or strength to deal with them.
There was no one to support or guide me. I was alone in a storm of stones on a strange path with a burden far too heavy to carry." The gardener paused for a moment, as if carefully choosing his next words.
He remained silent, just watching the herbs steep in the hot water. He moved only to open a cabinet full of tea cups. He pondered a moment before choosing one from the highest shelf.
"You know, the stones that hurt you aren't always challenges or situations. Sometimes, they're people..." the gardener murmured as he strained the tea.
He then turned to a picnic basket on the counter, picked out a small flower, and after washing it, placed it in the tea.
"He used to say that the stones you encounter along the way, some you jump over, others you go around. Sometimes we just kick them away, and some people collect every stone to build a castle. It's okay to sit down and rest for a while, just don't take too long, so that when a bigger stone comes, you're not unprepared." He smiled softly, sitting down on the couch in front of her.
"But love, no matter what you do, every time you pass one stone, the next one will be even bigger, like the next level of a game. And you'll have to be careful that the stones you carry or the ones in front of you don't knock you down or sink you, because one day, you'll have the rest you deserve once you've passed through them all." The gardener finally finished, placing the cup of tea in front of Akane on the small table between the two couches.
"And what did you choose?" she asked.
She couldn't see the smile on his face, but she could hear it in his voice. "I carried every stone, so that at the right moment, the ones who threw them would drown beneath them."
Delight surged in Akane's heart, something akin to pride or happiness. It was strange, because she didn't know the gardener, so there was no reason to feel proud of his decision.
Engrossed in the tea in front of her, she briefly noted the pleasant smell. Carefully picking up the heavy cup to avoid spilling, she tasted the tea. It was a good flavor... soothing, calming.
Amidst the moment, Akane had become calmer without realizing it. The stress she had been carrying hadn't disappeared with the tea; it had faded during her conversation with the gardener.
The moment she finished, the gardener gently took the cup from her hands, placing it back on the table. Handing Mrs. Mahal's hand gently, he helped her up from the couch and guided her out of the cabin.
"Looks like they're here to pick you up, my dear," he said, looking at something far beyond what she could see.
Akane didn't want to be alone in this forest. The gardener seemed to understand that a little.
"Follow the crows. They'll show you the way if you get lost, but you won't get lost," he said finally, releasing her hand and giving her a light push.
Looking back, she didn't see him, but she heard a noise ahead, the sound of heavy footsteps on the ground.
She waited until whoever was coming would reveal themselves.
She waited, ignoring the slight nervousness she felt.
She didn't allow herself to feel anxious.
It wasn't worth feeling that way when those feelings would rob her of her beloved sleep, and she was too lazy to really feel anything.
Wait, she was feeling sleepy...
she was finally feeling sleepy!.
Much to her displeasure, the footsteps belonged to the three maids, the three flies. But not even that awful news could wipe the small smile off Akane Mahal's face, who was happy to finally get some sleep.