Family Flower

Eva woke up to the screaming of her alarm, the music from the night before still pounding in her head. As she reaches over to her night stand to get the medicine her mind thinks she needs, she remembers that she poured them out the night before so she wouldn’t be tempted ever again to slip into the habit of popping a pill to make the pain go away, even if that pain was in her head.
Getting up she headed to the shower, hoping that the water would clear her mind. As the cool water ran down her back, she began to think of the last few years of her life. Mostly of the mistakes she had made, including this last one, where she was kicked out of Medical School. Hooked on the same drugs that are supposed to make people better, she became somebody she didn’t want to know. She needed a change, and earlier this week she got her chance, and she didn’t want to mess it up.
Today, she is set to start helping her grandmother at her shop. Eva loved her grandmother, but she seemed a little bit off at times. Eva thinks to a time when she was young, her grandmother telling her about Fairies helping her grow some of the plants in her shop. When Eva was young, she believed her grandmother. As she got older, she believed less and less of what the lady was telling her, eventually, she stopped believing all together.

As Eva rounded the corner, the shop came into sight. Being one of the only shops on the street, it stood out. It was an old neighborhood; most of the houses had vines growing up the front of them, but they were kept in good condition.
The front of Sumerian Herbs was almost completely covered with vines and wild plant growth; it made the other shops look normal.
She went around to the back door, entering her grandmothers’ garden, and knocked to let her know she was there. Eva started to look at the plants she would be getting acquainted with over the next few months, after which she is hoping that the school will let her back in.
A flower the color of fire caught her eye, she moved closer to it, taking in the rich fragrance emitted from it. She stared at it for several minutes, when suddenly she was scared half to death by her grandmother standing right next to her.
“That’s an Apricot Sprite Agastache,” her grandmother said when Eva realized she was there. “It makes a great ointment. Though, I mainly use it for tea.” Sue bent down and pulled one of the flowers off its stem. “Come, I’ll make us a cup before I show you what you have to do.” She turned and headed back to the door.
She pulled down a kittle from the racks, filled it up with water and placed it on the stove so it would come to a boil, then reached for a bowl that contained a glass bar.
“Come over here really quick Eva dear. This is how you can grind most herbs; this is called a mortar and pestle. You just put the herbs in the bowl part, like this.” Sue put the leaves from the Agastache into the bowl. “And grind it with the pestle.” She moved the pestle around the bowl, making Eva cringe a little from the sound it made.
Eva reached into her purse to grab a notepad and her fingers bumped against something round and plastic. Pulling it out, she discovered that it was a bottle of pain killers. Her head still throbbed, one pill wouldn’t hurt anything. Eva fumbled to open the lid.
“Child, what are you doing?”
“Ah, I’ve had this splitting headache since this morning. Just want to take something to clear it up for me.”
Her grandmother reached over and took the bottle out of Eva’s hand.
“I have a rule here, no modern medicine. It clouds your mind, makes you forget what is real.” She went over to the trash can and dropped the bottle. “I can make you something to clear you head, just walk this way.”

Eva stood over the table with the knife extended ready to cut the leaf down the middle as Sue has instructed her to. “Dear, the plant won’t bite you. If you keep on hesitating before you cut, you will get more cuts on your hands.”
Eva looked down at her once beautiful hands, now covered in tiny scars from cutting herbs day after day after day. Pain comes with knowledge her grandmother kept telling her, but sometimes it seems that her hands are getting most of the knowledge, and not the kind she wanted.
The bell above the door sounded, letting Eva and her grandmother know someone had entered the shop. Sue went to answer it, leaving Eva to finish work on the herb. She heard a woman’s voice talking to her grandmother.
Eva finished cutting the herb and placed it in its container, and was about to wait for her grandmother to come back but decided to head out to the front of the shop.
She saw a woman, with two children, trying to offer money to her grandmother.
“My child, I appreciate your offer to pay me…” she put her hands on the ladies, “but, what I did was on my own choice,” she spoke softly, pushing the money away.
The little girl that was standing next to her mother ran up and hugged Sue. “Thank you, Mama, the stuff you gave my mommy helped me feel well again.”
“Anything for you my little sweetie,” she patted the girl’s head. “Your mommy was really worried about you, and you must not make your mommy worry too much over you.”
The woman looked over at Eva, “You must be the granddaughter she was talking about. You have a wonderful grandmother. Listen to what she says; you don’t meet people as good as her nowadays.” The woman handed her a card as she gathered up her children to leave, “If you ever need anything, just call me.”
Eva walked to the window to watch the woman and her children walk down the street, and wondered if she would be coming back.
“She seems like a nice lady, where did you meet her at?” she asked her grandmother.
Sue looked at the woman’s card, “It was about a week before you started working here. I met her at Rick’s office, her child was suffering from a slight cold, and I gave her the herbs to make her child feel better.”
Eva looked back at her grandmother “Was Dr. Hanashi sick?”
Sue chuckled, “No, my child, he is as fit as a steed. I just had to go in for a checkup, that’s all.”
Eva began to worry a little bit, “Is everything all right, I mean, you never go to the doctors unless it’s something big.”
“It was just a checkup, that’s all. There is nothing wrong with me.” She smiled. “From all my years of making sure you and your mother turn out right, nothing can go wrong with me.”
Eva gave a sigh of relief at her grandmothers words, she wouldn’t know what she would do if Sue died on her now. “I’m glad to hear that, I would miss you if you’re gone.”
“And I would miss you too if I pass on.” Sue walked over to Eva and put her hand on Eva’s shoulder, squeezing slightly to convey her feelings. “Now, how is the mixture doing in the back?”
Eva placed her hand on her grandmothers’, feeling the tiny fingers press against her skin, with the warmth coming from them. “It’s almost done Grandma, I just need the last bit of instructions and it will be ready for Mrs. Burton.”
“Well then, I think we better get back to work.” Eva was ushered through the door, with the question on mind still about her grandmothers’ health, but she will let it pass for now, If she notices anything she will speak with her again.

Her grandmother came into the room after a few minutes. “Now let’s see how you’ve done.” Sue walked over to where Mrs. Burton’s order was on the table.
Eva grew nervous as her grandmother looked over the ingredients laid out on the table, hoping she didn’t forget anything.
Sue nodded as she looked over the plants on the table. “Good, good. I see you remembered the gotu kola this time. Hang them out to dry so it will be ready when she gets here… also, throw in some ginseng and sage. Hopefully it will help her with her menopause.”
Eva was ecstatic, if she keeps this up, she might just forget about going back to medical school. “Thank you grandma, really.”
“Well, it looks like all the orders are done for today.” Sue sit down, “Heck, with you here, I can just watch and not have to worry about getting it all done on time.”
Eva set down next to Sue, “Now, you don’t mean that. I’m sure you can still go circles around me.” She didn’t like to hear this talk out of anyone, she knew that people get old and die, but she didn’t want to think that it might happen to her grandmother.
“Now, now child, I am old. Some days I feel as old as the mountains out there.” She pointed out the windows to the rolling hills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. “Just like the mountains, though, I’m going to be rolling around for quite a while still.”
Eva smiled; her weird grandmother was growing on her every day. “I know grandma.” Eva got up and stretched her arms above her head. “It’s been a long week; would you want something to drink?”
“That would be good dear. But, for today, I’ll just have water.” Sue got up and headed upstairs to the more comfortable seats leaving Eva to get the water.
Eva soon went to join her grandmother upstairs, and upon reaching the top step, she could hear her grandmother talking to someone. Eva felt confused; she knew no one could have gotten upstairs without her noticing.
Eva knocked on her grandmother’s door, “Grandma is it alright if I come in?” She heard her grandmother mumble something, and then a click as if she was hanging up a phone.
Sue’s voice emitted from behind the door. “Yes darling. Come on in.”
She handed her grandmother the water and sat down next to her. Looking closely, Eva could see the lines of age on her grandmother’s face. It made the old lady look a little worn, but at the same time, tough.
“Do you remember that flower we drank the first day you were here my child?” Sue suddenly asked.
“Ah, yeah, the Apricot Sprite Agastache, used for ointments and tea… right?” Eva was almost certain it was this one that she was talking about but she wanted to make sure.
“Yeah, that’s the one.” Sue picked up a picture, and showed it to Eva, “That is my mother, your great grandmother. Her grandmother brought that flower over here when she came from England, and we have been growing it ever since.”
Eva knew most of the history of the family already. She still listened to it though out of respect for her grandmother.
“However, have you noticed that our last name stays the same through the generations, even though we all marry and have children?”
In her life, she has known that her last name was the same as her grandmother’s. She had never paid that much attention to it though. “Hmm… that’s odd.” Was all she could think to say, but her mind was now racing with some questions that she should have thought of when she was a child, learning about a person’s last name. “Is it not required by law to change our last name to that of the man we marry?”
Her grandmother laughed, “No child. The law is not the reason people change their last names, it is out of tradition.” She placed the picture back down on the table. “It’s been a family tradition with us not to change.” Eva frowned at the reason, this was not an answer.
“That may be true, but why do we keep it?” now that her grandmother started to talk about it, she wanted her to finish it.
Sue set back with a smile, “I see that your mind is finally clearing from the medicine. The answer is a simple one, but it can be a little confusing if your mind is clouded.” Sue took a deep breath and let it out. “Our last name, Sumerian, runs back all the way before the Romans took over England, back to our Celtic heritage. It is said that in those days, the space between what is real and what people believe is real was thinner.” Sue continued to distinguish the differences between the two reals, how most people today refused to believe that there might be something out there that science can’t explain.
Eva knew her grandmother was a little bit weird, but this talk of what is real and what people believe is real made her head ache. She might need to take a major pill tonight to get the pain to stop.

Eva was on her way in when the front door opened letting Mr. Yuki out with his wife’s medicine.
“Ah, Eve, how are you doing today?” Mr. Yuki was a close friend of Sues’, and also the family lawyer. He always came around when it was that time of the month.
"I am doing good, Mr. Yuki. I see you’ve come for your wives herbs. Make sure she follows the instructions and everything will be ok.” Her humor must have missed because Mr. Yuki just shook his head.
“I’ll make sure she does exactly what you and your grandmother tells her to. Trust me, when you get older, you have to learn to get protection in case your plans fall through.” Eva said her goodbyes and entered the shop.
She found her grandmother in the back, mixing an order already called in. “Good morning grandma, I see you’re already hard at work.”
“Well, my child, I still need to practice myself or you would be better than me in no time.” Eva noticed that Sue’s grip on the pestle was a little bit stiffer than usually.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t want me to do that for you. I mean, you look a little tired, if you want I can easily finish it for you.”Eva moved towards her grandmother.
“Don’t worry, child, I’ll finish this and there will be plenty for you to still do.” Her grandmother continued to mash the pastel around the bowl until the herb was in a powder form. Just as she said, Sue did have work for Eva, and plenty of it.

Another month came and went. Eva continued to study under her Grandmother Sue. She felt that she had learned most of what Sue had taught her, far more education than what the professors at the medical school had taught her. There were some nights, when her wall would come down after a long hard day. She would want to take a pill to make the pain that had crept into her mind go away. Those moments have rarely come recently.
Eva was in the front room dealing with a customer’s order. She was about to send her on her way when she heard a crash in the back. “Excuse me for a moment Mrs. Williams, ill just be a moment.”
She went through the back door to find her grandmother on the floor. “Grandma,” the word barely escaped her lips.
She ran over to where her grandmother was laying. She kneeled down to check if she was breathing. She got up, ran to the phone, and called 911.
Eva was too frantic to make sense to the operator. She took a deep breath and began to explain. At that moment the customer came back to see if everything was alright.
“Madam Sumerian!” She ran over bending down to make Sue feel comfortable, Eva and Mrs. Williams sat over her, holding a hand each until the ambulance arrived.
The Paramedics ensured Eva that they would get her to the hospital and offered to give her a ride as well. Eva wanted to go with them, but she knew if Sue found out she had left the shop open, she would kill her.
“I have to lock up the shop first, but I don’t want you to wait on me. I want you to get her to a doctor, I’ll be along shortly.” Eva raced back to lock up when Mrs. Williams, who had ran into the back before to help, intervened.
“Your place is beside your grandmother. Give me the keys I will lock up for you.” Eva knew she was an honest woman so she handed the keys over immediately.
“Thank you Mrs. Williams,” Eva hugged her, “Really thank you.” With that she climbed into the back of the ambulance with her grandmother.

Eva was holding onto her grandmother’s hand, in shock that this is the woman that had shown her so many things over the past few months. The door opened behind her, and Dr. Hanashi stepped into the room, holding a file.
“How is she Rick?”
He looked at the file before responding to her, “I want to say that she will be fine, it is sad when someone you’ve looked up to most of your life is lying on the bed before you, when she could have easily avoided it.” Eva could tell that he was mad.
“What happened.” She wanted to know how her grandmother could have avoided being in this state.
“A few months ago she came in for a checkup with me. It was brought to my attention that she had a mutated form of arthritis. It is somewhat rare, but there is a cure for it. She didn’t want to take it because it was made in a pharmacy.”
Eva had known something was wrong, but couldn’t figure it out. Her grandmother was stubborn when it came to taking medicine for headaches and stuff, but she never knew that she would refuse to take it, to help her live.
“Is there still time, if I get her to take, to cure her.”
Dr. Hanashi sighed, “If she starts to take them right now, there is a slight chance that it can help her, but getting her to take it is like trying to teach a rock to do tricks.”
“I know, but she is my grandmother. I don’t want to lose her yet.” She looked back to her grandmothers, her skin baked over the many years of being in the sun tending to her garden.

Sue opened her eyes, “child, why are you here and not at the shop.” Eva could tell that she was still sleepy.
She forced a smile on her face to act strong in front of her grandmother. “Don’t worry about the shop; it will be there once you get better.”
Sue closed her eyes again. “Yes, my child, it will be there. But I fear I will not return with you to it.”
Trying to fight back the tears, “There is a cure grandma, Dr. Hanashi says it is not too late if you started now, you can still be saved.” She already knew the answer before the question was out of her lips.
Sue just shook her head. “My child, I want my mind to be clear when Robert comes for me, so I can see him.” Sue slipped into a light sleep leaving Eva with her last words.

Later that night, Eva felt a hand on her shoulder. A young man was standing there, his arm squeezing her shoulder ever so slightly. “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her,” the man turned around and headed for the door, “And she is right. You’ve got your mothers emerald eyes. But I see her spark in you.” Eva blinked and the man was gone. She turned towards her grandmother, silent, peaceful and still.

Sue’s family and friends showed up to her funeral.
“A flower that bloomed early, and stayed with us for a long time, is now gone back into the ground. In her wake, she has left us another to take her place.” One of the speakers was saying, Eva wanted to listen to him, but her eyes kept wandering over the faces in the crowd. She wanted to see if she could see that man who visited her that sad night.
“Eva,” her mother almost yelled in her ear trying to get her attention, “is there anything you would like to add about your grandmother.”
Taking in a deep breath, Eva stood up in front of all the people before her. My grandmother was a great woman. Definitely one of a kind, I have been spending almost all my time with her over the past few months.” A tear ran down the side of her face, “The only thing I wish was different, is that I spent all that time with her.”
There he is, sitting next to a young lady, in the back of the crowd. “She taught me more than just mixing herbs together to cure a rash, she showed me that with a little kindness and a lot of heart, one can touch the lives of so many. It saddens me to know she is gone… but at the same time I am happy for her,” her voice cracked a little bit, “I mean, she is with Robert again. The man who gave up his last name to join our family.” The couple in the back started to walk away, “starting tomorrow, Sumerian Herbs will open back up for business. It was her life’s work to help those who needed it.” The couple leaned into a tree and vanished. “Now that she is no longer with us, I will continue where she left off, for the ones who have yet to be helped.”