They were at the northern district. At the left row of the buildings, the aroma of cuisines from various restaurants undulated the air. The places slapped high prices on their dishes due to the methodical and delicate nature in their preparations, so it tended to steer away the common folk. Only the privileged and rich could go there all they wanted, they had as much time as their salaries, and such classes provided the restaurants much profit to keep their establishments afloat. Like the majority however, the girls lacked money to afford it for their satisfaction, and they dreamed of being part of the rich, especially Neha. But when they pulled their own pockets, dust bunnies puffed out.

Across the streets from the restaurants, commotions flooded the local markets. The markets were the places that most people could pay from their own pockets, the produce they needed for their daily lives. At the moment, buyers were quarreling with the shop owners over fruits and vegetables. From quality, to prices, to edibility, they never caught a break, and the flood of insults and threats made things more tense. Neha and Sachen avoided the place all together, they always knew it was better for their parents to shop there on their own.

Near the end of the markets, the girls went up to a fence that contained a vast group of livestock. Sheep, pigs, chickens, and cows, they waddled towards the crowd. Most of them were raised in the grasslands, a place that farmers resided in isolation though not too far from here, but it mattered less than their output of animals into the market. Then out of the blue, a pig huddled to Sachen’s side, and it made her jump. In response, the girl stared at the pig and snorted her nose. The pig leering, it scraped its hooves and looked as though it was ready to headbutt the little kid with all its might. Sachen stretched her cheeks, opened her nostrils, and wagged her hands. The pig shook in place, and it cowered to the corner. Neha laughed from such a display.

The duo turning left towards the end, they entered the street full of food stands. This was the holy land to many people, they could grab a quick bite and have their stomachs bloated, and it would nonetheless bring a grin on their faces. From pork dumplings, to caramel apples, to kalach breads, and more fares, the place left the girls in amazement. Their mouths gaped and drool leaked out from the corners of their lips.

A succulent, sugary aroma from afar magnetized them. The girls hurried to the food stand at the very end of the street, their lips and tongue were starting to dry up quick as a desert. When they arrived, they saw an old lady at the custard tart stand. From the oven by her side, she pulled out a fresh tray of the products, and soon welcomed the girls.

“Greetings you two. What can I get you today?”

Sachen leapt, she ogled her eyes at the food. “I’ll get two tarts please!”

“One for you, and one for her? All right. That will be four gold coins.”

“Four gold coins!”

Sachen then rummaged through her tote bag in search of her precious coins that her parents gave her as allowance. Licking her lips, she couldn’t wait to eat it. Her hands excavated along her books, erasers, and pencils, and she invested more time for this pursuit than her class lectures. Being a kid with hasty urges, which it was perfectly normal for her age, Sachen desired to satisfy herself so much that she continually giggled. But then it was that she reached the bottom. No sooner did she stop and wince, a face that brought pins and needles on Neha’s skin. Sachen found only three gold coins.

“Rats, I am broke.”

“I’m afraid I can’t accept that my dear,” the woman said. “You can come next time.”

Sachen grumbled and sulked to the side. Looking at her with sympathy, Neha foraged her own tote bag. She pried her hands inside, her school supplies scathed her fingers and dented her nails. Neha felt determination to find at least a glimmer of gold for her friend, for leaving Sachen like this would spoil their days, and perhaps, would leave the two of them hungry.

She quickened her search by pushing her supplies out of the way, but despite her efforts, she reached the end, empty-handed. Neha lowered her shoulders.

“I’m sorry Sachen, I don’t have a single coin.”

Sachen stuck out her lower lip. “Don’t apologize. I should be the one saying sorry, because you are hungry.”

“Please, I am fine.”

They sighed and dangled their arms. Not persuaded in the slightest of their expression, the old woman prepared another batch of custard tarts. Upon the presence of her finished products, people flocked to her area, they slammed their coins on the fare and took a large bite as soon as they bought the food. Those tarts were humongous as two hands combined, enough to swell one’s belly. The mere sight of them grew the hunger of the girls to the point where they might have beg on their knees for the food, a humiliating gesture that could or could not work.

They billowed their breaths. They turned away from the food stand, and squeezed their way out of the growing crowd. As they stopped their steps, a woman had passed by them. She poked their shoulders. Right away, the girls bounced and turned to her with beady eyes, carrying a thought that the woman must have came as a miracle. Rolling up her sleeves and wiping the dust from her maroon robes, the woman adjusted her pointed hat. Her hat bore stars and comets as a design, it gave off the impression that she might have gotten it from outer space, and it was quite an odd design in the midst of plainness of the villagers’ clothing. Not many people would wear that kind of hat upon their heads.

Around her neck was a necklace that held an emerald. The jewel shimmered, more so than the ones that the girls encountered from the quarry workers. It was something that mesmerized them for a moment from the concern about their lack of money. The woman brought herself down to their heights, and patted their heads.

“Oh dear, what do we have here. Two little sparrows, Neha and Sachen! It has been a while since I’ve seen you guys, and it is quite a miracle from the sky for me to meet you out of all places! Come to me, for the people are getting rowdy and animalistic over the most simple concoctions made by a random old hag!”

“Usheniko! The witch!” Sachen shielded Neha and opened her arms. The woman gasped, slapping her own chest.

“Don’t be defensive on me guys! I just want to say hello!” Usheniko said, she twisted her silver hair.

“If we respond to your words, then you might get us into one of your evil schemes from the underworld!”

“But you just responded,” Neha said. Sachen fumed.

Usheniko stretched out her arms, she then yawned. “Gullible you guys are, but I’ll give you a pass! So girls, what is your problem today? Don’t tell me... I got this! Neha, you’re in love with somebody! Love at first sight, indeed it is!”

Redness erupted on Neha’s face again. “N-no! I am not in love!”

“Haha, I’m sure you are! Nobody can reject you in your innocence and your kind-hearted nature, and those are pretty good traits for a nine-year old. For Sachen however, she is a feisty one who keeps losing her school supplies.”

“Hey, I heard that!” Sachen flicked Usheniko’s robes, and felt the urge to pull the individual into an alleyway and tussle with her.

“Don’t you fret Neha!” Usheniko said. “I will make your fortunes come true! You shall walk through the laurels of your labors and compassion, only to meet the love of your life at the end of the aisle! But in the end, I am speculating. Of course kids like you don’t understand love yet; someday you will. Back to my serious side... what is your problem for today? Hmm?”

The girls became flustered. While they tried to find the right answer to her question, Usheniko hummed tunes to herself. Her voice soon creating croaks, she squirmed her ears and pulled out a set of orbs from her pockets. The woman’s cheeks and eyes wrinkled as though she became a caricature of a cartoon; it was then that she juggled the orbs. Although the act seemed plain to many, it broke the girls’ stomachs and tickled their sides. They chortled.

“You’re finally having a giggle!”

Neha laughed louder than expected, she then realized it with rapid palpitations in her heart. She calmed her breath and leaned over to Sachen.

“Yeah, we’ll tell you. The problem is that we only have three gold coins, so we can’t afford to buy two tarts over there.”

“Oh? That’s all? Nothing extraordinary or fantastic with your problem, I suppose.” Usheniko twisted her lips into a pout. She knitted her fingers.

“I’m sorry,” Neha said, she sighed. Usheniko whimpered and pinched the Neha’s eyebrows, for it was impossible to ignore such an expression from the girl.

Usheniko’s pout went away. The corner of her lips curved, and there formed above her head a light bulb; the woman dug her hands through her pockets. To the girls, she could pull anything right off the bat, from a box full of kittens to a giant dragon. Running away was a viable option, and if they weren’t able to do so, then they could prosecute Usheniko for reckless endangerment. But it’d have been funny if she did indeed pull out a dragon.

Usheniko then stopped. Sparkles coated her eyes, her grin became bigger. From the bottom of her left pocket, she swiped out one gold coin and bestowed it to Sachen.

“Voila! My God, I am a witch that is supposed to deal with problems involving the unnatural side of nature—but at the moment, I am giving my precious… my precious coin! The only one I have left for today, its fate lies in your hands! It’s not like I am completely poor or anything, you know! I just happened to spend all my money on a new tent! Never mind me young ones, now go and get the food of your dreams!”

“Thank you so much Usheniko!” Sachen said, she rattled the coins in her hand. “Neha is starving, and I don’t want to leave her like this for the day.”

“Goodness Sachen, you are actually considerate of your best friend! How wonderful of you! Well, what are you waiting for guys? The food ain’t going to eat itself! Or else, do you want the birds to snatch it?”

Hair standing from their napes, the girls shook Usheniko’s hands and gave their gratitude. As they took flight to the custard tart stand, Usheniko shouted, she almost flung her hat in the air.

“In return for my heart giving out a good gesture, you two shall visit my place tomorrow morning! I will provide you a consultation of your lifetime! And maybe some professional, not-so-fake magic tricks!” Usheniko departed the place. She guffawed and held her stomach.

The girls bought the food they desired and they left the concession. They cast their eyes on the fluff of the tarts, which it resembled clouds, and were so soft to the touch that one finger could deflate it in no time. The golden glaze glittered like diamonds, and it dazzled brighter than the afternoon sun. The girls sucking their salivas, they ate without a moment of hesitation. The moment it entered her mouth, Neha shrilled. The egg custard, the sprinkles of sugar, the bits of almonds, it overall ruptured her palates. The sweetness cast her into moans and swayings of her head, and it almost sent her into a wonderland.

“It’s tasty isn’t it?” Sachen said as she finished up her tart. “I haven’t eaten this in a while! Ah, so good!”

Neha ate the tart crumbs on her palms. “It’s yummy. Thank you Sachen, for being able to pay on your part. I will repay you tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to. Don’t worry much about it.”

“Oh, okay. Well let us go home now, I am tired.”

“Me too, ugh!”

Their stomachs being full, the girls held each other’s hands and smiled. They frolicked through the bustling north with nothing but the vanquishing of their hunger, they expected to come to this area yet again if they had time.

The weekends were dawning soon, and the girls endeavored to make the best out of the coming days.