《Phoebe's Afterword》Chapter 10: Spice
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I know to say this is kinda cliché but Mom can be scary as hell. I shall never stir her wrath in the future.
She's like those characters in stories with their eyes always closed who look gentle all the time, she can get as scary as when they open them. Calm anger is scarier than a tumultuous one that for sure.
At least I got myself a sandwich, a bit bland that true, but a sandwich nonetheless!
Now I have to find something to do. Dad already left for his work, maybe he will come back in two or three days and Mom is back behind her desk as always, some things never change.
I can talk and somewhat move by myself now, so finding something to do shouldn't be too hard.
Finding a book is a good idea, I have yet to learn how to read. Sure I took a look at the documents Mom worked with three years ago when I was with her while she worked but if that enough to learn how to write I already would be able to do so.
Reading is my top priority right now, I really need to learn about this world. I'm sure there is at least one book about History on the shelves in Mom's study, I hope there is.
Thankfully her study is on the first floor right after the kitchen so I don't have to… suffer the stairs, not now.
I just clean the table of all the breadcrumbs and here I go.
Living surrounded by nature really has its perks, as I walk toward my destination the sounds of the forest are the only thing that can be heard. The trees and their leaves as an orchestra create a symphony with the help of the flapping birds chirping and the streams flowing in the distance. I call that Nature's Silence, it's not very quiet but that something you can hear only when you are.
There are many windows in the house and even the corridor, when you walk anywhere you can enjoy the rays of light who make it through the leaves of the trees and illuminate softly the house, komorebi as they call it in Japan.
The door of the study is the only part not illuminated by natural light, maybe it's a sign of the evil nature of the place? Work has an intrinsically sinful nature as it bound the mortals in rooms doing the same thing all day instead of playing with their daughter. I'm not talking about me it's just a coincidence, a total coincidence.
The door is already a little opened, which makes it easier for me to enter. I'm a little surprised though, Mom is one of "those", you know, the people who are fine with their door open. I can't live in peace if the door of the room I'm in is even slightly opened.
The place didn't change since last time I've come, aside from the new stack of papers placed on the ground. If a big desk is not enough to contain all your work I think it means there is a problem with your workload, but that only my opinion.
The shelves didn't change though.
Mom noticing me enter, raise her eyes from her paperwork "Do you need something my little fae?"
Even with all the seemingly stressful works she has to fulfill, she's so nice.
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"I want to learn how to read and the books are here, do you have anything which could help me?" I asked her, letting my eyes wander left and right across the room trying to find a book I can't read anyways.
"Oh, my little girl is so clever. So young and already craving knowledge. I think I have something which might help you." Mom smiled at my word as she was getting up to meet my request. Because of the sheer amount of document she has to slalom between them.
Her finger running through the books she finally seems to find what she was searching for, a white book with some drawing on it from what I can see below.
Her smile slightly changes to a more emotional one. "This is the book I used when I was a little child just like you when my father taught me how to read. It's been a long time since the last time I held it, it brings me back. I'm it will help you my little fae." She softly wiped the leathery cover with her fingers before putting in my hands. "You can stay here if you want, if you need help you just have to ask."
No reason to refuse, if by some miracle I'm finished before the end of the day I can grab one of the books. So let's see how the one she gave me is.
When I open it the first thing I see is an image, look like one of the vegetables, or fruits I don't know, from the fridge, on the right page. On the left, there is a single line of symbols. I guess this book is some sort of imaged dictionary, explaining the thickness.
As I said once, the written language looks like an angular Arab so it's not very hard to get the redundancy in the symbols after comparing a lot of words. It has been a few hours since my eyes are locked on the book and I don't feel even a bit tired or bored, learning new things really is fun. If I reincarnated on a planet like Earth it would have been boring with me knowing about everything while here there is a lot of unknown stuff. I feel like an adventurer on a new and mysterious land, it's kind of exciting.
The book has a grid with what looks to be the alphabet, which makes it easier for. At this pace, I will be done in a few weeks or less I think which is good because I need to be able to read for, well, read books.
I also need to test the limits of my improved body, I don't feel particularly hungry despite the fact that it's been hours since I only ate a sandwich this morning and a simple salad at noon. There is a chance I don't have to sleep that much.
When I can I will look into a book about magein infusion and its effects on the body even if I doubt I will find anything about when it concerns the whole body.
It's already dark outside, about time to eat. Just as I thought, that Mom stops to work and get on her feet, about two-thirds of the documents are gone, she's really a hard worker huh.
"Sweetie, I'll make dinner do you want to help Mommy?" She asked me at which I answer with a happy nod, I like cooking.
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As the two of us are walking back to the kitchen holding hand, I look at the forest through the windows of the corridor. We can see the fragile lights of Urald from here behind the mass of trees. Occasionally a bush trembles a little to let us know of the presence of an animal, probably stalking its future meal.
For today's meals, Mom wants to make a mash of vegetables with fried meat. The only fried meat with good taste, in my opinion, is chicken, maybe this new one will change my view.
I'm quite unsure if the mash is a good idea considering the taste of each of the vegetables but I may be wrong.
"I will fry the feldron while you mash the cooked vegetable, ok sweetie? Take this and just press against them with all your strength!" She told me as she put a simple metal masher, a bit too big for my tiny hands but quite light.
"Yes, Mom!"
Seeing how easy it is for me to mash them I think I might have more strength than I assumed, I hardly feel any resistance. Even if they are already soft due to the cooking there should still be at least a small resistance.
"My little girl has so power in her arms, just like her mommy eh eh!" Mom giggled as she flipped the meat in its oil bath. She then gave me a tiny cup filled with orange powder. "Put this in and mix, it will give a good flavor."
There's a nice smell of fry in the air entering my nostril.
I take the mysterious spice and mix the mashed vegetables with vigor. I dip a finger and taste it and holy it's good. I don't know what that spice is but it tastes as it could even make coal good to eat.
I bet it will be even better heated!
I hand over the bowl filled with my preparation to Mom. "Here Mom, I finished what you asked me."
"Thank you, sweetie, you can return to read now, in a few minutes everything will be ready I'll call you." She said receiving my work.
I did as she suggested and returned to my book. With a pen I took earlier in her study I try to copy every word of the book so I can get used to write this way. The angles of the symbols are what makes this language a bit of a pain to draw but that's not that big of an issue.
I should remember to ask someone to give me the pronunciation of every symbol now that I think of it.
"Mom, could you tell me the name of the language? I still don't know what it is." I asked after realizing I still didn't know what it was.
She turned her head from the pan to look at me. "Sure sweetie. It's called Arelmey."
"Thank Mom."
Arelmey huh? I would not be surprised if someone told me there're other terms ending with "-ey".
I wonder if there are other languages out there, it would be weird if it wasn't the case. Things like "common language" sound pretty unrealistic to me.
But seriously this body is really great, I wrote symbols thousands of times already and my wrist and fingers are not even a little painful, and I can remember very well everything I read too.
Maybe the three years of coma worthed it in the end… or not I shouldn't think like that.
Oh, dinner is ready.
"Time to eat, close your book! Come and sit on your chair!" Mom said. "For the miss: a fried feldron's breast laying on its bed of mashed greenery."
I sat on the chair still too big for me and barely look at my plate. I'm so small my eyes are only able to see the edge of the table and the plates.
"Oh sorry sweetie, it looks like you're still too young for eating on your own chair." She chuckled. "You can sit on Mommy laps if you want, let me help you."
While I climb down my chair, Mom gets behind me and grabs me by my armpits to lift me.
Once on her laps, everything is better and more comfortable too.
Mom, thou shalt be appointed as my personal throne as a reward for your cookingness and comfortability no one can oppose.
"Have a good meal my little fae." She said with a smile, placing a fork of mashed vegetables in front of my mouth.
I allow the fork she offers me to enter my mouth and chew. I must say, none of those were particularly good on their own but with spice and a bit of cooking, they reached a whole new dimension in taste. It's so good I feel like I could cry.
Mom after seeing my reaction chucked and took a bite for herself. "You like it? My mom taught it to me, the secret is the spice."
As I thought the spice is the game-changer here. Wait, don't tell me she also put it in the breading of the fried breasts? Quick! I have to try!
I hastily grab a piece of feldron and bite fiercely like a starved beast. I feel it deliciously crunch under my teeth as the juicy meat nearly dissolve each time I masticate. Tears uncontrollably pour out of my eyes.
Ohhh! I see the light, angels are greeting me! This is too good to exist, am I still in a coma?
If this was a manga my clothes would have already exploded!
"Oh, you REALLY like it. I had the same reaction the first time I ate something with this spice." She said nodding at herself. "I think the only reason Urald is prosperous is thanks to this spice produced only… you're listening? Ah, she fell into oblivion already."
I'm here Mom, this is just too good for me to open my mouth and waste the taste with air.
Sadly it left my mouth before I had the time to notice. Why does this happen to everything pleasurable! I need more! MORE!
Today I solemnly create my bucket list and its first item: [Create an infinite spicy fried feldron's breast].
Even if I have to devote my entire life to magei to do it, I'll do it! No matter what!
But the first step is learning how to read! Tonight I wanted to try not sleeping to see if I would get tired; using this free time to learn will get me one step closer to my goal!
ALL HAIL FRIED FELDRON !
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