Open heart

When Muya released Xia from her guard duties at the end of the day, she went directly to the inn. Sometimes, instead of dining with her mentor, she would eat on her own in her favorite inn. They had several dishes she was fond of. Her most treasured one was stir-fried vegetables with spinach, bok choy, and amaranth. The cook finished it with just a touch of garlic to lift the flavors. It was delicious.

That evening, as Xia waited for her meal, she saw the young assistant merchant who had avoided looking in her eyes earlier in the day. He was alone at his table, eating her favorite dish. She observed him closely, reminding herself of the attractiveness she had spotted in him when he left the workshop. The assistant was a tall, slender, and appealing man. His skin was a soft, dark brown with reddish undertones. As for his hair, Xia had never seen anything like it. They were thick, tightly coiled dreadlocks, their deep black color streaked with hints of earthy brown.

Eager to understand his strange behavior with the eyes, Xia joined him at his table.

“We meet again, merchant. I was too focused on your behavior earlier to remember your name. Could you tell me what it is? I can share mine first, if you like. I’m Xia. Nice to meet you,” she said to the assistant with a gentle smile.

He took some time to finish his mouthful before answering timidly:

“The pleasure is mine. My name is Imani. Can I be of any help to you?”

“Yes, you can, by accepting my company at your table,” Xia’s smile broadened as she answered him.

Imani seemed caught off guard.

“Oh, well, I would definitely enjoy your company. Please, take this empty seat and feel free to join me.”

Xia received her bowl of stir-fried vegetables and began talking with Imani. She learned that the older merchant accompanying him was his father, Zano. Imani and Zano both lived in Gungara, the capital city of the Kingdom of Zimori. They had been merchants for many generations. When Xia asked him why he and his father had come so far from their land to find new partnerships, Imani appeared embarrassed. Noticing his discomfort, she decided to share her own tale and explained how she had become Muya’s personal guard. Interested, Imani listened carefully.

Different expressions crossed Imani’s face as Xia unraveled her life story. He was amused by her anecdotes of childhood on the farm, delighted by her dreams of animals, and sympathetic when she described the arguments with her family and why she left their farm. Then, curiosity sparkled in his eyes when she spoke of her days as a dockworker. He grew impressed hearing how she once arrested a thief and protected a valuable piece of furniture, and finally, he looked sincerely admiring as she recounted how that act led to her training as a guard. Each reaction made Xia laugh. Imani was definitely quite expressive once his layer of shyness was broken.

Watching Xia’s confidence when she spoke about her own life gave Imani the courage to trust her and confide in her: he had been his father’s advisor in trade for many years and was used to traveling by boat. Yet, it was his first time venturing so far from Gungara. Something had happened that made it necessary for his father and him to seek new business opportunities in regions where people did not know them. With regret, Imani admitted he was responsible for this. Apparently, he had caused major difficulties in his father’s trade a few weeks ago. Since this event, only distant new clients could save their sales.

To help Xia better understand what happened, Imani had to speak about his mother, Nyasha. She was a healer, and in the Kingdom of Zimori, healers were similar to doctors in the Empire of Linghua but with a specific focus on plants. As far as Imani could remember, he had always loved watching his mother work. When he grew up, he was even able to learn a great deal about healing at her side. His father had always looked unfavorably on Imani’s interest in healing. Yet, he agreed to let his son learn a bit of healing with his mother as long as it did not interfere with his life as a merchant.

Once, as he boarded, he saw an ill sailor vomiting several times. The next day, he inspected the ill man more closely and discovered that he would soon die without proper treatment. Fortunately, he recognized the symptoms. In the heat of the moment, and following his mother’s precept as a healer, he decided to heal the sailor.

The man had contracted cholera, a disease that could be caught from drinking too much unhealthy water. Regrettably, the water on a boat was not the healthiest one, especially after too many days of travel without any stopover. Nyasha, Imani’s mother, was aware of this problem. Before every trip, she would prepare remedies from baobab fruits to help protect them from cholera. Imani gave one to the sailor along with good water from his cabin. The second the sailor began to feel better, Imani understood his mistake: he had healed someone even though he was a man. His mother had always advised him to keep any practice of healing to himself. That day, too full of goodwill, he had not listened to her.

The next morning, everyone on the boat knew what Imani had done. Nobody really cared if he had saved a sailor; they were only ashamed of his behavior. Healing could only be done by women, and that was all. To go against this tradition was a disgrace and a bad omen.

When Zano learned what happened, he was furious with his son. For that reason, right after delivering their last merchandise, each of their previous partners ceased cooperating with them. Within a few days, they had completely lost their merchant’s reputation. That is why they had come to Linghua: to conclude new deals with people from another culture. Here, even if someone heard this story, they would not blame Zano or Imani. Finally, to make sure that nothing like this would ever happen again, Zano had forbidden his son to interact with his mother, his sister, or any woman from then on. With a bitter smile, Imani quoted his father,

“Son, you must focus all your might on becoming a proud merchant. The wealth and future of our family lean on your shoulders. You lost yourself with healing, but I know your merchant’s spirit will put you back on the right track.”

Xia was shocked. How could his own father deprive Imani of any relationship with his mother and sister? She was about to burst out in outrage for him, but thought better of it when she saw his sad smile. He needed a spark of joy in that moment, not another wave of anger.

“And here you are talking to me even though I’m a woman. Pretty bold for a mousy man,” interjected Xia jokingly as she tried to cheer him up. They laughed for a while and ended their dinner with merrier subjects.

This simple meal marked the beginning of a new routine for Xia and Imani. Each evening, they would meet at the same inn one hour after Imani and Zano had finished their stroll for partnerships in Shuijin. They enjoyed each other’s company and got used to it. Sadly, this new habit could not last for long. Imani and his father only stayed two weeks in Shuijin. Soon, Imani would travel back to his land. They comforted themselves with the thought that they would meet again in three months, when the merchandise, including gold for Muya, was delivered. Both secretly wondered how much they would miss their shared meals. In such a short time, they had grown close and trusting.

During their last evening before Imani’s departure, they recounted stories from their respective families. Xia described her younger sister, whom she missed the most, and her little brother, to whom she was less close. Since arriving in Shuijin, she had looked for someone who could exchange news with her family. Thankfully, she had met a kind wandering merchant who often traveled to her village. Now, each time the merchant returned to Shuijin, Xia gave him letters for her sister and brother. In return, she was glad to get news from them. Recently, she felt relieved when she learned about the different solutions her little sister was finding to compensate for her absence. She felt lucky to have such a brave sister.

It made her think of how much her life had changed in a few months. Her daily duties as a guard contrasted so much with the life on the farm she had known since her childhood. Nowadays, only one habit remained from her old life: morning meditations. She continued to meditate every day in her chamber before going to Muya’s workshop. It helped her feel reassured and complete. This moment of deep calmness reminded her of who she was. The energy she received from her meditations even accompanied her to start forgiving her parents.

Imani’s strange expression brought Xia back to their discussion. For the first time, he seemed confused and did not try to revive the conversation. Why? Did meditation work differently in the Kingdom of Zimori? She thought of asking about it, but decided not to. She did not wish to make Imani uncomfortable. After a pause, she preferred to ask if he could share something about his family. She wished to discover more about this part of his life.

Pleased by the question, Imani answered. He had one little sister. They were not very close. Part of him knew his sister hoped to become a merchant and was jealous of Imani’s expeditions with their father. Perhaps if he could, he would have exchanged his place with hers. Unfortunately, it was impossible.

Then, an unusual detail surprised Xia: Imani’s maternal grandmother was still alive and lived with the rest of his family. In her village or in Shuijin, Xia had never met someone who had known one of his grandparents. Who knew? Maybe people from Zimori do live longer.

Mentioning his grandmother made Imani think of something she had recently told him. It was related to his grandmother’s beliefs. She claimed to be an augur. Nobody believed her, but everyone pretended to, not to hurt her feelings. And so, Imani had heard something rather silly the last time he had spoken with her. He repeated each word to Xia.

“Imani, Imani, give me your hand, now give it to me… How could I miss this, you, you… Oh my, you will experience a terrible end. It will disappear as you know it. After that, nothing will ever be the same. I feel so, so sorry for you.” Imitating his grandmother made him laugh.

When he glanced at Xia to see if she found it funny as well, she was not laughing. Why? Her expression was definitely joyful. Yet, some part of her seemed somewhere else.

In fact, Imani was right. Xia had not listened to the tale about his grandmother; she had preferred to watch him smile. She was dazed by his sincerity and his loveliness. In two weeks of shared meals and discussions, Xia had gotten used to Imani, to his presence, to his kindness. Now, he would leave tomorrow and only come back to Shuijin three months later with their promised merchandise. She could not let him go like this. What if something happened to him? What if he met someone else? She had to do something before he left; she would not forgive herself otherwise.

Moved by her emotions, Xia leaned across the table and reached for Imani’s face. Without warning, she kissed him, pressing her lips against his with deep envy. Bewildered, Imani stopped laughing, closed his eyes, and enjoyed Xia’s kiss.