First aid

In the last hours, Xia and Imani went from desperation to hope. When all was lost, an accidental hysteria from their animals guided them to the village of Tambara. It was a small village. Around ten houses were scattered on the land in the flattest areas. The huts were made of strong, thick walls of clay. Each of them was generously covered by grass-thatched roofs. The village of Tambara was as charming as it was comforting for Xia and Imani. This place would be the perfect paradise for them. 

They soon met a family of farmers. Those villagers were intrigued to see this strange couple with their animals. Unruffled, Imani tried to find a solution. As a merchant, he advanced toward the family and bargained with them. In no time, he struck a deal with them. The farmers agreed to help Xia and Imani settle in the village. They would lend a hand to build their house as well as help them learn the basics of breeding. In exchange, Xia and Imani would give half of the newborns from their first year of breeding. With this agreement in place, Xia and Imani could begin their new lives. 

Two months later, they had already metamorphosed into two confident breeders. Each of them had specific tasks. In the morning, Imani led the animals from the enclosure to safe grazing areas. Later in the day, he strolled through the village to negotiate with the other residents. It was mostly to trade amasi, a kind of fermented sour milk. He exchanged it for all kinds of vegetables such as onions, beans, squashes, or sweet potatoes. 

In the meantime, Xia checked on the animals. She provided them with food or water and inspected their bodies for any sign of sickness or injury. Once she was sure the animals were well, she carefully milked those that were strong and healthy. Xia and Imani were soon reassured to discover that their livestock provided them enough food and money to get by. This life was simple and refreshing; they could not ask for more. 

This new start also gave them something else: time for each other. Both grew curious about their partner. Sharing became the heart of their relationship. Sometimes, Imani joined Xia for her morning meditations. They always meditated at sunrise. In Linghua, the sun was said to be the most powerful spirit; they called it Tudigan. Almost every life form, be it a plant, an animal, or a human, lived thanks to a portion of Tudigan’s energy. To honor this spirit, Xia and Imani sat barefoot on the earth and lit a stick of incense. While it burned, they kept their eyes closed. This way, they could feel the awakening and warmth of the sun on their faces. When the sun was high enough, Xia and Imani bowed to express their gratitude for the spirit. 

All of this was new to Imani. He had never heard of Tudigan, not even his grandmother, the keeper of old stories, had spoken of this spirit. Still, he had chosen to be curious and followed Xia. To his surprise, the quiet rhythm of meditation brought him some comfort and peacefulness. 

The other times, when Imani did not meditate with Xia, he would enjoy the chill atmosphere of the dawn and pick some fresh leaves. In this isolated village, he allowed himself to experiment again with medicine. Here, not many people could act against his hobby. Creating medicines reminded him of many moments he had shared with his mother. As a child, Imani would follow his mom and look for the best leaves and herbs for her patients’ diseases. Nowadays, he had taken the role of his mother when Xia accompanied him on his medicine search. Two or three times a week, she would come and help him. She was patient and a good listener; he could tell it by the look in her eyes. By nightfall, they worked on his mixtures together. For some preparations, they tied sets of plants closely and let the herbs dry in their house. Others were chopped with stone tools and boiled in a pot over the fire. It was intriguing how herbs and leaves required precise methods to reveal their healing properties. Imani did not have many occasions to try his balms and remedies; it was reserved for their livestock or their own use. 

Tambara had its own healer, a large, aged woman from the oldest family of the village. She was known to be greedy and always asked steep prices to heal people. For this reason, a young boy from Xia and Imani’s closest neighbor knocked on their door one evening. 

“Oh, hello, you must be one of our neighbors’ children. Can I help you with something?” inquired Xia. 

“Yes, please. I heard you talking to your husband about the healing potions you make. I’ve got these red pimples on my skin. They hurt a bit, but mostly, they’re itchy. I can’t sleep. Mum says I can’t go to the healer because it costs too much. She keeps saying I should just wait, and it’ll go away. But I can’t wait. It’s too itchy! Please… can you help me?” the boy explained in a rush, almost forgetting to catch his breath. 

Seeing the distress in his eyes, Xia agreed to help him. 

“Drat! Imani is still out repairing a hole in the enclosure… Well, come in, I should find a remedy for you.” 

Surprised, the boy spoke again. 

“Why do you need your husband to help me?” 

“Oh, it’s simple,” Xia retorted. “He’s the one who prepares the medicines. As for me, I’m just learning by his side.” 

With incomprehension on his face, the boy looked at Xia and added, “But he can’t, only girls can heal.” 

His comment made Xia think about Imani’s story. She got irritated. Imani loved healing, and she would not tolerate anyone telling him otherwise. In response, her tone changed when she answered the boy. 

“Listen, you came here for help, and I should be able to ease your itching. Yet, if you want my help, you will stay silent until I tell you differently. Do we agree?” 

Startled, the boy shut his mouth and nodded quietly. 

Once Xia felt calmer, she started to question the boy again and learned how he got those pimples. Two days ago, he had eaten blackberries from a bush near the stream. As he had watched monkeys eat small fruits, he had decided to do the same. Since then, his forearms progressively became full of pimples. Xia had made the same mistake in her first week at the village, so she could not blame the boy for what he did. Quickly, she retrieved the mixture Imani had used on her and applied it to the boy. The jar was soon empty as the boy had many pimples on his arms. When each pimple was covered by the mixture, she let him go. 

Later, Imani came back to the house. As Xia described what happened with the boy, his face turned livid. It reminded him of the last time he had been seen healing someone. He was scared and did not want to feel rejected once more by those around him. Xia understood and hugged him. Neither of them knew if this story was going to spread in the village. Sadly, in a week, everyone in Tambara had learned the story and was more distant from Imani. At least, the boy did not have pimples anymore. Xia and Imani both stayed strong in this situation. Whatever villagers could say about them, they continued to have one another. Together, they began to forge new habits. 

Each evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Xia and Imani started to have fighting sessions. To prepare for these moments, Xia had bought a guandao for Imani before she left Shuijin. A guandao was a strong spear from the empire of Linghua. It had a curved, broad blade mounted on a long shaft. Xia had promised Imani to show him how to fight, and so she did. Thanks to her old guard skills, she showed Imani how to defend himself. Xia used her own guandao to teach him various techniques and parries. Imani needed many hours of practice to master the guandao. This weapon was harder to handle than the assegai light spear some villagers had in Tambara for their protection. It took Imani six months to use it properly, twice as long as Xia. Aching muscles and bruises were common for him after the fighting sessions. Not only did he never complain about it, but he was happy about it. Imani regarded these moments as a way to discover more about Xia. He was always amazed to see how swift she was. Even with a smaller, heavier body than his, she remained faster. In Imani’s eyes, Xia was a gracious light, moving like the wind. He could not be more fulfilled than having her by his side. They had found happiness in their couple, at least for a while. 

One morning, Xia started her meditation earlier than on other days. She had not paid enough attention to the sky. It was too early for the sun to show up; only the moon remained, glowing quietly overhead. While Xia began meditating with her eyes closed, she sensed a new feeling inside her chest. It was deeper than the usual comfort she perceived. As she focused on this sensation, it grew larger and heavier. Xia did not know how it was possible, but she felt something trying to reach her. It was big, bigger than herself. Sadly, when the first sun rays touched her face, all she had sensed faded. Yet, as she awakened from her strange meditation, only one word remained in her mind: wonderful. It was the only word that could describe the experience she had just lived. Surely, feeling all of this again would change her forever.