“Some breakfast, dear? And some milky coffee?” Blaze had on a well-worn, turquoise robe and tiger-striped bedroom slippers. Mara remembered where she was. She stretched.
“Mmm. Smells yummy. I'll just go and get changed.” Blaze assured her that there was no need for that as the house was only full of girls. Mara nodded, made a quick trip to the toilet, and then strolled groggily into the kitchen. Battery was already seated at the kitchen table with a glint in her eye.
“Good morning, kiddo.” Mara nodded and smiled. She was not really used to talking to anyone in the morning. She didn't feel grumpy, just unable to carry on a conversation. Christi had always teased her about it.
Blaze laid a steaming kettle of milky, sweet coffee on the table and a large platter of small pancakes with green flecks in them. They looked odd but smelled delicious.
“Go on, kidlet, don't be afraid,” assured Blaze. “I could tell you weren't too pleased with dinner last night, so I made something I knew you would enjoy.” Mara blushed. She had tried to conceal her previous evening's nausea out of politeness.
As if sensing this, Blaze added, “You didn't need to suffer through it, but I suppose you were being courteous. You see, that was my husband's favourite meal, but it really is an acquired taste.”
“I am so sorry,” started Mara. “I didn't mean to be rude. It is so difficult when you are a kid. People are always trying to get you to eat stuff you don't like. And you have to do it! When you are an adult, you can say, ‘No thanks, that doesn't agree with me.’ Kids can't say that. They would sound ridiculous.” Blaze and Battery turned to look at each other and broke out laughing.
“You are too cute, Mara,” said Battery.
Mara discovered that the green flecks in the pancakes were fresh mint. The pancakes were scrumptious, especially with the warm raspberry syrup Blaze had made.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Blaze leaned towards the centre of the table where two oval candles sat. She closed her eyes for slightly longer than a blink and then touched the candles with her index fingers. Both wicks instantly took on small flames. A gentle aroma of gardenias arose.
Mara sat wild-eyed. “Wow. I just cannot get over how much magic you have.”
“It's not magic, dear–”
Battery interrupted her mother, “Mum, I've already told her. She still thinks it's magic.”
“I have an idea,” suggested Blaze. “Why don't you take her out to the field and drink some lichen tea. That really would be magical for her.” Battery looked hesitant.
“I don't know, Mum. What if she gets scared? What if she gets dizzy and falls back into her own world?”
“Well, then she goes back. No harm done.”
“What does lichen tea do?” piped up Mara.
Battery explained, “Everything in the world speaks, but we just don't know how to listen. We have too much noise in our minds to distinguish and hear all that goes on around us. Lichen tea acts like a filter. It quietens our thoughts. It truly is a magical experience to hear what streams say to rocks and what grass talks about. The wind is like a postmaster carrying messages for everyone.”
“Lichen tea is made from actual lichen and tastes pretty much as horrible as one would expect. It's no good adding sugar because then it just tastes like sweet moss,” warned Blaze. “I can add some cinnamon bark and valerian root to help the flavour.”
Mara, nervously excited, agreed to try it.
Half an hour later, Battery and Mara trudged past the greenhouse to an open field.
“You've got to know Mara, the tea is tolerably foul,” advised Battery. “Once it enters your system, you will have a strong urge to vomit and faint.” Mara suddenly felt hesitant. She remembered that she was nowhere near home nor anyone who knew her.
Battery continued, “You have to hold it in. You need to keep reminding yourself to breathe deeply and remain calm. It'll be scary at first but well worth it.”
“The sounds of the world around us are constant, but in order to pick them out, we need to mute even the sounds of our own hearts beating and blood flowing. I have done this many, many times before. I will keep you safe,” Battery assured her.
The girls found a soft piece of heather upon which to sit. They were in the middle of a grassy field. A stream ran nearby. Behind them was a row of poplar trees leading to a denser forest. A single crow spied them from overhead and rushed to the forest to share the gossip.
Battery opened the flask of tea and took a swig. She gestured for Mara to follow. They passed it back and forth until they had drunk all the tea.
Mara felt the warm, woody-tasting liquid slip down her throat. Not too bad, she thought to herself. She glanced across at Battery who was saying something to her. Oh yeah, hold it in, Mara remembered. Hold it in? What does she mean?
And then Mara was convulsed with an excruciating abdominal cramp. Oh, my gosh! she thought. I am going to puke. She started to feel dizzy. Battery jumped up and put her arms around Mara. It was all slow motion. Battery breathed unbearably loudly in her ear.
“Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale,” coached Battery. She squeezed tightly around Mara's ribs, forcing respiration. Mara remembered to breathe. The urge to faint passed. The field came back into focus, but it was now tinged with pink.
“Good!” shouted Battery from a million miles away. “Keep breathing. Now focus on this flower” she pulled a dandelion out of the ground, “until you can see all the petals and the fuzzy stalk. Breathe!”
Mara saw tiny, white hairs on the stalk, and then her vision blurred. She recognised petals, but they too began to blur. She felt very fatigued and wanted to lie down. It would feel so delicious to put my head on the ground, she thought.
From a great distance, Battery called out, “Stay awake!” Mara mumbled that she had to pee. Battery, who had become an army drill sergeant, screamed back to her that she will hold it in. Startled, Mara began to laugh. She lost track of her breathing and began to hiccup.
Battery was on her again. She tilted Mara's head back and poured the last couple of drops into Mara's frenetic, hiccuping throat. Mara coughed and sputtered. She wondered suddenly if she might drown.
But that shock was all it took to regulate her diaphragm. Again, Battery was breathing hotly in her ear. This time, inhaling and exhaling felt natural. The dandelion came into focus. Battery looked intensely into Mara's eyes. Satisfied with what she saw, Battery sat back down.
“Good, you are okay now. Just keep breathing. You will be just fine. In fact, you did pretty well for a first-timer. Remember to think about breathing, and then tell me what you hear.”
Inhale, exhale, thought Mara. What was that song in the background? It was both weeping and chanting, mournful and yet strong.
“I hear a song; it is so soulful and sad. And a low rumble.”
“That is the grass and the trees. Can you pick out any words?”
“Something about an ache, how they ache and then rejuvenate.”
“Good, keep breathing. You are calm now, so I can tell you something,” confided Battery. “Some people get addicted to this. They fall into the sounds and find bliss. Then they forget to breathe and die.”
“I can see why this is addictive,” contributed Mara, trying not to be frightened. “It is very peaceful.”
All of a sudden, a bumblebee and a ladybug flew by having a raucous discussion about Delilah the spider. Apparently she had said something scandalous to Hubert. They laughed and flew on.
“Oh my goodness!” exclaimed Mara. “Did you hear that?”
Battery just laughed her tinkly laugh and replied, “Magic, isn't it?”