Bab 43: The Town of Herbs
Xhemin's back was already hurting when she woke up from deep slumber. She opened her eyes, and nothing welcomed her aside from the continued gushing of the truck's engine. They were still in the road on their long and exhausting journey to Woodbridge.
"Where are we?" She asked the driver when she couldn't see a thing from the truck's window. The darkness of the night had covered the place in full.
"Almost there, Little Miss" The driver answered tediously. Xhemin can't help but pity the man, he must be exhausted.
She straightened up her seat and combed her hair but as she moved, her phone that was sitting in her lap fell on the truck's floor.
" Opps!" She mumbled and picked up her phone. She tapped it open and her inbox welcomed her. Earlier, before she fell asleep, she was trying to compose a reply for the beast. However, she couldn't decide the words to say, in the process, she fell asleep.
Darryl L: I sent you this message to check on you.
Xhemin frowned when she read his message again. Can he had at least made it a little longer?
A little bit annoyed, she decided to write him a reply.
Xhemin L: I sent you this message to check on you too.
She leaned on the truck's seat smiling, pleasantly unsure whether smiling was the appropriate thing to do after being banished from the farm. Nevertheless, she allowed that little pleasure brought by the beast's email to lap through her.
It took almost thirty minutes before Xhemin's phone beeped.
Darryl: How did the punishment went through?
Xhemin: Don't ask. So, the famous young master had free time to check on a ranch girl?
Darryl: I have all the time for the ranch girl. I'm counting it as one.
Xhemin: Counting what Young master?
Darryl: Young master word- equivalent to one kiss. That's two for now.
Xhemin's cheek started to warm up. She clasped her cheeks with her two hands before typing again.
Xhemin: Just try, grandpa has a gun you see.
Darryl: I will ask him then.
Xhemin: No!!!!!!!!!!
Darryl: How about a coffee treat from a ranch girl? I want to see you.
His last email warmed Xhemin's heart but it made her lonely too, because some realities never left- she was not in Hampshire. Just as the word Hampshire came to her mind, every feeling of loneliness came back with it. Suddenly she missed her grandpa, the boys and the ranch. And of course, the missed chance of not being able to have coffee with the beast. These realities were dumfounding, but there's no point of drowning through it, because it would not make any difference at all she thought.
Xhemin: I would love to, but I can't right now.
Darryl: Reason?
Xhemin: I am not in Hampshire. Grandpa sent me away for a training.
Darryl: Where?
Xhemin: Woodbridge. I am sorry.
Darryl: Take care.
She was still buried in her phone when she noticed some lights peeking through the corner of her eye and the truck halted. She drew away her attention from the phone, finding it necessary to gaze from the truck's window to check the place. Her eyes moved from the dank gardens to a big enormous block of a building in very shade of brick. It was bigger than their cottage in Richmond ranch, though she preferred the latter still.
It was dark, but the lights from the farmhouse's lamppost were enough for Xhemin to scan the whole beauty of the place and the people awaiting at the doorstep.
Amongst them, an old man with a delightful visage started to approach the truck. He walked with a slight limp, one leg being dragged behind the other as he crossed the ground. Physically there wasn't much to speak about him, but there was an unmistakable presence he wore, pretty like those of Dr. Miles. Xhemin thought that despite his walking gaffe, he was a confident old man.
The man didn't wait for Xhemin to step out, instead he peeked to the truck's window and smiled. "I am professor Shun Little Miss, I never thought that the doctor's grandchild is a very lovely sight"
Xhemin replied in a brittle voice "Thank you professor Shun, I am glad to have known your acquaintance"
"C'mon now child, we have so much to talk about but before that let's have dinner first. I assume you are already in famished" He said as he pushed open the truck's door and guided Xhemin out.
"This is my wife Selina." Professor Shun added and turned to the middle-aged woman dress in floral. She wore a warm smile and personality as she exclaimed "Goodness you are such a beauty!"
"Welcome to Woodbridge little Miss" The two young women behind the professor greeted as soon as they approached. They wore the same shade and pattern of clothing that made Xhemin realized they were maidservants.
Few minutes after and Xhemin found herself sitting in the dinner table with Professor Shun and his wife. They served her so many tasty food and of course some strawberry desserts. The only downside of such meal was that it was too much for the three of them as Xhemin thought.
"The doctor said you adore strawberries so much" The professor said glancing at the child, as Xhemin buried herself with the desert.
"I grew up with so much of them" Xhemin answered as she slowly made another bite. She was eating much but she was eating with grace.
"Tell me child, what was the first thing listed in your curriculum?" Professor Shun asked. He had retired from Rivendell Academy long ago but still fascinated with the academe. Especially when he sees one student with a potential.
"I have to learn about herbs and how to grow them. My goal is to find one thousand kinds of herbs and everything about them" Xhemin started explaining.
"Of course, of course. Woodbridge is a right place for that. One of the reasons that my wife and I decided to settle in here. We are very much into herbs and spices which this neighborhood has so much" The professor replied.
"There are only few youths in this country who cast interest in farming, I mean botany" Madam Selina said "But those who do are great ones"
"Indeed" The professor agreed. "You child even remind me of one of the greatest botanist I met years ago. Too bad she died early, she could have accomplished more things than she did."
The dinner ended after few more conversations. After that, the couple sent Xhemin to bed knowing that she had come from a long trip.
The room where Xhemin was that night was quiet, apart from the sound of owls that nested from the tree overlooking her window. After changing to her nightdress, she studied the room that was covered with thick curtains. The bedside table were full of fresh flowers that still glowed in the night and few silver candlesticks placed beside it. They seemed to be congratulating her for her safe arrival; They breathed acceptance and conferred their brilliance upon her.
Xhemin sat down on the edge of the large bed, then slid into the center of it and stretched out. The room was cold, and at once the goose-down quilt beneath her grew warm and nest-like. That feeling drew her to close her eyes, until her consciousness closed to sleep.
It was a calm night, but the morning wasn't as welcoming as the night before. Bad news stirred the cold morning into chaos! The laborers in the professor's stable were in a complete mess when the pen of the Little Miss horse, that she brought with her last night, went empty.
Summer was missing!
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
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